Chapter 6

Elara Thorne POV:

The throbbing in my head eventually faded to a dull ache. Leo, bless his heart, had insisted on getting me a glass of water, his face etched with worry. I assured him I was just tired, overwhelmed by the new role. He left, still looking concerned.

I slumped onto my bed, attributing the strange episode to stress and lack of sleep. A message buzzed on my phone. It was from Serena Croft, one of the two friends who had come with me from Silvermoon.

*Dinner? Poppy and I are starving. We saved you a seat.*

The thought of seeing friendly faces was a balm to my frayed nerves. I met them in the pack's communal dining hall. Serena, with her bubbly personality, and Poppy, whose sharp tongue was her primary defense mechanism, were a welcome sight.

"You look like you've been wrestling a rogue," Poppy commented, her green eyes scanning my face critically as I sat down.

"Worse," I sighed. "I've been wrestling with Alpha Kaelen's filing system. And his other assistant, Dax, is a piece of work."

"But the Alpha is so handsome!" Serena gushed, her cheeks flushing. "I saw him walking across the courtyard today. I almost fainted."

"Handsome doesn't pay the bills," Poppy retorted dryly. "And a man with that much power is usually a nightmare to be around. Cold as ice, I bet."

I thought of his surprising praise in the car, the flicker of something in his eyes. He was more complicated than just ice.

"So, what about your mystery man?" Serena asked, leaning in conspiratorially. "Any word on 'Rafe'? Has the Alpha said when you'll finally get to meet him?"

I shook my head, picking at a piece of bread. "Nothing. The Alpha is... preoccupied." The lie tasted bitter. I couldn't tell them the Alpha had made me his assistant. They would worry, and I didn't want their pity. The失落感, the feeling of being forgotten by my supposed mate, was a private burden.

"Maybe he's just shy," Serena offered hopefully.

Poppy snorted. "Shy? Serena, this is a political arrangement, not a romance novel. He's probably some ugly old warrior they pawned off on her."

Her words stung because they echoed my own fears. But then I remembered the sparks. The jolt of electricity when our hands had touched. That hadn't felt like a transaction. I unconsciously rubbed my wrist, where his touch had lingered.

"Stop torturing yourself, Elara," Poppy said, her voice softening slightly. "Focus on what you can control. You're working in the Alpha's office. That's power. That's a real opportunity. It's more valuable than some phantom husband."

Serena chimed in with the latest pack gossip. "I heard Alpha Kaelen hasn't been with anyone since he took over from his father. Not a single female. They say his heart is made of stone."

As they talked, Dax and a few of his cronies walked past our table. He caught my eye and let out a loud, contemptuous sneer before moving on.

Poppy glared daggers at his back. Serena just looked nervous.

I ignored him, calmly finishing my meal. "Don't waste your energy on him," I told my friends. "A barking dog rarely bites."

But later, alone in my room, the exhaustion hit me like a physical weight. A hostile colleague. A demanding, enigmatic boss. And a mate who didn't exist. I was adrift in a sea of strangers, and I had no idea which way the current would pull me.

One thing was certain. Poppy was right.

Whatever was coming, I would have to face it alone. "No matter what," I whispered into the darkness, "I can only rely on myself."