Bad Love: An Alpha's Regret (Leah and Aaron) novel Chapter 288

Chapter 288
AARON
I step into the sitting room, I’m eager to see my sister for the first time in ten years.
Emily has her back to me, staring out the window.
Axel stands by, looking both annoyed and bored, and I briefly wonder if Emily has been difficult to put him in such a mood since the last time I saw him.
I don’t know what to expect.
Jessica’s warning about Emily’s fragile state keeps echoing in my mind.
Emily is going to be difficult; I know that much.
Who wouldn’t be after a decade in captivity?
My sister is no doubt broken in many different ways and needs the support of myself and the pack so she can slowly put her life back together.
“Emily,” I say softly as I approach, and she whirls around to
face me, eyes wide like a cornered, panicked animal.
“It’s okay,” I tell her calmly. “You’re home now. You’re safe.”
Emily’s eyes fill with tears as she steps forward.
I catch her up against me, hugging her tight.
I can’t believe the miracle I’ve been gifted.
That I have my sister back, after living with the pain of my entire immediate family being dead for so many years.
“I’m not safe, Aaron,” Emily says through her tears, voice mu fled against my chest.
“What do you mean?” I ask worriedly, setting her back from me a little.
Her eyes dart around the room, as if she expects to be attacked at any moment.
“I won’t be safe while she is under the same roof as me,” Emily whispers in a shaky voice.
“Who?” I ask in suspicion, though I think I already know who my sister is talking about.
“Leah!” Emily cries, as if it should be obvious. “How can you
keep her here, Aaron? On our pack lands? In your home? She’s the daughter of our worst enemy. Her marriage to you was all a sham, a ploy to put a wolf in sheep’s clothing right under your nose. And you fell for it! You’re still falling for it. You need to get rid of her now, before she can turn on you.”
I shake my head sadly at Emily’s ranting.
“Emily, Leah is not who you think. She grew up among us. She is part of the pack now. Hell, she is the pack. She is Luna, and the beating heart of us. We wouldn’t be here, living peacefully now, if it wasn’t for her. Things have changed since you were last home. I know it’s probably hard to see now-”
“No, Aaron!” she snaps, pulling away from me. “I’m the only one who can see clearly. Mark my words, I will not accept her as your mate. And the second I see any evidence of her true Roberts colors, I will act to defend myself and this pack!”
Apprehension and concern rush through me, along with some
anger.
Emily is much more unwell than I even feared.
And she’s directing all the pain of her captivity toward the person who deserves it the least.
The person who found and rescued her.
“Emily, listen very carefully to me,” I tell her, injecting Alpha into my tone so I know I have her attention and she will be compelled to do as I say. “Leah is your Luna, and you will accept it. Furthermore, you will not look upon her with suspicion. She-and I as your brother-do not deserve such disrespect. If you do anything that threatens the safety of your Luna, or anyone in the pack for that matter, there will be consequences, even if you are my sister. Do I make myself clear?”
Tears spill down Emily’s cheeks and she looks wounded, as if I’ve physically harmed her in some way.
I feel terrible, but I can’t let this irrationality continue.
“Emily,” I say more gently. “Your mind has been muddled by all those years of captivity. You’re stuck in a past that doesn’t exist anymore. I’m going to do everything I can to help you. Just please, don’t fight me on this. Trust me. I only want what’s best for you.”
Emily glances away, and I can’t tell if she agrees with me or
not.
I’m worried she’s going to continue this campaign of hate against Leah, no matter what I say.
Which means Emily can’t be trusted.
The thought cuts me to the core.
This is my sister. She’s been tortured and imprisoned.
I hate that I have to be so harsh with her.
“Axel,” I say, turning to glance at my newest pack member. “I’m entrusting Emily’s safety and supervision to you. I require you to monitor her twenty-four-seven and report to me anything she does to harm herself, or other pack members. Emily is going to attend sessions with the pack therapist, and you will also report her progress to me. Agreed?”
Out of everyone, he’s the best person for the job because he didn’t know Emily before, so he won’t be swayed by sentiment or old attachments. He also isn’t pack so he’s less likely to talk or get wrapped up in gossip.
“Yes, Alpha,” Axel replies easily, with a smooth nod.
“Aaron, you can’t do this!” Emily yells in distress. “I’m not some fragile, broken doll you need to watch and fix. All I tried to do was tell you the truth.”
“I’m sorry, Emily,” I tell my sister. I take a deep breath. “But they aren’t truths, they’re delusions. And until you can tell the difference, this is the way things have to be.”
“I’m going to make you see the truth,” Emily growls, but she’s
jittery and agitated like a trapped, wounded animal. “And then you’ll regret this!”
B
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