"Just checking on you," Aurora said with a sugary smile. "You looked awful when they carried you out."
"Too bad I didn't die, huh?"
Aurora tilted her head. "Now why would you say something like that?"
"Because I know how much you hate when I steal attention."
Aurora's smile didn't waver, but her eyes narrowed just a fraction. "You didn't steal anything, Elena. You just reminded everyone of who you are."
"Say what you mean."
"I mean," Aurora said calmly, "you reminded the pack that you're the wolfless girl who never belonged. The one who caused chaos at every turn. The one who almost got your son killed."
Elena's fingers dug into the bedsheet. "Get out, she snapped."
I'm just saying what everyone's thinking. You don't belong here. You never did. The pack knows it. Mother knows it. Even Sebastian knows it."
Elena stared at her. "If you're so sure of your place, Aurora, why are you so desperate to make me feel small?"
Aurora's smile finally slipped. "Because I don't need you clinging to what's not yours." Sebastian is mine. He always was."
"I never claimed him."
"No, you just married him, had his son, and played housewife while I was gone."
"You left," Elena said, her voice rising. You abandoned him. And me? I was there. I raised Leo alone while he grieved you. And you know what hurts most? He never let go of you. Not once."
Aurora's face twisted into something uglier than anger. "Then why didn't you leave? You knew he didn't love you. "You knew you couldn't give him what he needed."
"Because I loved him," Elena said quietly. And I love my son, Leo. And I had hoped one day, I'd be enough."
Aurora stared at her, lips parted like she didn't know how to respond.
Just then, the door opened again.
Sebastian stepped inside.
He froze when he saw the two of them, tension instantly settling in the room.
"Is everything okay?" he asked cautiously.
Aurora turned first, all smiles again. "Of course. I was just leaving."
She kissed his cheek on the way out. "See you soon."
As the door closed behind her, Sebastian turned to Elena.
"Sorry about her," he muttered.
Elena looked away. "Why are you here?"
He walked closer, hands in his pockets. "Leo said you were awake."
"You didn't have to come."
"I wanted to."
That surprised her. She turned her head slowly. "Why?"
Sebastian exhaled. "Because I thought I had lost you."
Elena blinked. "Since when does that matter to you?"
"Since I saw you lying in your own blood."
She didn't know how to respond. So she didn't.
"I was going to protect you," he said, quieter now. "But Aurora was.."
"Of course she was," Elena said, cutting him off. "You don't have to explain." You always choose her. Even now."
Sebastian looked down. "I'm sorry."
"No, you're not," she said. "You're just feeling guilty." But guilt isn't love, Sebastian. And it's not enough to fix anything."
He looked at her then, really looked at her, and for a second, something flickered behind his eyes. Regret? Pain? She couldn't tell.
"You should rest," he said finally.
"Yeah," she said softly. "I should."
He turned and left without another word.
Elena leaned back into the pillows, her whole body sore and heavy.
She didn't cry.
She just stared at the ceiling, knowing that no matter what happened next, everything had changed.
The funeral has been postponed after the rogue attack. It had been rescheduled to be held a week later, to allow those that were injured to heal.
The family had arranged for a more private ceremony, this time at a more discreet location that only family members knew.
A week later, it was the funeral day. Alpha Derek Sterling Blake needed to be laid to rest respectfully, just like he should have been a week ago.
The Moon Temple was already packed when Elena and Leo arrived. The air buzzed with quiet conversations and sideways glances. Elena walked with her back straight, her son's small hand clutched tightly in hers.
She had insisted on attending the final ceremony. The healers warned her she wasn't fully recovered, but she didn't care. This was her father's last farewell, and no one, especially not Aurora, was going to keep her away.
As they walked toward the ceremonial circle, the whispers began.
"She still showed up?"
"Didn't she almost die last time?"
"She sure is, wolfless and reckless. Typical.of her kind"
Leo looked up at her, his brow furrowed. "Mommy, are you okay?
Elena forced a smile, never better baby.
"He giggled, just a little, and the sound gave her strength.
They found two empty seats off to the side, away from the family row. Elena didn't even try to sit with them this time. She already knew her mother wouldn't want her there.
A few minutes later, Sebastian entered with his parents and his twin brother, Damien. As always, Sebastian's presence pulled eyes towards him, but today, it was Damien who surprised her.
He saw her. Actually saw her. And nodded with quiet respect before taking a seat beside the other Whitmore Ashworths stand.
It was a small gesture. But it mattered.
Sebastian, however, walked directly toward Elena and Leo and asked politely," Do you mind if I sit with you guys? Elena was still staring as he sat down beside them without waiting for her approval.
"I thought you were going to sit with your family," she said under her breath.
"I'm sitting with mine."
Leo lit up. "Daddy, look! I wore the tie you picked."
Sebastian smiled at him. "You look like a future Alpha already."
Elena said nothing. She was too tired to argue and too numb to care.
The temple elder began the prayers, raising the sacred stone above his head as chants echoed through the crowd.
"We've gathered again today to return Alpha Derek Sterling to the Goddess. May his spirit find rest, and may his legacy live on."
Elena kept her eyes forward. No tears came. She had none left to shed for a father who never once looked at her like she belonged.
As the prayer ended, the elder invited family members to say a few words.
Roman went first.
He cleared his throat, trying to mask the tremble in his voice. "My father was a strong man. A great leader. And he loved this pack with everything he had."
Elena watched him, trying to feel something. She remembered being ten years old, hiding in the hallway, listening to Derek praise Roman in front of the elders. She'd never heard her name in those conversations. Not once.
When Roman finished, Aurora rose next. She moved with grace, her every step calculated.
"My father was everything to me," she began. He taught me how to shift. He taught me how to lead. And he always told me that leadership wasn't about being loud. It was about being worthy."
Elena felt the words cut deeper than they were meant to.