Emma's POVNo one came forward to help, even Alpha Gracy, who was responsible for the protection of everyone within his pack territories was standing there, stunned at the sight of his daughter who had gone savage.“I will kill you.” Stella growled at my face, “I was living a good life. Draven was mine but you had to come and ruin everything.”I managed to use all my force and pushed her aside, while she was on the ground, I attempted to run away but she grabbed my leg and pulled me back.I fell on the ground and she pinned me down, trying to dig her dagger right into my throat, “Why did you do this, huh? You are a rank-less wolf who was picked up from the forest. You are no one, why do you think you could be the Luna of a pack? Bitches like you who steal the lives of other women should be kicked out of the pack.”“Stella, stop!” I said but she was in no right mind to listen to me.“You are a whore and you deserve to be in a whore house.”“Enough.” Draven grabbed Stella and practicall
Emma's POV“I only love Stella. And if she is really the one who tried to sell you to those human traffickers, then that is where you belong.”His cold words rang in the empty room. My grip on his collar loosened and I fell back by a few, hurting steps.Did he say that?Did he really just say that to my face?This question rang repeatedly in my head and a part of me was refusing to accept it.How can he say it so bluntly…“Tell me you did not mean it.” I clutched the table next to me as a terrible pain surfaced in my chest. The heartbreak was so loud that it was starting to hurt me physically.Draven did not refute, he said, “I don't blame Stella for what she did. You conspired to marry me when she was in a coma. You did her wrong so it is justified for her to punish you.”“I conspired…” I muttered, “I was just 21 back then and I did it because I loved you.”“Stella loves me too.” Draven cut me off.“But… But I did not get her kidnapped. I did not try to hurt her or sell her into pros
Draven's POVAs soon as Emma walked out of the room, Alpha Gracy fell on his chair, exhausted. He asked his Beta to take the contract Emma had just signed and keep it safe. Of course, he was prioritizing it like a gem, his daughter's life and death depended on it.I walked up to the window and slightly moved the curtains to see Emma striding off.Alpha Gracy's mansion was in a scheduled area with no cab or public transport services. She came here with Alex but he was already sent back to the Silvermoon pack to get his treatment done. There was no way she could find a ride back home.I called Robin and muttered to him, “Send a car to take her back to the pack and make sure she reaches home safely.”The Beta nodded and walked off.I kept watching Emma until the said car stopped next to her. After exchanging a few words, she hopped in and the car sped off.My phone pinged and it was just Robin sending me a thumbs-up sign, notifying me that the work was done.Just then, Alpha Gracy, who h
Emma's POVI walked out of the house without even knowing where I was or where I was supposed to. This was my first time coming to the riverside pack and I had no idea how it functioned. I was too prideful to go back in and ask for directions so I just walked on the one road in front of me, hoping I could reach a highway or something from where I could get a transportation back home.I only came here by the grace of Alex, since he was injured and unconscious in the hospital, I really had no one to contact or rely on.But fortunately, Alpha Gracy was not an asshole when it came to being a good host to his guests. A car drove in my direction and came to a halt right next to me. The driver explained that the Alpha has arranged for drivers to drop guests back to their home.“No no, I don't belong to the Riverside pack. I am from Silvermoon.” I explained and to my surprise, the driver smiled, “No problem. I will drop you back to the Silvermoon pack.”This was the second time I was this hap
Emma's POVThis was a huge moment. Asher never praised anyone, especially Alex. The two have an unspoken rivalry between them for some reason. Alex has tried numerous times to please Asher or at least get on his good side but the little guy never allowed him to have that.I am damn sure Alex would be in the ninth cloud if he hears Asher talking about him so highly.“I will make sure to convey it to him.” I said.“Yes. Tell him to keep protecting you like this until I am big enough to protect you.” The little kid said.I was in a much better mood now after seeing my kids. They just naturally put me in a good mood and make my day better if I was having a shitty one.Now, I wanted to mess with him.I said, “Sure. But he won't do it for free.”“What do you mean? What is even the meaning of the word ‘free’ here?” The little kid lifted his head from the plate.I said, “No one will want to keep risking their life for their friend. He will stop some day or another.”“Yeah, so who is asking hi
Emaa's POVAfter lunch, I went back to my room as I had to make up for the sleep I lost last night. As soon as I hit the bed, I had the thoughts about the banquet bother me but I still managed to fall asleep.By the time I woke up, the sky outside was almost dark. I dragged my tired body and went to the table to grab my phone. I had a bunch of missed calls and texts, most of them from the hospital. I hurriedly opened the text fearing that it was something bad. Luckily, it was not, they had just contacted me to inform me that Alex was awake.I was still in the same dress from yesterday. I was so tired that I slept with it.I finally removed it from my body and tossed it aside before stepping into the shower. I filled the bathtub with hot water and stayed in it for a while.The silence in the bathroom was extremely peaceful and gave me the room to process my thoughts.I exposed Stella to seek justice for myself so that everyone knows what she has done to me. Even if Alpha Gracy pushes i
