After She's Terminal The Alpha Regrets (Elaine and Lucas) novel Chapter 24

Chapter 24

+20 BONUS

Chapter 24

Elaine doesn’t even remember hanging up the phone. She’d just remembered getting in her car and being there. Matthew had never been kind to her. Ever since she’d married Lucas, he hadn’t gotten any better. There was no

love shared between them.

Yet she couldn’t ignore this. 3

Not if Matthew had actually hurt someone. Especially if that someone was Lucas’ brother, Aaron. 3

She parked her car and practically jumped out, jogging across the street to the shopping center. The manager on the phone had said Matthew was near the fountain. That’s where she found him.

He was currently yelling at a couple that were trying to hurry past. The woman had her phone out, though Elaine couldn’t tell what she was doing with it.

A few feet away, Elaine could see Lucas’ own stepbrother, Aaron. Though his back was to her currently, she knew that build and hair color well enough. If the two of them had been fighting, it looked like Matthew had taken a little break to berate the couple passing by.

“…any idea who I am?” Matthew snapped. “I am the Luna’s brother! Put that phone away, now! Do you know how much shit I could get you in?”

“Matthew!” Elaine called from across the courtyard, jobbing the last few steps. “What are you doing? Leave those people alone.” 1

Matthew turned to Elaine, but before he could get a word out, Aaron stepped in front of her. “So you finally decided to show up!”

The sight of him stopped her cold. Her eyes widened.

He had a black eye.

An ugly mark already darkening the edges of his eye and cheek. Elaine had to physically stop her jaw from dropping.

“Aaron…”

“Look what he did to me!” Aaron yelled, gesturing wildly in Matthew’s direction. “Your pathetic excuse of a brother–”

“Keep talking, and I’ll give you a matching one on the other side,” Matthew interjected. He stepped forward, and Aaron almost flinched.

Elaine struggled to find the words. It wasn’t unheard of for Matthew to pick fights, but with his brother-in-law? The same brother-in-law who was related to the pack’s Alpha? This was a different kind of stupid.

“You are a fool. And you’re going to pay for this!” Aaron said. 1

But Matthew wasn’t buying it. He’d gotten away with worse before and felt as if this situation were no different. He crossed his arms. “Go ahead and cry about it. We’ll see who–”

“Enough!” Elaine finally stepped forward, having gathered her thoughts. She placed herself between the two. ” Matthew, back off. You had no reason to hit Aaron.”

“I had every reas–”

“I don’t want to hear it. There is no reason good enough to result in violence.” Elaine gave him a pointed look. He

1/3

Chapter 24

+20 BONUS

only scoffed and rolled his eyes.

“You’re one to talk,” Aaron said from behind her. Elaine turned slowly to him. “I bet you took your sweet time getting here, just so your insane brother could get a shot off.”

“Excuse me? I got here as fast as I could.”

Aaron gestured at his eye. “Coulda fooled me!”

“Matthew is more than capable of controlling his own actions, this is not my fault.”

“You probably planned this, the both of you,” Aaron accused as if he hadn’t even been listening to her. Which was likely the case.

Elaine exhaled slowly through her nose. “Aaron. As soon as I heard there was a fight, I came down here to stop it.” (2

“Beg.”

That froze both her and Matthew. Elaine tilted her head. “What?”

“You heard me. Beg. Plead for me to spare your brother or I’ll tell Lucas, and he’ll pay dearly for this,” Aaron said.

“I’m not the one responsible, this had nothing to do with me,” she argued.

“I’m not convinced that’s true. And you’re the Luna here. Get down on your knees and beg for my forgiveness, and I might spare your brother.” The smug look on Aaron’s face told Elaine he wasn’t going to be backing down on

this.

For a moment, she felt herself slipping back into the woman she used to be. The one who’d do anything for her family. 2

Then she glanced over her shoulder at Matthew. He…he looked smug too. Arms still crossed and a little smirk on his face. As if he’d already gotten out of trouble on this one. Elaine couldn’t even remember the amount of time she’d bailed him out before. 1

He was expecting her to do so once again.

Elaine faced Aaron.

“No.”

That one word held a firmness that would not be swayed. The one word she’d been getting quite used to saying recently.

Elaine wasn’t going to humiliate herself here just so Matthew could once more avoid the consequences of his own actions. It was about time he learned.

Both boys went still.

“Elaine… what do you mean no?” Matthew asked. “You heard him. It’s such a small thing. Can’t you do this one thing for me? Why are you always so selfish!” >

Elaine closed her eyes briefly. She’d wasted seven years living the life everyone else told her to live. Though she supposed Matthew would call that selfish, too.

Another breath to calm her nerves.

Elaine continued, not once looking at her brother, “In fact, allow me to suggest a punishment for him. Matthew should be stripped of his title and rank as a warrior, and spend some much-needed time behind bars to rethink

2/3

Chapter 24

+20 BONUS

attacking the Alpha’s brother. Wouldn’t you agree?”