Chapter 5 5

ELODIE'S POV~

"That little humiliation won't end her life. She's okay."

Those words wouldn't leave my head. Calhoun's voice.so calm, so certain kept ringing ceaselessly in my ears. Not Carmela's cruel laughter.

Not the gasps or the whispers of the guests. Just him. Over and over, like a knife twisting in my chest.

My tears wouldn't stop, falling freely down my cheeks as I clutched the shredded remains of my dress to my chest, trying in vain to cover what had been ripped away from me.

The crowd that had gathered to witness my humiliation began to disperse slowly. I tried to stand, my knees wobbling, my body weak and trembling.

And then a jacket landed squarely on my face. Blinking through my tears, I looked up to see the waiter who had carried Carmela's silver tray toss it toward me and walk away without a word.

No apology. No acknowledgment. Nothing. Just another reminder that no one cared, that I was invisible, unworthy of even the smallest kindness.

I wrapped the jacket around me, but it did nothing to stop the tremors coursing through my body. Shock. Pain. Fear. Humiliation. They clung to me like a second skin, seeping into my bones.

The world outside was gray, heavy with rain pouring, and as I stumbled into it, the heavens themselves seemed to join in my punishment. Rain pounded down, soaking the jacket, drenching the scraps of fabric that still clung to my skin. My tears mixed with it, but I had no strength left to cry. My mind had gone numb. My body moved on autopilot, dragging itself across the nearly empty streets, soaked and exhausted, my vision blurring.

I was approaching a dark alley, a shortcut home when a car honked beside me. I froze, my heart thudding painfully in my chest. Slowly, I turned. There was Calhoun. Clutching the steering wheel, his gaze locked onto me with that piercing intensity I had once craved, and he waved for me to get in.

Fresh pain, hatred, heartbreak, it all surged through me at once. My chest felt like it had been torn open. I wanted to scream at him. Fuck you. Go to hell with your ride. But the words caught in my throat. Did they even matter anymore? My vision was already swimming with black dots. My body felt like it was disintegrating, piece by piece, under the weight of everything.

So I ignored him. My feet dragged through the puddles. Rain pelted my head and my soaked jacket, but I barely noticed. I was already broken. Already numb. My heart hardened a little more with every step, my soul turning colder and colder.

The honking didn't stop. My head throbbed as I tried to ignore it, my soaked jacket clinging to me like a second skin, heavy with the rain and then his voice cut through the storm.

"Elodie! Get into the car now!"

I froze. Every nerve in my body screamed. Hot, furious anger surged through me, burning brighter than the cold rain pelting my skin. In the past, I would have panicked. I would have rushed to him, eager to please, desperate not to upset him. But not now. Not after today.

I turned on my heels slowly, letting the rain wash over my face as I faced him, giving him the coldest, deadest look I could muster.

"What for?" I spat, my voice trembling with fury and heartbreak. "What's the need for me to enter your car right now? Don't waste your time, Alpha Calhoun. Don't forget, I'm just a Gamma. I have no reason to be in the same car as you."

The words hung in the air, and I turned away, trudging slowly forward, letting each step pull me farther from him, from everything I had once believed in. I didn't care to see his expression. I didn't care if he followed.

But then I heard a car door slamming, footsteps rushing toward me. My heart thudded in panic, but I didn't look. I shouldn't have to. And just as I took another step, a hand clamped hard around my wrist and yanked me backward. Pain shot through me, and I gasped, stumbling.

His glare was fire, furious and unyielding.

"Didn't you hear me when I asked you to get in?" His voice was harsh. "Why are you so pissed? I get it, today's been bad. Misunderstandings everywhere. But I did what I had to! I didn't want to lose Carmela again. I've lost her once; I will never let that happen again. I'll make it up to you somehow, don't worry! You can't just mess everything up over this little misunderstanding!"

His words slapped me harder than any hand could. They burned, and I yanked my wrist from his grip, ignoring the sharp pain. I laughed, but it was empty, hollow, and bitter.

"Have you seen yourself?" I whispered, stepping back, my voice breaking with rage and grief. "Felt no shame? Left your mate to chase after a mistress? Why? Don't worry, Alpha Calhoun. I know my place now. I am a Gamma. Just his assistant. I would never hope for more. Happy now? Can I go?"

Something in his eyes snapped. Murderous. Furious. He stepped forward, pointing at me, shouting, his voice trembling with emotion I couldn't decipher.

"You know that's not what I meant! I never looked down on you! I did what I had to out there to calm Carmela, or there would have been chaos more than I could ever handle! And-"

The next words didn't reach me. My world tilted, the rain spinning, the street fading. The last thing I heard before everything went black was him calling my name. And then pain. Then cold, wet asphalt against my body, every inch of me aching.

