ELARA
The next morning, it was Gina who woke up first, like she was the one traveling. The girl literally dragged me out of bed, and honestly, if not for her persistence, I'd probably still be snoring by now. She knew she was my only hope if I really planned on making it to Vale.
Unlike me, Gina always looks like she has this wild, chaotic energy, but in reality, she's the calmest person I ever know, quiet most days, unless she suddenly decides a particular day is for nonstop talking. Those days are the worst because they usually involve her obsessing over some fantasy book she read, ranting about one of her fictional crushes. Apart from those moments, she's either cooking, cleaning, or fixing something around the house.
"For God's sake, it's just 9 AM, Gina!" I groaned, sitting up slowly. My head still felt heavy with sleep and my brain was still trying to catch up.
She perched on the chair beside the dressing table. Our room wasn't big, just one large bed enough to contain two people, a wardrobe stuffed to the brim, and barely enough space to turn without bumping into something. Privacy didn't exist between us. We shared almost everything… except our underwear. And if you're looking for a neat freak, Gina would suit that role perfectly, I can't even mistakenly use her towel, she'd wash it ten times. That's how bad it is.
"You know you can't keep doing this," she said, folding her arms. "Your uncle might not see it, but I do. It's time you faced what you're running from."
I rolled my eyes, pretending I didn't understand what she meant.
I grabbed my toiletries, still keeping up the act, when she turned again, her tone softer this time.
"You know that man is still single because of you, right? He likes you. You like him too. You're not getting any younger, Lara."
I let out a dramatic sigh. "God, Gina. You seriously need to switch from art to relationship mentoring or something."
"I'm just telling the truth," she said stubbornly.
I tossed my towel on the bed and started undressing, talking as I went. "I've told you a million times already, Jeremy is not in love with me. He just… cares. And me? I'm still trying to remind my brain that it'll never work between us. Maybe I'll finally say yes to Martins; he's been bugging me for a date anyway."
Gina's jaw dropped. "Oh my God. What? Ew! That nerd? You two won't even last a week... I swear, Elara, Jeremy is the only man alive who can handle your attitude, well, apart from me, obviously."
I wrapped the towel around my chest, smirking. "Don't make me sound that bad. We've lived together in this tiny room for four years and haven't killed each other. That counts for something."
Before she could fire back, I dashed into the bathroom. Of course, she still had to get the last word in.
"Well, that's because I'm phlegmatic! I can literally tolerate any kind of person!" she yelled after me.
I rolled my eyes, chuckling quietly as the shower prickled down my skin. There she goes again with her weird temperament talks.
It took me less than thirty minutes to get out of the bathroom.
I didn't have to go through the trouble of arranging my stuff, Gina had already done that overnight. All I did was grab a red chiffon dress and pair it with my black leather knee boots. Ready and all set.
Of course, Gina wasn't done with me yet. She pulled me right back to the mirror, tugging off the hair tie from my ponytail. My black hair spilled down my neck, brushing over my shoulders and chest. She adjusted the fringe that hung over my forehead and stepped back, admiring her work.
"Good. You're all set now," she said with a proud grin.
I rolled my eyes but smiled anyway.
Outside, my old, outdated truck waited, the one I usually drove only when necessary, maybe when I'm extremely late for class. It rattled like it was begging for retirement, but today, it was all I had. I just prayed it wouldn't break down halfway to Vale.
After a quick hug from Gina, I climbed in, turned the ignition, and pressed the gas. The engine coughed once, then roared to life.
"Please don't embarrass me today," I muttered to the truck as I pulled out of the compound and onto the road.
~~~
VALE
I pulled up in front of the house and killed the engine.
I wasn't surprised not much had changed since I left. My father's house still stood tall, carrying that same intimidating aura that could make your stomach twist the first time you saw it.
Unlike other packs, my father's home had a strange, commanding structure, two massive buildings joined together by a courtyard, with a wide garden stretching behind them where he grew his precious vegetables. Very typical of him. Even now, the roads around the territory looked more modern, but of course, my father had probably been too stubborn to change a single thing about his house.
