Chapter 162: Not my problem

The air inside the Rolls-Royce felt tight with tension.

Alec glanced occasionally toward the backseat in the rearview mirror, his eyes wary and sharp. He still didn’t understand why his Luna had allowed Elvira to ride with them.

Knowing how cunning Elvira could be, her sudden plea for a ride probably had an underlying motive, and he refused to let anything sabotage Alyssa’s big day.

Alyssa, however, appeared completely unbothered. She leaned back against the headrest with her eyes closed, ignoring the woman sitting beside her. But she could feel Elvira’s piercing gaze boring into her side.

Silently, she started a countdown in her head. She gave Elvira ten seconds before her patience snapped and she broke the silence, because if there was one thing Elvira couldn’t stomach, it was being ignored.

Ten... nine... eight...

"I just want to thank you again for letting me ride with you, Luna," Elvira said, her voice dripping with fake warmth.

Inwardly, Alyssa smirked. The poor woman hadn’t even managed to hold out for five seconds. She opened her eyes slowly and turned her head to look at her.

"Sure," she murmured. "It’s just a ride. You don’t need to keep thanking me."

"Oh, but I do," Elvira insisted, leaning forward. "You easily could have refused me. And considering how much you dislike me simply because I am mated to Dorian, it would be natural for you to feel threatened by my presence."

Alyssa’s lips twitched with faint amusement. She saw right through the tactic, and she had zero intention of granting Elvira the reaction she was fishing for.

"Let’s get one thing straight, Elvira," she said, her tone smooth and level. "I am not threatened by you. I am well aware that Dorian was married once, and mated once, before you betrayed him by screwing his cousin."

Elvira’s practiced smile vanished instantly. Her skin drained of color, her eyes widening as if she had just been slapped across the face.

"You are right about one thing, though," Alyssa continued effortlessly. "I don’t like you. I don’t like the fact that you returned, and I certainly don’t care for the fact that you share a bond with Dorian. You were supposed to remain dead..."

"Excuse me?" Elvira snapped, her voice rising.

"I’m not finished," Alyssa cut her off with a sharp, pointed look. "I dislike a great deal about you, but I refuse to waste my energy dwelling on it. I have a kingdom to rule beside Dorian and a life to build. So keep to yourself, and stay away from my husband."

Elvira was practically seething, her chest heaving. This wasn’t how the interaction was supposed to go. She was supposed to hold the upper hand, to rattle the young Luna.

Refusing to lose, she forced her features back into a composure she didn’t feel and sat up straighter.

"I understand why you resent me," she said smoothly. "Dorian was once madly in love with me, so I get your insecurity. But it’s hardly my fault. I didn’t even know he was married when I returned."

"Of course you didn’t," Alyssa agreed, letting a cold smile touch her lips. "But you know now. And my husband is no longer in love with you. The mate bond means nothing to him."

"Never underestimate the power of the mate bond," Elvira warned.

Alyssa’s hand twitched against her lap. She turned her head slowly, her gaze locking onto Elvira. "What did you say?"

"I’m just stating the obvious," Elvira shrugged carelessly. "The mate bond is a powerful force. You’ll never understand it because you’re wolfless, so you’ll never feel that pull. And I don’t mean any disrespect, Luna. I’m simply stating facts."

A sudden laugh escaped Alyssa’s lips before she could stop it; a clear, mocking sound that cut through the tense air in the car. It stung Elvira.

"Did I say something funny?" she demanded, her jaw tightening.

"You speak of the mate bond like it’s some grand, unbeatable triumph," Alyssa said, her voice dripping with quiet disdain. "You’re trying so desperately to emphasize how powerful it is, yet even with that bond, Dorian doesn’t want you. He loves me. His wife. His Luna. His devotion to me isn’t dictated by the bond. He chose me. And he would choose me over you a million times over."

She allowed her lips to curl into a sharp sneer. "He would do anything I ask. If I wanted you thrown out of Wintercrest today, I would only need to say the word and you would be gone by sunset. He is that obsessed with me. So no, your little mate bond speech doesn’t hold an ounce of weight."

