Don't smile at him! Don't look at him!

EMMA

After strolling around the garden with Mason, I entered the pack house and froze. Derrick’s lifeless body lay on the floor, and Joanna was crying over him. Elijah and Violet were standing by, comforting the pack members.

"Today, we’ve lost one of our soldiers, but we must fight our emotions," Elijah announced in his authoritative tone. Violet stood by him, embodying her role as Luna.

"What the hell happened to him? We weren’t at war, and no one should be able to enter the pack house," Mason whispered to himself, but I caught his words.

"What do you mean?" I asked him, my curiosity piqued.

"Look at his chest," he said, nodding toward Derrick’s body. "His heart’s been removed, and this is the signature of Alpha Elijah when he kills an enemy. But why would he do this to his own pack member?" Mason’s words struck me. I realized Elijah had killed his father the same way, but why would he kill his own?

"How can you be so sure?" I asked, trying to process the information.

"Alpha trained me. He was my mentor. I know his methods inside and out," Mason explained. As my thoughts raced, I glanced at Joanna’s broken state, and my heart ached for her. I moved toward her and wrapped her in a comforting hug.

"He’s gone, Emma. My love is gone. What will I do without him?" she cried, her voice trembling on my shoulder. I looked at Elijah, but as always, he ignored me in front of everyone.

"We’re with you, Joanna. We’re one big family," Violet said, stepping forward and taking her role as Luna seriously. It was clear she’d matured over time.

"I’ll take her to her room," I announced, helping Joanna stand. This was a difficult time for her.

"Emma, drop her off at her room. Her children need her, and she’s strong. Eventually, she’ll stand again. No member of my pack is weak," Elijah said, his voice firm.

"But Alpha, look at her. She needs me. I’ll take care of her kids too. She’s my friend," I said, standing my ground. Elijah arched an eyebrow, his gaze cold.

"Did you not hear me, Emma, or should I repeat myself so you understand?" His tone was threatening, and I was reminded once again that he wasn’t just my Elijah—he was the Alpha of this pack now.

"Emma, you are no bigger than your Alpha," Violet said, signaling with her eyes for me to back off. I took a deep breath to calm the anger rising inside me, something I rarely felt when things didn’t go as I wanted.

"Can I take her to her room, if you allow it, Alpha and Luna?" I asked softly, suppressing the frustration that was building within me. Elijah nodded, and I led Joanna to her room, where her children slept peacefully, unaware of the turmoil around them. Seeing their innocent faces only deepened my worry. It’s hard to live without parents, and I could feel the weight of their loss.

"Emma, what will I do without Derrick?" Joanna said, her voice breaking. I helped her sit on the bed and offered her a glass of water.

"Everything will be alright, don’t worry. You have to be strong for your kids," I reassured her, trying to manage the situation the best I could.

"I love him, Emma. I don’t know how to live without him. We’ve been together so long that I’m just used to him being there," she cried, her tears soaking into my shoulder. Anger burned within me as I thought about Elijah’s role in this.

"I wish the person who did this to Derrick would never find peace. May they live without any love in their life," she said, and I swallowed hard. I understood her pain all too well, because Elijah and I were now intertwined in ways that were hard to untangle.

"The heart was ripped out of Derrick’s chest, and whoever did this must be a villain," she said to me, her words making me break into a cold sweat.

"Take some rest, you’ll need it," I told her softly, tucking her into the bed. She was a mess, crying uncontrollably, but there was nothing I could do for her. I felt helpless, completely powerless in that moment.

I left her alone in her room with her children and entered mine. I was relieved that Elijah wasn’t in here—if he was, I’d be so angry I could kill him with my bare hands. I locked the door and even the secret passage, to make sure he couldn’t enter without my knowing.

I changed into a simple shirt and shorts, then collapsed onto the bed, pulling the duvet over myself. I turned off the lamp and closed my eyes, hoping to forget the things Joanna had said. I drifted off to sleep.

*************************************************

"no....no....no please don't separate us"

I woke suddenly from a bad dream—Sweat dripping down from my body and heart was racing, as if it is in some sought of marathon.

Elijah and I were torn apart, and others were conspiring to keep us that way. I was drenched in sweat, and I glanced at the clock. It was 3 a.m. I grabbed the water from the bedside and took a long gulp.

"Did you have a bad dream, baby girl?" I heard Elijah’s voice, and I froze. I looked over to find him lying beside me.

What the hell? I locked the door. How did he get in? I quickly jumped out of bed.

"What the hell are you doing here? I locked the door! How the hell did you get in?" I snapped, my sleep instantly gone.

