CHAPTER 70: TAKE THE LEAD

Eleanor’s POV

Alfred shifted his stance slightly, and my eyes darted past him to see Sir Kieran was leaning against the frame, his arms crossed. How long had he been standing there?

He stepped forward, a mocking smile playing on his lips. "If you didn’t want any part of this," he said, his voice a low, silken taunt, "then you shouldn’t have manipulated my brother into thinking you’re our mate."

How many times would I have to say it? The fight drained out of me, replaced by a weary resignation. Arguing was pointless. I placed my napkin on the table and stood up.

"Thank you for the food, sir Alfred," I said, my voice quiet but steady. I turned to face Kieran fully. "I would love to lie to you. I’d love to tell you that yes, I did something to him, if I thought it would help break this... whatever it is. But from what I understand, to break a mate bond, I have to formally reject you all, and you all have to accept. I’m sorry for the inconvenience this is causing. And I promise, I will also get to the bottom of it."

I don’t know where the boldness came from. I held his gaze, trying to read his expression. Was he annoyed? Skeptical? He looked... intrigued.

A slow, dangerous smirk spread across his face. "You know," he began, "if it turns out you are our mate, and somehow you have rejected us... that would be quite a loss for me and my brothers."

He leaned in slightly. "Do you want to know why?" He didn’t wait for a response. "Because my brothers and I have pledged to never let our mate go. No matter who she is."

A chill shot down my spine. He stepped aside, clearing a path for me to leave the room. I walked past him, forcing myself not to look back. My heart was hammering against my ribs.

No matter who she is.

The words echoed in my head. Was he saying that if this bond is real, they would keep me? Like a possession?

No. I wouldn’t allow that.

But can I even do something about it??

****

I reached the paddock of the Serpent’s Kiss and flashed my pass at the security guard, who waved me through with a nod.

I spotted Mira and Roxy immediately, standing with Mr. Maxwell near a row of sleek, modified cars. I walked over, my stomach a knot of nerves.

"Mr. Maxwell," I greeted.

He gave me a curt nod, his usual stern expression in place. "Miss Eleanor." With that, he turned and strode away.

The moment he was out of earshot, Mira rounded on me, her pixie-cut hair seeming to bristle with anxiety. "Ellie, what is going on? Your stuff was gone from the Queen’s Estate. Where are you living? Did you do something to offend the triplets?"

I wish, I thought bitterly.

Roxy snorted, crossing her arms. "If she’d offended them, she wouldn’t be standing here. She’d be in a ditch."

She had a point. I mentally took back my wish. I took a deep breath. I couldn’t keep this from them. They’d find out eventually, and it was better they heard it from me.

"Okay," I began, my voice low. "Don’t... freak out. What I’m about to tell you is going to sound very, very odd."

Mira and Roxy exchanged a loaded glance before fixing their full attention on me.

"I’m... I’m living at the Vexxon estate now."

Silence. Absolute, deafening silence, broken only by the distant roar of an engine and the shouted commands of other crews.

Mira blinked, her brow furrowed in confusion. "Eleanor... are you confusing another place with the triplet’s personal home?"

"I’m not confused," I said. "I’m living in their house."

Mira’s eyes widened. "How? What did we miss? You followed them out of the gathering yesterday, and now you’re living with them?"

Roxy let out a low whistle. "And don’t they have a mate already? That high-class diva, Scarlet? I don’t see her being the type to share her mansion with another woman."

"I know," I said, the frustration evident in my voice. "But I didn’t have a choice."

"Why?" Mira pressed. "What happened, Ellie? What did you do that led to you living under the same roof as the Vexxon triplets?"

I opened my mouth, ready to spill the unbelievable truth. "You’re not going to believe it, but I’m going to need your help to—"

"Are you three here to gossip!" Mr. Maxwell’s sharp voice cut through our huddle, making all three of us jump. "If you’re here to train, I suggest you get into your race suits. Now."

We scattered, rushing to the motorhome to change into our fire-retardant gear. The conversation was brutally cut short, but the questions in Mira and Roxy’s eyes promised it was far from over.

Once we were suited up and stepped back out, Maxwell fixed his gaze on me. "Eleanor. With me."

I followed him, my heart starting to thump a little harder. He led me to the pit lane, where a sleek, menacing-looking purple supercar sat idling, its engine a low, powerful growl. A driver I didn’t recognize climbed out and gave Maxwell a nod.

"You’re starting your real training today," Maxwell stated, his voice flat. "Excited?"

"A... a little bit," I admitted, my eyes glued to the powerful machine.

"You shouldn’t be," he said, his tone grim. "Not for something that can easily lead to your death."

I gulped. Without another word, he pulled on his helmet and slid into the driver’s seat.

My hands trembling slightly, I put on my own helmet and climbed into the passenger seat, buckling myself in. The door closed with a heavy, final thunk.

The engine roared to life, a sound that vibrated through the seat and into my bones.

Mr. Maxwell pulled onto the track, and I forced myself to focus, my eyes darting between his hands on the wheel, the gear shifts, and the pedals at his feet.

He took the first corner at a speed that pressed me against the door, the force a tangible weight. Up ahead, the asphalt seemed to boil as dark, twisted forms—rogues—began to materialize.

Without missing a beat, Maxwell’s thumb found a button on the steering wheel. With a sharp whirr, mounted weapons deployed from the car’s sides. He opened fire, the retort of the guns a rhythm against the engine’s snarl. He took them down with an unnerving, practiced ease, as if swatting flies.

"I have something private to discuss with you," his voice came through the helmet’s comm.

"No problem," I managed, my own voice tight.

"Who are you, really?" he asked.

The question threw me. "I... I don’t understand."

"The Vexxon brothers are many things, but they are not fools," he stated, swerving around the dissolving remains of a rogue. "They would never allow a novice on this track without a compelling reason. Your friends, Roxy and Mira, have experience. They have a proven chance of survival. You have none. So, what did you do to convince them you belong here?

"I didn’t convince anyone," I replied, my voice strained as he took another sharp turn. "They’re the ones who brought the idea to me."

"Why did you accept it?" he pressed, his focus never leaving the track as another cluster of rogues began to form ahead.

"Because I really do want to be a racer," I said, the truth of the words solidifying as I spoke them.

He let out a dismissive grunt. "That isn’t enough of a reason. Wanting something isn’t the same as having the drive to see it through, especially when the price is your life. If that’s all you have, you should quit. You won’t last."

"I am serious!" I insisted, a sudden, fierce conviction rising in me. "I don’t fully understand it myself, but I feel this... this need to be here. To take the risk. It’s like this track is pulling me in. I want to be good. I want to be the complete opposite of the scared, passive person I used to be."

Abruptly, he slammed on the brakes. The car skidded to a violent halt, throwing me against my harness. My heart leaped into my throat.

"What are you doing?" I cried out, seeing the rogues in the near distance start to lurch toward our stationary car.

His voice was cold and challenging through the comm. "You want to take the risk? Then prove it. Take the lead."