Chapter 156: Behind again

Emily's POV

The house was silent after they left. The air still felt charged with the anger and urgency they carried. I should have felt relieved that they were taking action, but all I could do was stand there, my hands trembling as I tried to process everything that had happened in the last few minutes.

My heart beat like a war drum in my chest, echoing in my ears as I took a few steps forward, glancing over my shoulder toward the closed door where Caden, Lila, and Ronan had disappeared moments ago. I knew they were headed for the basement.

But something inside me tugged at me. The fear that had gripped me earlier had never fully faded. I couldn't just stay behind and do nothing. It wasn't in me to just sit by while they fought, while danger loomed so close. I wasn't like them-I wasn't a werewolf, I wasn't part of their world in the way they were, but I still had a role to play, didn't I?

A soft voice broke through my thoughts.

"Lila, stay here," Caden said, his voice low but firm as he stood just inside the foyer, facing her. He hadn't gone far, but something about the way he said it… it made my chest tighten. "You're not going with us."

Lila, never one to be told what to do, glared at him, her jaw clenched. "And why not?"

"I can handle it. You stay back, Lila," Caden's voice was insistent, but there was something underneath it-something more than just frustration. He was worried. I could see it in the way his shoulders tensed.

Lila took a deep breath, clearly not liking his tone. "I'm going. I'm not sitting here, waiting like some helpless-"

Before she could finish, I stepped forward, instinctively. "Maybe she should come," I said, the words tumbling out of my mouth before I could stop them. "We all need to stick together. We don't know what we're walking into."

Caden's eyes snapped toward me, and for a moment, I saw the flicker of hesitation in his gaze. Then he shifted his focus to Lila. He seemed to consider it for a long second before shaking his head.

"It's too dangerous for you both. I'll go alone. Lila-" He started to speak, but Lord Ronan cut him off before he could finish.

"Enough," Ronan's voice rang out in the room, deep and commanding. The room seemed to shrink under his presence, his authority filling the space. "That has always been the plan. We move together. No one stays behind."

I froze. His words stung, and for reasons I couldn't quite explain, they hit deeper than I'd expected. Something about the way he said it-like it was already decided, like there was no room for any other options-it made me feel small. Helpless. Like I didn't have a choice, like no one had bothered to talk me through it.

A shiver ran down my spine, a coldness that had nothing to do with the temperature in the room. I swallowed hard, my throat dry as I glanced from Caden to Lila, then back to Ronan. The chill in the air felt too real. But before I could say anything, the sound of approaching footsteps reached my ears, steady and unhurried.

"I'll go in her place," a calm voice declared, cutting through the tension like a knife.

I turned to find Ethan standing in the doorway, his figure outlined in the dim light from the hallway. He looked… well, like Ethan. Always collected. Always composed. But there was something about his presence now, something that made my heart drop to the pit of my stomach.

"What are you talking about?" Caden's voice was harsh, disbelief creeping into his tone.

"I'll go," Ethan repeated, his eyes narrowing as he met Ronan's gaze. "She's not a werewolf. If things get bloody-if they get out of hand-she won't be able to defend herself. She'll only be a liability."

The words cut through me like glass. He wasn't wrong. I knew that. But it didn't make it any easier to hear. I clenched my fists, a wave of frustration bubbling up inside me.

"I can handle myself," I blurted, my voice rising despite myself. "You don't get to decide that for me."

Ethan didn't back down. He merely raised an eyebrow, his gaze hard and calculating. "It's not a matter of whether or not you can handle yourself, Emily. It's about what's safest. And I'm telling you-going down there with them would be a mistake."

"No," I said, my voice firmer now. I wasn't going to back down. Not this time. "I'm going with you."

The room went still. The air felt thick again, each breath I took harder than the last. I could feel Ronan's presence behind me, steady and unyielding. But it was Lord Ronan who spoke first, his voice a quiet rumble in the otherwise tense silence.

"He wants her. And he knows she's friends with Lila." Ronan's words seemed to echo through the room, his expression set, resolute. "From the beginning, I never liked him. And now I know why."

He glanced at Ethan, his gaze hardening. "I know he's your cousin, Ethan, but make sure this gets resolved with my nephew and niece coming out unscathed."

I felt a strange pang of pain at his words. It was subtle at first, just a flicker of something deep inside. But it hurt all the same. I couldn't explain why. Maybe it was because Ronan spoke with such certainty, such control-like everything was already out of my hands, like I was never really part of the decision to begin with.

"I'll do what I can," Ethan said, his voice measured. But he still didn't meet my gaze, his focus on Ronan as though I didn't exist in this moment.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. The weight of everything-the looming confrontation, the secrets, the danger-it was all crashing down on me now.

"I'm going with you," I said again, this time with more resolve in my voice. "When you're fighting, you'll need someone to look after the kids. Someone to get them to safety."

It felt like the right thing to say. Logical. But as I spoke, a wave of nausea hit me so suddenly that I staggered back a step. My stomach twisted violently, my mouth going dry.

"Emily?" Lila's voice cracked through my fog of panic, but I could barely register her words.

"I-I need to go," I murmured, swaying slightly.

Before anyone could stop me, I turned quickly and fled down the hallway, toward the nearest bathroom. My legs felt unsteady, as though I could barely keep my balance. I barely made it to the toilet before I collapsed to my knees and retched. My body seemed to betray me, forcing everything in my stomach to spill out. The taste of bile was bitter in my mouth, and I felt completely drained, as though every ounce of energy had been sucked from me.

As I wiped my mouth, my hands shaking, I leaned against the cool porcelain of the sink. My head swam with confusion, with fear, with everything I couldn't control. My thoughts spun wildly in every direction, but one thing was certain: I wasn't going to let them go into that basement without me. They needed me.

I couldn't just be left behind again.