Chapter 250 My Past

Chapter 250 My Past
Riona
I could see the sadness in Demos’s eyes, but there was a quiet understanding there too. He gently reached over and took the album from my hands, setting it carefully to the side. Then, his gaze locked onto mine.
"Ever since Rylie Royalroad died, the deed to the casino has passed through many hands," he said softly, almost like he was speaking to himself. "Eventually, it landed in my lap..”
I gave him a sad smile.
Rylie Royalroad was my mother’s name. I guess after her death, this was something that was bound to happen. The casino is so successful after all.
I looked down. My heart felt like it was far, far away in the depths of a memory I had long buried. Something inside me stirred, and before I could stop it, the words tumbled out.
“I remember the night I died.”
Demos paused, eyes narrowing slightly. He knew there was more to it.
“It was the night my mother took me to meet my brothers,” I continued, my voice a whisper in the air, heavy with the weight of the memory. “She had been so excited, so happy to finally bring us together. I had no idea that night would be the last night I would ever see them.”
I swallowed hard, the lump in my throat threatening to choke me as the scene unfolded in my mind.

(Past Memory)
It was a warm night, the stars scattered across the sky like diamonds. The air was thick with the promise of something I couldn’t yet understand. My mother’s voice had been bright and full of life as she told me we were going to meet my brothers.
I had waited for so long to see them. I was bouncing with excitement, running ahead of her as we neared the place where we were supposed to meet. I remember looking over my shoulder at her, smiling, and she smiled back, her eyes shining with the same joy.
“Hurry up,” she’d called out to me. “Your brothers are waiting!” It was actually my older brother who found me and my mother. All three of us had different mothers but the same father who was known to be a scumbag father, who loved sleeping around.
My eldest brother had approached my mother and introduced himself and had first asked for her permission to meet me.
She agreed.
And from then on, we’d always meet with my brothers, Matthew and Azef and go for some outing as a family.
It was one of those outings but because Mom had work, it turned into a late night outing
And perhaps that was what brought about the ruin.
The road stretched ahead, the sound of my footsteps echoing in the stillness of the night. The headlights of a truck shimmered in the distance, and I could see their silhouettes growing larger. I was almost there—just a few more steps, and I would see them.
I ran faster, eager to be in their arms, but something was wrong. I didn’t know it yet, but I felt it—the shift in the air, the tension, the quiet before the storm.
Then, as I crossed the road, right next to the truck parked on the side, there was a loud sound—a screeching blast that tore through the air like a sudden gust of wind, but much worse. It was deafening, a massive explosion that shook the very ground beneath my feet. I didn’t even have time to scream.
The world exploded around me.
I felt the heat of the explosion before I even saw it. The ground trembled beneath me as I was thrown forward, my mother’s arms instinctively pulling me close to her. She shielded me, sheltering me from the blast with her body.
I couldn’t see. I couldn’t hear. My world was a haze of smoke, debris, and ringing in my ears. But I knew my mother had saved me. She had pushed me to the ground, her body covering mine, and in that moment, I felt the weight of her sacrifice. She was always so strong—so protective of me. She was the one who kept me safe, even as the fire and smoke rose around us.
When I finally gathered enough strength to push myself up, I saw nothing but chaos. The truck was a wreck, nothing more than a twisted mass of metal and flames. My mother—my beautiful, strong mother—lay motionless beside me. Her face was pale, covered in soot, but she was still breathing.
I turned toward the road, seeing my brothers rushing toward us, their faces stricken with horror. They had seen the blast. They had seen everything.
But they were too late. As they came closer, shouting my name, “Elara!” Another explosion took place.
The impact knocked them backward. I watched them crumple to the ground while my mother shielded me again with whatever life she had left.
And then, everything went dark.

(Present)
I felt the tears slide down my cheeks as I looked at Demos. My voice cracked as I spoke again.
“My mother saved me. She... she saved my life. But I couldn’t save her. And when I woke up,” I sighed, “I had no memory of my past… And I was here in country E,”
Demos nodded and handed the glass of water to me. I took it and took a big gulp from it.

