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Elara
Elara blinks up at the ceiling above her bed, trying to slow her out-of-control thoughts.
It doesn’t work.
Her mind’s racing and has been since she left the forest.
Being part of the pack, even unofficially, was exhilarating. Remembering running in wolf form makes her long for it again. But last night had been so much more than that. Kade’s eyes haunt her every time she closes her own, blazing anger and aching sadness quickly following.
Why did he do this to her? Had he also just shifted, and did it without any memory of it?
For some reason, Elara doubts it. Kade carries his identity with the sureness of someone who knows who he is. What he is.
And what he needs to do.
He did this to her for a reason. He changed her destiny because of a supernatural war she doesn’t understand.
Hot on the heels of the anger and betrayal is guilt at bringing this trouble to someone else's doorstep.
Elara sighs as she tries to blink away the gritty feeling in her eyes. She got home in time to clean herself and climb into bed, but sleep was never going to happen. She needs to go see Laith and tell him what he is since it’s unlikely he remembers last night. Considering how much it hurt that Kade kept the truth from her, she can’t do the same to Laith.
The smell of breakfast cooking in the kitchen lures her out of bed, so she dresses for the day and tries her best to cover up the dark circles under her eyes. She stumbles into the kitchen and sits at the bar while her father finishes sausages and biscuits for all of them.
"Good morning, honey," her mother says as she gets cutlery from the drawer. "You know, I'm so glad you seem to be doing better now, but I keep worrying we're going to wake up to you being back at the dorms one morning." Her mother chuckles, and Elara gives a soft smile in return, placing her chin against her palm.
"When I go back, which I’m sure I will soon, I'll tell you first," she promises.
Her grumbling stomach leads her to turn toward the plates being set out, and she snatches up as many sausages as she can get away with and a biscuit, drizzling gravy on top before practically inhaling it.
"So, any plans for today?" her mother asks as she pointedly wipes the grease from her mouth
Elara realizes she's been eating like a pig, so she reaches across the counter for the paper towels dabs at her mouth and wipes her hands before responding. "I'm actually going to go get some exercise or something. I could use it. And then I might go see my friends."
"Didn't you just see them?" her mother asks, and Elara can't help but roll her eyes. She definitely needs to get back to the dorm now that she can control herself better. She just didn't want to be shifting and wolfing out on campus and changing a bunch more people—ones who would likely die considering what Kade told her.
Before she can answer, her father chimes in. "Calm down, Rose. She's in college now. It's perfectly normal to be making these kinds of long-term connections."
Elara gives him a grateful smile before grabbing her keys and purse and leaving with a heartfelt thank you. She gets back into the same car she just exited two hours before and pulls out her phone, sending a text to Denzel.
I’m going to go talk to Laith and tell him the truth.
She isn't the only one who hasn't slept much, apparently, since he answers her immediately. Let me know when you're done. We can officially meet.
Okay.
Elara sets her phone down inside her purse and buckles herself in before driving toward Laith’s house. With it being Sunday, there are very few people on the road, and it doesn’t take long for her to pull into his driveway. She looks up at the huge house in awe but wonders if Laith even enjoys it considering he’s almost always alone. As annoying as her parents can be, she's glad she gets to be close to them.
She gets out of the car and shuts the door, which Laith must hear because he's at the front door before she can even get up the steps.
“Elara!” he says excitedly, his eyes bright as he pushes his hair out of his face. “I just had the wildest dream, though I can't remember all of it. Kind of glad someone is here to tell it to.” He squints up at the sun still making its way above the trees. “It’s a little early, though, isn't it?”
Surprised at his energy and worried about revealing that his dream is likely not a dream at all, Elara forces her teeth to grit into an awkward smile. "Maybe, but I couldn't sleep. I actually came to talk about something, if that's okay."
He moves to the side, holding the door open so she can enter.
The house is beautiful. Impossibly high ceilings, chandeliers, windows she imagines must require special equipment to wash...but it’s so very quiet. Not even a dog barking or a cat rubbing itself against the expensive furniture. No signs of life at all other than Laith.
