CHAPTER 59: KNOW HER ACTUAL IDENTITY

Eleanor’s POV

One moment, Brock was shouting. The next, he was just... there. Right in front of Roxy.

It happened so fast my brain couldn’t process it. It was like he simply vanished from one spot and materialized in another, his fist already aimed at Roxy’s face. I think if a human saw it, they would have missed it entirely. They would think he’d disappeared and reappeared by magic.

My own breath caught in my throat, my body frozen. I couldn’t have moved if I tried.

But Roxy was already moving. She dropped, her body flowing downward like water, and his fist passed through the empty air where her head had been. As she sank, she drove her own fist up and into his stomach with a brutal, sharp crack.

The sound was sickening. Brock let out a choked grunt, the air forced from his lungs, and he was thrown backward, crashing onto the asphalt several feet away.

Before the shock could even settle, Mr. Maxwell’s voice roared across the tarmac, thick with fury. "What in the hell is going on here? Explain this commotion, now!"

Mira stepped forward. "Brock attacked Roxy, sir. He lost the race he challenged her to, and he couldn’t handle it."

Mr. Maxwell’s face was a mask of stern displeasure as he looked at Brock, who was being helped to his feet by a few of the other men. "I do not, and will never, tolerate physical violence among my racers," he stated, his voice cutting through the tense air.

One of the men supporting Brock spoke up, his tone defensive. "It was the woman who started it! She was insulting him when he was just calling her out for cheating!"

"That’s not true," Mira countered, but her voice was drowned out by the murmurs of agreement from the other men.

I felt a familiar, cold frustration settle in my stomach. This was how it always was. These men would close ranks, supporting one of their own no matter how wrong he was. They couldn’t stand the idea that a woman was simply better. A woman’s talent had to be proven over and over, while a man’s was assumed.

"Enough," Maxwell barked. "Get him out of here. And the rest of you, get back to work." He then turned his sharp gaze to Roxy, Mira, and me. "You three. With me. Now."

He led us to a corner of the paddock, his expression unyielding. "I don’t know the reason the Vexxon brothers personally brought you onto this team," he began, his voice low and intense. "But do not mistake that for special treatment. It does not mean you are irreplaceable."

His eyes locked onto Roxy. "And you. You’re an experienced rider. You know how men like that behave. You should know better than to constantly trigger their fragile egos. This is not like Greyfall where you can just fight your way out of every problem. Control yourself, or you will be removed. Is that clear?"

Mira’s voice was sharp, cutting through Maxwell’s lecture. "With all due respect, sir, if Roxy hadn’t dodged, Brock would have broken her nose, or worse. We aren’t the ones who should be reprimanded for defending ourselves."

Maxwell’s stern gaze didn’t waver, but he gave a curt nod. "I will be speaking with the men as well. But reprimanding them in front of you would only fuel their resentment and make them see you as the cause of their punishment. Is that what you want?"

His logic was cold, but it made sense. He wasn’t being biased; he was being strategic. He was trying to manage a pack of egotistical wolves without starting a war.

"There will be a gathering in two days" he continued, his tone all business again. "Representatives from all the major racing companies and their riders will be there. Since the three of you are currently the only women officially registered under the Vexxon banner, you will all attend." His eyes pinned each of us in turn. "I urge you to be on your best behavior. Do not do anything that will stain your reputation, because any stain on you is a stain on the Vexxon name. That is something I, and the brothers, will not tolerate. Are we clear?"

After a few more details, he dismissed us.

**

Later, back in the spacious quiet of our apartment at The Queen’s estate. I was scrolling absently on my phone while Mira settled onto the couch beside me.

She let out a soft sigh. "I haven’t had a proper chance to talk to you," she said, her voice gentle. "I thought you might need some space... after finding out what I am."

I put my phone down and looked at her. "I understand why you hid it," I said honestly. "I did the same thing. And I understand why you’d think I might see you as a monster."

A small, relieved smile touched her lips. "You’re always so understanding, Ellie. But sometimes you don’t have to be understanding. That’s why people keep taking your feelings for granted."

"I can’t help it," I murmured, the old habit feeling like a worn-out coat.

"Yes, you can," she said firmly. "You just need a push. I know you’re trying to fit in, to adapt to all of this." She gestured around us, at the new life that had been thrust upon me. "So, I’m going to help you. With everything you need. You can ask me anything."

