When We Were Mates (Demetra and Emris) novel Chapter 70

Chapter 70

“Slade Pride.” Emris says as he steps up with Alpha Darton from the Sun Pack.

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He’s also with Silver on his left. From the jump, the plan was simple…to have the power to make Slade’s pack starve. But now he’s chasing Demetra, and she’s letting him in slow, brick by brick, so yeah… starving her brother’s pack isn’t really the move anymore.

“Emris Covenant.” Slade says, with his own beta by his side.

Slade doesn’t want Demetra to know about this meeting, either. His pack’s accounts are still bleeding, and he has exhausted every suggestion to reclaim the territory. He thought he was doing everything right until he realized Emris greased the judge’s palm. But it wasn’t just the judge. It seems every official, every lawyer, every person of influence in the city who owes Emris a favor. That’s the core of his manipulation: he gives people things, lavish, tempting things, only to collect the debt when they can least afford to pay.

Slade didn’t come here expecting Emris to simply hand back what he stole. He understands now. This was never about the land. This is punishment for using those barghests against him at Alpha Fest.

“Name your price?”

Other Alphas begin to drift toward them, abandoning their casual conversations on the field. They thought this was just the usual weekend football game, a chance to blow off steam after a long week. But one look at the space between Slade and Emris tells a juicier story.

“Your sister.” Emris jokes and watches that brutal, knockout rage across Slade’s face.

Honestly, the Moon Goddess must have created Emris for the sole purpose of taunting Slade. It was bad enough that he left bites all over Slade’s mate body, had her wanting more while he played indifferent. Now the Moon Goddess has looked down and decided to twist the knife, making Emris his sister’s mate all over again. It has to be some kind of test.

“Relax. I’m joking.” Emris holds up his hands. “No need to overheat like the engine of my car.”

Ever the fucking joker. Another joke, another round of sycophantic laughter from the men gathered around them. But Emris knows this one isn’t a joke.

The Alpha of the covenant pack wants Demetra. And if Slade had any idea what his sister was doing to Emris…how she made him burn with frustration, making him pull out just as he was about to lose control… maybe Slade would explode like that overheating engine.

“Heard about your divorce.” Slade keeps his voice level. “Condolences.”

“Oh, it’s not a condolence. I’ve been wanting out for years.”

“Yeah?” Slade says, pretending he’s got interest in that jist.

Before all of this, Slade begged the Moon Goddess to never give Emris a mate he could call his own. It seems the Moon Goddess is selectively deaf, because she turned around and gave Emris his innocent sister….the same woman whose life he nearly ruined. All in all, Slade hates Emris Covenant to the very

core.

“Do you have another woman in mind?” One of the Alphas smirks, glancing around at the others. “That

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Chapter 70

Demetra Pride seemed only interested in you during the Alpha Fest.”

They’re all dick suckers, every last one of them. They circle Emris like flies around rotten meat because they are scared to ever say anything wrong to his face, Slade thinks. But in private? In private they hate him just as much as everyone else. They hate his power, his money, the way he walks into any room and makes them feel small.

Slade knows because he’s seen it. He’s heard the whispers at the bars, the bitter words traded when they think no one’s listening. But here? Here they’ll kiss the ground he walks on.

“Be careful of that.” Slade hisses.

He won’t even entertain a joke about his sister being tangled up with this bastard again.

“Hey, it’s not a rumor, okay?” Another Alpha steps forward, too comfortable. “Your sister lived in the Black Covenant pack house all her life. I heard she was Emris’s maid.”

Slade’s hand tightens on his phone until the case groans under his fingers.

“And I heard they were seen in the parking lot of Magnus.” The Alpha turns to Emris now for confirmation. “Emris, is that true? Are you and Demetra back together-”

“I said…” Slade’s voice drops to something that makes the men around him go still. “Be careful what you

in my presence. I will gut you if you mention my sister’s name again!”

say

“You heard the big guy.” Emris tilts his head. “After all, the Lion Pride are known for having really thick muscles. A punch from them can truly gut you to the ground, huh?“,

“Let’s talk.” Silver clears his throat. “Can we have some privacy?”

The other Alphas take the hint, grab their ball and drift back toward the field like they weren’t just circling blood in the water.

“What do you people want?” Robin asks.

“You let your Beta speak for you?” Silver raises an eyebrow.

“From what I see, you’re speaking for your Alpha.” Robin doesn’t back down.

“What do you people…” Slade growls this time. “…want?”

“You’re the one who sent us a message.” Silver’s eyes narrow, “What do you want?”

“Our land! The land that feeds millions of females, children, males….the entire of our population. You stole

it.”

“We can say the same about you! Your damn pack is covering what happened to an Alpha who led millions of our people. Dead in one night from some attack. And we got no answers from your fucking father!”

Robin shifts to protect his Alpha when the hybrid one moves. Emris casts him a look that could freeze bfood.

“Your… your father?”

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Chapter 70

“Alpha Kael!”

Silver and Emris speak at the same time, fire in their voices, something ancient and angry burning behind their eyes. They step forward together, and Slade and Robin step back. Because everyone knows what the Covenant brothers are capable of when they move as one. Slade has seen Silver break a man’s jaw with a single punch outside a club downtown while Emris stood there counting down.

He’s seen Emris corner a rival Beta in an alley and leave him with a shattered knee, whispering something in his ear that made the man pack up and leave the city by morning. He’s seen them drag a rogue through the streets once, not ending him, just making sure everyone saw what happened when you crossed them. The city knows to step aside when those two walk through. The city knows that Silver might be the calm one but he’s got a darkness in him that hasn’t made the rumors yet.

“I know nothing about your father.” Slade is confused.

“Hmm-”

My dad really didn’t tell me about Alpha Kael. Do you think my father and my pack had something to do with what happened to your father!?”

“Not think.” Emris snarls, veins visible in his neck. “I fucking know it.

“There was an attack and he died!” Slade’s voice rises, cracking at the edges. “My dad has no explanation for

it!”

“Fucking lies.”

“Your father and mine were best friends!” Slade jabs a finger at Emris’s chest. “My father devoted his gammas and his life to searching for you. My father was the one who found you and rescued you. Why in the world would he hurt his own best friend?”

“You’re asking me the same questions that I want to find out myself. Seems you’re not ready.” He straightens up, looks down at Slade like he’s already decided something final,

“Your people will starve. I will ban every pack from giving them anything. If you don’t care about your farm lands, I will poison your waters over and over until you’re dying of sicknesses. I will annihilate you all if you don’t find me something.” He pauses, something flickers behind his eyes. “You know what? I’m still being generous. At least the crops are still on the territory. I will burn them all tonight.”

“Emris!” Slade yells.

“You think I won’t?” Emris turns to his brother. “Make a phone call, Silver. Tell them to burn everything.”

Emris won’t. In the back of his mind, he knows he won’t. Not when Demetra and little Amira come from the Lion pride pack too. But Slade doesn’t need to know that. He needs to believe the fire is already lit.

“If I knew something I would tell you. But I don’t. My father did not tell me anything about it-” “Find out. And if I don’t get an answer in two days? You will see the smoke of your farms all the way to your pack house. Two days, Slade.”

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