The cursed tree!

EMMA

I glance at Elijah, but he avoids making eye contact with me.

“But Alpha, she’s not staying here permanently. Eventually, she has to go back to her home with our dad,” Violet said. She had a point, but I wasn’t thinking about leaving for my dad’s place. My place is with Elijah, and I wasn’t willing to leave him. Dad could manage without me, but I couldn’t manage without Elijah.

"Sweetheart, Violet, do you forget that I’m the Alpha of this pack? The final decision is mine, and no one can argue with that," Elijah said, flashing a tight smile, almost mocking her. Violet fell silent because she knew exactly what it meant to go against Elijah.

Elijah is a force to be reckoned with when he's not with me. He’s never shown his love for anyone else, and I can’t exactly argue with him in front of all the pack members.

"Alpha, are you going to send her to the brothel in our pack house to fulfill the needs of our pack members?" one of them suggested, and the room fell into complete silence. The man’s eyes were filled with lust as he stared at me. How could he say something like that about me? He didn’t understand my place in Elijah’s life, but he knew that I was the sister of the Luna of the pack. How could he suggest such a thing?

Wait… there’s a brothel in this pack house? Why didn’t I know about this? Why didn’t Elijah think to tell me? I’ll deal with that later.

“Are you out of your mind, Derrick? She’s my sister!” Violet snapped, taking my side. My eyes were fixed on Elijah, whose jaw was clenched and unclenching. I hoped he wouldn’t do anything stupid in front of everyone.

“I’m sorry, Luna, for disrespecting your sister. It was just a thought,” Derrick apologized, but his words felt empty.

“If you don’t keep your mouth shut right now, Derrick, I will be forced to do something your family will regret for the rest of their lives,” Elijah said calmly, but his voice was threatening. I knew just how much anger he was holding back in that moment.

“My apologies, Alpha,” Derrick said, not daring to make eye contact with Elijah.

“She has training in the medical field, so I’m assigning her the role of assistant doctor under you, Joanna,” Elijah said, looking toward a woman dressed in a brown shirt and black trousers. She looked pleasant enough, and I thought I could work well with her.

Becoming a doctor has always been my dream, but I had completely forgotten about it since Elijah came into my life. Now, my dream was coming true again, and I couldn’t thank Elijah enough. He always takes care of what I want, and for that, I’m grateful.

I was soon introduced to the other members of the pack as the assistant doctor. Most of them were very friendly, and I really liked Joanna and Rochelle. If I was going to be here for eternity, it seemed important to build bonds with the people around me.

We all had our meal, and everyone settled into their own conversations. Elijah was busy with his work, probably planning something, but I couldn’t help but think he might be scheming about how to take control of my life,

While having a meal. Violet come close to me and whispered softly in my ear "Emma, what about Dad?" 

"Dad will manage without me. I want to discover my wolf form. I'm tired of feeling weak. I want to be strong, just like you," I told her, but she shook her head.

"You’re making a mistake, dear sister. I don’t practice my wolf form because it’s painful for me, and I don’t want you to experience that pain," she said with concern, and I appreciated her care for me.

"This is what I want, Violet. Please, respect my choice," I said, and she placed her hand in mine in understanding. After that, we didn’t speak further, as I couldn’t ignore the baby bump in her belly.

Every time I see her, I feel the desire to carry my own pups, which, sadly, is not possible. We finished breakfast, and afterward, I headed to my room. Joanna wanted to go over some medical supplies for me, and the dress I was wearing wasn’t appropriate for the pack clinic.

I changed into a white shirt and loose black trousers. When I stepped out of the bathroom, I noticed Elijah sitting on my bed, one leg crossed over the other, his aura as intimidating as ever.

"May I ask why you’re in my room, Alpha Elijah?" I said, and his eyes turned to me.

"Are you happy with my sudden announcement?" he asked, and I shook my head.

"I’m happy, but I’d be even happier if you had asked me about it first," I said, sitting on his lap. I wanted to spend a few minutes with him before heading to the clinic.

"If I tell you, sweetheart, I’m sure I won’t be able to see that priceless surprise on your face," he said, gripping my thigh.

"Okay, we’re not doing this right now. I’ve been assigned a duty, so back off, Alpha. Spend some time with your wife," I said, though it broke my heart to say it. But I didn’t have a choice—if Violet was happy, it would make her less suspicious of me, and that was what I wanted.

