An Emotional Reunion

An Emotional Reunion
OPAL

The ground beneath my feet starts to shake and the crowd goes crazy. People start running, disoriented, in all directions, but Kyle stays calm. 

What the hell is going on?

Did he know this would happen?

I have to admit that I’ve been confused since this morning. At first, he told me that I would have to be tied up to make it seem like I’m their prisoner. But then when Bruce told him about us being siblings, he didn’t hesitate. 

I’m still so shocked. I didn’t know that Kyle was my half-brother. 

What the hell is going on?

All around us, cars are starting to explode and bombs are literally being dropped on us. The contrast between how things were a few minutes ago and how they are now is sharp. Panic and fear sink deep into my bones, and I no longer know what to do. 

“Eric!” Kyle shouts over all the noise at the guy holding me. “Take her back to the cabin! Opal, don’t worry, it’s alright.”

“But…”

He closes his hand around my forearm and nods at me. “Don’t worry about it. I’m not going to hurt you.”

“Y-You know? How? Since when?”

“I’ll explain later. Now, there’s no time. Go!”

I don’t trust my legs right now, but I have to run. My heart is beating in my throat, and my ears are ringing from the sounds of the explosions.

Eric keeps his hand around my upper arm, guiding me here and there. We’re running through the sidewalk. There are shops on our left. Some of the windows are smashed. His grip is reassuring to me. I’d rather trust Kyle, whom I now know is my brother, than anyone else. 

But this sense of security doesn’t last long. 

In no time at all, Eric is tackled to the ground and I almost go down with him. When I see who it is, my eyes widen and I start to run by myself. 

“Opal!”

I ignore Bruce. Goddess, my heart will burst if it keeps beating this hard. I can’t take any more of this. Bruce catches up to me. Of course he does. I can’t move as quickly while the ropes are still around my upper body. He pushes me toward the entrance of one of the shops, and we disappear inside. 

“No!” I shout. “Let go of me!”

“Opal, please.”

“HELP!”

He covers my mouth with his hand, and though I try to bite him, I fail. He pushes me against the nearest wall. His eyes are wide and I see fear written all over them along with something else I can’t identify. 

“I know you’re upset, but I need you to listen to what I have to say.”

His sentence is punctuated by the sound of a bomb hitting the building and even the walls shake. The whole shop becomes a dusty mess, and I can’t keep my eyes open without them burning. 

Bruce fights a cough. “I need you to know that I love you, no matter what.”

I shake my head since I can’t speak. He’s such a liar. 

“It’s the truth. I married you because it was a way out of this mess I thought was caused by the rogues. You need to understand, Opal. I thought the rogues killed my father. Not just the rogues, but Kyle Dresmond specifically. I thought they were attacking the packs and killing innocent people. I didn’t think Walter was behind everything. He planned every single detail, down to our marriage. Do you get it now? I know that doesn’t excuse my actions,” his face is inches away from mine now, “but I love you. I fell for you, head over heels. I knew then that I would never be able to use you to get back at them. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t have the guts, baby. I thought you would hate me regardless and I didn’t want that. I wouldn’t be able to bear it. But please. Believe me. I would never do anything to hurt you.”

He presses his forehead toward mine and I see tears gathering in his eyes. He doesn’t let them fall, though. His speech…it caught me off guard. I don’t know what to think anymore. 

Is this the truth? If not, then what is?

“I’ve been worried sick,” he claims. “All these attacks…Walter has been forcing my hand. He threatened to hurt Quinton and your friend, Gwen. He threatened to hurt you. I couldn’t stop him. He killed my men. All the Alphas are on his side. I can’t trust anyone. Even my mother betrayed me. She’s with him now. They’re together. They want me out of the throne so that Walter can lead when he marries her.”

I suck in a breath, and this is when I realize that this is true. He’s telling the truth. I saw Walter and his mother in his late father’s room on the day of the funeral.

“Tell me you believe me,” he says as he finally lowers his hand. “Please. Tell me you believe me.”

I nod, tears welling in my eyes, and the relief I see stamped all over his face makes me cry. Bruce wraps his arms around me and picks me up. His grip around my body is unforgiving. It feels like I can’t breathe, but I couldn’t care less. 

“I thought you were behind all this,” I sob. “I hated you so much for it. So much.”

“I would never do anything like this,” he assures me. “I swear it to you. I would’ve killed Walter in a heartbeat, but I was terrified of what could happen to you. And Quinton. He already has Megan locked up because she wouldn’t accept his rule.”

We pull apart and he sets me down. Then, he starts undoing the knots on the rope so I’m set free. 

“What now?” I ask. “Is this all Walter’s doing?”

“Yes. I think he wants to get rid of us all and frame me for this. Make everyone hate me.”

Walter…I can’t believe I considered him a father. “He needs to be stopped, then. Where is he now?”

Behind us, the door of the shop bursts open and Kyle walks in, wide-eyed. He has a cut near his eyebrow and it’s bleeding, but my attention goes to the gun in his hand, which he points directly at Bruce.