Chapter 56: Moving Silently as a Ghost

ELAINE

The sun was setting, painting the sky with hues of orange. It was a sight to behold, a moment I wished I could capture and keep forever.

I rested my cheek on my hand, smiling as I watched the sun slowly disappear, giving way to the enchanting darkness.

From my spot, I could hear Connor and Jyn’s voices. They were discussing a plan, similar to the one Connor and I had talked about in the temple after our encounter with the Goddess.

It was odd, but after releasing all the emotions I had kept bottled up, I felt a sense of calm, a peace I had forgotten was possible.

Perhaps it was because I had finally confessed my feelings to Connor. Or maybe it was something else. But for the first time in a long while, my heart felt at ease.

A rustling sound from the trees and bushes below caught my attention. I glanced lazily in the direction of the noise.

The rustling continued, and I became alert. I spotted a red mane moving between the bushes. A small smile tugged at the corner of my lips as I stood up and turned away.

~“We have a visitor,”~ I announced. Both Connor and my brother stopped what they were doing and looked in the direction I was pointing.

~“Should I call the patrol?”~ Jyn asked. I shook my head and turned to Connor, giving him a silent nod. He returned my smile, and I slipped away through the door.

I knew who our visitor was, and I couldn’t help but feel a thrill of excitement.

I walked calmly through the hallways, down the stairs, and out to the back garden where the woods met the castle walls.

The patrol was nowhere in sight, thanks to Jyn’s orders, so the timing was perfect.

I stopped in the middle of the garden, held my head high, and beckoned the figure hiding behind the tall bushes.

A growl was the response I received, and I chuckled.

~“Such a disrespectful child,”~ a voice echoed in my mind. ~“You would never behave like this if you had grown up with me.”~

“And thank goodness my mother decided not to let me,” I replied, tilting my head.

She snarled, drool dripping from her snout as she approached me.

~“Speak. Why have you summoned me here? I can’t leave my territory unattended for too long,”~ Enora growled.

“Worried Sorin might seize your throne?” I teased, causing her to bare her teeth at me. “You might have a heart attack, so calm down.”

Enora shook her mane before transforming back into her human form. She stood naked before me, unashamed and unbothered by anyone who might see her.

Despite her age, she still retained her youthful appearance. Many girls would be envious if they saw her in this state.

“Don’t waste my time. Speak before I decide to leave,” she demanded.

When Connor and my brothers said Enora looked like me, I didn’t realize how striking the resemblance was. From the red hair to the clear blue eyes, even down to the mole on the breast.

Everything was identical.

I pushed the unsettling feeling aside and refocused on her. Her impatience was evident on her face. Even the sight of the castle seemed to irritate her. But why?

Why did she harbor such intense hatred for us?

“Before I tell you why I called you here, there’s something I want to ask you,” I said, causing her to frown.

Her lips pressed into a thin line, and she finally nodded.

I took a deep breath. I wasn’t sure if she would answer my question or if it would make her leave, but it had been nagging at me for so long that I needed an answer.

“When you found out I was dying and came to my rescue, Connor told me that you and his mother had made a deal.

“I’ve been wondering why you would make a deal with her when you’ve made it clear that you despise us, Connor and me. You say you hate us as mates, yet you still communicate with his mother—”

“You want to know what deal we made, right?” Enora scoffed. My hand twitched behind my back. “So?”

“Yes, that,” I confirmed.

Enora stared at me, her eyes a shade darker under the night sky.

“What did Connor’s mother promise you?” I asked. She remained silent, which frustrated me.

I couldn’t proceed without her answer.

“His mother was your mother’s beta.”

“I know,” I said, frowning.

“She was there when your mother died,” Enora hissed, causing my heart to pound.

“What?” I whispered in shock.

“She knew what your beloved father planned to do to your mother. She ~knew~, and she did nothing to stop him!” Enora shouted, catching me off guard.

“She was your mother’s beta and best friend. She knew, and she let it happen.”

I heard footsteps rushing towards me, but all I could hear was the pounding of my heart in my ears.

“If you’re so curious about the deal, it’s simple. She helped me find you, and in return, I would get rid of you so her son could be free from you.”

I stumbled, but a hand caught me from behind.

“Enough, Enora!” Connor commanded, but she just laughed.

“No, she wanted to know, so I’ll tell her everything.

“Your mother was jealous of my daughter, who was not only beautiful but also strong and lethal. But she strayed from her path and abandoned her true goal.”

“No,” I choked out. “My mother didn’t stray from her path. She ran away from ~you~ and your insane plans.”

“I had my reasons,” Enora exclaimed.

“Reasons?” I spat out, as Connor’s arm wrapped around me. “What other reason could there be other than to control her? You knew she was unhappy and suffering, and that’s why she left you!”

“Her biggest mistake,” Enora said grimly.

