Chapter 19
727words
"That's putting it mildly."
The new Alpha, Damien, rubbed his throbbing temples. "Cassia was in a regular ward. The whole chaotic scene was live-streamed by a few troublemakers. Now the entire werewolf web is laughing at our pack."
"I plan to officially banish them from the family as soon as they wake up."
"Aiden's mother threatened to kill herself at first, but she shut up after I threatened to cut off her allowance and her access to potions. Once those two become Rogues, whether they live or die is no longer the pack's concern."
Kael didn't press further. He simply organized the information and sent it to me in the North.
With that business handled, he began to pack his bags.
Three months apart, and his longing for me had grown like wildfire. He couldn't wait to return to that small town filled with the scent of cedar and paint.
The Northern Airport.
I stood at the arrival gate, and when I saw that familiar tall figure emerge, my heart skipped a beat.
I ran and threw myself into his arms.
Kael hugged me back tightly, his chin resting on the top of my head. "Long time no see."
After a long moment, I pulled away from his embrace. We walked out of the airport hand in hand, completely lost in the joy of our reunion.
Neither of us noticed the terrified eyes staring at our backs from behind a nearby pillar.
It was Aiden's sister, the perpetually snobbish Lydia.
She was supposed to be on a shopping trip, but now she looked as if she had seen a ghost, pinching herself hard.
What did she just see?!
That was Elara!
Elara, who should have been nothing but ash, whose urn had already been buried!
She distinctly remembered Elara "dying" after jumping into Moon Goddess Falls. She had even witnessed the cremation ceremony with her own eyes.
How was this possible? How could someone come back from the dead?
Unless, she never died at all!
Trembling, she pulled out her phone and frantically snapped pictures, recording a clear video of us walking away. In the video, her "dead" sister-in-law was smiling radiantly, nestled against a strange Alpha.
She hesitated for a long time but ultimately decided against sending it to Aiden.
Aiden was a broken man now. She didn't want the trouble if the shock drove him completely insane.
She sent the video to Damien instead.
Damien's call came almost immediately.
He didn't ask about her current situation. He just said coolly, "If you want to completely destroy Aiden, to make his death even more painful... send him this video."
She bit her lip.
He was her brother, after all. She couldn't bear the thought of him going mad over me again, but she also didn't want him to continue wasting away in his fantasy world.
In the end, she sent the video to Aiden and turned away.
In the back seat of the car, I listened with great interest to Kael's stories about the werewolf world, chiming in from time to time.
Just as we entered the living room, Kael's phone suddenly rang.
He answered, but his expression darkened as he listened to the voice on the other end. He turned to look at me.
Confused, I watched him hang up. He walked toward me and pulled me into a hug.
His voice trembled slightly.
"Serena..."
"What's wrong?" A knot of dread tightened in my stomach.
"He... he knows."
Kael's voice was low. "He saw us at the airport. Or rather... someone made sure he saw."
My body went rigid, my heart sinking like a stone.
"Aiden?"
"Mhm."
Kael stroked my hair, his tone soothing, but his eyes were as cold as ice.
"But do not worry. He cannot come here."
"The new Alpha has him under house arrest at the hospital for the sake of the pack's reputation. Besides, his wolf was severely damaged during his entanglement with that woman, and his leg is badly injured. He's confined to a wheelchair now."
"But, learning that you're still alive is probably a million times more painful for him than a broken leg."
