Chapter 43

Elena

I told Killian all about my visit with Alice, and he seemed pleased that I had reconnected with my adoptive mother. I didn’t show him the necklace at first, wanting to keep that small piece of myself to myself.

I had very little memory of my parents, even though I can recall being young. It’s like they were erased from the past. The most I knew was that they both died very young in an accident and I was adopted.

But the necklace gave me a certain kind of hope. Even if I couldn’t be reunited with my parents, maybe I could still learn more about them and become closer to them in that way.

“I think it’s great,” Killian told me over dinner, “reconnecting with Alice when she needs it most. You’re the family she has left.”

He cooked again, this time a passable pasta with basil pesto. I told him as much, advising him to add lemon instead or more salt next time. He took the note and still looked thrilled that I was eating it.

“It just feels hard to trust her,” I said openly, “you know how things went the last time I saw her.”

“You did break into her house and go through her dead daughters thing,” Killian said snidely.

I shot him a look that said I was innocent. “It’s hardly a B&E if I have keys to the house!” My voice echoed off the high ceiling as I defended myself.

“Even so…” Killian said, his wolf trying to soothe me. Sometimes I felt his aura working on me and knew he didn’t even realize it. I didn’t know if he was oblivious or trying to gaslight me.

“Fine,” I said with a dramatic sigh, “I can swallow some of my pride to help a sick woman. She kept a roof over my head and kept me fed, most of the time.”

He didn’t dignify my whining, but moved on.

“I made progress with the press today, I think,” Killian went on. “They didn’t like the story, but they accepted it. You were meeting Jaxon on behalf of me, the Pack. You two simply have a better rapport than I, and you are trying to patch up animosity between two candidates for the better of the Pack.”

I could hear Kana’s verbiage in his statement, nodding along as he needed me to. Killian liked it when he could take credit for good ideas. He was a natural politician for that reason.

“The publicity team from Fading Shadow seems to agree at least on the surface,” he added, “or at least haven’t released anything to say otherwise or to besmirch your character.”

“Besmirch?” I raised an eyebrow, teasing him.

“Tarnish, whatever,” he said, his ears turning red as they did when he was flustered. I found it almost endearing. Almost. “Now we just need Jaxon to make a statement of his own, and hopefully we can move forward with a fair fight.”

I thought of Jaxon’s request for me, and felt the blood leave my face. He was MIA because he was running an ‘errand’ for me, and in return he wanted me to get Killian to drop out of the race. I pushed that part of the plan from my mind, telling myself I could cross that bridge when I came to it.

“Leave that to me,” I told my husband, claiming some authority. “He should reach out to me when he has returned from…wherever it is that the rakish man wanders off to.”

“Wonderful,” he said, though his eyes told me the word was hollow.

“And Alice has a procedure scheduled for Friday,” I continued, moving his thoughts away from Jaxon. “I think it would be good—“

“To be there with her, yes, I agree,” he smiled, leaving thoughts of his rival behind.

The days passed and we kept a low profile, not wanting to give the press anymore to talk about. Alice’s surgery went well, and it meant a lot to her to have Killian and me by her bedside when she woke up.

“You have no idea how lovely it is,” she said in a groggy but jovial voice, “to have my children here with me.”

It seemed like an odd way to refer to us: the adopted daughter she used to hate and the man who married her instead of her daughter. But we smiled and held her hand, and made sure the nurses were understanding if she complained about trivial things.

“Elena, dear,” she said, “I’m so glad that you make Killian happy. You both deserve that, after all the rest.”

I blushed, not wanting to burst her bubble that it was all pretend. Then I saw Killian was looking at me, a satisfied smirk in his mouth but sincere admiration in his eyes. He held it long enough to tell me that it wasn’t just an act in front of Alice.

Once again I was saved by the ringing of my phone in my pocket.

It was Jaxon.

I held up the device in a universal “gotta take this” gesture and walked into the hallway.

“Luna Elena,” Jaxon’s gruff voice said into my ear, “we need to meet. Immediately.”

Killian

I made sure to keep my gaze lifted as Elena left the room, fighting the urge to drift lower and take in her form. Not the best move in front of a woman recovering from surgery.

“Close the door, Killian,” Alice’s voice was monotonous as she spoke, changed from the lighter tone she’d had when Elena was in the room. “We should talk, you and I.”

I pulled a chair up beside her bed, wondering what other sort of estate planning my quasi-mother-in-law needed help with.

“I’m glad you’re well, Alice,” I said to her, taking her hand, “both Elena and I are glad to have you in our lives. I know she is open and optimistic about having a relationship with you in the future. It could be good for all of us.”

My thoughts went to the small square box in my pocket. I was planning for a better future with my family as well.

“Cut the crap, Killian,” she replied, her words like a slap to the face, “I played nice with your usurping wife as you asked, gave her the necklace from her mother. But we both know that Elena is not the one you should be focusing on.”

She must have been reacting to the pain medication, or perhaps suffering from a personality disorder.

“What do you mean?” I asked, hoping it was a loopy side effect. “Elena said you were working through the past, that you seemed to want to be reunited as a family.”

“She is not my family!” Alice’s voice croaked with the effort of her exclamation. It was a side I’d never seen of her before, and Elena’s stories came into sharper focus. “My family was stolen, and then you gave up on her!”

“Natalie?” I couldn’t believe I was being accused of something like this. “I did not give up on her, she died! She was a martyr and a saint, and I loved her so deeply, but the goddess chose to take her away from me. What else could I do?”

“You’re a fool! You never even looked for her!”

“What are you saying, Alice? And may I remind you that regardless of your current state, you are addressing your Alpha.”

She was still for a moment, weighing her options.

“My daughter is not gone,” she said quietly but confidently. “She is out there somewhere, I can feel it, and you should be out there searching for your true Luna. Not this second-rate stand-in.”

That was too far.

My wolf roared up inside me, and I rose from my seat.

“Elena is not just a Luna by default, or chance,” I said, the older woman betraying a slight tremble though her face was set. “She is my Fated Mate, and our bond is stronger than any other betrothal or promise or political move could ever be.”

I didn’t wait for her reply, but stormed out of the room.

One of my Betas was waiting in the hallway, a stern look on his face.

“Sir?”

“What is it, Dano?” I said impatiently.

“We know who leaked the photo of Luna Elena and Adler.”

I froze where I stood.

“It came from Tiffany.”