“Do you remember the names of your brothers?” He asked, “We’re going to Country C anyway, we’ll look for them.”

I brought the glass down and nodded at him, “I do,” I smiled, “Both of them are older than me.” I looked at him, “The elder one is Matthew,” I felt tingly remembering him, “And then there’s Azef.”

Demos’s expressions grew darker

“What’s wrong?” I asked

“By any chance,” He clicked his tongue, “Is it Matthew Meirikh and Azef Greer?”

!!!

“Yes!!!” I stood up in excitement, “You know them?!”

“Oh,” He rolled his eyes, “I do,”

“They’re alive?!” I let out a breath and Demos paused, then sighed

“They’re more than alive. They’re very healthy and happy too. Both of them are married and Matthew even has a kid.”

“OH MY GOD!!” I felt excitement bubble inside of me. I sat back down with a jump, “When are we going to country C!?!?”

Demos, seeing my excitement, patted my head, “Soon,” He said, “The preparations are on their way but before that,” His expression turned serious, “We have other things to sort out.”

“Huh?” I momentarily forgot

“Niall,” He said and my heart dropped.

>>Niall (A week later)
I lay there in the hospital bed, my body wrapped in bandages from head to toe. Every inch of me ached, but the pain wasn’t as sharp as the fear that had been gnawing at me for the last few days.
What was going to happen now?
Riona got away, but I doubt she went to the police. She is a suspect herself.
But where did she go?
I asked a colleague about Demos’s body and he had searched the alley but said there was nothing there.
What was happening? How could this happen? My plan was perfect. A bit rash, yes. But still, flawless.
Or- it would have been flawless if it wasn’t for the wolf that attacked me… And Riona. What the hell? She turned into a wolf too.
I clicked my tongue
What even-
The door to my room creaked open, and I turned my head, my heart jumping as two cops stepped inside. The tall one gave me a hard look, and the shorter one held a file, his expression cold.
"We’re here to charge you with murder," the tall cop said, his voice blunt, almost as if it were just another routine.
I blinked, trying to keep my voice steady. "What are you talking about? I don’t know what you’re—"
He cut me off, holding up a tablet. "We’ve got proof, Niall. You confessed on video."
The screen flickered, and my blood ran cold as the video began to play. There I was, my face pale, my voice shaking with anger as I stood in front of Riona that night. My own words echoed in the room, telling her everything—admitting the crime, laying it all bare. I felt my stomach twist.
"No," I whispered, my voice cracking. "No, this can’t be real."
"You’re in the video, Niall," the cop said, his voice a low growl. "We didn’t get it from you. It was uploaded on the internet, and believe me, the professionals have already verified it. It’s authentic."
I shook my head, my thoughts a blur. "It’s edited. It has to be. Someone’s messing with me."
One of the officers gave a dark chuckle. "You’re in denial. Your brother Milo is in custody too, but he might get away with it. MIGHT. With a high chance of life in prison. But You? You’re going straight to prison. Forever."
My chest tightened. "But—" I tried to speak, my voice trembling. "It’s a mistake, I swear! I didn’t—"
The cop didn’t let me finish. Instead, the shorter officer moved in, setting the tablet aside, and without another word, they started strapping me into a wheelchair. I tried to pull away, panic rising in my chest. "Wait! You can’t do this! It’s all wrong!"
The taller officer didn’t respond. "You’ll be going to the most dangerous criminals’ prison. That’s where you belong now."
My hands began to sweat. "No, please. It’s not me. It’s a mistake! Please, I didn’t do it!"
But they ignored me, pushing the chair toward the door. As they wheeled me out of the room, my thoughts raced. I couldn’t believe this was happening

