Chapter 232

Agnes

I made my way through the crowded banquet hall, searching for Elijah. The room was beautifully decorated with tasteful floral arrangements and twinkling lights, lending the entire space a warm glow. Richard had clearly spared no expense for this celebration of our partnership.

I finally spotted Elijah near one of the tall windows, engaged in conversation with Richard’s Beta. As I approached, his eyes found mine, and a smile spread across his face. He excused himself from the conversation and met me halfway.

“There you are,” he said, reaching for two glasses of champagne from a passing server and handing one to me. “I was beginning to wonder if you’d gotten lost.”

“Just running a bit behind schedule,” I replied, taking a small sip. The bubbles tickled my nose. “The dress was being difficult, but Lena helped me.”

Elijah’s eyes appraised me from head to toe. “Well, whatever trouble it gave you was worth it. You look stunning.”

I couldn’t help but smile at the compliment. Even after all this time, he still looked at me like I was the only woman in the room. “Thank you,” I murmured, leaning up on my toes to press a lingering kiss to his cheek. My lips brushed his skin as I added, “You look quite dazzling yourself tonight, Alpha.”

Elijah smiled and took my hand, lacing his fingers through mine. We moved to a quieter corner of the hall, where the chatter of the other guests faded into a pleasant background hum. For a moment, we just stood there, sipping our champagne and people-watching.

“So,” he finally said, “Lena helped you, huh? You two seemed thick as thieves when you entered.”

I smiled softly. “We got to talking earlier.” I glanced across the room to where Lena was chatting with one of Richard’s pack members. “She’s a good person, Elijah. I think we chose a good nanny for Thea.”

Elijah smiled, following my gaze. “I think you’re right.” He paused. “I also think she’s becoming more than just a nanny to you.”

I bit my lip, dragging it through my teeth. How did he always see right through me? “I like her,” I admitted. “She reminds me a little of myself, in some ways. She’s been through a lot.”

“Care to elaborate?”

I shook my head. “It’s not my story to tell. But we had a good conversation.”

We fell silent again, watching the party unfold around us. I couldn’t help but think about Lena’s question regarding my trips to the basement. She’d been honest with me about her past; maybe it was time I was honest with her about my abilities.

“I’m still thinking about telling Lena the truth,” I said suddenly, keeping my voice low. I shot Elijah a meaningful look.

His brows knitted together. “Are you sure that’s wise?”

“I don’t know,” I admitted. “But she’s noticed me running off to the basement. She asked me about it today.”

“What did you tell her?”

“That I get panic attacks, and the spa you built helps me calm down.” I shrugged. “It wasn’t a complete lie, I suppose. But it didn’t feel good saying it.”

Elijah took a slow sip of his champagne, considering. “And you think telling her the complete truth is a better option?”

“She’s living in our house, Elijah. Taking care of our daughter.” I sighed. “If something happens—if I lose control again—she deserves to know why. And besides, she was honest with me today. Maybe it’s time I returned the favor.”

Elijah was quiet for a long moment. I could tell he was weighing all the possible outcomes, all the risks involved in sharing our secret with someone new. Finally, he said, “Give it until the end of our trip, at least. We might find the artifact tomorrow. If we do, and it works the way Olivia said it would… well, maybe there won’t be anything to tell.”

I pondered his words. He had a point. If we found the artifact and it helped me control my abilities, or even better, if my wolf was finally free… why burden Lena with knowledge she didn’t need?

“Alright,” I agreed. “Until the end of the trip.”

Just then, our solitude was interrupted by Richard’s approach. He was dressed in an impeccable black suit with a glass of red wine in his hand.

“Agnes, Elijah,” he greeted with a smile. “I hope you’re enjoying yourselves?”

“Very much,” Elijah replied. “Thank you for hosting this event. It’s quite impressive.”

Richard nodded. “I wanted to thank you again for the survival bags, Agnes. They’re a generous gift to our pack.”

“I’m glad I could help,” I said. “After what happened with Elise, and now Henry and Krystal…” I trailed off, not wanting to darken the mood too much by reminding him of the missing Alpha and Luna.

“Yes,” Richard said, shifting uncomfortably. “I’m just not entirely sure how to disperse them yet. We have a large pack, and only thirty bags…”

I remembered what Lena had told me earlier, about how her parents had died because the pack’s healers had prioritized higher-ranking members. About how families like hers had been essentially left to fend for themselves. My stomach twisted at the memory.

“If I may make a suggestion,” I said carefully, “perhaps you could consider giving them to the lower-ranking members of your pack first. The Omegas, or those born without wolves.”

Richard’s eyebrows rose slightly. “The Omegas? We have plenty of aid that goes to them. The conditions these days are excellent for everyone in the pack.”

“Still, don’t you think they’d benefit the most?” I asked. “Higher-ranking pack members have more resources, more connections. If something happened, they’d have options. But those at the bottom of the hierarchy might not have anyone to turn to.”

Richard seemed to consider this for a moment, his fingers drumming lightly against his glass. Finally, he said, “You know, Agnes, you might be right.” He nodded. “I’ll see that the Omegas and wolfless receive the bags first.”

I smiled, feeling a small sense of victory. It was a tiny change, perhaps, but it was something. And who knew? Maybe it could save lives.

Just as Richard was about to continue, a commotion at the entrance to the banquet hall caught everyone’s attention. The double doors had swung open, and the room fell into a hushed silence.

Elise was standing in the doorway, dressed in what must have once been a beautiful blue gown. Now, it hung a little too loosely on her thin frame, making her look even more frail than she had been the last time I’d seen her. She had clearly attempted to style her hair, but much of it was still hanging loose around her face—and aside from a pink blush that made her look even more feverish, she hadn’t put on any makeup.

Richard’s face drained of color the instant he saw her. He thrust his glass into the hands of a nearby server and rushed toward his wife, arms outstretched. “Elise, my love,” he said, and despite the smile on his face and the lightness in his voice, I could tell he was upset. “You’re supposed to be resting, darling. Let me take you back to your room.”

But Elise shook her head adamantly and pulled away before he could put his arm around her. “No, Richard. This is my house too. I want to enjoy the party!” Her voice was slightly too loud, echoing in the sudden quiet that had taken over the room.

“Darling…” Richard placed a hand on her arm, but she pulled away from him again, brushing past him and stepping further into the hall. I could see the discomfort on the faces of the other guests, the way they awkwardly avoided looking directly at Elise.

Without thinking, I handed my champagne glass to Elijah and crossed the room to where Elise was. Richard gave me a warning look, but I ignored him.

“Elise,” I said warmly, taking her arm. “How lovely to see you. You look beautiful tonight.”

The tension in the room eased slightly as conversations slowly resumed, although many glances were still cast our way.

Elise looked at me, her eyes surprisingly sharp despite her disheveled appearance. Then her gaze dropped to where my hand rested on her arm. A strange look crossed her face—the very same look she gave me when she said I had…

“The gift,” she murmured, so softly that only I could hear. “You still have it.”

I tensed, remembering our last encounter and her odd words. But before I could respond, she looked up at me and smiled. It transformed her face, making her appear almost young again, almost healthy. I couldn’t help but smile back.

But then, Elise’s smile abruptly faded. Her eyes widened, fixed on something—or rather someone—behind me. I turned slightly to follow her gaze.

Lena was standing a few yards away, a glass of water in her hand, watching us.

And when I turned back to Elise, her face had gone deathly pale.