When We Were Mates (Demetra and Emris) novel Chapter 61

Chapter 61

Alpha Emris.

“Cheese?” I ask.

77

55 vouchetes

“All present, sir.”

I wipe my hands with a tissue, scanning the charcuterie board one last time. The head chefs arranged it themselves with aged gouda, sharp cheddar and some fancy blue cheese. A bottle of wine breathes next to it, already uncorked. I made them prepare all of this to bring to Demetra while she works.

She paints, she eats, she maybe talks to me. That’s the plan.

I check my watch. The chefs need to move quick so we can get this done.

I follow them through the wing until they reach the working space of the sitting area where Demetra is supposed to be.

She’s not there.

The gammas told me she was here already. I can pick her scent out…that specific floral that cuts through everything else.

I walk past the chefs, past the sitting area, toward her workspace where I see a set of vicious eyes staring back at me from the canvas. One of them has slits in it. Actual slits that remind of myself

My hands tighten.

That was me when I couldn’t put my wolf in order. When the trauma I experienced as a kid broke me, the things that made me hybrid were unable to be controlled so my eyes would go like that.

To see her draw it with such currency of anger…the same anger that’s been my constant companion since before I knew her makes me wonder if I’m making any progress with her at all. Or if this is just art. Just her capturing what she sees.

What did I expect? That she’d paint me some summer sexy Alpha like I’m something worth romanticizing? I’m a brute in the heart. Always have been.

But after last night. After the beach. After she chose to come with me, to let me close, to almost let me-

I expected something escapist so what is this monster that’s staring back at me.

“What’s all this food for?”

I look

up

and see Elena.

Standing there in nothing but a lace bra. Her tits sit up in a way that doesn’t move and her panties ride low on her hips, cutting right across the bone, and I can see the slope of her private like she wants me to look.

I don’t want to look.

“What the hell are you doing here!?”

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My wolf surges forward and it’s not a request nor a suggestion….it’s pure demand. This is my wing. The one place I have that’s mine, that I’ve never allowed her into, that I’ve kept sacred from her for years.

And she’s standing here. In front of where my mate is supposed to be working.

Elena quickly closes her robe around her like the misunderstanding she came here to cause has already happened.

“I… I wanted to speak to you-”

“Who allowed you in here!?”

Her skin jumps at the sound of my growl and my eyes…I can feel them changing.

“Emris, please-”

“Who allowed you!?”

“I…” She stammers, shrinking back.

“Where is she!?”

I look around. My head snaps side to side because Demetra must have seen this. Must have seen Elena walk down those stairs in barely anything, must have drawn her own conclusions, must be-

I move.

I start going through the space, following her scent like a wolf on blood trail. It’s stronger as I walk through the halls, leading me toward the restrooms.

I reach the restroom corridor and a door opens to reveal Demetra.

Her eyes are the kind of red that only comes from crying. She puts her hand through her hair like she’s trying to look different from whatever just happened to her. Like she can erase it with a gesture.

She tries to walk past me but I step in front of her. My chest bumps into hers….gently and she raises her eyes to look at me again.

It’s almost the same eyes I saw in those woods when she thought she wasn’t enough for Amira.

“What did…what did Elena tell you?”

I husk from a part of my wolf that’s half mad, half serial. I am no longer the dude I was in the past…the one who clearly saw her tears, her jealousy and pain but did nothing to make it better. I no longer remain that person who sees her hurting and walks away.

Demetra just looks at me like every hope to ever give me a chance has died here-

“Whatever she said, she lied to you. I swear upon this scrape of earth and all eternity, it was a fucking lie!”

“Boesn’t matter.” Demetra says it but the redness in her eyes tells me it matters. And I won’t let five years ago happen again.

“Talk to me-

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“What don’t you understand by it doesn’t matter!?” Her voice cracks, “What do you think I am? Some dumb girl who’s gonna be affected by every single thing you do? What do you think I was doing…crying in the bathroom? Collecting myself so I can go back to work like a professional? I have told you over and over again that I’m not that dumb person anymore.”

