Chapter 6 - Elle
Elle was hanging onto August as if he were the only thing in the world that was not spinning out of control. He had his arms wrapped around her tightly, and for the first time since she was snatched off the street, Elle felt safe.
“You're here,” she whispered against his shoulder, her voice muffled. “You're really here.”
“I’m here,” August choked. “I'm here, Elle. I've got you.”
They remained wrapped up in each other for what seemed like hours, but it was just minutes. When they eventually separated, Elle could see the tears streaming down her brother's face. August never cried. Not when he broke his ankle as a kid or when she got banished. Never.
But he was crying now.
“I thought you did not care,” Elle whispered through her tears. “You did not show up when I got back here. I wondered whether you had determined that I was too much trouble.”
August's brows pulled across his face. “Elle, no. God, no. I was with Silas' sister, Sara at Clearwater pack, to work on an alliance. I only heard you came back because Rael called me.” He cradled her face, and Elle leaned into his hands. “I got here as fast as I could.”
Relief ran through Elle, and she felt weak at the knees. August still cared. He hadn't abandoned her.
“I missed you,” she whispered.
“I missed you too. Every single day.” August embraced her in another embrace. “But it was nice to see you were doing alright.”
Elle drew back to stare at his dark brown eyes. “You saw me?”
“I knew where you were.”
Elle went still. “What?”
August looked over her shoulder at Silas. Then he looked back at Elle. “Let's talk. Just you and me.”
He took her to a bench by a big oak tree at the outskirts of Silas' property. August held her hands when they took a seat.
“I have been keeping an eye on you,” he began to explain. “I found out where you were two years ago.”
Elle's breath caught. “Two years? You knew where I was and never...”
“I wanted to get in touch,” August said hastily. “God, Elle, you don't know how often I wanted to show up in your apartment or at your workplace. But I thought... I reckoned you deserved better than to serve as a reminder of your bad memories about this place.”
“That was supposed to be my decision.”
“I know. You're right. I was a coward.” August squeezed her hands.
“But I watched you from a distance. I heard you took up that position at the diner.” His lips curved into a small smile.
“Congratulations, by the way. I also saw you made some friends. You built another life.” His voice softened.
“You looked happy, Elle. Genuinely happy. And I didn't want to ruin that.”
Elle didn't know how to feel. A part of her was furious that August had been secretly observing her and furious that he had kept himself away at the time when she had been in need of family. But another part of her understood. In some way, he had been trying to protect her.
“You should have told me.”
“I should have. I'm sorry.”
Silence fell for a few seconds, then August asked, “Why are you here, Elle? You were happy in the human world. You'd built something good. Did somebody force you to come back?”
Elle's throat tightened. “Not exactly.”
“Elle. Tell me what happened.”
So she did. She explained how she had been kidnapped off the street, and how she had woken up in a cage, about to be auctioned off, until Silas bought her. As she continued, August's eyes darkened, his hand balled into a fist on his knee.
“They kidnapped you.”
“Yes.”
“And Silas was there.”
“He bought me. For a hundred thousand dollars. Then he brought me here and bonded with me.”
August leaped to his feet. Elle noticed his wolf rise to the surface and saw the anger that made him look dangerous despite his normally placid expression.
“Where is he?” August demanded.
“August, wait—”
But her brother was already walking towards the house where Silas still stood on the porch. Elle scrambled up behind him, her heart racing.
“You,” his voice boomed across the yard. “What the hell did you think you were doing?”
Silas straightened, his Alpha's presence oozing through him. But August didn't back down. Pack leader or not, best friends or not, August looked like he was ready to fight.
“Calm down,” Silas said firmly.
“Calm down? You purchased my sister on an auction block off the trafficking market and bonded with her against her will. Give me one reason why I should not rip your throat open right now.”
“Because I saved her.”
“Saved her?” August laughed harshly. “You kidnapped her!”
“I saved her from being sold to someone who would have abused, raped or even killed her. Yes, I brought her back here. Yes, I bonded with her. But she is alive, and safe, which is more than she would have been had I left her there.”
“You should have taken her back to her life in the human world!”
“And let the traffickers find her again? Silas retorted. “They saw her face, August. They know what she looks like. Had I left her there, they would have hunted her down in a few days.”
“So you decided that the most appropriate thing to do was to drag her to the one place that she hated? And to bond with her unwillingly?”
“It was the only means of saving her!”
“Protect her?” August stepped closer, and Elle saw Silas tense, ready for a fight. “Or claim her? Because this pretty much looks like you got what you wanted eight years ago.”
Silas flinched. “That's not fair.”
“Fuck off with your bullshit, Silas. Elle had asked you if you were mates, and you mocked her. Then your father banished her, and you watched it all happen without a fight. Now that she fell into your lap, you suddenly want to ignore all the rules of packs in order to keep her here?”
“I did fight. I argued, threatened, and pleaded with him.” Silas scoffed, averting his gaze. “But he wouldn't listen. He was Alpha, and his word was law.”
Elle stared at him wide-eyed. He fought against her exile? That couldn't be right. She was so convinced that he had planned it.
“That is no excuse for what you've done,” August continued. “You should have left her a choice.”
