Chapter 833
Seven Years Later
“Noah, did you do this?” Elara stood over her older brother, holding out a shirt that had clearly been ruined by thick, yellow paint.
Noah, eyes locked on the gaming screen, didn’t even turn his head. “Elara, I’m busy. Don’t disturb me. I’m at the final level and I have to win.”
Elara’s eyes flickered with a faint violet hue. Instead of arguing, she walked over to the wall outlet and yanked the plug. The TV screen cut to black, accompanied by a chorus of groans from the three boys in the room.
“Elara, you made us lose!” Nyxen, the son of Katelyn and Sage, shouted.
“We were on the final level,” Zevan, Dominick and Jeniva’s son, added with frustration.
Noah remained silent, but he turned toward his younger sister, his expression hardening.
“You should have answered me when I asked you nicely, Noah,” Elara said, turning to leave. “I’m telling Daddy you destroyed my painting.”
“Who said that was beautiful? You just painted it all black!” Noah stood up, bracing for an argument.
“That’s a lie!” Elara retorted, her voice rising. “Dad said my art is beautiful.”
“Dad just says that to be nice,” Noah shot back. “He knows you can’t draw well.”
Elara stopped dead in her tracks, her eyes widening as she turned back to face him, her composure visibly slipping.
“You’re a terrible brother! You always find a way to hurt me,” Elara choked out, her eyes swimming with tears.
Noah sighed, his irritation warring with genuine anxiety. “What? When did I do that? Seriously, stop crying. If Dad hears you, he’s going to ban me from the console for a month.” He took a step toward her, but she was already gone, her footsteps echoing as she sprinted away.
“You’re in deep trouble, Noah,” Nyxen said, shaking his head. “Uncle Gabriel isn’t going to let you hear the end of this. Your gaming days are definitely over.”
“Shut up,” Noah muttered, breaking into a sprint. “Let’s catch her before she makes a scene and drags us all into this.”
The trio burst into the corridor, expecting to see Elara fleeing, but the hallway was empty. Instead, they nearly collided with their triplet cousins: Elizabeth, Grace, and Dylan. The three were huddled together, stifling giggles.
“That was brilliant, making a fool of Uncle Nick again,” Elizabeth said, her eyes bright with mischief as she looked at Grace, and Dylan.
Noah skidded to a halt, ignoring their prank. “Did you three see Elara go by?”
Elizabeth turned, her smirk vanishing as she looked at the boys. “Elara? Yeah, she ran that way,” she said, pointing toward the end of the hall.
As Noah tried to push past, Elizabeth grabbed his arm, holding him in place. “Wait. What did you do this time?”
“Nothing,” Noah shrugged, trying to pull away. “She just started crying for no reason.”
Nyxen and Zevan exchanged uneasy glances but offered a quick, collective nod to back him up.
“Liar,” Grace countered, stepping forward and crossing her arms. “You’re always the reason she cries.”
“Elara is just a bit emotional,” Noah said, yanking off Elizabeth’s hand from his wrist. “If you can’t help me, then don’t lecture me.”
“We will also help you. Elara is youngest among us,” Elizabeth stated. “We will search the gardens. You three shall search the chambers.”
Noah nodded and ran toward Elara’s chamber with his two cousins while the other three headed to the garden.
~~~~~
Elara shoved open the door to her father’s study, seeking refuge, but the room was empty. Fresh, hot tears tracked down her face. She climbed onto his large desk chair and settled into it, curling her legs beneath her.
As she smoothed out her skirt to hide her trembling hands, the door opened again.
Gabriel walked in, with Karmen and Denzel trailing close behind.
“Elara? What’s wrong? Why are you crying?” Gabriel’s gaze locked onto his daughter the moment he crossed the threshold. He hurried over to her, his expression shifting from composed to deeply concerned.
Behind him, Denzel and Karmen paused, their faces mirroring the same unease at seeing the girl so distraught.
“Daddy, did you lie to me? Do I paint bad? Brother Noah said that I’m not good at it,” Elara sobbed, her voice thick with misery.
Gabriel’s expression tightened. He shifted, keeping a firm grip on her hands, and looked her straight in the eyes to command her attention.
“Elara, look at me. I never lie to you. Art is about how you feel and how you see the world, not about being perfect. Noah is young and doesn’t understand all of this, but his opinion does not define your ability.”
Karmen retreated a step, realizing the candy wasn’t the solution here. He shared a worried glance with Denzel.
Both men knew the volatility of these werewolf children; Noah’s emotions were clearly running hot, and they needed to handle this with care.
“Elara, I’ve been searching for you everywhere in the mansion!”
Noah stood in the doorway, his chest rising and falling as he caught his breath.
Seeing his father, Karmen, and Denzel all gathered there, his earlier defiance seemed to evaporate. He took a slow step into the room, his eyes still shimmering with that intense blue hue, a sign that his wolf was agitated and reacting to his own mounting regret.
Gabriel stood up slowly, never letting go of Elara’s hand. He turned his attention to his son, his voice calm but undeniably firm. “Noah, come here.”
The boy walked closer, stopping a few feet away. He looked at Elara, who had buried her face in her hands, and then down at his shoes, his shoulders slumping.
“I didn’t think she’d take it that seriously,” Noah mumbled, his voice uncharacteristically small. “I was just annoyed about the game being cut short.”
“Being annoyed does not give you permission to crush her confidence,” Gabriel said. “You are her older brother. You are supposed to be her protector, not the first person to tear her down. Apologize to your sister.”