>>Riona
The courtroom was tense, the air thick with anticipation. My heart hammered in my chest as I sat in the witness stand, my hands clutching the edges. The trial had been dragging on for days, but now, it felt like the moment of truth was finally here. I could feel all eyes on me—some sympathetic, others full of judgment. Niall’s face was a mixture of disbelief and anger, his body still wrapped in bandages, barely able to sit up straight. But there was no escaping it now.
The prosecutor had just finished presenting their final arguments, and I could feel the weight of the evidence resting against Niall. The video was undeniable, despite his attempts to deny it, despite his desperate claims that it had been edited or manipulated. He was caught, and everyone knew it.
"Riona," the judge’s voice echoed in the quiet courtroom, pulling my focus back to the present. "We find you not guilty of any involvement in the murder. Your innocence is hereby restored, and the charges against you are dropped."
A flood of relief washed over me, too much for words. I blinked, trying to keep my composure, but the tears welled up in my eyes regardless. I’d been through so much—accused, shunned, betrayed by someone I once loved—but now, the truth was out. I had been cleared. The weight that had been pressing down on me for so long was finally lifted.
As the gavel struck, signaling the end of the trial, I couldn’t contain the rush of joy anymore. I stood up abruptly, turning toward my sisters who had been sitting quietly in the back, waiting for this moment too. Without a second thought, I ran toward them, my feet almost flying across the room. My arms shot out as I reached them, pulling them into a tight, overwhelming hug.
"Finally!!," I choked out, my voice breaking with emotion.
Ava and Annamae wrapped their arms around me, holding me so tightly I could barely breathe. It felt so surreal, so perfect, to be surrounded by their warmth and not feel guilty at all.
"I’m so proud of you," Ava whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "You’re free, Riona. You’ve been through hell, and you’re finally free."
Annamae squeezed my hand with a strength that surprised me. "We’re all together now, Ri. You don’t have to face this alone anymore."
I nodded, my heart swelling with love and gratitude. My innocence had been proven, and now I could rebuild. Everything that had been taken from me—the respect, the honor—everything.
As I held my sisters close, the finality of Niall’s sentencing hit me. He was being taken away to prison, officially locked away for the crime he’d committed. I didn’t know what would happen to him from here, but for the first time in what felt like forever, I didn’t care.
Milo was also in prison but he could get out on parole since he was under the influence of drugs and was drugged.
I pulled back from my sisters, wiping my eyes with the back of my hand. "Thank you," I whispered again. "I couldn’t have done it without you."
I was happy they accepted me, my new identity and my past. It took them some time, but they both eventually came to terms with it. Demos told me even humans feel the mate bond to some extent, so eventually they both were going to accept it.

Then I looked at the other person waiting for me.
Demos

The moment our eyes met, he smiled at me. And I couldn’t help but slip away from my sisters and run up to him.

I crashed into his chest and he embraced me tightly, making me feel whole.



>>Matthew
I was focused on the screen of my laptop, typing away, trying to wrap up some work when I heard Calliope's voice calling out from the other room.
"Matt, your phone’s ringing nonstop!"
I sighed, glancing at the buzzing device on the corner of my desk. "I'll look at it later," I muttered, still typing, but my attention was split.
A moment later, I heard Calliope's voice again, this time softer, but with a hint of amusement. "Archer, go give your father his phone."
I paused, an involuntary smile tugging at my lips as the soft patter of tiny footsteps grew louder. I turned my head just in time to see my son, Archer, waddling toward me with his little arms stretched out, clutching my phone in both hands. His face was lit up with determination, his steps small but filled with purpose.
He reached me, his wide, curious eyes meeting mine as he handed me the phone. I took it gently from his grasp, feeling a warmth fill my chest as I gazed down at him. That simple act of him running to me with that phone in his little hands—it felt fulfilling in a way I couldn’t quite put into words.
“Thanks, buddy,” I murmured, pressing a kiss to his forehead before answering the call.
“Yes, Hello,” I answered the call. Never expecting to hear what I did.
“H-hello?” The feminine voice sounded familiar.
“Yes?” I replied and there was a pause. “Yes, who is calling?” I asked and there was a pause again that got me a little annoyed.
I was thinking about ending the call when I heard her voice again.
“Matty?” The name brought a shiver down my spine, changing my emotions immediately.
There used to be only one person who used to call me by that name.
“Elara?”