Her lips are shaking as she says it. I get it. I understand but oh, I’m not letting her walk away from this.

I grab her hand.

She tries to pry my fingers off but I’m not being gentle about it either. I pull her with me, make her follow. She’s resistant with her feet dragging, and twisting in mine but I don’t allow it. I can hear her squealing under her breath, little sounds of frustration and fight, but I keep moving.

By the time we reach the sitting area, Elena is standing there by the stairs. I position Demetra behind me while I’m still holding her hand. My whole body covers her at this point….shoulders blocking and my wolf ready to tear apart whatever comes near.

“You had your mouth on my mate’s ears. What came out of it!?”

I command and it comes out from my Alpha rage that makes wolves submit from blocks away.

Elena doesn’t answer at first. She looks at Demetra behind me…at our joined hands, at the way I’m positioned like a wall between them and something ugly twists in her expression.

“I’ll ask once more. After that, I ask with my hands. Repeat what you told my mate so I know which one to cut out first.

“Emris…” Elena looks from Demetra to me again. “Emris, I’m the mother of your child.”

“Any woman can be the mother of my child. But only one female is my goddess–fated.” I temper. “I have no idea the extent of what you’ve said to her. But here’s your reality: seven days from now, we will be

divorced.”

“Em… Emris!”

“Don’t.” I hold up one finger. “Don’t say my name. You had your run. It’s over.”

Elena shakes her head, tears rolling down her cheeks.

“How can you just divorce me!?”

“Being my Luna was a position. You held it because you gave me Milo…nothing more, nothing less. I provided for you because that’s what an Alpha does for the mother of his heir. Don’t confuse obligation with affection.” I lick my lips viciously.

“Since you won’t speak? Fine. I can rule that whatever came out your mouth to Demetra was a lie. Which means you lied upon my name as Alpha…that is treason. Under pack constitution, Section Four, Clause Two…treason against the Alpha’s household is grounds for immediate dissolution of any and all bonds. Pack law, Article Twelve….false words against the Alpha carry the same weight as false words against the pack itself.”

Her face goes white.

“I… I only came here… she… she…Emris, please…I only told her that what is she….”

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“Effective now, our marriage is void. Silver posts it to the pack network within the hour. You’re stripped of the Luna title…effective immediately. You pack your things and move to the guest house by nightfall. You keep your place as Milo’s mother because blood is blood.”

“EMRIS PLEASE!”

“Gammas.”

I whisper it. But it’s not really in the sound of my voice…it’s the snarl in my growl that they follow. That primal Alpha frequency that commands obedience before thought.

They emerge from the doors.

“Emris, please! You… you can’t do this to me! Let me tell you what I told her…I only wanted to tell her the rumours people were―”

“Alpha.”

One gamma steps forward. His name is Marcus….head of wing security, loyal for years, never failed me before.

“How did she get in here?” I don’t raise my voice. “The Alpha Wing is not open to anyone except me and who I allow. That’s protocol. That’s the foundation of pack security. So why and how did she get in here when you all are supposed to be homeland security?”

Marcus doesn’t meet my eyes. “Alpha… she… I’m sorry, Alpha. I thought you would be okay with it. She said she wanted to surprise you and that you two were role playing…

He looks down like he’s embarrassed.

“Talk before my hands cut your head off clean and unpick your spine!”

“She wore a really revealing outfit.” Marcus’s voice is small. “Threatened to take it off right there if we didn’t let her in. Said she’d accuse us of taking advantage of her with her clothes off. Said we’d be executed for touching the Luna. We didn’t know what to do, Alpha.”

“I never did that!” Elena screams. “Emris, they’re lying on me! They’re lying! Emris, I’m your Luna! My dad supported you to become Alpha! We have a son together! I… I may not be your goddess–fated but-”

“Was it not clear that I only accepted you as the mother of my child?” I step forward, and she steps back.

“Get her out of here.”