Chapter 62: A plan.

July 2 2026, 10:04am.

In all her years of living, Elara has never felt a rage so intense as the one she felt now as she watched Alpha Kieran snuggle against her stepsister like she was the entire constellation in one place.

And hell, she could even feel the heat emanating from his body even from the gaping distance between them.

Tears of rage burned at the corners of Elara’s eyes and her hands balled into clenched fists as heat rose on her face and chest from watching his fingers skim over Nyx’ara’s neck. She watched his body press into hers so intimately, she could almost swear she saw his bulge.

Her chest twisted as she wished it were her standing there, not her sister, and because she had been so lost in thought... so carried away by his bulky arms and daydreaming about his manly exterior, she didn’t realize when he turned to look at her until it was too late.

She dashed into a corner of the hallway, her heart pounding against her chest as she desperately tried to scamper off, but even after doing that, she could still feel the heat of his eyes on her skin.

It was cold. Eerily hostile, she could still feel her heart jumping with excitement and fear.

If Alpha Kieran had seen her or was mad at her, he didn’t give any indication. Instead, he turned away to pick up Nyx’ara like she didn’t weigh more than a piece of paper and then strolled out of the hall amidst the crowd of ogling boys and girls.

As she watched them go, disappearing out of the main door, she could not help but feel her jealousy blossom into something far darker. Something so twisted it made her chest feel tight.

And she had to do something about it.

"He looks so hot!" A girl cooed dreamily from beside Elara, jolting her out of her train of thought. She snapped her head to the side to see the girl’s hand pressed into her chest as she leaned against the wall and pressed her legs together.

A flicker— hell, a storm— of jealousy rose in Elara’s chest and she walked up to her with thinned eyes and flared nostrils. She snapped; "What did you just say?"

The girl stilled, eyed Elara as if unsure if she was an enemy or a friend, then whispered; "Alpha Kieran... I said he’s hot. His entire brothers are hot and look like they walked right out of a sensual R-rated magazine. I would do anything to spend a night with them but they’re so stiff, they wouldn’t even entertain the idea of a woman in their bed..."

Elara’s eyes flashed and she hissed; "Is that so?"

The girl smiled. "Do you not know them? They are very popular around town for being so difficult. People say that they had a childhood friend who doted on them for over ten years, but they never even hugged her once."

That means they’ve never touched Nyx’ara as well, and all of that may have just been for show?

A smile so bright, it rivalled the sun touched Elara’s face as that thought struck her. She gently patted the girl’s shoulder whom she initially disliked and muttered; "I would like to be friends with you."

The girl smiled back, unsurely, then nodded. "Yes, sure! I am Clara!"

However, Elara didn’t wait to listen to anything after that. She didn’t even bother to introduce herself to the girl as she skipped away, her hair breezing around her shoulders as she went.

—

She arrived home earlier than she had ever done in the three years that she started attending NYU, and as soon as she got into the house, she threw her school bag to the side, strode up the stairs, and barged into Tristan’s room.

Tristan was sprawled on his bed by the time she barged in, and as soon as he saw her, he stood up quickly. His eyes darkened immediately when they roved up the length of her skimpy skirt and an animalistic growl rumbled through his chest when his eyes travelled up to perch on her exposed cleavage.

"Why are you here at this time?" He forced himself to ask, his Adam’s apple bobbing when she catwalked towards him.

He took a step back as if to put as much distance as he could between the two of them... to stop himself from touching her... but Elara, seizing the flicker of weakness in his eyes, strode closer.

She trailed her perfectly manicured fingers over his exposed arm, loving the way tiny goosebumps scattered across his skin at the contact. She then cupped the surface of his hardened cock from the front of his sweatpants, and when he groaned, throwing his head back to squeeze his eyes shut, she smiled and said;

"I have a plan."

At the sound, Tristan’s whole body stilled. Gone was the horniness and the cracking electricity running up his spine only seconds ago. In was a frown so deep, it could crease skin.

He hissed; "What plan?"

Tristan had been Elara’s sidekick for so long. So long that he has begun to realize how deadly and twisted her so-called plans could be.

Hell, her plans had caused the death of an innocent girl two weeks ago. Her plans had driven his sister into despair three years ago, and now, he could not imagine what this one would cause.

Goddess, he could not even start to think about it.

"It is something concerning Nyx’ara," she said softly, her eyes fluttering up at him with deliberate sexual intensity. "I am thinking of vindicating her." She added and as soon as Tristan heard that, he froze.

His eyes zeroed down on Elara with brooding intensity. He bit down on his lower lip when she rubbed her finger against his small nipple and then he hissed; "By vindicating her, do you mean... taking her place?"

"No," her voice was breathy, soft. "I do not intend to take her place."

That is a lie.

"What I intend to do is make the Alphas see her for who she is— a thief, a con, and a despicable liar."

"Then that’s not vindicating her... that’s putting her in deeper shit."

Elara twirled a strand of her hair between her fingers and then she pushed Tristan into his large bed.

As he fell into the soft cushion-y material, she slowly pranced, straddling him. Her pussy dripped with a wetness that slicked down her thighs when his calloused fingers dug into the flesh around her hips, and with a moan so breathy, it made Tristan’s breath catch, she drawled;

"Yeah, but I also intend to tell the truth about Princess Leilani’s murder."

His world shifted.