Chapter 3

Elara Vance POV:

The pickup truck left the main road, turning onto a bumpy track that wound deep into the forest. The trees grew thicker here, their branches weaving a dense canopy overhead that blotted out the afternoon sun. This was the edge of the pack lands, far from the bustling center. A sliver of unease pricked at me.

As if sensing my tension, Kaelan spoke, his voice a low rumble. "My cabin is on the outskirts. It's quiet."

His calm tone was enough to soothe my frayed nerves, and Lyra settled in my mind.

After another ten minutes of jostling along the path, a small structure came into view. It was a log cabin, weathered by years of sun and snow. It was tiny, with a moss-covered roof and a single, small window.

It was more rustic than I could have imagined. Even my tiny room at the Vance house had been part of a large, sturdy building. This looked... temporary.

Kaelan parked the truck and cut the engine. "We're here."

He got out and walked around to my side, opening the door for me with that same quiet courtesy.

I stepped onto the damp earth, taking in what was supposed to be my new home. The air was clean and crisp with the scent of pine, but it couldn't hide the feeling of isolation, of poverty.

Kaelan didn't offer any explanations. He simply unlocked the door with an old iron key and stepped inside.

Clutching my wooden box, I followed him. The interior was even more spartan than the outside. There was a single room, containing a bed pushed against one wall, a small table with two chairs, and a stone fireplace. There were no decorations, no personal touches. It was less a home and more a shelter.

He pointed to the lone bed. "You can have the bed. I'll sleep on the floor."

"No, I can't," I said immediately, shaking my head. "This is your home."

"You are my mate," he insisted, his voice firm. "The bed is yours." He almost said something else, something starting with an 'L', but he caught himself.

I didn't catch the slip, too focused on his stubborn generosity.

He placed my small bag of clothes by the bed. "Get settled. I'm going to chop some wood for the fire." He seemed to need the space, an excuse to put some distance between us.

I nodded, watching him walk back out the door. My heart felt heavy with a mix of gratitude and a deep, aching pity for him. He was just an Omega, like the rumors said, with nothing to his name. Yet he offered me everything he had. I told myself it was enough. Enough to build something real upon, far from the cold politics of pack life.

Kaelan walked deep into the trees, far enough that he was sure I couldn't hear him. He didn't go straight for the axe. Instead, he leaned against the rough bark of an ancient pine and closed his eyes, reaching out with the mind-link he kept so carefully hidden.

Father. I've brought her to the cabin. The stage is set.

Corbin's voice answered in his head, laced with concern. How is she? Did she seem... disappointed?

Kaelan pictured my face, the flicker of surprise in my eyes when I saw the cabin, but the quick, quiet acceptance that followed. She's resilient. More than I expected.

A sigh echoed through the mind-link. Kaelan, this deception is dangerous. You've spent years letting the neighboring packs believe you're nothing but a wolfless disgrace. Harmless rumors have their uses-they keep political vultures at bay, and they let a man see who his true allies are. But this wager? Hiding the truth from your own mate, letting her believe she's been bonded to an outcast, all to test her? Your grandmother, Rowena, is ill. She needs the hope that a true mating will bring, not this game.

Kaelan's thoughts turned cold, sharp as ice. It is not a game to me. The elders speak of the sacred bond of a Fated Mate, yet they push me to accept a political alliance with a she-wolf I despise. The Moon Goddess supposedly chose Elara for me, but the elders expect me to set that aside for their schemes. I only agreed to their arranged union to put their hypocrisy on full display. If they are so certain fate holds all the answers, then let fate be tested. Let me see if this girl-a stranger dragged into our world-would truly stay with a mate who has nothing. I am betting she will formally reject me within a week, driven away by the poverty and low rank I show her. If that happens, I will have my proof that the elders only value power, not sacred bonds. And I will never bow to their politics again.

Corbin's voice was filled with weary resignation. And if you lose? If she accepts you for who you are, not for what you possess?

Kaelan was silent for a long moment, the wind rustling the leaves around him. Then perhaps... the elders were right about something for once. And I will have found something worth more than a kingdom.

He severed the link and picked up the axe. With a grunt, he swung it, splitting a log cleanly in two. He needed the physical release, the burn in his muscles to distract from the war in his mind.

Part of him wanted to win, to prove his cynical view of the world correct. But another, smaller part of him-a part he refused to acknowledge-found itself hoping he would lose.

Back in the cabin, I sat on the edge of the bed and opened my small wooden chest. I took out my mother's book of fairy tales, its cover soft and faded from years of love. I ran my hand over it, drawing strength from the memory of her.

A new life, I told myself. It would be better. It had to be.