Emma's POVI took the plate from him and nodded my thank you. In the shock of what all happened, I totally forgot that I had only bought one portion of the meal only for him. I stopped him, “I only got food for you. That won't be enough for you.”“It's ok. We can buy more later. There is no way I will eat without you.” Alex said as he made a seat for himself in the bed.I was not hungry and did not need the food right now but the way he was not willing to eat without me was warming up my heart. No one, not even my parents, have ever done this for me.I silently took a spoonful and put it in my mouth.Alex asked, “So, what happened?”“Huh?” I lifted my head in a daze.“The Stella situation.” He said, “I was… unconscious so I don't know what happened.”I was so absent minded that I realized that I had forgotten the reason why I came here. I put the plate on the table and stood up, “Alex, I am so sorry you got hurt because of me. You had to go through a surgery and I am so stupid that I d
Emma's POVAlex kept mum and looked at me for a while. I looked up at him, my vision was blurry because of my tears and I could not clearly see the expression on his face. I said, “I am not worthy of this. Don't torment yourself because of me.”I could not hold myself back anymore and let the tears pour down my cheeks. Alex finally spoke up, “Emma, I disagree with you.” “W-What?” He said, “Who made you feel like you are not worth it? You deserve more than the love I can ever give you.”“Why would you say that? I brought you nothing but misery.”“Whatever you give, even if it is misery, is a reward to me.” The man commented solemnly, “And it is my choice. I want to keep receiving it.”“I…” I choked on my tears. Alex reached out to wipe my tears but for some reason stopped midway. He withdrew his and and handed me a tissue instead, “Here, wipe your tears first.”I took the tissue from him and blew into it like a kid. While I was doing it, he said, “Emma. I don't want to hurt you but
Emma's POVI barely registered his words. Everything in me screamed that the twins were out there, somewhere, and I wasn’t about to let anyone stand in my way.I shoved the door open, but before I could take a step inside, two large hands grabbed me from behind. "Let go!" I yelled, but the grip tightened, pulling me away from the room."Emma!" Alex shouted, but he was too far away. One of the restaurant workers was holding him back now, pinning him against the counter."Let go of me!" I screamed and struggled in the man’s arms. And before I could realise, I threw a punch across his face, "I need to see them! I need to know where they are! Step away from me!”“That's it. I am calling the cops.” The owner immediately ran away, tapping on his phone when he was unable to control the crowd, "Yes, officer, I need you to send someone to the restaurant. We have a disturbance here."I could hear the sirens before I even realized it, their sound cutting through the air like a knife. My breath c
Emma's POVThe restaurant buzzed with chatter and the clinking of silverware, but none of it mattered to me. The noise and the laughter all faded into the background as my gaze swept desperately across the room. The twins were nowhere to be seen.I checked the corners, scanning every table, hoping to catch a glimpse of their faces. Nothing. I could not find them anywhere!My heart hammered in my chest as panic started to crawl under my skin. It was unlike them to wander off, to be out of my sight for so long. I forced myself to breathe, taking slow, deliberate breaths as I stood up from the table."Excuse me." I said, my voice tight as I approached the nearest waitress, "Have you seen two children, about six years old? Twins, a boy and a girl?"The young woman blinked at me, her eyes wide with confusion, "I am sorry, ma’am, I haven’t seen any kids around here."Frustration coiled inside me, but I forced myself to stay calm, "Are you sure? They were just here, playing around."She ga
Emma's POVThe message from Alpha Draven echoed in my mind like an incessant drumbeat. The vacation we had been looking forward to had just turned into another reminder of how little control we had over our lives. The bright, tropical island surrounding us seemed like a cruel joke now, a stark contrast to the dark cloud hovering over us.I glanced at Alex, still holding his phone in his hand, eyes narrowed in concern. I asked, “Why suddenly? Om what grounds is he asking us to return.”“Apparently there has been some intel that the rogues are planning to attack us. He wants everyone to return to the pack for safety purposes.”I wasn’t buying it. Not for a second.“So, let me get this straight.” I said, my voice clipped, trying to control the growing irritation in my chest, “Draven wants us to return to the pack because there’s some rogue attack coming? That’s why he’s pulling us back in the middle of our vacation?”Alex sighed, looking like he was weighing whether to argue or just give
