Victoria's pov
"Yea thanks it's great...No problem, I'll send it directly to your accounts... Thanks, bye".
I ended the call and peered around my living room in awe once again. Those people really did a good job, I felt like I was standing in a brand new house.
Yesterday I got a call that my house was finally done, termite free and all. Luka wanted me to wait until he's back from his two day Alpha meeting in the Truemoon Pack, but I just couldn't wait.
I snapped a quick pic and sent it to him. It was nine in the morning so he was probably in a meeting, but I couldn't help myself.
The house looked great. It made me want to move back in and relish in all its beauty. I didn't get to visit all the rooms, but the few I saw were enough to convince me that I didn't waste my money.
*Couldn't wait till I got home, I see*
I smiled at his text and got ready to answer, but another one came in right after.
*I guess you really were eager to see it. Since you got out of bed early today*
I rolled my eyes at his accusation. Yes I know I wasn't really a morning person but...but.
Whatever.
*I couldn't sleep without you :(*
That much was true. He left yesterday morning, and I twisted and turned all night. I just got too used to sleeping with him.
*Me either. But don't you worry Angel I'll be home tonight *
My heart leaped in joy at that. Yes it has only been like twenty-four hours, but I missed him a lot.
My phone beep-beeped, and Emma's name flashed across the screen. As soon as I answered, she was telling me to get home ASAP. The panic in her voice got my concern spiked, so I quickly closed up and drove as fast as I could back to the pack.
I dashed through the trees like someone was hot on my tail, almost running over a border patroller in the process. Without even turning my engine off, I ran inside at full speed once I got home.
However to my surprise, Zoey and Daisy were comfortably tucked into the living room couch watching television. I thought
My confusion was obvious, but I didn't bother their heads with it. The house was unusually quiet except for the cartoon Zoey was watching, but something didn't seem right.
Maybe it was just my paranoia, and maybe Em just had some fashion emergency as usual. But she actually sounded scared, and that's unusual for her.
The minute I knocked on her bedroom door, she yanked it open and me after, not even bothering to close it as she started rambling apologies.
"Victoria I'm so so sorry I didn't know that things would have turned out this way. But she said she would fix it and since it's been months I just assumed and now I'm just so scared and Luka will probably kick me out of the house and the pack and-"
"Emma!" I shook her shoulders to get her attention and peered at her confused. "Slowly, tell me what happened "
She watched me for about a whole sixty seconds, but when she started crying, I knew something really bad must've happened.
"When you came " she paused and made eye contact with me. "When you came, mom wanted you gone "
"I know that, but why are you crying? " I asked eagerly. She was really scaring me now.
"She was only trying to protect us, she didn't know that things would've turned out this way"
I was getting really impatient so I shook her again with each word.
"Emma! Tell me what happened "
"He came for you " She blurted out.
"Who came for me? " My face scrunched into more confusion as she started to cry again.
"Lincoln's brother, Samuel, he came for you "
"Why would he come for me? "
"Because mom offered you to him months ago"
What?!
I took a step back at that as I tried to understand what she was talking about. Her crying only got worse at my reaction, but I had no more tolerance for that, I just wanted to know the truth.
"Emma, I'm gonna need you to tell me the truth" I stated firmly.
She sniffled and sat on the bed, but when she saw that I wouldn't sit, she hung her head and started.
"When Ella died, it destroyed almost everything. Everyone in the pack was affected, but it was worse for us who were close to her. Mom had to watch her kids go through so much pain, so that's why she wasn't too fond of your arrival. She just wanted to protect us."
I nodded though she wasn't looking at me. I understood that clearly; what I didn't understand was how she sold me without my knowledge.
"Lincoln had a big brother. He was the Gamma when Luka became Alpha. But it was just for a few months. His-his mate was taken from him and he literally went crazy. She didn't die, so it wasn't like the mate bond was broken or anything. He felt everything and it drove him crazy.
"Samuel wanted nothing more than to have his mate back, or just anyone actually, so he started to target the mateless shewolves and forcefully mated with them."
I gasped in shock at that. I guess this mate thing really does run deeper than I could imagine. Driving wolves crazy and all.
"No one knew since he was the Gamma and he forced them to stay hush. But one day, he marked a wolf. She was furious and hurt. She didn't care about his threats so she reported it, and the rest followed in suit. "
"How-how much? " I asked even though I wasn't even sure if I wanted to know.
"Twenty five"
"Twenty-five wolves!? He raped twenty-five wolves? " I gaped, and she nodded slowly as a tear fell on her hand.
This was the maniac that they were selling me to? My anger boiled at that thought, but I kept it at bay.
"Luka had no choice but to punish and banish him. We didn't want him to become a rogue, but no pack wanted him. He would still linger around the pack, masking his scent by using wolfsbane and something else. He would still try and target the young shewolves, but we tried our best to keep him away.
"One day mom caught him on our land, but she couldn't kill him. Once he's caught on land again, it was law that he should be killed on spot. But he was like a son to mom, and she always just saw him as a broken wolf who needed guidance. "
Stella really did have a heart, but it seemed like it was only out for people she knew.
"She took him in her care, steered him back to sanity. He stayed in an old cottage out on the pack border, but he never really got over his mate. He was still restless and very much broken, but mom helped him somewhat"
"How did I end up in this mix? " I asked in confusion.
"The reason he hadn't attacked anymore of our members was because mom promised him a new mate two years ago, as long as he stayed away. It was enough to keep him quiet since he had nothing else to do but hold onto her promise."
My breath hitched and my eyes started to water when I put it all together.
