The lost mate

Chapter 105: The truth is out

Emily sat in stunned silence, her mind racing with the pieces of this unimaginable puzzle. Heather’s revelation weighed heavily on her, but something suddenly clicked in Emily’s mind. A memory surfaced—something Anne had mentioned casually not long ago.

Anne had told her that wolves aged very slowly. That was why Damien’s parents, Alpha Richard and Liana, appeared to be in their 30s when, in reality, they were close to 60. Emily’s breath hitched as she realised what this meant—Richard could easily be James, Jennifer’s boyfriend.

Her eyes darted to her mother, Heather, who was staring out of the window, lost in her own painful thoughts. Emily swallowed hard, her voice breaking the heavy silence between them.

"Mum... Anne told me once that wolves age really slowly. That’s why Damien’s parents look so young. They’re not in their 30s—they’re almost 60. He hasn’t aged because he’s a wolf, Mum. He’s part of this world, just like Damien and Chris. We have to tell Anne. She needs to know who her father-in-law really is."

Heather’s eyes widened with alarm. "No!" she said sharply, her voice laced with fear. "We can’t tell her anything. We have to leave. We need to get out of here—back to Alaska, or maybe somewhere even further. These people, Emily, they’re dangerous. You don’t understand."

Emily blinked, taken aback by the urgency in her mother’s voice. "Dangerous? No, Mum, that’s not true. Anne is good, and so are Damien and Chris. You’ve seen that. They’re not like—"

"They’re not like their king and queen," Heather interrupted, her voice trembling with emotion.

"You don’t know what they’re capable of, Emily. You don’t know what my family went through back then—what Jennifer went through. We can’t trust them. Not him, not his wife. We need to leave."

"Mum, I get that you’re scared, and I understand why. But this isn’t just about us. If Richard—James—is as dangerous as you say, don’t you think Anne and Damien deserve to know the truth about him? They’re good people, Mum. You’ve seen how much they care about us. We can’t just run away and leave them in the dark."

Heather’s face twisted with indecision. She glanced back out the window, her hands trembling in her lap. "I don’t know, Emily. I just... I don’t want you to get hurt. I don’t want either of us to end up like Jennifer."

Emily’s heart ached at the raw pain in her mother’s voice, but she knew in her gut that running away wasn’t the answer. Not this time. "We can’t run forever," Emily said softly, reaching over to squeeze her mother’s hand. "I’m not saying we confront Richard and Liana ourselves. But Anne and Damien deserve the truth. They’ll know what to do. They can protect us."

Heather stared at Emily, her eyes brimming with uncertainty and fear. She wanted to protect her daughter at all costs, but she also knew that Emily had grown stronger over the years, wiser.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Heather let out a shaky breath and nodded, though the fear didn’t leave her eyes. "Okay," she whispered. "We’ll tell Anne."

*******************************

The party seemed to carry on effortlessly without Heather and Emily, but Anne couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that settled over her the moment they left. She felt distracted, unable to fully engage in any conversation as she moved through the gathering. Something was off.

A young, attractive pack member with golden hair and sparkling blue eyes sidled up to her, a radiant smile on her lips.

"Madam Luna," the woman said cheerfully, her voice bright and friendly.

Anne blinked, taken slightly off guard. "Just Anne is fine."

The woman’s smile widened. "I just wanted to say how much I admire you. You’re going to make a wonderful Luna someday."

Anne offered a polite smile.

"Thank you; that’s kind of you to say," she murmured, trying to be gracious despite her scattered thoughts.

The woman continued to chatter on.

"Anne," Liana said smoothly, interrupting the conversation with the ease of a queen stepping into her court. The young pack member instantly fell silent, bowing her head respectfully and taking a step back.

"I wanted to speak to you," Liana said, her tone deceptively calm as she stepped closer. "About Heather."

Anne’s stomach tightened. "Heather?"

"Yes," Liana continued, her gaze never wavering from Anne’s. "I’m concerned. You mentioned she was in treatment for something?"

Anne hesitated, but she knew she couldn’t lie to the Alpha Queen. "Yes, she is. She’s been undergoing treatment for cancer," she admitted, choosing her words carefully.

"I see, it must be hard moving away from her home. What did she do in Alaska ?"

Anne blinked, surprised by the question. "She runs a café," she said cautiously. "In Alaska."

"A café?" Liana repeated, her gaze sharpening. "Where in Alaska?"

Anne shifted uncomfortable. Why was Liana so interested in Heather’s life all of a sudden? "In Anchorage," she replied slowly.

"What’s it called?" Liana asked, her voice clipped.

Anne hesitated again, the strange tension in the air making her skin prickle. "It’s called... Pink Snow Café."

"Pink Snow," Liana murmured, as if testing the name on her tongue. She took a step back, her gaze thoughtful and calculating. "I see. Well, thank you for the information, Anne. It’s good to know more about the people in Damien’s life."

Then, without another word, she turned on her heel and walked away, her back straight and her steps unhurried. But Anne wasn’t fooled. She had seen the agitation in Liana’s eyes, the way her body had stiffened at the mention of Heather’s café. However, the cafe was rebranded after Heather took over. If Anne’s suspicion was right, then Liana wouldn’t suspect anything.

Ignoring the curious looks of the pack members around her, Anne pulled out her phone and typed out a quick message to Emily.

We need to talk. What’s going on? Please, I need to know. Call me as soon as you can.

She hit send and shoved her phone back into her pocket, frustration gnawing at her. She didn’t want to wait. She needed answers, and she needed them now. Something was happening, something big, and Anne had the sinking feeling that whatever it was, it involved Heather—and Liana—more than she could have ever imagined.

"Mommy, I am sleepy." Ryan came up to her while rubbing his eyes.

Anne scooped Ryan up into her arms.

"Sure, dear, I will put you in bed." Anne carried Ryan to his bedroom, tucking him in with a kiss on the forehead.

Her phone rang almost immediately.

Anne rushed to pick up her phone, her heart pounding as she saw Emily’s name flash on the screen. She answered quickly, walking back into the hallway to avoid waking Ryan.

"Emily? What’s going on?" Anne asked, her voice a mix of concern and urgency.

There was a brief pause before Emily spoke, her voice trembling. "Anne, we need to talk. It’s about your in-laws. About your father-in-law."

Anne froze. "Yeah, I am listening."

Emily let out a shaky breath. "James is Richard, or at least he used to be. My mum... Heather, she recognised him. He was Aunt Jennifer’s boyfriend. The one who made her perfume, and Liana was part of it. They used Aunt Jennifer to have a baby !"

Anne felt her knees weaken as Emily’s words sank in. Her mind raced, trying to process the revelation.

"Emily, are you sure?" Anne asked, though she already knew the answer. The fear in Liana’s eyes earlier, the agitation when Heather’s café was mentioned, Richard’s ill health —it all made sense now.

"Yes," Emily replied, her voice cracking. "Mum’s been freaking out ever since she saw him. She’s convinced we need to leave, that they’re dangerous."

"Emily, listen to me," Anne said firmly, her voice steady despite the chaos in her mind.

"I know she’s scared. And I understand why. But Damien and Chris—they’re not like Richard or Liana. They will protect you."

There was silence on the other end of the line, and Anne could hear Emily’s shaky breathing. "Okay," Emily finally whispered.

She hung up, and Anne leant against the wall, her mind racing. She needed to talk to Damien. He deserved to know the truth about his father. But how could she bring this up without causing chaos?