"Do you really think a closed door can stop me from being with the woman I love?" He stood up, walking toward me. I took a step back, my heart racing.

"Why did you kill Derrick?" I asked, my voice shaky.

His eyes twitched with disgust. "Why do you care who lives or dies? You didn’t even know Derrick. And how can you be so sure it was me?" He raised an eyebrow, almost mocking me.

"Mason told me about your pattern of killing your enemies. How could you do that, Elijah? How could you kill your own pack members?" I demanded. His jaw tightened at the mention of Mason’s name.

"And why are you even talking to Mason?" he asked coldly. "Last time I checked, he tried to rape you. Don’t tell me you’ve forgiven him." He took threatening steps toward me.

"If you love me, don’t come any closer," I warned him, holding my ground. He stopped, cursing under his breath.

"You and your love are going to drive me to the edge," he muttered.

"He wants to send you to the brothel, and I can’t stand that he even had the idea," he continued, his voice seething with anger. "I won’t let anyone harm you again. I’ve learned from my mistakes, and I’ll eliminate anyone who dares to hurt you in any way."

I shook my head in frustration. "Elijah, what am I supposed to do with you? I love you, but I can’t support you killing people in your pack."

"Promise me you won’t do this again," I pleaded, my voice breaking. "Joanna is a mess because of you, and I’m just as responsible because you’re doing all of this for me. Joanna wished bad things for you, and I can’t let that happen."

I sank to the floor, feeling the weight of the situation. Elijah came closer, his hands gently holding my shoulders. He raised my chin, forcing me to meet his eyes.

“I’ll help Joanna, and trust me—Derrick wasn’t good for her. She’ll find a better man for her and the kids. Relax. Half the world wishes bad things for me, but that doesn’t mean anything bad will happen,” he reassured me.

“I don’t know, Elijah... I’m just scared of your current attitude. You didn’t even let me stay with Joanna,” I said, my worry clear. He exhaled deeply.

“I can’t sleep with you, and you know that. It wasn’t my intention to treat you badly in front of the pack, but it was necessary,” he explained, pulling me into a hug. I inhaled deeply, the familiar scent of him calming me.

He scooped me up into his arms and carried me to bed, cradling me like I was fragile.

“Do you despise me because I kill?” he asked, his voice uncertain.

I chuckled softly. “If I despised you, I wouldn’t be sitting comfortably in your lap, knowing you’ve killed countless people with these hands resting on me,” I said sarcastically, making him smile.

“Your love makes me forget the pain of others, and that makes me a bad person,” he said, pressing a soft kiss to my cheek.

“Whatever you are, you’re still mine, in a twisted way,” he added, massaging my head.

He shifted slightly, then asked, “Now it’s your turn. Why are you hanging out with Mason?”

I should have known he hadn’t passed that phase, but then again, this was Elijah—he never forgets anything. I felt a sharp pinch on my nipple.

“Elijah, what the hell?” I gasped, but his hand stayed where it was.

“I just want to make my point: I’m serious right now,” he said, his grip tightening. It was clear that a wrong answer would have consequences.

“Mason and I are friends now. We made peace with the past. He apologized for his wrongdoings, so I forgave him. End of story,” I explained, though he continued to squeeze my chest like I was some kind of toy. The sensation sent shivers through my body, and despite myself, I enjoyed it. He never failed to satisfy me.

“One thing: do whatever you want, but remember—you're only mine. If I see Mason anywhere near you, you'll feel my wrath. Just because I love you doesn’t mean you can do whatever the hell you want,” he warned, his fingers tightening on my scalp and pulling me closer until I could feel his hot breath on my skin.

“Be friends with Mason, but don’t smile at him. Don’t hang out with him,” he demanded. I couldn’t help but smile at his crazed, possessive behavior.

“Are you jealous?” I teased, and he yanked my hair so hard I thought it might come out.

“Don’t test my patience, princess. If you do, you’ll burn in the fire I’ve already ignited in my heart,” he growled, his eyes blazing.

“Then burn me in your fire,” I said, and with that, he released my scalp.

“Stay away from any other man. If I see you even near one, I’ll burn this whole world down—no matter who stands in my way,” he threatened, and I swallowed hard. I knew Elijah’s possessiveness well, but this madness was new to me.

“Calm down, baby. It was just a warning. No need to make it a bigger deal,” he said, his tone softening as he soothed my scalp where he’d been pulling a moment ago.

“If you threaten me like that again, I’ll make sure you never get to taste my body again,” I said, grabbing his collar and speaking in a threatening tone. We locked eyes, and then we both burst into laughter.

We really are two crazy people together.