I took a deep breath. "During the full moon... did you ever lose control? To the... primal urges?"

"I did," she admitted without hesitation. "At first. But I learned to control it. It takes time, training, and bonding with your wolf. The urges are always there, like a powerful current, but you learn to hold the reins."

Encouraged, I asked the question that had been haunting me. "Is it true? That I’m... going to get a mate?"

Mira’s face paled almost imperceptibly, and her gaze shifted away from mine. "I’m sorry," I said quickly. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No, it’s nothing," she said, her voice a little too light. "It just... reminded me of someone." The pain in her eyes was brief but sharp, and I knew it was a memory she didn’t want to revisit. She cleared her throat. "But yes, you will have a mate."

"What does it feel like?" I whispered. "Finding them?"

Mira looked into the distance, her voice taking on a faraway quality. "It’s like... a piece of you you never knew was missing suddenly clicks into place. Your whole world narrows to them. Their scent is the only thing you can smell, it’s intoxicating. Your wolf recognizes their wolf, and it’s this overwhelming sense of... rightness. Of home."

My blood ran cold. That was it. That was exactly what I had felt in that storage room with that... that monster before he shifted back to a human form. Beatrice was right.

Mira saw the horror on my face. "Ellie? Have you... have you found your mate already?"

"I... I’m not sure," I stammered, my heart hammering. "But the way you’re describing it... it’s how I felt that day. But I can’t accept it, Mira. I can’t be bound to someone without my will."

"You don’t have to be," she said, her voice firm and reassuring. "You can reject the mate bond."

"You can do that?"

"Yes. But first, tell me why. Is he a jerk? Like Dickson? If he is, you should definitely reject him immediately."

I shook my head. "It’s... it’s worse than that."

I took a shaky breath, the memory clawing its way to the surface. I started telling about what happened after i left her at the audience seat at the Serpent’s Kiss. How I got chains to keep her uges under control. How I heard screams and came out to see a huge monster, terrifying. How i managed to even lead it in the storage room with me.

Mira listened, her eyes wide but never leaving mine.

"The pain from the chains and the change was so bad," I whispered, the confession feeling both shameful and freeing. "I was actually thinking about... killing someone. But then the monster touched me. And it was like... I could feel my pain, and I could feel his. We were sharing it. The burden became less. He... he even held me."

Mira was silent for a long moment, processing. "Ellie... that is definitely your mate. It sounds like he might be under a curse, or that’s just his other form. The bond doesn’t care about appearances."

"I don’t want it," I said, my voice firming with resolve. "How do i reject it?"

"You have to meet him, face to face. You state your full name and say you wish to reject the bond. If he accepts the rejection, it will be severed completely." She leaned forward. "So, who is he?"

A wave of crushing frustration washed over me. "I don’t know. When he turned back into a human, I didn’t look at his face. I just wanted to get away. I was so stupid. I had my one chance to know who he was, and I threw it away."

"Hey," Mira said gently, placing a hand on my arm. "It’s not your fault. You were in shock. You weren’t aware of any of this." She gave my arm a reassuring squeeze. "But the bond will draw you together. You will cross paths with him again. And when you do, you can reject him."

A wave of relief, fragile but real, washed over me. "Thank you, Mira. Seriously."

Mira’s expression turned more serious. "I’m not done yet. There’s something else, Ellie. You’re not an ordinary werewolf. If you want to learn to control your abilities, you need to find out how you became one in the first place. You know your family are humans so I believe you aren’t from the Moore family,"

I stared at her, the idea taking root. I hadn’t even considered it. A strange sense of relief bloomed in my chest. The thought that I wasn’t biologically tied to the people who had treated me with such cold cruelty my entire life felt like being released from an invisible chain.

But then, a chilling question followed. Wait... did they know? Is that why? Was their disdain and neglect because I wasn’t truly theirs?

I do not think so, Beatrice’s voice was calm, logical. If they knew what you were, humans of their... caliber... would not have kept you. They would have sold you to the highest bidder. To be used as an experiment.

She was right. A supernatural child would have been a commodity, not a shameful secret to be hidden away with emotional neglect.

So if they didn’t know... then who am I? Where did I come from? The relief was suddenly swallowed by a vast, terrifying emptiness.

My entire identity, as painful as it was, had been built on the foundation of being a Moore. Now, that foundation was gone, and I was left standing over a void, wondering what else in my life was a lie.