“Why are you so hell-bent on saving your lands?” I asked her. “You’re the queen, right? You can protect your pack, your people!”

She didn’t respond.

I was waiting for a comeback, a retort that would make her lose her cool. But there was nothing. Her face was a blank slate.

“Your mother was the next in line, which means every daughter born from each descendant carries a burden only they can bear.”

We all listened to her. I could even sense Jyn’s tension behind me.

“What is it?” Connor asked. I couldn’t speak. My nerves were about to snap.

“The same lycan.”

“What?” I blurted out, frustrated. “How can we carry the same lycan? Everyone has their own unique spirit, the one that completes them.”

“Not us,” she shot back. Her face morphed from human to lycan, which almost made Ashina force me to shift.

It was as if she despised Enora. Something was bothering her, and I couldn’t figure out what it was.

“The lycan queen can only have one daughter. No matter how many pups she gives birth to, only one will be a girl, and you can see that with your own brothers,” she pointed out.

I glanced over my shoulder. Blaze, Arye, Jyn’s mate, stood behind us. I turned my gaze back to her.

“That’s impossible,” I hissed as Connor tightened his grip. “That’s fucking impossible!”

“Why?” Enora scoffed. “You think you’re an exception? Oh, you naive girl, you carry our blood, our lycan!”

“No!” I growled, silencing her. Ashina had taken control, and my mind was going numb.

I wanted her death by my own hands.

“I am not you and will never be like you,” I said, my voice a blend of my own and my lycan’s.

“Have you forgotten that I no longer inhabit this body alone? Another half spirit, a lycan like me, lives inside this body.”

Enora’s face shifted back to human. Her eyes widened as my words hit her hard.

“You allowed him to save me, and he, willingly, with all his love, sacrificed not only his life but his lycan,” I spat. “Now tell me, are we one, or am I a new kind?”

At that, Enora stepped back as if she finally understood that her plans weren’t going as she had hoped.

Connor might have saved me, but he had thrown a wrench in her plans, ruined them, shut them down.

“You didn’t know, did you?” Jyn whispered, breaking her concentration. “You never expected things to go differently than planned.”

“Silence, you insolent child!” she commanded. Turning to me, she snarled, “You will return to the lands where you belong. If not by force, then willingly.”

To that, I smiled and relaxed against Connor. His hands rested on my hips as I laughed in her face.

Enora looked at me in disbelief.

Pushing Connor’s hands away from me, I walked up to her and circled her until I stood right beside her, facing the castle.

“I am drawn to those lands,” I murmured so only she could hear me. “From the moment I woke up, I have felt it inside me. They’re calling me, my people and ~my~ throne.”

Enora growled, and her nails morphed to scratch me, but I jumped back, putting distance between us.

“That place I will reclaim as my own,” I said and tilted my head to the side. “I will take that seat from you.”

With my arm extended and finger pointing at her, I said, “I will tear you apart and avenge not only my mother’s suffering but your people as well.

“And I will do it by killing you and soaking those lands with your blood.”

***

“Are you okay?” Connor asked as his arms wrapped around my shoulders.

I gave him the most charming smile I could muster and let him kiss my cheeks.

“You’ve been quiet since Enora left,” he said, kissing the mating mark.

I sighed and leaned into him.

“Did you see her face when I warned her?” I asked, playing with his hair that tickled my shoulder. “She was about to lose it and attack me.”

“I wouldn’t have let her,” he said, making me smile. “No one touches you if they don’t want to be torn apart and burned on a bonfire.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at his comment. Shaking my head, I turned and wrapped my arms around him.

“You trust me, right?” I whispered as he leaned in. “Tell me you trust me.”

“Do you?” he whispered back. I smiled and kissed him.

“More than anything,” I replied, and Connor leaned in for a kiss.

All my worries melted away, giving me the freedom to relax as much as I wanted. Pushing past his lips, I pushed him onto the bed and lost myself in his lovemaking.

***

Tracing my finger slowly over his chest, I watched him sleep. My eyes darted to the drink next to the bed, an empty cup with the faint smell of alcohol and a special herb to induce sleep.

I knew I had made a promise, but I couldn’t keep it, not when I had no idea how things would turn out. How much would everything cost?

The only ones who knew about this were my brothers and his mother, one of the few who begged me not to let Connor come with me.

Her desperate pleas left me no choice but to tell her about this. I felt guilty leaving him behind, after asking him to trust me, saying that I wouldn’t push him away and I wouldn’t exclude him.

But I had to protect him, even if he didn’t want me to.

Leaning over, I kissed him one last time on his lips and stood to leave, when a hand grabbed my wrist.

In a panic, I turned to find Connor smirking. I blinked, confused. Then I looked at the cup, and back at him.

“You…,” I trailed off, not understanding what was happening.

