Chapter 231 Finding the culprit

"Irene? What are you doing here?"

However, instead of answering, she lowered her head, and I could see the first tear appearing in her eyes.

I stepped to her.

"Irene, what is it? What is the matter? You can tell me." I tried to encourage her.

"I don't know how to tell you this." And she started sobbing.

I didn't know what to do. I just pulled her closer, and caressed her upper arm. It took a long time for her to calm down.

"Will you tell me what is wrong?" I tried to make her speak again, but she just stood there, watching Asher.

"I need to apologise to you." She started, and my eyes widened. For a moment, the way she stared at Asher, I had a thought, but I quickly pushed that away. That was just impossible.

"Olivia, you know that I have a family." I nodded. "I don't know how that happened, but about a week ago I finished here, and I was headed home. I went shopping, and I was happy to go home after a long day, to spend time with my pups."

She stopped for a second.

"I thought that evening would be the same as the others, but it wasn't. When I entered the flat, I couldn't find my babies. My mate passed away, you know, and I felt totally hopeless."

My eyes widened in shock.

"Did your kids disappear? Why didn't you tell us about that?"

"I wanted to. You were the first person who I wanted to ask for help. Everyone thought that you have lost Asher, and I knew you were so upset, I didn't want to disturb you with that, so I headed to Walter. However, before I could get there, some unfamiliar figures got me, and they put me in a car. They covered my eyes, so I couldn't see what was happening, and who did that to me."

She started crying again, and I caressed her back. I was shocked to hear that, but I wanted to know what she wanted to tell me, and what has it got to do with me.

"They said if I want my pups back, I must do a few things for them. I didn't know what they wanted, but I told them I would do everything for my pups. I just wanted to get them back."

She needed to stop again, as she started to sob once more.

"They said they will give me information about what I should do, then they simply kicked me out of the car. I was unconscious for a little while, and when I woke up and took the cover off of my eyes, they were nowhere."

"And what happened then?" I asked.

"They contacted me regularly. Mostly, they asked me about things here. They asked me about wolfsbane a lot. They wanted to know how much a werewolf body can take."

My eyes widened again. That was the moment when I thought that maybe what she wanted to tell me was about Asher's kidnapping.

"I needed to take wolfsbane for them, at first, but they also asked me a few things. They made me talk about you, Walter, and they forced me to talk about Aiden as well."

I sighed while I tried to find the words, and I found a seat to sit down on. I was angry, but somehow I understood her. They got her kids, and she was a mother. I would have done the same, I guess.

"Finally, they said I was doing a great job, and I got a phone. They said they will give me one more task, and then I can live happily with my pups."

I closed my eyes in disbelief. "What did they want you to do next?"

"They wanted me to take a video of you and Walter. They asked me to catch moments that would make others believe that you and Walter are a couple. They wanted me to include Aiden as well. The video needed to show that Aiden and Walter were acting like father and son."

I frowned.

"Why?"

She lowered her head again.

"I have left the phone where they told me to leave it. After a week, a few days ago, I received a message. They thanked me for the job, and they sent me a picture of Asher. They said the videos worked, and he would die soon."

She started sobbing again. I stood up, and even if I was angry, I tried to hold myself back from letting my anger out.

"But why didn't you tell us about that? Why didn't you ask us for help? Do you know what that video caused?"

She lowered her head again.

"I didn't dare to tell you, as I was scared. They threatened me. They said if I dare to talk about it, they will get my pups, and they will kill them the worst way possible."

I looked up at the ceiling.

"Olivia, please forgive me." She sobbed again.

I took a deep breath, and I pulled her closer. Even if I was angry with her, I couldn't hurt her. Asher was back, and he would be fine again. That was all that mattered.

"Irene, I will make sure you get protection, but you must tell us if something like that happens. We are a family. We are protecting each other."

I told her, and her face showed how grateful she was. As I kept her in my arms, my heart ached for Asher. So, that was the reason he was giving up. He thought I had moved on, and I got together with Walter. He also thought his only son had forgotten about him as well, and he accepted Walter as his father. My heart ached so much to think about what he had probably gone through. That just made me more eager to have him awake, and explain the situation to him. I needed to reassure him that I have never left him. To reassure him that I would love him for eternity, and his family will always be a place where he can be happy.