Chapter 67 - The Rejected Goddess

Emma POV

I have been keeping a few secrets from people, the main two being my return from my family and that the five packs did not disappear.

When I got myself back together, a month later I did an investigation and found where Eric and my father had been keeping the five pack members. Eric had apparently been sending someone to check on the packs, but the visits were weekly, and the person would literally turn up and leave within a few minutes. Thankfully, I was able to get the leaders out of stasis before Eric could send his representative again for the weekly check, the guy really should have been better.

Considering what Eric, my father and Melanie managed to pull off, I am surprised that the foundation of the plan was so weak. With the leaders free, Eric had nothing to hold over the packs and getting the leaders out of stasis was easy.

For the past seven months the five packs that Eric and my father had decimated have been living in my realm, after all it is up to me to right the wrongs that my father and ex-mate have done. The packs themselves have been coming on leaps and bounds, many of them have been training hard and bonding as a pack again.

The leaders I have helped to heal as best I could when I freed them six months ago, since then the wounds I could not heal I gave as much support to them as I could. Hopefully, with time the mental and emotional scars of being in stasis will reduce, but they have all bounced back quickly and adjusted to being back in the land of the living.

The pups were found safe and sound, thankfully my father had hidden them with the elderly and the weak that Eric didn’t want but kept to force the more rebellious members to fight. They looked after the pups rather well, and there were thankfully no deaths within the pups.

I then leave my home in my realm and quickly make my way to the eating hall that I created for the pack members. As the five packs were only starting out, there are not too many members so housing them in my realm was easy. It also made interacting with them and each other a lot easier as there were no rivalries, instead a lot of alliances have been formed between the packs.

Once I enter the eating hall, I quickly make my way to the front and get the attention of everyone. Silence descends on the room before I speak.

“Alpha Danny and Luna Bee of the Blue Moon Pack; Alpha Ben and Luna Anna of the Thunder Pack; Alpha Albert and Luna Kagome of the Banner Pack; Alpha Bert of the Liberty Pack and Luna Florence of the Nightingale Pack please all step forward.” I address everyone, my voice loud and clear for all to hear.

Once all 8 are standing in front of me, they bow to me before I motion for them to stand up.

“Thank you for staying here and working hard and getting your packs back on their feet. I would like to inform you that I have gotten your pack lands ready, you may return back home as of right now.” I say, smiling to them.

For the last few months, I have been visiting each of their pack lands and spending time getting everything ready for their returns. I have chased out the dangers that had entered their pack lands and repaired any damage that had been done, not that there was much to repair.

I found the work enjoyable and relaxing. The thought of many returning home

“Thank you, Goddess Emma, thank you so much for everything you have done.” Alpha Danny says, smiling at me.

“No need to thank me, I am just so sorry that my ex-mate did such heinous things to you and your packs. Please, forgive me for not being able to help sooner.” I say, looking around at everyone. I expect to see hatred and contempt but all I see is thankfulness and happiness.

“We are just so glad that you have helped us. And I can speak for us all here, we really appreciate you helping us to get our packs, lands and lives back. It means so much.” Says Luna Anna, hugging her mate Alpha Ben in happiness.

“I am just glad that everyone here today is able to finally go home.” I smile, waving my arms and opening up portals all around us to take them back to their pack lands.

Once everyone has gone I let out a sigh of relief. While it has been nice to see the packs come together again and heal, it is nice to finally have my realm back to myself. I have missed just being able to be free and carefree in this place, it feels like home again.

The silence descends and I welcome it, helping me to calm my raging thoughts and my heartbeat. It is finally time.

I turn and open another portal, this one to the one place where my heart belongs but is scared to go.

I stand there for what feels like forever, just looking at the other side and debating on whether what I am about to do is the right thing for me.

I take a deep breath and step through.

Time to face the last item on my agenda.

Alpha Inga POV

Emma is back!

That is all I can think about right now, I am sure that Emma does not want me to know that she is back as James begged me not to tell her he told me. But I could not be any happier. Neither could my pack, they already want to hold a celebration.

I am hurt that Emma has not come to see me or anything, but I can also understand what she is going through. After all, everything that has happened was too much for her, so she needs time to heal. And sometimes that requires being away from loved one and people you know, I just hope that she has not changed too much.

According to James she is happy, she has brought Mitch his family back, so she still has her heart and kindness that I fell in love with. That makes me smile, my Emma has not changed much.

James says that Emma has been through a lot, and even her brother and father do not know she has returned. As harsh as that may sound, I can understand her feelings about that. After all her family betrayed her, only Matthew didn’t but she may not want him to know just how broken she was. Which makes me sad, as it means that Emma has not met her nephew yet.

“I wonder why she has not come here yet, after all it has been seven months.” Beta Edward says to me, pulling me out of my thoughts. We are currently sitting in the pack living room, discussing what to do with some rogues we captured when Alpha James called my mobile phone.

“I think she might have some misconceived thoughts and regrets.” I say, sighing.

“What do you mean?”

“We saw her go berserk and lose herself to her emotions, she most likely thinks that I hate her and will reject her. So, she is trying to steel herself ready for my rejection.” I theorise.

“Then she really doesn’t know you.” Beta Edward replies sadly.

“Can you blame her? Look at what she has been through, both years ago and months ago. For goddess’s sake, her ex-mate and sister killed her. Then her ex-mate tried to mate and mark her against her will, her sister killed another Luna and did other atrocious acts towards her, her mother and father both betrayed Emma in the worst way possible and then Eric tries to manipulate her using witchcraft to create deity binding drugs and ropes. Only to find out that all of the rogues that have been attacking are actually members of packs that had been taken over my Eric and her father. Can’t really blame Emma for her reaction then and now, she has been through so much and that would take its toll on anyone.”

“I didn’t look at it like that, but you are right. I think that would break me if I had to go through any of that, and Emma went through it all.” Beta Edward replies thoughtfully.

“It would break anyone, the fact that Emma suffered time and again and still came out the other side is nothing short of a miracle. That does not mean however that she will not be punished when she gets here.” I say, growling slightly under my breath. My wolf wags his tail as the thoughts of the punishments I have planned flicker through my mind.

“You can’t be serious? Punishing a deity? And Emma on top of that? Do you have a death wish?” Beta Edward looks at me shocked.

“Oh, I am sure she will like this punishment.” I say, smirking at him.