105

105
Emma 

“We will need you to leave us alone,” Ace’s voice echoes through the room as I sit down with Artemisia. “They need to discuss pack matters and I will be enough to monitor the situation.” 

One of the guards of the royal pack tsks, lifting his chin. “As if we could trust you after you disappeared with the enemy for several weeks straight. What happened in the witches’ territory, huh?” 

“I will report to my superior when we return to the royal pack and I will have been able to speak to my father. I don’t remember that my rank was reduced so you will have to shut your mouth and act accordingly when I tell you to do something,” Ace retorts in an authoritarian voice, and I’m deeply thankful even if it all sounds like he is his old soldier self. 

Alberta, the Omega in charge of the staff closest to Artemisia, especially when it comes to the food, barges into the dining room with a worried expression. “Emma has returned? Shall I make you a tea?” she asks hastily, and Artemisia nods. 

I know that Alberta, who is just like a loving aunt to me, cares about my well-being. Still, I know as well that she disguises her worry for Artemisia making it seem like she only worries for me, and so she is thrilled as Artemisia lets her boil a healthy tea for the both of us. 

I’m also sure that she hasn’t eaten properly in days. 

Something that must have made Beta Finnegan furious. 

“When was the last time you ate?” I ask her, worried, and take a plate of cookies Alberta is handing me as the kettle is already boiling on the fire. 

Artemisia shakes her head, not being able to respond before we get interrupted.

“Oh, my goddess, girl!” The doors open with a bang and Julie runs towards me, only until she gets reprimanded by her boss. 

“Julie! No running in the kitchen.” 

She gasps, running on the spot before taking small and jumpy steps to reach me. Hugging me tightly, she lets a few sobs escape her chest before she lets go of me. “We were so worried!” 

“Let go of her. Let her eat,” Alberta hisses, unleashing a kitchen towel towards her. 

Julie jerks up, taking jumpy steps back to reach the kitchen to help Alberta with the tea. 

“What’s with those soldiers outside the door?” Kai asks as he sits down in front of us with Ace and I caress Artemisia’s arm as she takes a deep soothing breath. 

“I don’t know,” she huffs out, wiping her cheek with the sleeve of her woolen jacket. “There were so many soldiers who came to take Cayden and these are the ones they left behind without any justification.” Pausing to inhale another shaky breath, she makes it unnecessarily suspense-packed. “They seem so young and not really strong. Fynn told me that he would just make them disappear, but then we were scared that the same thing as the other time would happen.” 

“As the soldiers shifted in some kind of lycan monsters?” Kai asks, and I immediately notice how Ace squirms strangely in his seat. 

Artemisia nods, tapping my hand over and over again. “Yes. We were convinced that it was a trap. It all seems too easy.” 

She holds out her hand, laying it on Ace’s and I hate how he flinches at her touch, even as it must be because she dragged him out of his thoughts. “But still, we were convinced that they wouldn’t have stood a chance against us during an attack. Unfortunately, you know how your father is. He didn’t want to risk it as it would have meant losing many lives while at it. He just said that you would come back and help him out, so you two could return home together.” 

My heart scrunches painfully as her lips tremble while she tries to keep it together. “Cayden assured me that nothing would happen until your return. But I’m desperate. What if there are more of those creatures on the royal territory? What if they hurt him?” 

“What the fuck is wrong with you?” Kai barks at Ace, causing us to look at him flabbergasted. 

Ace clears his throat, lowering his gaze as he smirks uncomfortably. “They won’t be able to hurt him.” 

“What?” Kai scoffs annoyed, propping his elbows on the table to look at Ace.

“Those creatures…” he starts but doesn’t finish the sentence, an uncomfortable sensation wrapping around my heart. 

“Oh, no. What did you do?” I ask, leaning back with a gasp. 

“Nothing,” he lifts his head to lock his eyes back with mine. “Well…Maybe I have something to do with those creatures.” 

We look at him wide-eyed, only Kai finding the right words to speak. “Like what?” 

Ace shrugs, averting his gaze to look at Kai. “Maybe we should talk to Dad.” 

“The fuck you will!” I skyrocket out of my seat, making everybody look at me in shock. 

Balling my hands into fists, I take a deep, calming breath. “No more secrets. What the hell happened? This is our Alpha you are talking about. Your father! Do you even realize what this means for the pack?” 

Ace clenches and unclenches his jaw several times, his eyes burning into mine. Time slows down, feeling like an eternity has passed when he finally speaks. 

“As the Judge and his escort of warriors of the royal pack entered our territory they started poisoning you,” he starts, making my heart twist in my chest, and not because he used ‘our’ while describing the pack. “They continued to do so as they sat down at our table to eat, and then proceeded to keep you all drugged as they watched the training.” 

I hug my stomach instinctively, not liking the idea of being drugged which could have hurt my baby. 

“Are you fucking kidding me?” Kai snarls, fighting the urge to charge against his brother. 

The omegas already cower at the aura rolling off him, and I sit down, pressured by the force, taking a deep breath as my Luna wraps her arms around my shoulders. 

“It wasn’t my plan,” Ace tries to go on, only causing his brother to bark at him. 

“But you fucking let it happen. You knew about it. What about the pup?” Kai fights hard not to pop off, but I can hardly breathe at the fury that swaps through me through our bond. 

“I…I…” Ace starts, my blood freezing as he tries to make excuses. “They said it was innocuous. We just needed to scare you. You were getting too powerful.”