Let Them Kneel (kaelani and Julian) novel Chapter 43

The night air was heavy with the scent of fresh cut grass and regret. From the balcony, Julian watched the workers below setting torches along the garden’s path, their flames flaring and dimming like fireflies in the dark. The whole place was being transformed for the ceremony — the celebration of his forever.

He took another slow drink from the glass in his hand. The burn of whiskey was sharp, unfamiliar. He rarely drank, but tonight he needed something that could bite back.

The door opened behind him with a soft click. Footsteps crossed the marble floor, unhurried but deliberate.

“So,” Jace said, coming to stand beside him, hands tucked into his pockets. “I take it she didn’t call off the mating ceremony?”

Julian’s mouth curved — not into a smile, but something close to one. “And give up the status? The power? The image? The social climb?” His gaze stayed fixed on the glowing garden below. “No. That’s not Elara.”

Jace leaned his elbows on the railing, glancing at the torches flickering below. “Didn’t think so,” he said after a beat. “Elara strikes me as the type who’d rather set herself on fire than let someone else see her lose.”

Julian huffed a breath — could’ve been a laugh, could’ve been a curse. “You’re not wrong.”

Jace studied him for a moment out of the corner of his eye. The drink in Julian’s hand, the distant stare, the rigid line of his shoulders — all of it told him more than words ever would. “You planning on drinking yourself through the next five days?”

“Maybe,” Julian said flatly, lifting the glass again. The whiskey caught the light, deep amber against the dark. “Seems as good a strategy as any.”

“Right,” Jace said, stepping closer to Julian. His voice dropped lower. “Look… I know you told me to stop digging into her past,” he began carefully, “but one of my contacts just sent a follow-up report.”

Julian’s head turned, the glass pausing halfway to his lips.

Jace pulled a folded set of papers from his jacket. “I’d already put in the request before you told me to drop it. Took longer than usual — my contact had to be careful. The lab ran it quietly through Council systems to avoid setting off any flags.”

Julian’s eyes shifted toward him, the weight of his stare enough to make Jace clear his throat before continuing.

“They confirmed what we already knew — she’s Lycan. However, her DNA tested positive for dominant-grade markers. Not recessive — dominant. She’s got Alpha blood in her, Julian. Strong Alpha blood.”

Julian’s brow furrowed, shock flashing behind his eyes before thought took over. “That explains a lot,” he muttered. “She’s certainly no submissive omega.”

He leaned back, the idea already taking shape. “If she’s of Alpha heritage—strong Alpha heritage—then whose bloodline is she from?” His voice was low, edged with something close to suspicion. “It has to be someone of high standing to have wanted to keep her hidden. Maybe her existence would’ve caused a scandal.”

Jace hesitated, shifting his weight. “You don’t think her father could be…” His eyes met Julian’s. “Her Alpha?”

Julian’s stare snapped up, locking onto Jace’s. The silence between them stretched thin.

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