#Chapter 52: Irreplaceable

Elara The room felt suffocating as I stood there on that stage with Alaric. Every eye was turned to us, every voice had gone silent, every mouth was now hanging open in shock. I didn’t know what Alaric was planning when he led me to that stage, but I wasn’t expecting him to pull my hair aside and reveal my mating mark—the mark he had given me just last night, in the midst of aphrodisiac-induced passion—to everyone. “In case you all haven’t heard,” Alaric announced, gesturing to the red mark on my neck, “Elara is now not only my wife, but my chosen mate. And as of last night, we have marked one another.” A soft ripple of gasps worked its way through the room. Instinctively, my eyes found Emily; she was standing by the exit, her arms folded across her chest, and there was a smug look on her face. A smug look that was quickly fading. Suddenly, Alaric, as if sensing my thoughts, turned directly toward her and pointed. “Emily Harrington,” he continu