When We Were Mates (Demetra and Emris) novel Chapter 25

25

Elena.

“I don’t want eggs!”

Milo crosses his arms, but I’m not even listening to his tantrum this useless morning. My mind is stuck on last night…on the conversation with Emris, on that look in his eyes when he danced with her. It’s playing on a loop behind my eyes like a sick, silent film.

“Mommy, you’re hurting me!”

I struggle to shove his foot into his shoe impatiently. I don’t even look at what I’m doing. All I can think about is today… the Luna’s Day after the spectacle of yesterday. Emris completely humiliated me. But it started with her. She chose him. She picked him out of that crowd of hungry Alphas, and it was intentional. Can you imagine?

That bitch. That charity case for a pack of mutts. That used–up, hollow–eyed whore they took in out of pity. She’s got a face like a slapped ass and a body built for back–alley business. She’s a walking corpse they’re too cheap to bury. She’s a stain, a mistake, a ragged cunt they dress up and call one of their own.

Plastered against him like a cheap sticker. Those fake tits she pressed against his. A convenient fuck. And that dirty ass of hers that’s ready to back into any Alpha’s lap who glances her way.

She looks like a willing hole for any male who knows his way around. Appearing in Emris‘ dreams like the whore that she is

“Ouch, Mommy!”

“Milo, can you be quiet!” I snap, swatting and spanking his hand away from mine. His face instantly crumples into tears. I jam his foot into the shoe and stand up while he cries.

“I’m sick of you! You throw a tantrum every single day! Shut your mouth right now!”

“What the hell, Elena?”

Regan walks into Milo’s bedroom. He must have heard the crying from the hall.

“Can’t you see he’s being stubborn?” I hiss, turning on him.

“He’s four-”

“I’ll tell Daddy!” Milo wails, then runs out of the room, one shoe on, one shoe off.

I fist my hands around the other shoe, my anger so hot and sharp I can’t control it. Regan steps forward and grabs my wrist.

“You’re taking your anger out on a child.”

“And so what? He’s not your son!” I yell, wrenching free and hurling the shoe across the room. It thuds against the wall. I pace to the other side of Milo’s bedroom and try to swallow the fury that’s choking me.

“What did Emris say?” Regan asks, he’s almost whispering.

I let out a bitter scoff instead of answering.

“What do you think he said!? I think there’s more to him and that pack’s charity case. The way he caught her. The way he danced with her-”

“You think they were smashing back then?”

“Don’t you?” I whirl to face him. “He’s been your brother forever. Is there nothing you saw? Him giving her special treatment? Her being in his room?”

“Emris never allowed anyone near his room. Even now, he doesn’t let you or the rest of us in. So how would I have known?”

Regan looks at me. Among all the brothers, he’s the one with the brown hair and the watchful gaze. I know him better than I know Emris at this point, even though I dated Emris. The last time I remember Emris being truly present for me was when

I was pregnant… and the postpartum haze. After that? I can’t remember the last time he held my hand.

“How do you think I feel?” Regan hisses. “Knowing that bitch hit my mother and Emris told me to stand down? Just like how Slade hurt you, and he hasn’t done a thing to him yet. You think I’m not upset?”

He scoffs and walks over to sit on the couch by the window. I sink onto the edge of Milo’s rumpled bed.

I know what I’m thinking. And because Regan knows me…really knows me, I have to believe he can guess. He knows I have zero patience for things that make me jealous. For threats.

Like Luna Kate, who tried to undermine me last year. I wanted her punished, and Regan handled it. I told him to seduce her until they ended up in bed together, and her husband walked in. She thought Regan would bond with her after her husband

1/2

25

rejected, but on my orders, he made sure she never saw him again. Or that stupid Alpha’s daughter who insulted me at the summer solstice. I sent Regan to ensure she wouldn’t have the teeth to do it again.

He gives me what I want. Slowly or quickly, he delivers.

“So,” he says, a slow smile spreads across his face. The corner of his lip twitches upward in a way that tells me he’s already on my side. “What do you want to do?”

I meet his dark eyes. “I want her face.”

“Her face? Hmm?” Regan prompts.

“That stupid face she put a mask on at the Alpha Fest. I want her to hide it for life. Claw her so badly, or send someone good enough for the job, that they mark her so deeply they’d have to stitch her lips together with the rest of her face.”

“You want it to be that bloody?”

“Yes. Forget Slade. I want her to pay for everything before tonight’s Alpha Fest.” I stand and walk toward him, stopping inches away. “I know you’ll do it for me,” I whisper directly into his ear before turning and walking out of Milo’s room.

As I go to find Milo, I can hear him complaining to his father in the hall.

“She did?” Emris says.

“Mommy is bad,” Milo pouts.

“Where’s your other shoe?” I see Emris crouch down to Milo’s level, rolling up his sleeves.

“Mommy has it.”

Milo immediately throws himself into a hug.

“Angry? Your birthday is coming soon, you know?” Emris says.

“I don’t want it.”

“You don’t want a birthday party? I’ll invite everyone from your school and buy you all the toys you want.”

“So we can invite Amira?” Milo shouts, forgetting his tears in an instant. I roll my eyes before stepping into the scene.

“Daddy, Daddy, can we invite Amira and her mom!” Milo starts jumping.

Emris sees me before he replies. “I don’t think Amira will come.”

“Then I don’t want my birthday!”

“Milo, that’s enough!” I yell. “You’re becoming so spoiled and stubborn! Why would we invite Amira? That stupid brat is below our pack…she and her damn slut mother who will spread her legs for anyone with a drop of Alpha blood!”

Milo bursts into tears again.

Emris rises to his feet in and his expression shifts into something dark and terrifying.

“Are you insane?” His voice is dangerously quiet. “Do you realize that’s our spn you’re speaking to?”

“–” I stutter, realizing my mistake too late.

“If you can’t even control how you speak in front of Milo, then there’s something seriously wrong with you.”

“I didn’t mean to.”

Milo is still sobbing, and when I try to reach for him, he hides behind Emris’s leg.

“Fix your anger. I’m warning you, Elena. Fix it before I fix it for you.” Emris hisses. He looks down at Milo and his expression softens just slightly.

“Come on. Let’s go to the toy store.”

2/2