Agnes & Elijah

Agnes

We moved from the ballroom at the gala to the auction hall for the next part of the gala—the auction. I took in the elegant surroundings, the polished floors and glittering chandeliers, feeling a bit more relaxed now that Elijah had solidified my place at his side to everyone. We settled into seats a few rows from the podium and waited for the auction to start.

I glanced toward a group of shifters laughing and my breath caught in my throat when my gaze landed on a face I hadn’t seen in years.

It was as though time stopped. The world around me blurred, and all I could see was him.

Mason. My first love.

The man who had been my everything back in college, and who had disappeared without a trace, leaving a hollow ache in my chest that had never truly healed. Memories I had long buried came rushing back—late nights studying together, stolen kisses under the stars, whispered promises of forever.

I hadn’t expected to see him here, of all places. And to my surprise, he looked the same as the day he left me. Mason stood tall and youthful, his handsome features highlighted by a strong jawline, tousled blonde hair, and striking green eyes that seemed to pierce through the room with a quiet intensity.

My heart pounded, confusion swirling inside me like a storm. I blinked, trying to convince myself it wasn’t real, that I was seeing things. But it was him.

It was really him.

Elijah, standing beside me, must have noticed my reaction. He followed my gaze, his eyes narrowing when they landed on Mason. A dark look crossed his face, and I felt a shift in his energy—an intensity that hadn’t been there a moment ago.

The bidding started, and I didn’t have time to ponder Elijah’s expression, and I pretty much zoned out on most of the auction, unimpressed with the expensive items being offered.

Mason joined in on bidding for some rare artifact I hadn’t even bothered to pay attention to. I could feel Elijah’s tension escalate, his fingers twitching as he raised his paddle to outbid him—escalating the price to ridiculous levels.

I stared in disbelief, my mouth slightly open as Elijah continued to outbid Mason, far beyond the item’s worth.

“What are you doing?” I whispered, glancing at Elijah’s sharp profile.

He didn’t respond. His focus was solely on Mason, like this was a battle he had to win, no matter the cost. The tension between the two men was palpable, but Mason seemed oblivious to what had sparked Elijah’s competitive streak.

When the auctioneer finally declared Elijah the winner, I released a breath I hadn’t realized I’d been holding. The absurdity of it all washed over me—a battle over a meaningless artifact, but one charged with a deeper, unspoken conflict. I could sense it wasn’t about the item at all.

Elijah had been staking a claim, and I was the prize.

Afterward, Mason approached Elijah, his face a mask of exasperation.

“That price was ridiculous,” he said, his voice tight. “But I’ve had my eye on that sculpture for quite some time. I’m willing to pay more, but it’ll have to be in installments.”

I stood awkwardly beside Elijah, watching the interaction unfold, when Mason’s eyes finally turned to me. His brow furrowed, recognition dawning slowly as he looked at me—really looked at me.

“Agnes?” His voice was filled with disbelief.

I nodded, my heart thudding painfully in my chest. Mason’s reappearance dredged up emotions I hadn’t anticipated. The rawness of seeing him again, hearing him say my name, was almost too much.

He had changed, but the familiarity was still there, buried beneath the years and the heartache.

Mason stepped closer, his green eyes searching mine, an air of hesitation about him.

“Agnes, I need to explain what happened… why I disappeared.”

I crossed my arms, trying to steady my breathing as my heart pounded in my chest. “Go ahead.”

He exhaled slowly, running a hand through his blonde hair.

“It was your sister, Ava.”

The mention of her name made my stomach churn, but I stayed silent, waiting.

“Ava… she played us both,” Mason continued, his voice thick with regret. “She told me that you wanted nothing to do with me anymore, that you’d moved on, and that I should too. She even convinced me that contacting you would only make things worse.”

I swallowed hard, the sting of betrayal washing over me.

“She told me the same thing about you,” I said quietly, my voice barely above a whisper. “She said you had moved on, forgotten me like it was nothing.”

Mason’s face twisted in pain.

“I didn’t, Agnes. I thought about you every single day. I wanted to reach out, but I didn’t know how. And Ava… she kept pushing the lie, making it sound like I’d ruin your life if I showed up again.”

I felt a wave of nausea hit me. Years of pain, confusion, and heartache—because of one person’s manipulation. My fists clenched at my sides as I tried to process it all.

“Why would she do that?” I asked, my voice shaky.

Mason shook his head, his jaw tightening.

“I don’t know. I think she enjoyed the control… enjoyed playing us like pawns.”

I stared at him, the weight of missed chances and stolen years pressing down on me. “So all of it... everything we went through... was because of her?”

He nodded. “Yes. And I’m so sorry, Agnes. I didn’t know how to fix it back then. I thought you were better off without me.”

My mind spun as I tried to comprehend the depth of the betrayal. Ava had stolen something precious from both of us—years we couldn’t get back, a future that never happened. I couldn’t decide if I wanted to scream or cry.

Just as I opened my mouth to say something, I caught a glimpse of Elijah from the corner of my eye. He had been silent through the entire conversation, but I could feel the tension radiating off him. His face was a mask of barely concealed anger, his eyes hardening as he listened.

“Elijah…” I started, but before I could finish, he turned on his heel and walked out of the auction hall without a word.

…

Elijah

The moment I stepped outside the auction hall, the cold air hit my skin like a slap, but it did nothing to cool the fire raging inside me. My pulse thudded in my ears, my chest tight.

What was wrong with me?

Why had I lost control like that?

It wasn’t about the artifact. Hell, I didn’t even care about it. But when I saw the way Agnes had looked at that man—Mason—it had triggered something dark and ugly inside me. Possessiveness. Jealousy.

Two emotions I rarely indulged, but there they were, twisting in my gut like a viper.

Agnes wasn’t mine. She had never been mine. Not really. But somehow, over the past few months, I had come to think of her as something more than a business partner or a temporary arrangement. Somewhere along the line, my feelings for her had changed, grown into something far more complicated than I had allowed myself to admit.

And seeing Mason again—a man who had clearly once held her heart—it had cracked open something I had buried deep. A fear that maybe, just maybe, she could be taken away from me.

That she would leave, just like everyone else had.

I clenched my fists, my jaw tight. Damn it.

As I turned the corner, I nearly bumped into Olivia.

Her face was drawn, her eyes red and puffy, like she had been crying. I hadn’t seen her in days, and a part of me had hoped to avoid her for as long as possible. But fate had other plans.

“You had no right to humiliate me like that, Elijah,” she spat, her voice trembling with emotion. “Do you have any idea what that did to me? You didn’t just ruin my reputation—you shattered me in front of everyone.”

I said nothing, my jaw clenching as I listened. Olivia’s pain was palpable, and a part of me knew I was responsible for some of it. But the truth was, it had been a long time coming.

Her voice cracked as she continued. “It’s not just about the divorce... It’s everything. You never loved me. I know that now. I hoped that you’d stay in the marriage for Thea’s sake, but it wasn’t enough. You never wanted me, did you?”

She was right. I hadn’t loved her—not the way she wanted, at least. I had tried, for years, to convince myself that love would grow, that I could make it work.

But deep down, I had always known the truth. My wolf had never accepted her, had never felt that bond. And now, standing here, facing her raw pain, I wondered if I was broken.

Was I even capable of the kind of love others seemed to experience so easily?

Olivia wiped at her eyes, sniffling, when I didn’t respond to her.

“My doctor says I need to heal, but I can’t do that without seeing Thea. She’s my daughter, Elijah. Please... Let me see her.”

Her voice softened, desperate.

“Please. I need to reconnect with her.”