“No. It’s his fucking fault, and he will pay for it. Emmet will not be pardoned for his fucking crimes.” A sob leaves her as she crumbles in front of me, a woman who has been broken by her mate and his actions.
“What have I done… Emmet… why did he do this? Leo, what if you let him go? Don’t let him stay in the pack. Exile him, and -“
“Do I look like a fool to you? If you set a criminal free,he will come back for revenge. This wasn’t an accident or a crime committed by misjudgement, but one he carried out intentionally. Emmet not only abused you, but he also tried to harm an unborn pup and a pregnant woman. It doesn’t matter if she is the rightful Luna of this pack or the fact that that was my child he tried to hurt. They are crimes that I’m not going to forgive, whether they were against an Alpha or an Omega, and he will be punished.” My voice is cold, but despite my calmness, there is no fucking way I am going to pardon him. When an enemy walks free, they are a danger just waiting to happen. Emmet will stay in prison for life, or at least the next thirty years before I decide what to do with him… or… someone else does…
“Will you kill him?” She asks in a hoarse whisper.
“I want to. I want to rip him limb from fucking limb for what he did. Don’t forget, Jackie, he was like a brother to me. But I won’t do that because it would cause your downfall if I did,” I reply quietly.
“He hurt a baby.” She is crying again, rocking in her seat. I move away from the desk, and crouch down in front of her.
“Jackie.” I take hold of her arms, hating seeing her like this. “Tell me. How long has he been hurting you? Please don’t lie.” She doesn’t remove her hands from her face as she continues to sob, her pain and anguish clear.
“It was on and off… maybe it started a year after we were mated. It was just a shove or slap here and there, but then it became more frequent,” she whispers, her voice breaking. So, for a few fucking years…
“And not once did you think to tell me or Nikki?”
“He was your friend, and I love him.” She looks torn.
“Friend or not, I wouldn’t side with someone because of who they are… I would have sided with the truth.” Yet despite Azura just being a young woman, you straight up rejected her because of who her parents are. I sure am a fucking hypocrite.
“I’m sorry I said that Azura lied that day. I owe her an apology for that and for spilling her secret… I’m sorry.”
“The question is, what will you do now? Emmet will be tried in front of the pack, and he will be fucking imprisoned, rest assured. But now it’s on you. Will you stay as the mate of an abuser, someone who tried to kill an unborn child, mated yet apart, or will you let him go and build your life once more?” I ask softly. I know she is in pain, but she needs to make the decision.
“It’s not that easy. You mean rejecting him, right? The pain of rejection after marking is devastating,” she whispers brokenly. Gone is the smiling woman who always cares for others… I just wish that she could smile genuinely, not a fake mask whilst suffering inside. “Rejection is terrifying…” she whispers.
I know how painful rejection is… and I hate that I fucking put Azura through that… but what now? Do I somehow find someone to break the bond, so she can live when I die? I force my attention back to the woman in front of me.
“I know it is. It will hurt, but with time those injuries will heal. He is an abuser, Jackie. You deserve better,” I say quietly, giving her arm a gentle squeeze. “Whatever you decide, I won’t judge you… but he will remain in prison for his crimes. The rest is up to you.” She nods brokenly. It isn’t going to be an easy decision, but it is up to her now.
“Whatever I decide, will it affect anything else?” She asks, quietly wiping her cheeks only for more tears to fall.
“Only for yourself,” I reply. She nods, and we fall silent. I stand up, leaning against my desk, and light a cigarette.
“Leo… the Queen is here… can you ask her for help?” She asks hesitantly. My eyes flash, and I frown.
“No, and I don’t fucking want you mentioning that shit again.”
I’ve made sure to avoid Kiara, knowing she can fucking sense when someone is in pain. I need them gone from here. I have already talked to Marcel, saying they need to leave. I don’twant them overstaying their fucking welcome. She doesn’t reply, simply nodding.
“Can I have a week…? To decide?” She asks, fiddling with her fingers. I nod.
“I haven’t talked to him yet, either, so I don’t fucking kill him in the process. I need to cool down first.” She looks at me sadly and nods.
“I’m sorry that he betrayed you, too… I know you trusted him…”
“That’s life, people come and go… you can’t trust anyone. Not even those who you may consider your own.”
“Not always. Please don’t let Emmet’s betrayal remove you further from those who love you,” she pleads gently, almost fearful. I don’t reply, my face an emotionless mask.
“One week then… if you want to speak to him before that, you can let me know. No one is to see him without my permission, and that includes you,” I say dismissively, not wanting to delve into my own matters.
“Okay,” she replies quietly, getting up and walking to the door.
“If you need to talk, I’m here, and there are many in this pack who will willingly lend an ear. Don’t bottle that shit up inside.”
“You, too.” She forces a smile, although I know she is ready to break into tears again.
The door shuts behind her, and I smoke my cigarette, lost in thought. I’m not ready to talk to Emmet yet. I had visited the confinement centre earlier, but I didn’t go into his cell. He had been sitting on the bed, hands cupped behind his head, unmoving. But I wasn’t ready… not yet… I need to calm down first. I spoke to Jax last night, and it was fucking obvious he hadn’t even realised when the drug had taken effect. Only Emmet would have the answer to what his aim was…
He wasn’t meant to know Jax was there watching over Azura, but he had known he was there and drugged him. So, I want toknow why he had targeted him. Was it because he hadn’t wanted anyone watching or because I had lied that he was Azura’s mate? Either way, I’ll fucking find out when I go to see him.
I glance at the time. I had been notified that a car had come to pick up Alejandro and Kiara and that they would most likely leave soon. Good.
I have a meeting to attend regarding the buyers of the shipment, too. Plus, I have done some more research on this fucking Judah. I return to my underground cave and begin dealing with what I have to. Once this entire shipment is sold, I will have enough funding for all the pack pups.
Enough for them to be settled and live the life I want for them. I spend the next few hours trying to find more details on Judah. I have already sent Dan to see what he can find… I am going to get to the bottom of this shit, one step at a time.
It’s now evening, and although the day has been fucking long, I can’t deny that there is something about the coming night that I am looking forward to. For starters, the look on Corrado’s face when I return on time as he stands there in an apron and chef’s hat that he must have picked up today. That is enough to make me smile.
Winona has everything washed and set out for me, and, from what I can tell, the place has been cleaned. Not to mention it smells of something citrus and deep.
I get to work cooking and giving Corrado small jobs, knowing I don’t have much time. Winona sets the dishes before she leaves us to it. I hadn’t really given Azura a time, and so I mind-link her telling her to be here for seven. She replies promptly, and now I fucking feel as if I am running out of time.
“So, Daddy, what have you cooked for Azura?”
“For us,” I state.
“Yes, and for Azura.” Does he have to keep saying ‘for Azura?’ I give up arguing with the kid and add the diced peppers to the pan.
“Spicy rice, grilled tandoori chicken, chips, and chilli cheese bites.”
“Daddy, you didn’t cook the cheese bites.”
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