A muffled cough sounded from behind the wheel as Alec did everything in his power to suppress a sudden burst of laughter. He had never seen the Luna tear anyone down with such effortless, lethal precision.

Elvira heard his muffled chuckle, and a furious heat burned down her throat. She needed to land a devastating blow. She couldn’t let this girl walk away victorious.

Forcing a harsh laugh to mask her burning embarrassment, she leaned in closer. "Oh, really? If he loves you as fiercely as you claim, why hasn’t he marked you?"

Alyssa’s smile faltered slightly, her posture stiffening.

Noticing the faint shift, Elvira seized on it instantly, her eyes gleefully tracking the strike.

"Well, tell me, Luna," she pressed, her lips pulling back into a bitter sneer. "Why don’t you carry his mark yet? If Dorian is truly obsessed with you, marking you should have been the very first thing he did the moment he claimed you. But did he?"

She leaned into Alyssa’s space, her voice dropping into a malicious whisper. "He didn’t. Because I will always own a piece of his soul, and he will never mark another woman."

"Then why didn’t he mark you?" Alyssa shot back without missing a single beat. "Go on. Show me his mark on your skin. You claim you own his heart. Show me where he branded you as his."

Elvira froze, her face flushing crimson with humiliation. In her haste to wound Alyssa, she had completely forgotten her own lack of a mark, shooting herself in the foot.

Seeing her completely flustered and speechless, Alyssa let out a low, amused laugh and turned toward the front seat.

"Alec, stop the car, please."

Alec guided the Rolls-Royce smoothly to the shoulder of the empty road and brought it to a complete stop. He sat back, watching the rear seat through his mirror.

Alyssa turned back to Elvira, her expression shifting into a sweet, terrifying calm. "You tried so hard to get under my skin today. To make me doubt Dorian’s devotion, to ruin my focus before my examination. That’s why you dressed in this identical outfit, isn’t it? It’s why you begged to come along, just to rile me up. But all you’ve done is make yourself look pathetic and desperate."

She leaned in, her gaze hardening into steel. "I will not have this conversation with you again, Elvira. Stay away from my husband until he finds a way to sever whatever lingering bond remains between you."

She turned her head away, staring out the window. "Get out of my car."

Elvira blinked, stunned. "What? But we are in the middle of nowhere!" she protested, looking out at the dense tree line.

"Not my problem," Alyssa retorted coldly. "Walk back to the estate, or walk to hell. I don’t care which. Alec, please get her out of here."

"With pleasure, Luna," Alec agreed instantly.

Before he could unbuckle his seatbelt, Elvira snapped. Glaring venomously at Alyssa’s averted face, she reached down and snatched one of the identical backpacks off the seat. She shoved the door open and slammed it shut behind her with violent force.

Only when the car surged forward and Elvira was left behind did Alyssa finally exhale the breath she had been holding. The confidence that had sustained her moments ago drained away, leaving her trembling slightly.

Alec glanced at her with concern through the rearview mirror. "Are you alright, Luna?"

Alyssa met his eyes and managed a faint smile. "I’m okay. That... took a lot out of me."

"You were incredible," Alec grinned, shaking his head in admiration. "I’ve never been prouder. Someone needed to put Elvira in her place, and you did it flawlessly."

Alyssa let out a soft laugh at the praise. "I just hope I never have to deal with another confrontation like that again. Right now, I just want to focus on this exam and get it over with."

"I have faith in you, Luna," Alec assured her warmly. "And so does the Alpha. You’ve got this."

I hope so, Alyssa thought, leaning her head against the window.

Several long minutes later, Alec backed the car into the parking lot of a massive building. A large crowd of prospective candidates had already gathered near the entrance, waiting to be screened and cleared for entry.

Alyssa pulled her backpack over her shoulder and opened her door. She stepped out of the car only to be suddenly surrounded by the surging crowd.