My Fated Alpha's Cruel Game (Elena and Marcus) novel Chapter 109

Chapter 109: Chapter 109 Old Demons Surface

Elena’s POV

The silence in the room felt suffocating as everyone stared at me with expressions ranging from shock to disbelief. My proposal to use myself as bait clearly wasn’t what they expected to hear, but I wasn’t about to back down. Not when there were children at risk. Not when I could do something to protect them.

"Elena. You have two children to think about." Damien’s voice cut through the quiet, each word heavy with concern.

I met his gaze steadily, refusing to let doubt creep into my voice. "And you and all of the warriors will be there to capture these things before they get to me. I won’t be in any danger."

"There’s always danger in these situations." Damien stepped closer, his jaw tight with tension.

Before I could respond, Julian spoke up from across the room. "We’ll help."

Tessa’s voice immediately followed, dripping with reluctance. "Do we have to?"

Damien’s head snapped toward her, his eyes flashing with irritation. "What’s wrong? Running away again?" The bite in his tone made her shrink back, effectively shutting her up.

I placed my hand on Damien’s arm, trying to ease some of the tension radiating from him. "Damien, I will be fine. I will be safe. It’s fine. I’m not scared."

Dante’s gruff voice cut through my reassurance. "You should be."

Something inside me bristled at the implication that I was being naive or reckless. "I don’t believe that they want me dead."

Tessa’s skeptical voice piped up again. "What is so special about you?"

A small smile tugged at my lips as I glanced meaningfully at Damien. "Oh, I can think of a few things."

The weight of the day seemed to suddenly crash down on all of us. Damien ran a hand through his hair, exhaustion evident in his movements. "Alright. It’s been a long day and a long night before that. I think we should just get some rest and talk about this again tomorrow."

I nodded, but my resolve hadn’t wavered even slightly. "Alright. We can sleep on it. But I’m not going to change my mind."

"I don’t expect you to. But I might have a chance to get a few of my warriors here before you go off and do something stupid." The protective edge in Damien’s voice made my heart clench.

Marcus bristled beside us. "My warriors will do just fine."

Damien turned toward him, and I could practically feel the growl building in his chest. "No offence, but after the abuse that Elena suffered in this pack. I think I trust my warriors more than I trust you and yours."

The accusation hung in the air like a physical blow. Marcus’s face flushed, but he had no comeback. How could he? We all knew what had happened to me here. What his pack had allowed to happen.

I watched gratefully as she gathered both children and headed out. When I laid back down, sleep came easily, though it only lasted about an hour.

When I woke again, Damien was still deeply asleep. I slipped out of bed quietly, got dressed, and made my way downstairs. The sound of Skye’s voice drifted from the living room, mixed with another voice that made my blood run cold.

I froze on the stairs as recognition hit me like a punch to the gut. My hands began to shake, and for a moment, I felt like that scared, broken girl I used to be.

But I wasn’t her anymore. I wasn’t that pathetic victim who had suffered in silence. Taking several deep breaths, I straightened my spine and continued down the stairs.

I stopped in the doorway of the living room, watching with growing fury as Brock – one of the boys who had made my school years hell – played with my children.

"If you so much as touch my child, I will fucking rip your hands off." The threat came out low and deadly, leaving no room for doubt about my sincerity.

Brock jumped up quickly, turning to face me with surprise written all over his face.

"Wow. You really are back." His voice held a mix of shock and something else I couldn’t quite identify.

"Yeah. What the fuck are you doing here?" Each word dripped with venom as I prepared to protect what was mine.