67.

**Emma**

'Alia. Can you hear me? Where are you?'

'Caleb? Arion?' Where are they? Why can't they hear me?

"There's only one king and that's my father," I said in an equal tone as hers. The look of disgust she had on her face at the moment was one I grew used too.

"You had to have it all don't you Emma?!" Heather said to me. I was truly confused and the question came out of my mouth. She didn't answer but looked at Aiden with sad eyes who was looking at me with pure lust and something else I couldn't put a name to.

I scoffed and shook my head, I was thankful for the friendship I had with Aiden back then and also Mason but to say I 'had' them she was wrong.

"You're even more delusional," I said looking over to my cousin. He looked weak, why were we so weak? What did they do to us?

I tried to summon my gifts but nothing.

Heather clucked her tongue and step toward me. "The 'wolf-less girl' got a smart mouth on her now huh. Being a princess and having a powerful mate got you brave huh?!" She said harshly.

"No, but thinking on my own helps that point a whole lot," I replied just to make her angry.

"Enough. Leave her alone Heather." Aiden shouted at her pulling her away from me, she quickly complied to him and stepped back. She looked at him in awe but he simply turned away from her.

"She's just a bit angry don't mind her, butterfly," he said brushing my hair from my eyes. This was the Aiden I once loved, he was so gentle and caring at that moment. "I'm sorry for hurting you, Emma. I love you so much and need you in my life why can't you see this?" He cooed.

In his own sick twisted way, I believed he loved me but not for the right reasons.

"If I was truly wolf-less would you still love me?" I asked him. He flinched outwardly at my question, his eyes soften, my Aiden. Tears filled my eyes as I got a glimpse of the boy I once loved. My first love.

"Emma. You don't understand, do you? Wolf or not I would always love you, you're the greatest thing I ever encountered in life. I've loved you beyond my mate bond with Stephanie. I prayed to the goddess to let you be my mate but I guess she truly had other plans," He said keeping his head down.

"Aiden," I said weakly. For once I couldn't comfort him, I couldn't ease the pain that I've surely caused.

Heather scoffed behind Aiden. "Even the love of a man who's not your mate you have," she said leaving the room. I frowned at her departure, not at her words but of the total disregard she had for her 'mate'. Looking over at him, he was shifting slightly, slowly he raised his head trying to focus on his surroundings.

"Emma?!" He called out.

"Hi," I said softly. Caleb's smile dropped when he noticed Aiden standing close to me.

"What are you doing to her?" He growled. Aiden scoffed and turned away from me. " I haven't done anything... Just... I just did what your father told me to do" he said releasing a frustrated sigh.

"Now you see the light huh," Caleb said resting his head against the wall.

"I just wanted to have a powerful pack that I deserved and also have the perfect mate. A mate I would love and she would be happy," Aiden said sitting on the floor.

"He manipulates to get what he wants. Too bad you learned the hard way" Caleb said with anger lining in his voice.

"I'm sorry Emma I'm so sorry. I just wanted you back. I thought if I marked you back in the palace that you will bond with me. That you would find back the love you had for me. " Aiden said holding his head. I looked over at Caleb who held a somber expression, part of me felt guilty and the need to comfort him, even more, began to gnaw at me.

Finding my mate and telling Aiden about him took another path in my head but reality surely surprised us.

I was about to ask him what Malcolm did to us but the devil himself showed up.

The door slammed against the wall and in strode in my mad uncle, with a sickening air of arrogance. Aiden shot up from the floor and kept his head bowed.
"Well isn't this a lovely family reunion," he said looking at his son. Caleb pulled against his chains trying to get at his crazed father.
"Now, now my boy is that a way to greet your father especially in front of your cousin whom you adore." With that being said he looked over at me.
He froze and took in the air around him, Malcolm stalked towards me, harshly he held my face in his hands. "Why are your eyes golden and...." He started to say.
He inhaled deeply then looked down at my stomach, his eyes were filled with disbelief and confusion.

"The goddess blessed you and ... Your mate because..... " Malcolm muttered to himself and slowly backing away.

He knew.

He figured out.

He figured out what I've been hiding from my family.

My best friend.

My mate.

Alia brought it to my knowledge a few days ago when I was eating more than usual.

"Seems like my plans will have to change" Malcolm whispered darkly. As quickly as he entered it was the same as he left.

The tears I kept in through Aiden's apology fell down my cheeks, I sank to the ground sobbing uncontrollably. The chains biting into my skin but all that pain was secondary.
Not because of how I hurt Aiden but for the secret, I kept from Michael. Now I've put myself in danger.
To be more specific I've put our pup in danger.