“Your brothers won’t let you go alone,” Connor said, sitting up. His smile widened. “And I knew you would try to stop me from going with you.

“But Elaine, you’re not alone. I won’t leave you alone, especially not with a storm brewing. We might not know what’s coming next…”

I tried to respond, but his finger silenced me.

“You asked me if I trusted you, and I do. I trust you completely. Now, I need you to trust ~me~. We can face this together.”

“Connor,” I whispered, just before his lips met mine. His kiss was warm and comforting. I closed my eyes, savoring the moment.

“But you’re not off the hook,” he said, his breath tickling my lips. “You’ll face the consequences when this is all over.”

“How did you avoid the drug?” I asked, glancing at the empty cup behind him. “I put the drops in the wine.”

“That wasn’t a sleeping drug. It was a vitamin mix.” He shrugged, a smile playing on his lips.

I stared at the cup, then back at him, feeling betrayed.

“You all plotted against me!” I accused, feeling hurt. “You knew all along, didn’t you?”

“Yes,” he chuckled. “What can I say? I have my ways.”

I growled, pushing him back onto the bed and straddling him.

“You’re not going,” I declared, my tone leaving no room for argument.

Connor raised an eyebrow, then swiftly flipped us over, trapping me beneath him.

I squirmed under his weight, pushing against his chest.

“I’m serious,” I said through gritted teeth, pushing harder. “You’re not coming with me.”

Suddenly, he pulled away, leaving me confused. I sat up, watching him.

Connor’s face twisted as he turned and walked out, leaving me alone.

A roar echoed from outside, and I turned towards the balcony window. Another roar, then a howl, followed by more. I climbed onto the bed, moving closer to the window that overlooked the entire pack.

The view from the castle was breathtaking. I could see every house in the town. And at the entrance of the pack, I could make out a group of wolves.

My eyes widened as I took in the sight. About forty wolves stood in formation, ready to attack the pack.

I didn’t know what was happening, but I had a good idea who was behind it. I grabbed my coat as the sound of pounding paws echoed from below.

Worried, I turned to see two of my brothers, along with Connor and some pack warriors, heading towards the wolves.

I cursed under my breath and ran from the room. Jyn was with Arye when I reached the stairs. They were surrounded by at least fifteen pack warriors, plus Connor’s mom.

“What’s going on?” I demanded, pulling my coat tighter around me. Connor’s mom shot me a glare, but I ignored her. “Jyn!”

“Rogues,” he said, not looking at me. I frowned.

“Rogues? Just rogues?” I snapped, frustrated. “You know those aren’t just rogues out there.”

“No, they’re not,” Connor’s mom answered. “I recognized a few from last time.”

“And?” I asked, growing impatient.

“They’re from Sorin’s base. They’re humans turned into wolves.”

Everyone tensed.

I turned away from the group, moving towards the entrance where another group of warriors were preparing to defend the pack.

I bit my lip.

“Elaine?” Jyn called, placing his hand on my shoulder.

“When I was at the hunter’s base, I wondered how one of Sorin’s men was a wolf, but he had no scent. Now I understand.” I turned to face everyone. “Sorin was experimenting, wasn’t he?”

Connor’s mom nodded.

“We found documents where some rogues volunteered to bite humans to see what would happen, whether the bite would turn them or kill them.

“There were many things that didn’t make sense, but we got more concrete information than anything else.”

“And you didn’t think to mention that?” I shot back.

“I did, to him,” she said, pointing at Jyn. “He’s the king here. You’re just someone who ~used~ to be queen.”

I moved to snap at her, but someone unexpectedly stepped in, blocking me from her.

“You’re seriously disrespectful,” Victoria said calmly, earning a furious look from Connor’s mom.

“She might not be queen of this pack anymore, but she ~is~ royalty. She carries a bloodline stronger than any of you. So show her some respect.”

I was stunned to hear her defending me. Even Jyn looked speechless.

“She’s no longer a queen! She has no rights here!”

“You’re wrong,” Jyn said, stepping next to Victoria. “She will always be ~our~ queen. The one who has no rights here is you, who no longer belongs to this pack.”

She flinched as Jyn took a step forward.

“Don’t forget you’re here because Connor asked me. But you have no place here. You left, so we don’t recognize you as one of us. Keep that in mind, ~Mrs. Reed~,” Jyn added, turning to look at me.

He reached out, gently caressing my face.

“Tell us what you need us to do,” Jyn said, smiling.

I looked around, surprised. The warriors from outside had joined us, all ready to follow any orders.

Overwhelmed, I lowered my head, shaking it.

“Alright,” I said, raising my head again. “If we’re doing this, we’re doing it quietly, like ghosts. We move without being noticed and we attack without them expecting it.

“You all know the drill. Warriors of the Black Rose, it’s time to do what we’ve trained for. We take out our enemy without leaving a trace.”