Chapter Four: Daniel's POV

As the Alpha now, there were still many days when I felt inadequate, like I couldn't do anything right. And that wasn't helped by the fact that my arranged mate, Emma, seemed determined to make my life difficult.

I had to constantly fight to keep my pack together, and she was always there, making things hard.

It was even harder that I had to reminisce every single day about Emily. What I had done to her in the past. All this happening to me now felt like a repercussion.

“You filthy maids, why can’t you do anything right?” I heard Emma’s loud voice and let out a deep sigh. What was with her again?

I could hear Emma shouting as I left my study, and I knew she was having another one of her tantrums.

She was always finding fault with the servants, no matter how hard they worked. It was as if she was determined to make their lives miserable and mine too.

Just as I was about to turn and head to where I could hear her voice coming from, one of my gammas ran to me, his eyes wide and panting heavily.

"Alpha, there are some people here to see you," he said breathlessly. I raised an eyebrow in confusion, wondering who could be visiting me.

We rarely had guests at the pack house, and I couldn't imagine who it could be.

"Please, show them in," I said, my curiosity piqued. The gamma bowed and hurried off.

Then, the gamma returned with my ‘visitors’. I was surprised to see that one of them was Emily... I couldn't believe it.

"Emily?" I said, my voice barely a whisper. My eyes widened and I blinked a couple of times to be sure I wasn't dreaming. I closed my mouth when I felt my jaw drop.

She was standing right in front of me, and it was like I was seeing a ghost.

I could feel the familiar rush of emotions welling up inside me, my heart racing multiple times. She was back and standing right before my eyes.

But why? What was she doing here after all this time?

EMILY'S POV

The air was thick with tension as I locked eyes with the man who had once been my world, but now represented only betrayal and pain.

I knew I should have been prepared for this, but seeing him again after all this time was like a punch to the gut. I wanted to hurt him, to make him feel the same pain I had felt.

But as I looked at him, I realized that I was already exacting my revenge. I had taken away the most precious thing in the world to him; his children.

I remembered all those moments where he expressed his desire to have kids and I couldn't help but smirk at the small victory.

My heart was pounding in my chest as Helen leaned forward, introducing herself to Daniel. Victor stood behind me, moving closer as if to protect me. I almost let out a scoff at his actions but that wasn't what was bothering me at the moment.

"Mr. Daniel. I'm Helen, Emily's best friend. We're here because there's something we need to talk to you about, something very important."

Daniel's brow furrowed in confusion. "I'm not sure what you're talking about. Emily and I haven't spoken in years. What could you possibly need to talk to me about?"

Helen's eyes flickered towards me, and I felt a sense of dread wash over me. I knew what was coming, and I wasn't sure I was ready.

“Let's all head over to the veranda. We can talk calmly there” Daniel interrupted me before I could say anything and led us away.

I tried not to let my eyes stray all over the place but it was hard. The once familiar building now looked foreign to me.

We sat in the shade of the veranda, surrounded by the lush greenery of the castle's gardens. The cool breeze relaxes my skin. I was struck by how normal everything seemed, despite the enormous secret that hung over us.

I watched as Daniel's eyes lingered on Victor the most. I could tell he was curious about why Victor was there, and I could feel the tension between them.

"What is it that you want to talk about?" Daniel asked, his voice sounding slightly annoyed.

Helen looked at me, her eyes pleading. I knew that it was up to me to explain what was going on, and I steeled myself for what was to come.

"My children are missing," I answered, trying to keep my voice steady. I could see the shock on Daniel's face, and I knew he was struggling to process what I had just said.

"They've been gone for weeks," I said, the words coming out in a rush. "No one knows where they are. The police have been investigating, but they've turned up with nothing.

Daniel looked at me, a mix of anger and confusion on his face. "Hold on. Why are you coming to me if your kids are missing? Shouldn't you be talking to their father?" he asked, his voice edged with accusation as he looked at Victor again.

I felt my anger rising, fueled by his insinuation.

“Victor is not their father!" I snapped. "They're your children, Daniel. I know you may not trust me, but you have to believe me. Please."

I could see the confusion on his face, and I knew I had to explain further, but before I could, he spoke again.

"Wait, you're saying that your children are... mine?" Daniel asked, his face a mix of disbelief and utter confusion. “That's impossible. We only had something together just once. How could they be my children?"

I took a deep breath and pinched my nose, trying to keep my patience.

“It's a long story, and I know it's a lot to take in. But I promise you, they are your children.

I watched as Daniel absorbed what I'd said, his eyes wide with shock. "I... I don't know what to say," he stammered. "This is... this is unbelievable.”

This was a lot to take in, and I knew he needed time to wrap his head around it. But I also needed his help. There was no time to take anything in, it was his fault that everything happened after all.

"I know this is a lot to process, but we need to focus on the most important thing, my children. They're missing, and we need to find them. Please, I need your help."

Daniel was silent for a long moment, and I held my breath in anticipation of his response.

"Why should I believe you?" Daniel asked, his eyes boring into mine. I could see the suspicion and distrust in his gaze, and I knew I needed to convince him. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my phone, unlocking it and finding the pictures of my children.

I held the phone out to Daniel, showing him a picture of the twins. He looked at the photo, and I could see the recognition in his eyes. The children were so obviously his, there was no denying it.

Just then, a woman appeared, walking into the place with an air of arrogance and her face clouded with annoyance and disgust.

“Daniel, don't believe them," she said, her voice hard. "They're probably just gold diggers, trying to take advantage of you."

I felt my blood begin to boil, anger coursing through my veins. How dare she make such accusations? She didn't know anything about me or my children.

I opened my mouth to protest, but before I could say anything, Daniel spoke up.

"Stay out of this," Daniel said, his voice cold. "Whatever is happening here is none of your business."

The woman's eyes widened, and I could see the hurt in them.

“Daniel, I'm only trying to help," she said, her voice quivering. "I don't want you to get taken advantage of."

"I appreciate your concern, but this is between me and them," Daniel said, gesturing towards me and my friends. "Please, just stay out of it."

The woman bit her lip, looking defeated.

"This is also my pack, and as your Luna I have a right to be involved in any situation that concerns it," the woman insisted, her voice rising in volume. “You can't just exclude me because you don't like what I have to say."

Daniel looked at me, his expression full of conflict. I could see that he was caught between two opposing forces, and I knew he must be feeling overwhelmed.

I caught his gaze, and I could see the guilt in his eyes. It was clear that he felt bad about replacing me with this new Luna.

She was certainly beautiful and elegant, but I knew that wasn't the only reason he had chosen her. There must have been something else that drew him to her, something I didn't have.

The Luna stood tall and proud, her eyes flashing with rage. I couldn't help but feel intimidated by her presence. She clearly wasn't going to back down, no matter what Daniel said.

"Who is this woman to you?" the lady demanded, her eyes fixed on Daniel.

Her tone was filled with an underlying hint of anger and suspicion, and I could see her grip on her composure beginning to slip.