Chapter 4

Elara froze for a second before reacting, snatching the tablet back. "I didn't buy it. It was probably just an accidental pop-up from an airline promo email."

Kaelen wanted to press further, but seeing her calm demeanor and her clear disinterest in talking, he held back. After all, Elara was known for her rigor and honesty; she never lied to him, did she?

He let go of his suspicions and nodded slightly, preparing to go to the bathroom to wash off the stench of blood and exhaustion, but Elara stopped him. She pulled the first aid kit engraved with the family crest from the cabinet.

"Your knuckles are split, and there are bruises on your arm. Let me treat them," she said.

Kaelen hesitated but sat down on the leather sofa, taking off his dust-stained coat. Shocking wounds came into view—injuries sustained when he had smashed his bare hand against the iron bar to protect Seraphina. Because he was a powerful Alpha with high regenerative abilities, no one but Elara, a healer, would notice these details.

As he watched her carefully clean the wounds with a swab soaked in herbal salve, his thoughts involuntarily drifted back to the letter read at the reunion. "Elara, about that letter at the gathering today—"

Before he could finish, she interrupted him, her tone as clinical as if she were instructing a stranger. "Be careful not to get water on this when you shower; the herbs need time to penetrate. Don't be so reckless in a fight next time. In the future, no one will be there to treat these hidden injuries for you."

Kaelen, his train of thought broken, didn't catch the murmur at the end of her sentence.

He looked up, his eyes slightly confused. "What did you say?"

Elara shook her head, expertly tying off the bandage, and turned toward the bedroom. "Nothing."

By the time she had dried her hair, Kaelen had finished his shower and emerged. He smelled of body wash mixed with the distinct hormonal scent of an Alpha. He reached out to wrap his arm around her waist, leaning in to kiss her neck—the instinct of a wolf seeking comfort from its mate.

However, Elara turned her head, avoiding the warm breath.

Her tone was flat. "I used too much healing magic today. I'm very tired. I want to rest."

Kaelen didn't force her. He tucked her in and turned off the bedside lamp.

...

The next morning, sunlight streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Elara was washing up in the bathroom when she heard a commotion downstairs. After composing herself, she went down to find Seraphina arriving with a large entourage.

Kaelen was leaning against the archway of the foyer, frowning. His tone held his usual impatience, but his body language showed no rejection. "What are you doing here this early?"

Before Seraphina could answer, a few pack members behind her chimed in with cheeky grins, "Seraphina insisted on thanking you in person for being her hero last night!"

Seraphina proceeded to produce a massive bouquet of flowers and a beautifully wrapped gift box like a magician. "Kaelen, thank you so much for yesterday. I went to the city specifically to pick these out!"

Kaelen didn't reach out to take them, though his expression softened considerably.

Seeing this, Seraphina simply thrust the flowers into Elara's hands as she descended the stairs. There was no politeness in her tone, as if she were the mistress of the house. "These are 'Nightshade Orchids,' Kaelen's favorite. Please find a vase to put them in; these flowers are delicate and can't be without water."

Kaelen frowned at her words, his voice turning cold. "Don't force what you like onto me and claim it's my favorite. And speak politely. Elara is my Luna, not your servant."

The room fell instantly silent, the air solidifying. But Elara's face betrayed no emotion. She looked down at the bouquet in her hands, realizing for the first time what they were.

Nightshade Orchids? So this was the species Seraphina was obsessed with. No wonder Kaelen had spent a fortune simulating a polar night environment in the manor's greenhouse to grow them. Elara had previously thought he simply enjoyed gardening; now she understood the deeper meaning.

But she said nothing.

She handed the bouquet to the housekeeper standing nearby and said calmly, "Please bring down a few crystal vases from the display cabinet on the second floor."

Seraphina's gaze sharpened, seemingly annoyed by Elara's composure. But Elara ignored her, taking her coffee and toast out to the terrace.

The terrace was separated from the living room only by a half-open floor-to-ceiling window, and her acute lupine hearing allowed her to hear the conversation inside clearly.

"Oh my god, Kaelen, aren't these the training wristbands I used in the beginner class at the Combat Academy? You actually kept them in a dust-proof box all this time? The leather is peeling. If you like them that much, I'll send you a new set tomorrow."

"And this ugly wooden wolf carving? I remember I threw it in the trash at the training grounds because I thought it was hideous. You actually picked it out and brought it back?"

"Wait, are these the frost leaves we found during the 'Icewind Dale' mission? You really made them into specimens and kept them for so many years?"

Listening to Seraphina catalogue the items like buried treasure, Elara recalled the first time she came to this manor. She had once pointed to these incongruous, old items in the display cabinet and asked Kaelen about them.

"Oh, just small gifts from a distant cousin. I thought I'd keep them as a memento; it's the thought that counts, after all," he had explained casually at the time, his eyes dodging hers.

Back then, she had believed him without doubt, even thinking him a sentimental and loyal man.

She had completely ignored the complex emotions flickering in his eyes. Those deep eyes, filled with love and hate, longing and frustration, clearly told a story of an unforgettable, unrequited love.