“There was no time for choices. She was there on that stage, and she was going to get sold—”
“Why were you even there?” August interrupted. “At a trafficking auction?”
“There's a human trafficking ring that has been going on for a year. My brothers and I were investigating.”
“Why?”
“Because somebody has been framing our pack for it.” Silas's jaw tightened. “Our image is being ruined, and our partnerships are dissolving. We have been trying to find out who has been operating the operation in order to absolve ourselves.”
Elle struggled to piece it all together. The mission that Javi mentioned. The way Silas hurriedly left the auction after paying.
“Basically, you were gathering intelligence, and Elle showed up.”
“Yes.”
“And you abandoned your mission to purchase her.”
“I couldn't leave her there!” Silas's control cracked at the edges. “Do you know what they would have done to her? I couldn't think about the mission at that moment. All I wanted to do was get her out.”
August looked at his best friend. “Your wolf took over.”
“Yes.”
“The mate bond.”
“Yes.”
There was a moment of silence. Then August cleared his throat. “You still should have let her have a choice concerning the bonding.”
“I know.”
“You should have asked her first before bringing her here.”
“I know that too.”
“But you did it anyway.”
Silas’ eyes flickered to Elle's. “I did it anyway.”
August turned to look at Elle. The rage in his eyes had subsided, replaced by something else.
“Give me a minute with my sister.”
Silas nodded and entered the house, leaving Elle and August alone.
August went back to the bench, and Elle sat next to him. Her mind was still spinning with all that she had heard. Silas had fought against her exile. Silas was also trying to investigate the traffickers. Silas had rescued her, however badly he may have done it.
“I need your help,” she turned to her brother.
“Anything.”
“I need you to help me escape.”
August froze. “Elle.”
“Please, August. I can't stay here. I can't be bonded to Silas. I cannot live in this pack that despises me.” Elle grabbed his hands. “Help me get away. I will not tell anybody that you were involved. I will go somewhere far away. They won’t find me. I will change my name and relocate to another country if I need to. Just please, help me.”
“I can't do that.”
Her stomach dropped. “What?”
“Elle, I can't help you escape. I won't.”
“But you're my brother!”
“Which is exactly why I can't.” August caressed her hair. “You're safer here than anywhere else.”
“I don't care about being safe. I care about my freedom!”
“The traffickers are still out there. They saw you. If you run, they'll find you, and Silas won't be there to save you.”
“Then I'll fight them myself. I will learn self-defense.”
“Elle, they're shifters. You can't fight shifters.”
“I have been doing well on my own for eight years.”
“In the human world,” August said softly. “This is different. These are predators that will not rest till they have what they want.”
Elle pulled away from him. “So you are telling me to accept this? This unwanted bond? You want me to live with the man who made my life a living hell?”
“I'm saying you're in the right hands.” August's voice sounded firm. “Silas may be a controlling bastard and he certainly should have sought your permission before getting bonded to you. But he is the smartest Alpha in 3 territories, and he has the means to keep you safe.”
“I don't want his protection.”
“I know. But you need it.” August stood up, dusting his pants. “Give him a chance, Elle. Give this a chance. Perhaps it is not going to be as bad as you think.”
Elle stared at her brother in amazement. “You’re supposed to be on my side.”
“I am on your side. That is why I am telling you the truth, rather than what you would like to hear.” He sighed. “I love you. I want you to be safe. And the safest place you will be is with Silas.”
“But—”
“He's my best friend, Elle. I've known him my whole life. And I know what he did was wrong, but he wants you to be safe. His wolf recognizes you as his mate, and that is why he will die before anything happens to you.”
Elle's eyes burned with tears. “He took my choice away. You know how much I value that.”
“I know. And that was wrong. But running will change nothing. It will get you in even greater trouble.”
“So what am I supposed to do?”
August pulled her into a hug. “You're supposed to survive. Like you always do. You are the strongest person I know, Elle. You know, if anybody can get this situation to work, it has to be you.”
Elle nuzzled her face into the crook of his neck, sobbing. She had been so hopeful that August would help her escape. So sure he would be on her side and take her away from Silas and this nightmare.
But he was right. Even in her state of anger and frustration, she was able to see logic. Running would mean further jeopardizing her. The traffickers would hunt her down.
And Silas, with all his vices, was trying to protect her.
This did not mean that she had to like it or forgive him. It did not mean that she had to accept this relationship.
But it meant she was stuck.
Stuck with the man who rejected her. Trapped in the pack that did not accept her and a mating bond she never desired.
Elle drew back from August's arms and wiped her cheeks. “I hate this.”
“I know.”
“I hate him.”
“I know that too.”
“But you are not going to help me.”
August shook his head. “I can't. I'm sorry.”
“How long are you staying?” She asked August.
“As long as you need me.”
“I need you forever.”
August smiled sadly. “Then I suppose I am staying for the rest of my life.”
Elle also smiled sadly. She was being held captive by the one man who was supposed to be the love of her life.
The irony would have been funny if Elle had any laughter left in her.
But she didn't. All she had was anger, frustration, and the increasing understanding that she wasn't going to find someone to help her. She was all she had.
Not August. Not the pack. Not anyone.
In order to gain her freedom, Elle would have to do so on her own.
Even if she had no idea how.