Chapter 135. No Room for Negotiation

Elena’s POV

The next morning, I had to fly back to Silver Crest Pack and “alone” wasn’t exactly accurate. My mother, Maurene, insisted on coming along. Irony at its finest, because she was the last person I wanted in the cabin.

She boarded beside me, all bright smiles and awe. Every surface on the jet needed inspecting, touching, or commenting on. I caught the flight attendant giving me “are you for real?” looks more than once. I couldn’t take it any longer.

“Can you just sit already? We’re about to take off,” I finally snapped, exasperation dripping from my voice. She sniffed, huffed, and gracefully plopped into the seat next to me, crossing her legs like she owned the aircraft.

“Well, I never got to ride in one of these when I was your age,” she said, eyes glinting with a mixture of envy and pride. “The men I dated were cheap. Like your father. Learn from me, Elena. Lock it down with Alpha Eric. That’s your one shot at real security, real power...”