Elara was still in daze as they left the city. The tingling mark told her she belonged to someone now. She had a family that she never dared to dream of. Her hand's reached to caress the mark. It was still swollen, burning. That was how the chosen marks were. They take time to settle down. And she did not care about the pain as long as it brought Callwn in her life.
He noticed his actions and smiled at her as he held her hand from one hand steering wheel from the other hand.
"My mother would be surprised. I have told her about you and she wanted to meet you first." he chuckled and suddenly she was nervous.
"And your father.." he stiffened suddenly and his jaw clenched. She noticed that too well.
"He would come around, Elara. They love me too much to hurt me." he squeezed her hand and nodded. But her eyes were not certain. Perhaps, it could be just nervousness, but she knew something wrong was going to happen.
But as the forest thinned and their packhouse came into view, something in her gut twisted.
"Callen," she said slowly, sitting straighter in the car.
"I know," he muttered, already slowing. "Something's wrong."
The gates were wide open. The sentries were gone. The scent of fear lingered in the air like smoke. What they saw stopped them cold.
The packhouse courtyard was trashed. The doors broken, windows shattered, claw marks gouged into the stone. Blood stained the steps, not enough for death, but enough for warning. Wolves were huddled in groups. Tamara was crouching on the ground and checking four wounded wolves. The air crackled with unease.
Elara came out of the car and ran to her to help others. But the moment she walked closer. Everyone paused and stared at her with horror and hatred. her heart thudded painfully and she froze. She knew that look too well. The look where people want her to vanish and never return.
She took a step back, afraid, shattered and lost.
"What the hell happened?" Callen did not notice the change as he came running.
Voices rose as more wolves noticed their arrival. Elara recognized fear in the way they looked at her—like she carried something dangerous and didn't know it.
Before they could ask more, the Moonridge Alpha stormed through the crowd, his expression dark.
"You," he barked at Callen. "You will come with me. now!"
Callen stepped forward, bristling. "What happened?"
"The Downthrone alpha came looking for his mate," the Alpha snapped. "He didn't find her. But he left behind a promise: if she's not given to him, we all burn."
Elara's throat tightened the way Alpha was looking at her. Fear gnawing her chest. But she pushed it away. She did not know him, she was not his mate.
No. That couldn't be. Could it?
Callen's voice dropped as he noticed the looks too. "Did he give a name?"
The Alpha laughed bitterly. "No. Just said he'd know her by the bond. The mate-bond. The one that should've been his. But then he started shouting and accusing us that one of us mated with his mate last night.." His eyes flicked to Elara, sharp and suspicious now. He took a step toward her and callen ran to block him. "You did not get matted to anyone last. Right? None of the wolves got mated last night!!"
Elara felt like the ground had tilted. "I—Callen just marked me. Yesterday."
The Alpha's face turned to stone. He looked like he wanted to tear her apart and at the same time he was scared of her.
"Then you've doomed us both."
Callen stepped between them. "She is not a mate of anyone else. She is mine."
"And yet he felt it," the Alpha hissed. "Felt the bond snap into place while standing in this pack. That girl is his mate."
"No." Callen growled, grabbing Elara's hand. "She chose me."
"Choice has nothing to do with it anymore," the Alpha bit back. "You marked what belonged to a Drowned Wolf. And now that blame is on all of us."
Gasps echoed through the crowd. They all looked at her with accusive eyes. "This is the first time you have gone against me, callen! I wonder where this courage came from?"
Elara's head was spinning. "Wait—this doesn't make sense. How would Luca feel the bond? How could he know? You can only find your mate when she is around. We were too far from here."
"Because he's cursed," the Alpha snarled. " He feels what's his. And he'll kill anyone who stands in the way of claiming it."
Callen's fists clenched. "Then let him come."
"No." The Alpha pointed a shaking finger at him. "You brought this on us. You hid her. And now he thinks we betrayed him. He won't come for you first—he'll come for the pack. For the innocents."
Callen looked like he was about to snap. "So what do you suggest? We just hand her over?"
The Alpha's jaw ticked. "I suggest you prepare for war."
Silence fell.
Elara stood frozen in the middle of it all. Her mark still burned on her neck, but something inside her trembled.
"I will go to him." she announced, shaking Callen to his core. Everyone was surprised but they seemed to accept her decision as they nodded.
Tamra stood up behind her feeling guilty.
"You do not need to do that!" She held Elara's hands, shocking her. "I have adopted you and callen has marked you. You belong to us now. We do not give our family to our enemy just because he demands it. We are not cowards." her eyes gazed at the crowd as their faces shifted. They looked worried but at the same time guilty.
Callen saw help and hope. He held her other hand and nodded.
"Yes, you have chosen your mate. It is your right and no one could snatch it from you. I will protect you. Our pack will protect you."