Navy's Sons: Bullied by Quadruplet Stepbrothers novel Chapter 2

Tabitha’s POV

Emery rises slightly from his seat and extends a hand with the confidence of someone who’s used to being in charge of entire cities, not just lunch tables. Of course, he is. Emery Aldair is the Alpha of Crystal Ridge pack and the commanding officer of the Kaelara Naval Station!

“It’s nice to finally meet you again,” he says with a warm smile. “You used to be schoolmates with my sons, back in Kaelara. I believe you were in the same year.”

This must be some kind of bad dream, because there’s no way that my mother’s fiancé is Emery Aldair. And yet, no matter how hard I pinch my arm, I just won’t wake up. Shit. This is real. That’s why the symbol on Gerald’s cuff looks familiar… there’s only one family whose staff wears that exact design… the Aldairs!

Is this really happening?

“Sweetie, Emery wants to shake your hand,” my mom whispers and lightly nudges me.

I snap back to my senses and take the man’s hand. He gives me a firm handshake and gestures to the table.

“Shall we eat?”

I barely manage a reply as we take our seats. The servers roll in a cart stacked with plates of what looks like the most delicious food I’ve ever seen, but my stomach stays quiet.

“I told them to bring out the specials and their best-sellers. But if you like anything else on the menu, do not hesitate to order,” Emery says.

“No, uh, these are plenty enough… sir,” I reply awkwardly.

I don’t think I have the appetite to eat anything anyway.

“Now, sweetie, I understand this may come as a shock to you but I want to use this opportunity to help you and Emery get to know each other better. He’s not just my fiancé, he’s going to be part of our lives now.”

I stare at my plate, still untouched.

“Emery is a good man. He’s kind, respectful, and incredibly accomplished,” she continues with a smile. “And he’s made me really happy, Tabitha. I think, if you give it a chance, you’ll see that he can make you feel safe and taken care of too.”

“Your mother speaks very highly of you. I know this is sudden, but I hope, in time, we can build a good relationship,” Emery seconds.

I nod again, just to be polite, but my mind is already spinning. I can’t believe I’m sitting across from Emery Aldair right now. The Emery Aldair. The most influential figure in Kaelara. The Alpha of Crystal Ridge Pack. The man who practically runs the entire place like it’s his own private kingdom. The place where I was born and raised. The place we ran away from five years ago. It’s insane. The reason we severed every tie to that place in the first place was because of his sons. Because of what they did to me. And now, here he is, sitting in front of me like fate just hit rewind and pressed play on the same nightmare again. This time, I’m not sure if running away would help me anymore.

I grab the glass of water and take a sip, trying not to tremble from the absurdity of it all.

“I just want my mom to be happy. I won’t stand in the way of her happiness,” I say plainly. Because honestly, I don’t know what else to say.

Emery Aldair may look exceptionally kind and charming right now, but I know to not be fooled. This man is dangerous. He commands a whole fleet of navy, and a whole werewolf pack at his disposal. He’s not someone to be crossed with. And while it’s true that I value my mom’s happiness enough to compromise for the sake of it, I also understand that getting too close to Emery Aldair’s world comes with consequences. His power isn’t just some title in a pack registry or a ceremonial position in the military. It’s real. It’s felt. People obey him without question. People fear him without saying it out loud.

And we don’t have the power to face the wrath of this Alpha if we ever land on the wrong side of him.

“Oh, sweetie. I knew you’d understand. We’re going to be a real family now. Isn’t that wonderful? I’ve always wanted that for you.”

I simply smile at her and nod. Emery looks pleased enough and we continue our lunch while they talk about some details of their wedding—the theme, the dress, the venue. Although it’s mostly my mom doing all the talking while her beau just nods and hums in agreement. Well, with a wedding as grand as this, I’m sure he’s going to be the one footing the bill, anyway.

Not that it would be a problem. Aldairs are filthy rich.

“Oh, and we’ll be moving to Kaelara in four days,” my mom announces excitedly. “It’s your summer vacation, anyway, so it shouldn’t be a problem. You won’t be missing anything important.”

I already expected this much but hearing out loud doesn’t make it horrifying.

We’re going back to that place… the very hell I tried my best to forget for the past five years. Suddenly, I lose the very little appetite I had earlier.

“And the boys are still living in the main house. I’m sure they’ll be thrilled to meet their new stepsister,” Emery says, smiling.

Yeah, I don’t think so. It’s in the tip of my tongue, but I just choose to stay quiet.

They probably would not even remember me. And somehow, I wish that would be the case. I’d rather have them forget that I was the loser they used to bully at high school. That would make it easier for me to survive living with them.

But then, I doubt they’d even recognize me now. I’ve changed so much in the last five years.

The lunch wraps up soon after, though I barely touch anything on my plate. Emery makes a call and his driver, Gerald, pulls the car around. We ride in silence most of the way. When we finally return to our apartment, I follow her inside, drop my bag by the door, and turn to face her.

“You’re really going to do this? You’re marrying into the same family that made our lives hell?” There goes my plan for a peaceful conversation. All the pent-up frustration that built up during lunch just explodes now.

“I thought you were okay with it. You didn’t say anything at lunch! You were… civil.”

I let out a dry laugh.

“Yeah, because I didn’t make a scene. I love you, Mom, but seriously? What were you thinking? Marrying Alpha Emery Aldair?”

Her brows pinch together, but she says nothing, so I keep going.

“I thought we were done with Kaelara. I thought we were done with werewolves. We left that place for a reason. You told me we were going to live a normal, quiet life. Just the two of us. Among humans.”

She looks away, and for a second, I think I might’ve actually gotten through to her.

“I’m sorry you feel that way,” she says quietly. “But Emery is a good man, Tabitha. You don’t know him like I do. He’s kind. Generous. And whether you believe it or not… he’s given us something we haven’t had in a long time.”

“What are you talking about?”

She reaches for my hand again, and this time, I let her take it, even though my chest is tight with frustration.

“You remember the debt, don’t you?”

My stomach twists.

Of course I do.

When we first moved to the mainland, I got sick all the time. My body couldn’t handle the shift in climate, the stress, the everything. We were in and out of the hospital so much, we might as well have lived there. And we didn’t have insurance back then. So Mom had to take out a huge loan from some sketchy company that still sends us thinly veiled threats every month.

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