Chapter 14 Killian & Elena Killian " You're auctioning off the jewelry I bought you ? " I whipped my head toward Elena as righteous anger surged through me . For the past three days , I thought my gift had pacified her , that she had finally come out of whatever funk she was in , only to find out that she had just used it as another weapon against me . Why did she hate me so much lately ? I hadn't done anything wrong , other than mistakenly accusing her of digging up Natalie's grave , but hadn't the tens of thousands of dollars worth of diamond jewelry made it up to her ? But Elena's face remained impassive as she gently fanned herself with her auction card . " I did it for you , Killian . " I blinked , shocked , but snapped my mouth shut when I noticed some people nearby staring at us . I then did something I rarely did with her : I used our mind link . We never used it unless we really had to , but I couldn't risk causing a scene in public . " I don't know what your problem is with me , but you must stop it . Grow up , Elena . " Elena stiffened slightly , clearly not expecting me to speak to her telepathically . The method of communication always felt too … much , as if it was a harsh reminder of the unwilling mate bond we shared . For me , it should have been a bond I shared with Natalie . Not that that was Elena's fault , but it still ached to use the communication channel that I had never gotten to share with my first true love . Elena quickly composed herself and kept her eyes on the auctioneer as people began bidding on the jewelry . " I am being mature . If you must know , I decided to auction off the jewelry to help you build a good reputation for your election . " I clenched my jaw together so hard I thought my teeth might crack . " Really ? " She turned and looked me square in the face , red eyes glowing faintly like two burning coals . " Yes . Really . " I studied her face for a long moment , searching for some form of deception . But if she was lying , and this was really just another plot to spite me for some reason , I couldn't see it . " You could have at least told me you were planning this . " " Would you have listened ? " I pursed my lips , staring at her for a second longer , but ultimately decided it wasn't worth arguing over . Finally , I sighed and turned back to face the stage , choosing to accept her explanation for now . I still didn't understand why she was so different now , though ; she had always treasured my gifts , even hoarded them to a degree . Giving away something as flashy and expensive as an entire diamond jewelry set … It wasn't like her . Lately , I was beginning to wonder who I had really married . After the auction portion of the night , refreshments were served and the guests mingled a bit . I split away from Elena , as I often did at events like this , and joined a group of other Alphas who were conversing near the bar . I couldn't help but notice that Elena was still awkwardly standing by herself , wringing her hands slightly , while the other Lunas were happily chatting as a group . Some even glanced her way and wrinkled their noses at her new dress . I frowned as I noticed this , and wondered if it had always been like this for her before or if this was a new development . Was she an outsider to the other women ? 11 it had been a pattern before , I was certainly only just noticing now . It was hard not to notice everything Elena did these days , after all ; she qsually blended right into the background of every setting , especially with her muted clothes and the way she always tied her hair back tightly as if trying to minimize its appearance . But now , standing there in a vibrant red dress with her hair piled atop her head like a mound of snow …..