"When you came, she saw it as a way to kill two birds with one stone. She asked me to help her but I couldn't do it. But she already pulled me into her plan and I was the only one who knew and-"
"And what if I refused Emma? Obviously I would've refused " I threw my hands in the air for exaggeration.
"She had it all planned and"
"And you helped her? " My heart and my voice broke when it just clicked that she was in on it.
"No! " She jumped up, and in a second she was in front of me, shaking her head frantically. "She tried to convince me that it was the best for Luka and the pack if you were gone, but I didn't want to. She didn't stop, so I told her I would spend a day with you and decide if I wanted to help her or not, but I was just bluffing "
She paused to wipe her face then started again.
"But the day we went shopping for the first time, I knew I couldn't even think of helping her, so we had an argument the night of the barbecue and she tried to guilt trip me but I wouldn't have it. I told her she would be on her own and she was pissed at me! But when she found out that Luka imprinted on you, she came to me for help since she already told Sam about you "
"You do realize that that was just straight out evil right? "
"I know Vic, that's why I told her I wouldn't help her. But she knew she couldn't do that to Luka-"
"But she would've done it to me" I mumbled, feeling hurt and betrayed.
I didn't even know what I thought about Stella anymore.
"Vic please" Emma tried, but I jumped away from her touch.
"Why are you even defending her!? She tried to sell me to a crazy wolf just because she felt threatened by me!" I shouted, letting my hurt and frustration flow.
"I know what she did was terrible, and she tried to fix it after that. But Sam wouldn't have it. He wanted you, and that night when he followed you was a warning to mom to tell her that he could take you when he wanted, but he wanted you hand delivered"
Like I'm a freaking package! But I knew that wolf wasn't Mark!
"The months went by and he was quiet, but today he just popped up" She added, pulling me back to reality.
My eyes widened as I snapped my head to her. “You mean he's here?"
"He's with mom and Ashley in the woods" She said, causing my heart to fall to my stomach.
"Ashley!?"
"Please don't be mad. " she shrunk back at my tone. "Mom wanted him to leave us alone, so she brought Ashley to be you, to show him the mark since he didn't believe her when she told him that you're marked"
"You did what! " A very angry voice bellowed.
Both our heads snapped to the open door to see a fuming Caleb standing there.
"Caleb I-"
She didn't continue, but ran behind me to take cover as he stomped inside. I didn't blame her, he looked hella scary.
"Are you crazy! She's freaking pregnant!" He was blazing red as he shouted at her from behind me. "And weren't you here that night?! He knows what Victoria looks like!" He added even more loudly.
"I wasn't thinking straight, we just wanted him gone" she cried from behind me with a tremble in her voice.
"YOU SHOULD'VE TOLD US SO WE COULD JUST KILL HIM! SIMPLE AND EASY EMMA! SIMPLE AND EASY"
Even I stumbled at his tone. I didn't blame him though. His pregnant mate was being used as a diversion.
"Mom didn't want-"
"To hell with what your mom wants! My MATE is in danger just because you or your mom didn't have the guts to do the right thing! " He cut her off quickly as he threw a vase across the room.
"Hey what's with all the shouting man?" Lincoln appeared in the doorway with a startled expression on his face.
"Why don't you ask her! " Caleb marched closer to her with a deadly look on his face. "If anything happens to her Emma I swear to God you better be gone when I'm back" He warned lowly. And with that, he stomped out, seconds after the front door was being slammed.
Emma was a crying mess again and Lincoln wouldn't stop asking what was wrong. I filled him in as quickly as I could, and he looked both conflicted and angry.
"Stay here" He said to the both of us. "Last thing I need is for Luka to be having all our asses if anything happens to you guys" And with that, he was high on Caleb's tail.
"Victoria" Emma called from behind me.
"Emma please don't" I paced around with my hands in my hair .
"Vic please. I can stand everyone else being mad at me but not you. " She begged quietly.
"You knew Em! You knew this whole time and you didn't say anything. You watched poor Mark take all the blame when it was actually Samuel who your mom was so hell bent on saving "
"I didn't know what to do. If I told Luka, I didn't know what he would've done to her. And then there was dad and I was just confused okay? When I saw that he was quiet for months, I thought he was over it but.. I'm so sorry Vic" She cried through sobs.
She fell beside the bed and sobbed in her knees. Her body shook with each sob and I felt my anger slowly deteriorate.
"Em" I sighed as I sat beside her. "Tell me everything you know, why did Mark take the blame? "
"He-he was the wolf that killed that kid"
And that was when I felt like I hit my max for the day, but somehow it felt like my day just got started.
"Mark killed Leon? " I asked and she nodded slowly.
"He had just initiated his first shift so he was excited and shifted every moment he had. He was out running that night, and went on human territory. Leon saw him and he panicked and killed him. He brought him back to the pack and tried to hide him, but mom saw him. It was the same night when Sam followed you, so she blackmailed him into taking the blame for following you. "
I knew she had something over him. Poor Mark. He must've been traumatized that night. Two kids lost something that night. Leon lost his life and Mark lost his innocence.
It broke my heart really. I understood why he took the blame, but his parents are going to be so pissed when this gets out.
"Vic please don't let Luka banish me"
"I won't," I told her sternly.
"I really am sorry"
"I know Em. That must've been a lot on your shoulders. But I need you to take me there" I said, feeling the urge to go stop this mess.
"No Vic you heard Lincoln "
I gave her a firm look as I stood up and brushed my jeans off. "I know what Lincoln said. But I'm the Luna and my pack members are in danger with a banished and maybe dangerous wolf. "
"But-"
"It wasn't a request Emma."