Chapter 34

Chapter 34
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I got to the track and was met there by Rae. The two of us chatted happily as we waited for the race to begin. All of the tension of the previous night seemed forgotten and I was finally starting to relax.
Rae nodded over my shoulder at a man who was approaching. I turned to see Lance walking toward me with a broad smile on his face. I recognized that flirtatious look immediately and realized that he had no idea who I was.
“Hi there,” he said with a grin. “What’s a beautiful woman like you doing here-”
I took my sunglasses off, enjoying the look of shock that crossed his face when he recognized me.
“How could this beautiful woman be my sister-in-law?” he muttered almost to himself. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“Nothing useful – just like you,” I retorted.
“For your information, I’m racing today, which means I’m working – unlike you.”
“Working?” I replied with a mock look of surprise. “I didn’t know you understood what that word meant.”
“What’s wrong, Rogue? Have another fight with Nolan? Is he ignoring you at home so you came out here to get some attention from me? Or did you want to beg me to talk to him for you? Convince him to give you another chance?” His tone was dripping with condescension and he smirked at me.
I shot back, “As if anything good has ever come out of that mouth of yours.”
Lance’s face twisted with rage, but before things could escalate further, his headset activated — his manager’s voice cutting through the static to inform him that he was needed. The race was about to begin.
Lance gave me that look I was becoming so accustomed to the one that screamed Who are you and what did you do with the real Ellie? I only smiled and put my sunglasses back on as I turned my focus to the race.
Third-Person POV
Lance won the race, but it wasn’t easy. The competition was stiff, and he had to pull off a few risky maneuvers to pull ahead. He managed to make it in a photo finish.
He smiled broadly at the podium as the officials approached to award the first-place prize, but the smile fell from his face as they walked right past him, handing the prize to the person he had definitely beaten, even if it was close.
Outrage sparked in his chest. Lance was used to being treated as second best, even when he was clearly the more deserving one, but that didn’t make it any less infuriating. He stepped away, heading to his manager,
his anger simmering just beneath the surface.
“They’re cheating,” he said tightly. “I won and everyone here knows it.”
“We’ll figure this out,” his manager said, trying to placate him. “Just stay calm.”
Lance knew there was very little he could do to fix this on his own. He was young, still a university student, and despite being the brother of the Alpha, he didn’t have that much sway. If his manager wasn’t willing to go to bat for him on this, there was every chance this victory would be stolen from him.
1/2
Chapter 34
+25 Bonus
He would never call Nolan to speak up for him, and everyone knew it. They were taking advantage.
Lance started to argue when another voice suddenly cut through the cheers and applause. He recognized it immediately – it was Ellie.
He turned to find her standing a few feet from the officials, her hands planted firmly on her hips, hat and sunglasses in hand to reveal her face.
The look on her face was one Lance had never seen before- a glare sharp enough to rival any of Nolan’s, but with a fire blazing in her eyes that showed just how furious she was.
“What kind of game do you think you’re playing?” she demanded, staring down the organizers. “It’s obvious that Lance won fair and square. Is this a joke of some kind?”
Lance stared at her in shock, unable to believe that Ellie was standing up for him. The organizers looked equally startled by her sudden appearance.
“Luna,” one of them said in disbelief. “What are you doing here?”