"I’ll spend time with her when I’m finished with my important work. But I came here to give you a good luck kiss," he said, surprising me by pulling me into a heated kiss. His hand roamed on my back as he devoured my lips with his, and I felt him about to slide his hand inside my trousers, but I broke the kiss and pulled back, panting.

"Calm down, horny Alpha. This is not the time," I said, getting off his lap. He groaned in frustration at the interruption.

"Mark my words, one day, you will be the death of me," he muttered.

"And you’ll be the death of me," I said with a chuckle as I left the room, leaving him frustrated.

I asked Lily for help, and she led me to Joanna's clinic, where Violet was being attended to. Lily left me alone as I entered the room

“Hey, it’s good to see you, Emma. Come inside,” she said, and I walked in awkwardly, everything still feeling so new to me.

“Do you know, Emma, that my baby just kicked inside my stomach?” Violet said happily. I didn’t know how to react. I should be happy for her, but no matter what I tell Elijah, I can never feel truly comfortable around Violet like I used to.

“That’s a good thing,” I said, plastering a fake smile on my face.

“And Luna got so panicked, thinking something happened to her baby. But rest assured, everything is perfect, just like our beautiful Luna,” Joanna said, admiring Violet. Who wouldn’t admire her? She’s glowing with her pregnancy.

“I’m going to tell Elijah this news,” Violet said and left the room, her happiness radiating as the baby grew inside her. I’m sure Elijah would be thrilled to know his child made its first movement.

But a fear gnaws at me—what if I lose Elijah when he realizes that I shouldn't be his priority, but now it’s his baby and Violet?

“Back to earth, Emma,” I heard Joanna’s voice and snapped out of my thoughts.

“I’m sorry, I just zoned out,” I said, and she offered me a seat. She was such a sweet lady. I truly admired her. She explained the medical history of the pack and the available medical supplies. I jotted down a few notes when Joanna placed her hand on mine.

“I’m sorry for my husband’s behavior this morning,” she said. I was confused about who she meant, so she spoke again when she saw my puzzled expression.

“My husband is Derrick,” she clarified, and I looked at her, surprised. She was completely the opposite of him.

“It’s okay, I don’t mind. But how do you tolerate him? From what I’ve observed, he’s a womanizer. Please don’t be offended, but I really like you,” I said, and she smiled.

“I know about him eyeing other women, but I love him, and I have kids with him. I can’t leave him. Love is stupid. It makes you stay with the most horrible person,” she said. I felt a pang of sympathy for her, but then I realized my situation was similar to hers.

I loved Elijah, and despite all the complications between us, I wasn’t ready to leave him. And neither was he. It’s true that love makes you do things you never thought you would, even things you once hated, but love in the present changes everything.

Joanna and I got along very well, and yes, I made a friend here. She was my second friend after Mason, who didn’t spend much time with me anymore—he was too threatened by Elijah after their last encounter.

The whole day passed in a blur with Joanna, and I felt more alive, as I was doing work that was my dream. Afterward, I decided to take a stroll in the garden. I hardly ever left my room, and I was craving some fresh air. I wandered into the garden, and it was almost dusk. The breeze gently touched my face.

I walked alone, admiring the flowers in my path, when I noticed a tree with yellow flowers. It had a strange shape, the flowers curling in a loop. I stopped in my tracks, feeling oddly familiar with it.

“This tree is cursed for some reason,” I heard a voice, and I turned to see Mason standing behind me.

“Is everything here cursed?” I asked him, and he walked over to stand beside me. He chuckled at my words.

“Every curse seems to lead to another, but I don’t know the curse related to this tree. I’ve heard that a dead body is buried underneath it, and it belongs to a woman who did a shameless act,” he said, and my curiosity piqued.

“And what’s the name of that woman?” I asked, and he seemed deep in thought.

“Her name was Lauren,” he said, and my eyes widened in shock. That name—my mother’s name.

“How do you know this?” I asked, and Mason started laughing.

“I’m just messing with you, stupid girl. There’s some fantasy attached to this tree, and everyone has their own version of the story. So let it be. There’s no truth to any of it, and the only one who knows the truth is the dead body buried beneath it,” he said, and I relaxed a bit.

But for a moment, my breath caught. Why was my mother buried under this strange tree? but my mother wasn’t the only woman named Lauren.

I’m such a fool.