I sighed as I pulled out my phone, and dialed the only family contact I still had saved
Yes, Jeremy.
He picked up almost immediately.
"Where are you, Elara? I've been trying to reach you! Do you have any idea how dangerous it is to drive through that quiet road at this time of night?" His voice was rushed and tight with worry, almost like he'd have jumped through the phone if he had the chance.
I blinked and quickly pulled the phone from my ear to check the time.Wow. 9 p.m.
"Am I that late for the wedding?" I muttered.
"I'm not talking about being late for the wedding," he snapped gently. "I'm talking about your safety, young lady. What if a wild beast had attacked you on the road?"
I rubbed my temple, fighting a small smile. "Just calm down, okay? No wild beast attacked me. I'm literally talking to you right now, that's proof enough. I just had a little trouble finding my way, it's been so long."
That was a lie. I knew every turn in Vale like the back of my hand. But for some reason, he didn't call me out on it.
"Fine," he said after a moment. "Anyway, good thing you haven't missed the part where the couple shared their vows. Drive down the main road, I'm waiting at our usual spot."
I couldn't help but shake my head, a faint smile tugging at my lips. Our usual spot.He actually still remembered. That man never gets old.
Back when I was younger, Jeremy would take me there to train, he said it was a perfect space to teach me how to defend myself since I didn't have a wolf.
I trained in all sorts— Swordsmanship, hand-to-hand combat, even dagger work, he taught me all of it, and never went easy on me. The scars on my arms are still proof of that.
Jeremy might be gentle when he talks, but when it came to training, he was a whole different man; fierce, disciplined, and relentless. He used to say, "If you don't have a wolf, then you'll fight twice as hard as one."
My headlights swept over the dark road ahead until I finally spotted him standing by the side. Tall, broad-shouldered, and unmistakable even from a distance.
I thought I didn't miss him that much, until I saw him.
He just stood there calmly, just like I remembered, with that quiet strength that always made me feel safe. He'd only come to visit three times since I left home, but right now, it felt like I hadn't seen him in forever.
Before I even realized it, I was already jumping out of the truck. My feet hit the ground, and I ran straight to him, not thinking, or caring if I was running like a kid who saw Santa Claus.
When I reached him, my body collided against his with enough force to make him stagger a little as I wrapped my arms and legs around him, clinging to him like I'd finally found air after years of drowning.
"Easy now, girl," he chuckled, his voice warm against my ear. "You're squeezing the life out of me."
But I didn't stop, instead, I only tightened my hold around him, breathing him in,the familiar scent of pine, leather, and something that always reminded me of him.
It took a long minute before I finally let go, my hands sliding down the firm lines of his chest until they dropped to my sides. That's when I looked up.
Oh God.
His face hadn't changed much, except for the beards he'd started keeping now. They gave him this rugged, dangerous kind of handsome that made it hard to look away.
And when our eyes locked, everything else just went still.
For a second, my lungs forgot how to even breathe. My heart started doing that stupid racing thing again, hammering so loud I was sure he could hear it. So I did the only thing that made sense, I stepped back.
He didn't even seem to notice that his hand was still wrapped around my wrist until I moved. His touch lingered, warm and firmly, sending tiny shocks through my skin before he finally released me.
"I think we still have enough time to talk," he said really quietly, his tone lower and steady. "Right now, we need to go join the rest."
But even as he said it, his eyes didn't leave mine. And I knew he felt it too, that something between us had just shifted.
I nodded once, and we both slipped into the car. The drive to the wedding was quiet, the kind of silence that had too much meaning sitting between us. Jeremy's hand stayed firm on the wheel while mine clenched around my dress, every turn of the road pulling me closer to a place I wasn't ready to face.
When we finally pulled up to the venue, I exhaled shakily and climbed out. Jeremy walked a few steps ahead, but I couldn't move.
My feet froze. There he was.
The gray hair. The scar that cut down his left cheek like an old wound that refused to heal.
My father.
He stood at the entrance. His cold eyes landed on me, and for a split second, my chest went flat.
"What the hell is that thing doing here?" his voice dropped, and in that moment, everything in me shrank.