The morning sunlight burned my eyes as it streamed through the window. I winced, trying to open them, only to be startled by a beeping sound. My eyes snapped open fully, and I gasped.

And there,beside me, was a figure, her shoulders shaking as she cried. My heart skipped.

"Elodie." she whispered, broken, her face crumpling as she lifted her head.

It was Mila.

She jumped to her feet, bursting into tears all over again. "Oh, my darling, look at you," she wept, clutching the bedrail as if her legs might give out. "I thought I had lost you. You've been unconscious for over thirty-six hours!"

I blinked, dazed. Surely I was hallucinating. Surely the fever in my veins was playing tricks. "Mila?" I croaked, my voice raw and unrecognizable. "Mila. is that you?"

Her head bobbed, tears streaming down her cheeks as she nodded. "Yes. It's me. It's really me."

And that was it. The fragile wall I had built inside me shattered. I burst into tears, sobs tearing through my chest so violently that every rib ached. Pain lanced through my body with each breath, but I couldn't stop. Mila bent over me, wrapping me in the gentlest embrace, her lips pressing against my damp forehead again and again as she rocked me.

"Shh. I've got you," she whispered through her own sobs. "I've got you, my love. You're safe now. You're safe."

"I heard about the thing the moment I landed back in the Pack," she whispered, voice cracking.

"Elodie. Calhoun is being impossible! He lets that phony girl wrap him around her little finger, blind to what's real and what's just cheap trash."

I forced a smile to my lips, though it felt like ripping a wound open.

"I'm fine," I lied, the words bitter as ash on my tongue. My lips trembled. "I. I'll be fine."

My smile cracked, my voice breaking. "I. we." The words wouldn't come, swallowed by the lump in my throat.

"Our relationship is strictly professional now. As for us. there's nothing. We're done. We have nothing to do with each other."

"Oh, Elodie." she whispered.

Then her tone shifted.

"Very good then," she said with a huff. "If you're done with him, then onto the next. Look at you, hurt but still gorgeous. This plump ass of yours? Alphas would drool. All you need to do is show the world you're single, unmated, and boom, watch the magic happen. I'm telling you, Elodie, I'm hooking you up with someone. Don't you worry. Who knows? Your mate might be right around here."

A small, unwilling smile tugged at the corner of my lips at her silliness, just for a second, but the sound of the ward door slamming open ripped it away.

Calhoun stormed in, his eyes murderous, his presence swallowing the air whole. My breath caught, but I kept my expression neutral, even as his gaze locked on Mila with enough venom to burn her. She didn't flinch. She just glared right back.

His voice was low, but thunderous. "What's the meaning of what you just said? You will not hook her up with anyone. Those men aren't worthy to breathe near her. They just want to fuck her and then dump her for their real mates. Elodie is mine to protect, and I won't have her thrown to wolves who'll use and discard her."

Mila scoffed, leaning back like his fury was nothing. "Dude, please. Relax. There are still good men out there. All she needs is to go out, meet people, and maybe.just maybe.she'll find her mate. Fate works in mysterious ways. And besides. why do you care? Why does it matter who she's with? Not everyone is like you, Calhoun. Not everyone plays with two women's emotions at once. Blind as a bat, with no real taste in partners."

A vein ticked at his temple, his jaw clenching so tightly it looked painful. His voice snapped. "Don't you dare. Don't you ever try to force her into some meaningless feelings for these men. If you do, Mila.you'll answer to me."

Before Mila could retort, I broke in. "Alpha Calhoun, do you need something? Don't mind Mila. she's only joking."

"I'm not joking," Mila muttered stubbornly beside me.

But he ignored her completely. His eyes shifted back to me, unreadable. He opened his mouth, then stopped, swallowing whatever he'd wanted to say. When he finally spoke, his tone was clipped. "I came to make sure Mila gets home safely to her family. And. to check on you."

I forced a bitter smile and nodded faintly. "Thank you."

Mila moved quickly, almost shielding me. She placed a hand on his chest and pushed him gently but firmly toward the door. "Alright, time for you to go. Elodie needs rest, not more drama."

He resisted at first, reluctant, his gaze still fixed on me like he was trying to memorize every detail. But finally, he let himself be ushered out. Mila slammed the door behind him with more force than necessary, leaving the silence to thicken again.

When she came back to me, she sighed, her eyes softening. "Don't mind him, El. I know he seems cold, even cruel sometimes, but deep down? That man genuinely cares for you. More than he wants to admit."