The lost mate

Chapter 131: A revealation

Emily’s eyes widened in shock, her hand instinctively reaching for Chris’s arm as if she needed something solid to hold onto. "What... what is he doing here?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Chris’s jaw clenched, his instincts immediately going on high alert. His protective nature kicked in, and he stepped in front of Emily, his body acting as a shield between her and Richard, though they were still several feet away.

"I don’t know," Chris muttered.

Emily’s heart raced, her eyes still wide with fear and confusion as she stared after Richard’s retreating figure. Her grip on Chris’s arm tightened, a sinking feeling settling in her stomach. "We need to check on my mum," she said, her voice trembling with urgency. "What if Richard did something to her? What if he hurt her?"

Chris, who had been frozen in shock, finally shook himself out of his stupor. The thought of his Alpha being here, lurking around Emily’s house, was already unsettling. But the idea that Richard might have harmed Heather sent a surge of adrenaline through him. He clenched his fists, his gaze darting to the house.

"Emily—" Chris started, but she was already moving, her feet carrying her swiftly from the car towards the front door.

"Emily, wait!" Chris called, but she didn’t stop. She sprinted towards the house, her fear driving her forward. Chris followed quickly, his heart beating as he tried to catch up.

Emily burst through the front door, her breath coming in short gasps as she called out, "Mum? Mum!"

Heather appeared in the hallway, her face calm but slightly puzzled at her daughter’s frantic entrance. "Emily, what’s going on?" she asked, concern flashing in her eyes.

Chris stepped in right behind Emily, his eyes scanning the room, his senses heightened. Heather looked unharmed, standing there in the dimly lit hallway with a look of confusion, not fear.

"Mum, are you okay?" Emily rushed to her, grabbing her shoulders and looking her over, her eyes wide with worry. "Did Richard hurt you? Did he—?"

Heather shook her head quickly, her hands coming up to gently grip Emily’s arms. "I’m fine," she said softly, trying to calm her daughter. "He didn’t hurt me."

Emily blinked, taken aback by her mother’s composed demeanour. She searched Heather’s face for any sign of distress, but all she found was calm. "But... why was he here?" Emily demanded, her voice shaky. "What did he want?"

Chris, standing just behind them, was still reeling from the shock of seeing Alpha Richard at the house. His mind raced, trying to make sense of the situation, but nothing about this felt right. Richard, his Alpha, lurking around a human’s house in the middle of the night? Apologising? Chris couldn’t wrap his head around it.

Heather took a deep breath, glancing at Chris before turning back to Emily. "He was here to apologise," she said simply.

Emily’s mouth dropped open in disbelief. "To apologise?"

Chris stepped closer, his brows furrowed in confusion. "What... what is this about?" he asked, his voice steady but filled with unease. The idea that Richard, of all people, would come here to apologise—especially to Heather—felt surreal. He couldn’t imagine what could have transpired between them to warrant this.

Heather let out a soft sigh, her gaze shifting between Emily and Chris. "It’s complicated," she admitted, her voice soft but firm. "Richard... He came here to talk about the past. About Jennifer."

"Jennifer?" Chris repeated.

Heather’s expression darkened slightly, a flicker of old pain crossing her face. "He was Jennifer’s mate," she said quietly. "And... he’s the reason she’s gone."

"Wait," he said, in shock. "Alpha Richard was... her mate?"

Heather sighed. Jennifer was Damian’s biological mother."

Chris felt a wave of confusion and disbelief wash over him.

"WHAT ?"

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

Richard stepped into his suite, closing the door quietly behind him, but the tension in his body gave him away.

Before he could retreat into the quiet sanctuary of his study, Liana appeared at the foot of the stairs, her arms crossed, a storm brewing in her eyes. She stood there, unmoving, her gaze piercing through him like a dagger.

"You were with her, weren’t you?" Liana’s voice was low, but it held the sharp edge of accusation.

Richard met her gaze, his expression hardening. He should have expected this. Liana always knew when something was off; her instincts were razor-sharp. "I went to see Heather," he admitted, his tone even but guarded. "I needed to... explain things to her. Apologise."

"Apologise?" Liana scoffed, stepping forward, her heels clicking sharply against the floor. "What good does that do now?"

Richard clenched his jaw, his temper barely in check. He had already spent the evening dredging up painful memories, reliving the guilt he had carried for so long. He didn’t need Liana to remind him of his failures.

"I owed it to her," he said, his voice firm, though the guilt lingered in his tone. "I owed it to Jennifer."

At the mention of Jennifer’s name, Liana’s eyes flashed with fury. "Don’t you dare bring her up," she snapped, her voice shaking with anger.

Richard’s fists clenched at his sides, the tension between them growing thicker by the second. "It’s not just about me," he shot back. "I warned Heather to leave. Things are about to get dangerous, and she shouldn’t be caught in the middle."

Liana stared at him, her lips curling into a bitter smile. Liana stepped closer, her face mere inches from his now.

"Is that your excuse? You still love Jennifer, don’t you ?"

Richard’s breath caught in his chest, the weight of her words hitting him harder than he’d expected.

"I have always loved you, Liana, but Jennifer was my mate. Still, I sacrificed her... for you."

"Sacrificed?" she hissed, her voice trembling with both fury and sorrow. "Don’t make this sound noble, Richard. You didn’t sacrifice her for me. You crave power as much as me."

Richard clenched his fists, his body rigid with frustration. "It wasn’t like that, Liana. I—"

"No!" Liana interrupted, her voice rising as she pointed a finger at him. "You didn’t do it for me! You did it for yourself. You wanted the best of both worlds—a human mate and a wolf pack under your control."

"And now you’re apologising to Heather, stirring up old wounds, and expecting me to just stand by and watch as you unravel?"

Richard’s eyes snapped back to hers, and for the first time in the conversation, a flicker of frustration broke through his calm. "I’m not unravelling, Liana. I’m trying to fix this."’

"Fix this?" Liana’s bitter laugh echoed through the hallway.

A long silence settled between them, heavy with unsaid words and years of unresolved tension. Richard ran a hand through his hair, his mind racing. He had never intended for things to come to this, but every decision he had made seemed to have led him to this point, standing at the edge of a crumbling foundation.

"I’m going to the council," Liana suddenly said, her voice steady and resolute.

Richard blinked, momentarily thrown off by her abrupt statement. "Council ? For what ?"

"To fix this mess."