Chapter 110 The pack notices 2

Chapter 110: Chapter 110 The pack notices 2

Talia’s POV

The Eastern Terrace stretched out before me, and it was beautiful.

Stone benches lined the edges of the terrace, and potted plants bloomed in the corners. The floor was made of smooth, pale stone, and a low wall ran along the edge, looking out over the valley.

The mountains rose in the distance, with their peaks lost in the clouds, and the morning light shone with a final touch, by casting a golden glow across everything.

I had never been here before.

The air was cooler than in the rest of the pack house, and the wind carried the scent of pine and earth. Birds sang somewhere in the distance, and the sun was warm on my face.

I could feel that this was where Kaelen came to think. Because it had a sweet kind of stillness, and the peace here was refreshing.

Kaelen was standing near the railing, looking out at the mountains. Jax and Silas stood beside him, talking, but Cain was not there.

And Serena was there. Of course, Serena was here, ruining all of it.

Why would she not be? She was everywhere, like a shadow I could not shake, and like a thorn I could not remove. She wanted him, and she had made that clear. And I knew that she would not stop until she got what she wanted. Or until someone stopped her.

I hoped I could be that someone.

She was standing too close to Kaelen, and her hand was on his arm, and her body angled toward his. She was smiling, speaking, and laughing at something, but what was more obvious, was how she was trying to pull his attention away from Jax and Silas.

Kaelen did not look at her, and he did not respond. He kept his eyes fixed on the valley, and he continued talking to Jax and Silas like Serena was not even there.

I watched for a moment.

Serena touched his arm again, and she leaned closer. Her smile was bright, but her eyes were hard.

Kaelen shrugged off her hand, and he did not even glance at her.

Seeing his reaction in that moment, something warm bloomed in my chest.

Jax noticed me first. His eyes flicked in my direction, and a small smile played on his lips. Silas followed his gaze and nodded once, but Kaelen was still looking at the mountains.

Jax and Silas glanced at each other, then at us.

They knew. I could see it in their eyes; the way they looked at Kaelen, and the way they looked at me. Something had changed, and they had noticed. The whole pack would notice soon, if they had not already. There was no hiding this, no pretending, and no going back.

And for the first time, I did not want to hide, and I did not want to pretend. I wanted everyone to know.

I walked toward them, with my footsteps soft on the stone floor. Serena did not see me coming, because she was too focused on Kaelen, and too desperate for his attention.

"Kaelen," she said, her voice sweet. "I was hoping we could talk, alone."

He did not respond.

"Kaelen?" she called.

He turned, and his gray eyes swept past her and landed on me.

I smiled, and walked across a path of small pot plants, and headed directly toward where Kaelen was standing.

Serena saw me at that moment, and her face twisted, and her eyes narrowed. She glared at me with pure hatred, but I did not look away.

I had faced worse than Serena. I had faced Vivienne, I had faced Celeste, and I had faced fifteen years of cruelty and neglect. So, Serena’s hatred was nothing compared to that. Let her hate me, let her plot against me, and let her try to destroy me.

I would still be standing when she fell, just like I had always been.

When I reached the group, Kaelen took my hand and kissed it. His gray eyes locked on mine, and they softened even more, as he looked at me like I was the only person in the world.

My face burned hot red from his action, and I quickly looked down, trying to hide my embarrassment.

"Talia," he said with a warm and gentle voice.

Jax and Silas glanced at each other, then at us. Wolves around the large terrace were watching, and whispering, and I was sure that they saw how he looked at me.

I glanced at Serena just to see what her face was like, before I quickly looked away.

Serena’s face was flushed with anger, and her hands clenched into fists at her sides. Then she stormed off without a word.

Kaelen did not notice, or maybe he did not care, because he was still looking at me, and drawing circles on my hand.

"Did you sleep well? And have you had breakfast?" he asked.

"Yes, I did. And yes, I have had breakfast," I answered.

"That’s good," he smiled.

"The view is beautiful," I said.

"It is," he said. But he was not looking at the mountains.

He was looking at me.

His gray eyes were soft, warm, and full of something I was afraid to name. The pack was watching, and I knew that the gossip would get to Serena, but I did not care.

Let them see, let them whisper, and let them judge. He was mine, and I was his.

And nothing they said could change that.