Bad Love: An Alpha's Regret

Chapter 343

EMILY

For a while after Axel leaves, I lay in bed mulling over what just happened between us.

I’m both extremely relieved and totally peeved that we got

interrupted right when I thought Axel was actually going to finally

let go of the tight rein he keeps on his control.

At least this time Axel didn’t turn all cold and distant and terrible

after, telling me it was a mistake or couldn’t happen again or

whatever.

I know it’s a bad idea.

Logically, my brain is very aware of that fact.

However, it feels right.

In a way I just don’t know how to explain.

Well, actually, there is an easy explanation.

Because he’s my mate.

Or, he was, anyhow.

But he rejected me, and I accepted it.

Shouldn’t the feelings and pull we have toward one another either diminished or disappeared altogether?

I don’t get what keeps drawing us together in those moments when the rest of the time we can’t even stand one another.

Once I get sick of my brain going around and around in circles, I get up and see that Axel has left me a tray with dinner on it.

However, it’s grown cold, so I decide to take it down to the kitchen

to heat it up.

I’m not very hungry, but I know that I’ll probably still eat it all

anyway.

When I reach the bottom of the stairs, I see Jessica rushing around, and she seems to be getting a whole bunch of random things together to go somewhere.

Except I can’t image where she’s in such a rush to go at this

time of night with all that stuff, or why she looks so stressed and

worried.

Does it have something to do with the phone call Axel got?

“Jessica, what’s wrong?” I ask, catching her attention.

“Didn’t you hear?” she says, looking concerned.

“Obviously not,” I reply, setting the tray aside, food forgotten. “Has something happened?”

“There’s been an attack,” Jessica says, and now that I’m looking more closely, I can see she’s pale and a little scared. “Vampires.”

“Are we secure?” I demand, stepping forward and grabbing her arm. “Should we be evacuating everyone to the bunker?”

“Not Rathborn pack,” she says with a shake of her head. “Roberts. pack. Their security is good, Aaron has upgraded it since he become Alpha. But they weren’t prepared for something like this.”

I can almost feel my lip curling in disdain.

My initial instinct is to say good, I hope they all burn in hell.

But I remind myself that the Roberts pack itself aren’t to blame for

the actions of their twisted old Alpha.

Instead, I take a deep breath.

“What can I do?” I ask Jessica, and she stares at me in shock.

Obviously, she was not expecting me to offer my help.

In fact, she was probably expecting me to say exactly what I

thought–that I didn’t care what happened to Roberts‘ pack ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

because I hate them.

Yes, they were our enemy for countless years.

But I’m beginning to see what Aaron meant when he said that a lot

had changed during the time I was gone.

And perhaps I’m also beginning to see some truth in what both Aaron and Axel kept telling me–even if the way they told me was harsh that maybe I have been selfish and close–minded,

at least where the Roberts pack and even Leah as my Luna are

concerned.

It still hurts that we lost our parents to a senseless war with them.

And my own captivity at the hands of the old Roberts Alpha and his son Liam is going to take years for me to recover from.

But more hatred toward the Roberts pack will only bring more hurt.

Because there would have been women and children and wolves

that had no part in what happened to me. They were the ones

attacked, suffering, dying.

And no wolf–or human for that matter–should fall victim to such

hate.

Besides, now that the vampires are trying to ignite a new

inter–species war, wolves need to come together now more than

ever.

“I accept that Roberts pack is our sister–pack now that Aaron is

their Alpha,” I say to Jessica. “And as acting Luna while Leah is

away, it’s my responsibility to help them.”

Jessica smiles, and there’s a gleam of respect in her gaze that I didn’t realize I was longing to see until now.

“We’re gathering supplies and getting ready to go with the pack doctor and nurses over to Roberts territory,” Jessica says to me. “I have a list. You can help me grab the last few things.”

I nod as Jessica pulls the list out of her pocket and shows it to me.

I can’t believe I’m voluntarily about to set foot on Roberts pack lands.

Even a week ago I would have rather jumped off a cliff than walk into territory I considered to be that of my enemies.

But now I’m getting supplies ready to go and help them.

I think this will help me see that they’re not the bad guys I’ve made

them out to be.

That they’re just wolves, just like the members of my own Rathborn pack.

And right now, they need all the help they can get.

I know this is what Aaron would want me to do.

It’s time I started acting like the daughter and sister of Alphas l

was born to be.

B