Chapter 74

ELARA

The party was beyond magnificent. It was heart-warming to see how much Ronan was loved by his people.

There was a lot to eat, drink and talk about. The people of Ironcrest were quite united. I could tell from how they gathered in groups and made jokes like one big family.

A family I'd never had.

"Hello, Luna." Someone nudged me from behind.

I rolled my eyes as Rowan stood beside me.

"Hi, dad." I lifted my glass to my lips to take a sip, but he snatched the flute from me, drinking instead.

"I like how you pay me some respect. It shows I trained you well." "You're an asshole, Rowan." I slapped him on the shoulder." You just coming?"

"Yeah. Had to stay back with my dad to discuss certain things."

Finn walked up to us, holding a flute that was almost empty.

"Congratulations, Elara." His tone was clipped. The man was effortlessly grumpy even when he was attempting to be nice.

"For what?" I chuckled. "Alpha Ronan was the one who displayed his smartness, not me."

"Well, it's what they say. When the Alpha gets celebrated, so does his Luna."

His Luna.

The words warmed my heart more than I cared to admit.

I flicked my gaze toward Ronan in the corner, and there he was, staring back at me even though he was in the midst of six elders. I knew he was there because I'd been stealing glances at him the whole time.

He looked away as quickly as I did, but not before heat radiated through my core.

Gods, I needed to find a way to stop this. I couldn't keep doing this to myself.

Finn's eyes roamed over Rowan's body. "Why don't you try to get a bigger size of this next time? I don't even understand if you lack the common knowledge of your measurement." He was referring to Rowan's suit.

Rowan glanced down at his suit and scoffed. "Dude, get out of my face before I smash yours against the wall."

Finn looked at me. "How do you cope being his friend, Elara? I'd rather be alone than have to spend a second with someone like him who hates correction as much as he hates having a brain."

Oh, for Moon's sake! "Guys, this is a party. You can't do this here."

But Rowan was not one to lose a barb. "It's hilarious that you think being alone is preferable when it clearly suits your personality so well."

I looked around the room. Or rather, looked at Ronan. He was staring at us-me.

I swallowed the tight lump in my throat, then whispered. "Alpha Ronan is watching."

Finn's features softened. He looked disgusted, then did something Rowan and I would never have imagined. To our utmost shock, he lifted his hand to Rowan's hair, stroking it.

My mouth fell open as Rowan's brows shot up to his hairline. For three seconds, he was too shocked to react.

When he regained composure, he slapped Finn's hand away. "What the fuck, man? Have you lost it!?"

This time, I was speechless, my gaze flicking between the two men. Why would Finn do that in public?

"Relax. I hate it as much as you do." The detest in his voice didn't make me doubt him. "Like she said, Ronan was watching. I had to put on a show."

"What fucking show? What business does your show have with touching me?" Rowan was trying to keep his temper down. If we weren't in a party, he'd have definitely reacted much worse.

"Why do you think you're here in Ironcrest, standing close to and touching Elara however you want?" Finn rasped. "You really think Ronan decided to be so generous?"

"Well, I asked what your excuse was to him, but you didn't fucking tell me."

"You're smart, Rowan." Finn shrugged, but he was pissed. "I guess you should know now."

Seconds passed. The truth dawned on me same time Rowan's jaw dropped. He must've realized it was well.

"No. Don't fucking say," he shook his head. "I ain't doing that shit with you? What are you, stupid?"

"Fuck, I'd never seen anyone more ungrateful than you, asshole." Finn gritted.

"What the hell are you saying? Are your brain cells that dumb that you couldn't come up with a better excuse?"

Finn stepped closer. "He asked, okay? He thought that was the only reason I'd want you here. It made sense when he brought it up. So I agreed for your sake. I told him I liked your stupid ass and wanted to have you close. That's the only reason he doesn't bother when you're with Elara."

"Fucking hell!" Rowan angrily dropped his glass on the table. His eyes blazed when he faced Finn again." Well, you're on your own, bud. And bear this in mind, the next time you touch me like you just did, I promise it'll be the last time you have fingers." Thank goodness the hall was heavy with music. I wouldn't want to imagine people's reaction to a conversation like this.

"Rowan..." I tried to speak to him, but he walked out on us.

Woah. I hadn't seen Rowan this mad in a while.

A while later, I went out to look for Rowan. He had been gone for about fifteen minutes, making me worried.

Fortunately, I found him by the pool side, smoking. I froze. Rowan doesn't smoke unless he's really pissed. Like, very very pissed.

At this point, I wanted to believe he was overreacting over what Finn did.

"Hey. Give me that." I gently took the cigarette from me.

Putting it on the floor, I extinguished it with my heels.

I crossed my arms as I faced him. "Don't you think your reaction was a little over the top? Finn was only trying to help."

"Please, Elara. Don't start with me." He pinched the bridge of his nose, his eyes closed.

He was clearly trying to control his temper around me.

"Okay, dad." I huffed

There. That was enough to get a smile.

He took a deep breath, inserting his both hands into his pockets. He looked a bit calmer now.

"What happened?" My voice was mellow. "You know you can talk to me."

Something must have happened in the past to get such a reaction out of him.

"Forget it." He shook his head. "Sorry I took you out of the party. We should head back."

Hm. Rowan being polite to me. He was definitely not himself.

I knew him well enough to know if he didn't want to talk about something, he wouldn't. So, I let it be for now.

Grabbing him by the jacket, we started walking back to the party. But we stopped when we bumped into Vivienne.

She was making a phone call and appeared shocked when she saw us.

It took me a moment to realize she wasn't being shocked at me, but the man beside me.

"Veronica?" Rowan called, squinting his eyes like he couldn't believe it.

My brows furrowed in surprise. What was he saying?" That's not... Veronica."

Rowan looked at me like I'd just told him the moon was pink.

Vivienne lowered the phone from her ear, but I wasn't even sure she'd ended the call. I'd never seen her this pale before. It was the exact way she looked when she had seen him in the bar.

"She is. I know her, Elara. Do you know her?" Rowan asked, having the tone of someone that had just met an old acquaintance.

"You don't know me," Vivienne spoke up, her voice a little shaky. She cleared her throat, and when she spoke again, she sounded more like herself." I don't know you either. She's right. I'm not Veronica."

She clicked something on her phone, probably ending her call and turned to leave.

"What're you saying? Don't you remember me?" Rowan chuckled. "It's me, Rowan. I know it's been years but we met in-"

"I said I don't know you!" Her voice was near a shout, her eyes blazing fire.

Her mask slipped. She wasn't just furious. She was scared.

Time seemed to stretch between the two. Vivienne glared at me, then at Rowan, and walked away. "What was that about?" I turned to Rowan as soon as we were alone. "How's she Veronica to you? That's Vivienne Marlowe. Ronan's baby mama."

Rowan's eyes rounded, disbelief glinting in them.

"She's the mother of the twins?"

"Yes. The very bitch I've been telling you about."

Rowan shook his head, his eyes on the floor.

"Hey, what's wrong?" I touched his arm.

His forehead was creased. "Hold on, did you say the kids' birthday is in three weeks?"

"Yes?"

"What year were they born?"

"2020." His questions were putting me on the edge.

"Talk to me, Rowan. What's going on?"

"That means.." he shook his head.not possible."

"What isn't possible?" "She being their mother, Elara!" He darted his gaze at me. "I met Veronica...or Vivienne in 2020, just around this time. And when I did meet her, she wasn't pregnant."