Emma's POVThe suggestion hung in the air between us, filling the silence with a potential that both excited and intimidated me. “A trip?” Ashel echoed, her interest piqued.“Yeah,” Alex said, looking over at me. “A little getaway. Get out of the house for a while. Change of scenery might do you all good.”He continued further, “It’s been a tough few weeks, Emma, for all of you. Maybe a change of scenery will help you all take your minds off things. The kids will get a break from school, and you will get some time to breathe.”I didn’t know how I felt about it at first. A trip meant leaving the comfort of home, leaving the familiar, and that terrified me. But then again, Alex had a way of making things seem simpler than they were. Maybe I needed that. Maybe we all did.I glanced at Asher and Ashel, who were now both eagerly nodding, their faces lighting up at the idea of an adventure. “You think it would help?” I asked Alex, my voice quieter now, almost uncertain.“Of course.” He sai
Emma's POVThe man's eyes softened when he heard my words. He pulled out his handkerchief and handed it to me like a gentleman, “We are always here for you, Emma. I am not quite sure about others but I can vouch for myself, I am definitely here for you and I always will be.”His words made me smile, for some reason it was silly to hear all these heartwarming words from an emotionally stoic man.“Thank you…”He stared into my eyes, “Don't thank me. To be honest, I am sorry that you felt alone and as if you had no one in your life. I should have expressed it better.”I hugged him and said, “It means a lot, Ducian.”The man walked a single arm around me and said in the same stoic tone, “You mean a lot to me, Emma. More than I can ever express.’The next day…The soft chime of the doorbell echoed through the quiet house, stirring me from the haze of thoughts that had consumed me all morning. My gaze flickered towards the front door as I sat up on the couch, cradling a cup of lukewarm coffe
Emma's POVThat night, after the twins had gone to bed, I couldn’t shake the restless feeling that gnawed at me. Natalie, Alex and the girls from the hospital kept calling me to check on me every now and then. Merely even dropped by to see how I was doing after her shift ended.These people did not just make me feel loved but also secured. It felt nice to see people actually care about me but I was still not content.I needed to do something, anything, to regain control over my life. I had been working at the hospital for four months now and despite everything, it had been a place of stability. But now, in the wake of everything that had happened, I couldn’t help but feel like it was another part of the life I was trying to leave behind. I needed to move forward, I knew I was going to move out of this pack very soon and restart my life. I did not want to stalk it anymore, I wanted to start the process of moving on right away.Without thinking, I grabbed my coat and left the house, hea
Emma's POVI sat in the car for a while, left with no strength to walk out. Alex asked, “Do you want me to go in with you?” He knew what I was the most scared of and why I was stalling to go inside the house.I pursed my lips and did not lift my head, “She really thought we could get back together. It just breaks my heart that I will have to go inside and tell her the truth.”Alex covered my hand with his palm and said, “Ashel is a sensible kid. She was in the ward yesterday when Draven came demanding for divorce. She will not blame you.”I smiled in heartbreak, “She won't blame me even if it was just me being selfish. That's the thing, she is too kind to be hurt like this.” I continued, “All she ever wanted was a father and I failed miserably in providing her that.”“Don't say that.” He said, “You are a damn good mother! You have been both a father and mother figure to the kids since they were born.”His words gave me comfort but not the courage to go inside. I stared at the door, tak
Draven's POVThat thought slipped into my mind, unbidden, but it felt true. If I hadn’t married her, she wouldn’t be in danger. She would be safe. She would still be the Emma I had met all those years ago, the one with a future untouched by darkness, untainted by my mistakes.I lifted my head and shoved the ring back in my pocket. I had to do this! I have failed her multiple times, I am not going to fail in protecting her.But the clock was ticking.I couldn’t change what had happened. I couldn’t undo the call, couldn’t turn back time and tell her the truth. If I told her now, it would only put her in more danger. The man who threatened her was real. He was dangerous. And if I didn’t follow through, if I didn’t protect her the only way I knew how, I would lose her for good.I had already lost her, in a way. I had watched her crumble, her heart breaking under the weight of my words, and I had stood by, doing nothing. But this—this was the end. I was no hero. I wasn’t the man she thoug
Draven's POVThe hum of the engine was the only sound in the car. The city outside passed by in a blur of lights and shadows, streets I knew too well, buildings that felt like prisons. The weight of my wedding ring pressed into my palm, a cold reminder of everything I was about to lose.I stared at it. The platinum band stbbed with diamonds glinted under the faint glow of the dashboard, a symbol of promises I couldn’t keep, a bond that was already unraveling in my mind. I shouldn’t be feeling this way. I shouldn’t be struggling with every ounce of my being. But, I was not allowed to show. I was not allowed to tell anyone about this! I was not allowed to care about the woman whose face I was going to see in a courtroom today for the last time.Emma.She was my mate, she was the entire reason of my very existence. I was in love with her and everything about her. The way she carried herself, the way her eyes could soften even the hardest parts of me, the way she stood strong even when li