When You Were My Mate (Demetra and Emris) novel Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Demetra.

The Alpha Fest grounds are absolutely packed.

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Like, packs everywhere. I’m talking everywhere. They all have different stripes on their uniforms and flags so you can tell who’s who. The Sunshine Pack with their bright yellow. The Advocate Pack, whose Alpha is apparently a boxing champion.

The Star pack which is ruled by a Luna. I remember reading about her when I was getting ready to come back to the States…. I think her husband died under suspicious circumstances, and she took over the pack herself.

I respected that from afar.

Our flag is easy to spot: yellow with black claw-stripe slashes. The Lion Pride booth is set up along a massive line of similar structures…thousands of them, stretching so far I can’t see the end. They’ve been at this since morning. I heard some Alphas have already fought, settling old scores, but everyone’s been waiting for this moment.

The main event.

Tiffany and my cousins haven’t stopped talking in excitement. Ilance at my phone for two seconds and the internet is still chaos. Videos of Lunas fighting at a fast-food joint nearby-actual slaps and claws drawing blood. The comments are insane.

And right here, it’s the same energy. Every pack has their way of announcing themselves…pounding chests, howling, stomping. When our pack finally arrived, our members let out growls that makes everyone look.

According to the rules of the Alpha Fest, top Alphas only fight to Alphas. No low-ranking packs can just challenge anyone…. hierarchy.

Slade’s gammas are beating their chests and mocking the black covenant pack.

“Look, look.” Tiffany grabs my arm, pointing. “So many girls out here trying to catch Slade’s eye. The old-fashioned way.”

She laughs, and I’force myself to chuckle along, even though my chest has been tight all day.

We take our seats in the booth, and my stomach drops.

Directly across from us is the Black Covenant Pack.

I see Elena immediately. She’s lounging like royalty, a person beside her waving one of those giant hand fans. Fanning her. It’s literally windy as hell out here…what is the point? And next to her… is that Milo?

My heart lurches.

Why would she bring such a young child here? Where is Emris? How is he okay with his son being at something this violent? If something goes wrong….if the barghests get loose, if the fight gets out of control-

They don’t know about the barghests. That’s why I’m the only one looking genuinely concerned.

“Slade?” I try to catch his attention, but he’s already walking away to answer his phone.

Elena’s eyes lock onto mine from across the field. For a moment neither of us moves. Then she stands, leaving Milo playing with a toy car in their booth, and starts walking toward me.

I rise to meet her halfway.

“Can we talk?” Elena asks, stopping a few feet away.

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16:56 Sat, Apr 11 M.

Chapter 31

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“Fine. But first….why is your son here?” I don’t bother hiding my lisapproval. “It’s not normal to bring a kid somewhere this

violent.”

“He’s going to be an Alpha someday.” Her voice is defensive. “He needs to learn how to handle violence. The gammas are watching him. You don’t need to care about my son.”

I glance past her at Milo. He spots me and waves his little hand, smiling. I can’t help it… I smile back, just a little cause I’m too guilty after what happened between Emris and I.

Elena catches the exchange and so her frown deepens.

I follow her through the crowd, past bonfires and food stalls, pas packs howling and gammas hyping themselves up. There’s so many lights and people. I still haven’t caught Emris’s scent anywhere. Is he even here? Elena is, with Milo, so he must be somewhere. But the crowd is too thick to pin point his scent.

“So.” Elena stops and turns to face me. Her hair is like, aggressively straightened into perfect waves. Lipstick. Heels. A giant brown fur coat for this weather. “Demetra? You know, I never would have guessed you were that same pack charity case.”

I look at her and don’t give her the reaction she wants. It’s already hard enough looking at the face of the woman whose husband I literally gave myself to yesterday. Like, less than 24 hours ago. My stomach twists just standing here.

“Is that your question?” I ask, noticing people starting to stare at us.

“It’s me they’re looking at. I’m the Luna of the greatest pack in the country. The title on my head, the ring on my finger, the mate in my bed. Get used to it if you’re going to be standing her breathing my air.”

Mate. I say it in my mind. Emris, her mate?

“And no, that’s not my question. I just wanted to remember your place. For me, this life is in my blood. I’ve been an Alpha’s daughter since my first breath. But you?” She chuckles. “You only found out about your father four years ago and for some reason, you walk around like you’re the moon goddess herself.

I exhale, already over this conversation. I glance around, looking for Emris, wondering if Slade will put out the barghests soon, looking for literally anything else.

“Again. Is. This. Your. Question?”

“You and Emris.” Her voice drops. “He slept with you?”

Now I look at her in shock! A question that actually makes my heart skip and thud at the same time. If I answer, is she gonna figure out about Amira? Is she smart enough to put it together?

“The look on your face says yes. That’s why you had the confidence to choose him at the ball and dance with him, right? Were you trying to remind him about something in the past?” Aruel smile twists her lips. “Please. Emris probably only fucked you when he was so drunk he couldn’t see straight enough to care who was underneath him. You were a lowly omega….a warm hole to stick it in. You think you were special-”

Boom.

A firework explodes right above us so loud and sudden. I flinch. But then I hear something worse-

Milo screaming.

He’s covering his ears, climbing out of their booth, and running Running into the crowd,

“Milo-”

“Keep my son’s name out of your mouth!” Elena snaps.

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16:56 Sat, Apr 11 M

Chapter 31

“Your son, you idiot!”

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