CHAPTER 666: 666-BETWEEN MY EX AND MY NEXT

Helanie:

I had previously let so many things slide because of Salem. She was a great person and a good friend. But now that she was gone, I had no reason to be lenient with her father and sister.

"I mean, if the Alpha himself thinks he shouldn’t be the Alpha, I don’t see a reason why there should be a problem," I replied with a shrug. But deep down, even I was beginning to wonder if the proper process had been followed.

I just remembered hearing they switched, but now that I was thinking about it, I am the Alpha Queen of the North, shouldn’t they have spoken to me first?

"Helanie, don’t you really see the problem with it?" he asked, and although I did see the issue, I didn’t show it to him.

"The others are even ready to fight and battle against the alphas to be an alpha, but this alpha stepped down so easily?" Altan wasn’t wrong. It was indeed sketchy. But I am sure Salem didn’t know anything either because she had been living out of her pack for the last few months she was alive.

"What is happening with Sydney? Last time, when her truth came out at the funeral, I saw her father get hit with the realization that she is a problem," I remembered the whole scene and how the funeral was interrupted by Rune attacking us with the Zharns.

"Oh, you know nothing then." The way Altan scoffed made my skin break out in goosebumps. So, more messy stuff was happening around then?

"What do you mean? I don’t know what?" I asked.

"Alpha Coombs has forgiven his daughter, it seems. I mean, he can’t cry for the one he lost forever. And I’m hearing that she might become the new alpha of her pack." The minute he said that, I almost choked on my own saliva. To think a father could forget his daughter’s murder so quickly was just killing me. But then again, who was I to talk about how parents should love their children when my own parents never loved me?

"She can’t be an alpha. She freaking killed her sister, sort of. Why is she being given a crown for her cruelty?" I hissed, watching Altan take a deep breath.

"That’s what I’m talking about. Doesn’t it all look a bit staged? Alpha Coombs took the crown just to pass it on to his favorite daughter. Salem getting killed just delayed their plans for a few weeks." Altan didn’t seem to like his fated mate. That was a shocker. But then again, who would even like Sydney? She wasn’t very charming. In fact, she did messed-up stuff to almost everyone. Sometimes I wondered if the Moon Goddess was letting these bad people live so that they can remind us everyday why it is important that we work together and become stronger versions of ourselves.

"I will speak with your father-in-law." The moment I said that, I saw his face harden.

"He’s not my father-in-law," he reminded me, showing me his bare finger.

"Alas! It would have been such a perfect couple, all the toxic people under one roof," I smirked, laughing at him even though he looked completely serious.

"I know you’re still mad at me, and I don’t blame you for it. But I want to fix it. Even just so we can work together and make our community safer. There are much worse dangers out there, and if we keep holding onto grudges, we won’t be able to focus on the real threats," he said gently.

I couldn’t help but groan under my breath. He wasn’t wrong. Ever since I found out the whole truth about that night, I kind of understood he was just a coward. That was his only real fault. But because of his games, his father thought I was the problem and tried to get rid of me.

All that for a fling.

And I faced the worst of it.

"Then you don’t need to keep bringing it up over and over again. It’s my choice to keep a distance from you. Don’t expect me to be all nice and friendly. We can still work on things together, but that’s all," I said firmly.

"Anyone want a drink?" Emmet burst in with two glasses and a bottle. Of course, he excluded Altan. Or so I thought.

He placed the glasses in front of Altan and me and filled them, while drinking from the bottle himself.

I gave him a look, and he lowered the bottle awkwardly.

"It was already half full, and then I poured yours and his, so there’s not much left anyway," he explained in a very cute and soft tone that didn’t just make me go "aww," but even made Altan narrow his eyes.

Emmet sat down with a thud in the chair and leaned back, stretching one arm out to reach for the paperweight while holding the bottle in the other.

"Has there been any similarities or any connection between the children that have been taken so far?" Emmet asked, already getting down to business.

"No. The only thing they have in common is that they are pack members," Altan explained, steadily laying out images of the victims who had been abducted so far.

"I’ll need to go meet the parents of the children myself," Emmet said, not very satisfied with the little information he was getting.

"Sure, we can start a meetup tomorrow," Altan suggested. But Emmet shook his head.

"I don’t want to waste a minute," he replied, and I agreed with him. Altan gave us a nod and called for the omega to serve dinner.

We finished dinner discussing the whole abduction situation. But there was something else I planned to do. `i wanted to meet Diaz.

I had to have one last talk with him. Look him in the eye and remind him that his punishment was his own doing.

"I’ll take a walk back home," I told the driver, even confusing Altan, who rushed to walk with me — until Emmet joined.

"Go sleep tight. I’m taking her home," Emmet said in a calm and steady tone, gesturing for Altan to back off.

Emmet wrapped his coat over my shoulders and began walking with me, slow steps, one at a time. The weather was so pleasant, but as we walked down the dark road, I couldn’t help but tear up a little. The distant memory of the brutality of these pack members hit me at once.

"My man took pizzas and other stuff home—" Emmet stopped mid-sentence the moment he turned his head and noticed my tears.

"Hmm. Memories," he nodded to himself, gently nudging me with his elbow. "You can talk about your feelings. Just because justice was done doesn’t mean you can’t bring up your past. You can, any day, for as many days as you want, and I’ll still listen. I’ll always be there for you."

It meant a lot to me. Sometimes when people talk too much about their trauma, they get hate for it. Or others act like they are exhausted.

I did not want that kind of attention after dealing so well with it. But Emmet was different, all my mates were different. I never felt like I was burdening them with my worries.

"I walked this very road after that night, Emmet. Not one person came out to offer me clothes, a coat maybe. No one. I heard them talk and question me. They were gossiping a lot, but no one had the decency to ask a badly wounded girl what had happened to her. They just immediately declared me guilty," I sighed, feeling a sudden rush of tears.

"And then I came home, and my father tossed me in that small pantry you saw earlier today. The very one that my stepmother said suffocates her. She doesn’t even have to stay there for a long time, just pick up the stuff she wants and leave. But they locked me in there, with no food, water or comforting words," I forced a smile onto my lips, but it was actually my tears burning in my eyes.

"Then let’s run away and let those bastard pack members live in horror for the rest of their lives," Emmet suggested, and I started laughing.

Hearing him say that was funny. He had a weird way of using a deep tone even when joking.

"Thank you for making me smile," I teased softly, elbowing him, and he elbowed me back.

But then he suddenly said something that stopped me in my tracks, and also stopped my heartbeat for a second.

"I love you."

I looked at his face and noticed how honest he seemed. My body felt warm, and my wolf purred inside me, ready for me to confess too.

She was urging me to say it, and we could figure out the rest later.

But that’s when the air erupted with loud screams.