Chapter 5 What the Alpha Saw

Kieran pov

Hearing what she said, I paused.

All three of us did.

For a moment, none of us spoke. We just looked at each other, trying to process what had just happened. It wasn’t something we expected, not from her, not in this situation.

Then I looked back at her.

She stood there like nothing had shaken her. Her eyes were steady, fearless even, like she had already made up her mind and wasn’t going to take it back. There was no hesitation in her expression, no sign that she regretted what she had just said.

She meant it.

She had rejected us before we even had the chance to do the same.

That didn’t sit right with me.

It wasn’t just surprising, it felt… off. Like something had been flipped in a way I wasn’t used to. People didn’t reject Alphas, not like this, not so easily.

Before I could think further, my wolf growled inside me, low and strained. The sound carried a kind of discomfort I couldn’t ignore, like he wasn’t taking her rejection well at all.

I exhaled quietly, steadying myself.

If I was being honest, part of me didn’t like that reaction.

But another part of me did.

At least for once, he wasn’t completely consumed by the bond. He wasn’t pulling me toward her or clouding my thoughts. He was reacting, but he wasn’t controlling me.

And I preferred it that way.

Still, my eyes stayed on her.

Because whatever I thought before, one thing was clear now.

She wasn’t weak.

And she definitely wasn’t predictable.

“What do you think you are, Elara?”

Victor’s voice came out colder than before, sharper too. The air around him shifted, and it was obvious he was angry, even if he wasn’t shouting.

He took a step closer to her, his gaze hard.

“You were rejected and thrown away by your so-called mate,” he continued, his tone laced with quiet contempt. “Accused, judged, and discarded like you meant nothing. And you expect us to what… accept you?”

His lips curled slightly.

“We have no interest in being your mates. Not now. Not ever. And we didn’t come here to discuss that with you.”

He leaned in just a little, his voice dropping.

“I would rather die than be tied to someone like you.”

I didn’t miss the way his words hung in the air, heavy and deliberate. For some reason, I didn’t like how far he was taking it.

Elara didn’t flinch.

Instead, she lifted her chin slightly, even with the chains holding her hands in place.

“Well,” she said calmly, “whether I cheated or not is not your place to decide.”

Her voice wasn’t loud, but it carried.

“You’re my masters, right? Then act like one. Not like you’re trying to involve yourselves in my personal life.”

There was a slight edge to her tone this time. Not fear. Not submission.

Defiance.

I glanced at Silas briefly before stepping forward myself, my attention returning to her.

Up close, it was clear she was exhausted. Her body showed it, her strength wasn’t what it should be. But her eyes… they didn’t match her condition at all.

She was forcing herself to stand strong.

I stopped in front of her, studying her for a moment before speaking.

“My brother is right about one thing,” I said calmly. “We’re not interested in being your mates either.”

Her gaze didn’t move from mine.

“You felt the bond. We all did. And yet, you chose to reject it. That’s your decision.”

I paused slightly.

“But that’s not why we’re here.”

I straightened, my voice steady.

“I came to give you an offer, not to accept you.”

“Whatever offer you have, I don’t want it,” she said.

I paused.

I lifted my gaze slightly, studying her, thinking she might hesitate or take it back. But she didn’t. She just stood there, steady, like she had already decided.

“I don’t want it,” she repeated.

Her voice wasn’t loud, but it was firm enough to carry.

“Alexander already gave you an order to kill me,” she continued. “I don’t know what you’re all waiting for.”

There was a small pause, like she was choosing her next words carefully.

“I’m tired of this,” she added quietly. “So if you’re going to do it… just do it.”

Her lips pressed together for a second before she spoke again.

“Because honestly, I’m useless anyway. To this pack. To anyone.”

I watched her closely as she spoke.

She was trying to sound strong, trying to hold herself together, but it was clear in her eyes. The pain was there, deep and heavy, no matter how much she tried to hide it behind that bold front.

She wasn’t as unaffected as she wanted us to believe.

“Well, as you wish,” Victor said flatly. “We’ll have you executed tomorrow.”

I turned to look at him immediately.

Our eyes met, and for a brief second, it felt like he was telling me to stay quiet, to let it happen. But the look in his eyes said something else entirely.

He meant it.

“As you wish,” she replied.

This time, her voice was softer. Weaker.

Something about it didn’t sit right with me.

I found myself watching her longer than I should have, trying to understand her.

Because from the way she spoke, from the way she carried herself, she didn’t seem like someone who had done what she was accused of.

If anything, she felt… the opposite.

And that only made one thing clear in my mind.

There was more to this.

Either she was hiding something.

Or Alexander was.

“What are you hiding?”

The question slipped out before I could stop it.

I watched her carefully as I spoke, not taking my eyes off her for even a second.

“Or what is Alexander hiding?” I added, my tone steady. “What truth are both of you trying to bury?”

For a moment, she didn’t respond.

She just looked at me.

Her eyes were tired, almost lazy, like she didn’t have the strength to argue anymore. But there was something else there too, something quiet and guarded.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she said.

Her voice was calm, but it didn’t feel careless. It felt controlled, like she had already decided how much she was willing to say.

She didn’t look away.

“What I do know,” she continued, “is that my execution is tomorrow.”

The way she said it was simple, almost detached, like she was talking about something that no longer scared her.

I studied her for a moment longer, trying to read past that calm surface.

But she gave me nothing else.

And that only made the question sit heavier in my mind.

Because if there was nothing to hide, she wouldn’t be this careful with her words.

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