Ariana stared at her twin, stunned. "What about the rich one you boasted about marrying, huh?"
Elena waved a dismissive hand. "You can have him. I want Alpha Darius. And you know what happens when I want something, I always get it. And besides," she leaned forward, her voice dropping to a cruel whisper, "you were begging not to marry him. If it wasn't for me, you would have still been in my shadows." she smiled and said " just to let you know I am taking back what belongs to me."
Ariana felt a cold dread wash over her.
Now that Alpha Darius is finally looking at me, Ariana muttered to herself, her gaze following Elena's to where Darius stood watching, she is back. She always does this.
The air in the grand foyer felt like it had just been punched. Elena's soft words, "I want Alpha Darius back," hung in the sudden, stunned silence, a perfectly lobbed grenade into the precarious stability of Blackthorn Manor.
Ariana stared at her twin, the full implication of her words settling like a stone in her stomach. "You... you said he was a monster," Ariana whispered, the accusation heavy with the memory of Elena's pleas, her feigned terror.
Elena's smile remained fixed, but her eyes, still flicking towards Darius standing silent on the stairs, held a chilling calculation. "Circumstances change, Ari," she said, her voice now edged with a subtle triumph. "And opinions can evolve. Especially when something you discarded turns out to be far more valuable than you thought."
Pack members, drawn by the commotion, began to gather, murmuring among themselves. They saw Elena, radiant and poised, the image of what they had expected in a Luna. They saw Ariana, pale and quiet, the unexpected replacement. The contrast was stark, and the pack, ever practical, measured them both.
Darius descended the stairs slowly, his movements deliberate, predator-like. The simmering anger Ariana had glimpsed in the study now radiated off him in waves. He stopped a few feet from Elena.
"Elena," Darius growled, his voice a low, dangerous rumble that silenced the murmurs. "This pack, this home, were not good enough for you. You made that clear when you rejected me without even seeing me, you. What could you possibly want here now?"
Elena met his gaze, her composure wavering for just a second under the intensity of his anger. She forced her smile wider. "Alpha Darius, darling. Don't be so dramatic. It's been months. People grow, they reassess. Besides, our families still have interests."
"Our families' 'interests' were secured the moment Ariana became my wife," Darius stated flatly, his gaze flicking briefly to Ariana, who stood near the fireplace, feeling the familiar ache of being spoken about as a transaction.
Elena waved a dismissive hand. "Yes, yes, the contract. But surely you understand the value of strengthening bonds? Of personal connection? Especially now." She lowered her voice slightly, though still audible to those gathered. "And seeing Ariana here... looking so frail. I simply had to check on her. A sister's concern."
Amara stepped forward, her amber eyes fixed on Elena. The initial hostility towards Ariana she'd shown months ago seemed to morph into a reluctant respect for Elena. "The Alpha chose you, Miss Cummings," Amara said, her voice measured. "The original choice. It is... understood that things didn't proceed as planned." She looked at Ariana, a clear message in her eyes: This is who should be here.
Other pack members murmured agreement. Elena had rejected their Alpha, yes, but she was beautiful, confident, and carried the air of authority they associated with a true Luna. Ariana, despite the time she'd spent here, still felt like a fragile bird in their midst.
Elena preened under their gazes. "It was a misunderstanding, perhaps fuelled by youth and inexperience," she said, her voice sweet and regretful. "One that, given the circumstances, can perhaps be... overcome. I'm here now, Darius. To help with the integration. To be part of the pack, besides she doesn't have much time." She smiled directly at Darius, a challenge and a promise in her eyes.
Just then, Vincent Blackthorn appeared at the top of the main staircase again, descending with a slow, deliberate grace. He seemed less surprised by Elena's arrival than anyone else.
"wow," Vincent said, his voice smooth as silk. "Welcome to Blackthorn Manor. Your timing is, as always, impeccable, my apologies for not welcoming you in a proper way earlier." He reached the bottom of the stairs and offered Elena a thin smile that didn't reach his eyes.
Ariana watched the exchange, a cold dread coiling in her stomach. She saw the pack's subtle shift, Amara's open preference, Darius's raw anger battling with Elena's calculated charm, and Vincent's obvious approval. They saw the potential alliance, the beauty, the perceived strength. They didn't see the serpent beneath the polished surface.
Lucien, leaning against the wall near the entrance, remained separate from the gathering pack members. His arms were crossed, his expression a mixture of sardonic amusement and sharp observation. He watched Elena's performance with detached interest, seeing the artifice, the manipulation. But his gaze kept returning to Ariana, standing on the periphery.
As the evening wore on, Elena effortlessly navigated the pack, charming some, commanding the attention of others. She spoke with confidence about the Cummings family's reach, the political power they wielded, subtly reminding everyone of the benefits she brought, implying that she was the more suitable, more advantageous choice for their Alpha.
Amara, listening intently, nodded along. Later, she spoke to Kane, her voice low. "She has a presence, doesn't she? Miss Elena. And she understands power. She seems... strong," Amara mused, her gaze flicking towards Ariana across the room. "More suited to stand beside the Alpha than... well, you know."
Kane watched Elena interact, his expression thoughtful. He felt the undercurrent of the pack's desire for a powerful Luna, a true match for Darius. Elena certainly looked the part. "She does," Kane conceded, his loyalty to the pack battling with a quiet protectiveness he was beginning to feel for Ariana. "But appearances can be deceiving, and it's not like she is from a different family, she is just her twin sister."
Ariana felt the weight of the pack's preference like a physical burden. Every glance, every murmured comment, every comparison felt like a reaffirmation that she was the second choice, the temporary fix. But as Elena continued to speak, campaigning for a place she had once scorned, something inside Ariana hardened. The fear was still there, but a flicker of defiance, born of sheer exhaustion and the unfairness of it all, ignited.
"Are you done campaigning?" Ariana's voice was low, steady, cutting through the murmurs. Elena blinked, her smile tightening, hint of embarrassment flashing in her eyes at the direct challenge. "If you are done, go to sleep and stop embarrassing yourself by talking too much. I can't fight with you, okay? Just know that life at the Cummings' and the life here isn't the same."
Elena's carefully constructed facade cracked. "Oh, so now you're showing off, are you?" she retorted, her voice rising slightly, losing its practiced sweetness.
Ariana took a step forward, her gaze unwavering. "Shut up, Elena. Come on, etiquette please."
The quiet command landed with more impact than any shout. Elena froze, her jaw clenching. The pack members watching saw it – the instant obedience, the ingrained habit of deference to Ariana's quiet authority when she chose to exert it. Elena swallowed, her shoulders slumping almost imperceptibly. She offered a tight, brittle smile to the room, a silent acknowledgment that, for now, she was done.