Chapter 96: Over My Dead Body

Chapter ninety-six: Over My Dead Body


Joseph

I heard the door closed and I knew she was gone. I couldn't believe what I had just heard. This had to be some kind of lie or someone had to be filming and joking because there was no way my wife would have been so cruel. I turned to the corner and found Elizabeth with her head hung and her arms pressed against the granite.

"Elizabeth?" Her head lifted and she smiled at me.

"My love." She responded.

"Is this true?" There was no point in beating around the bush, the smile slipped from her face.

"Is what true?"

"Did you start those heinous rumors about Elena and Jack just so it could drive a rift between Bernard and Elena?"

"No, of course not. Where did you hear such a thing, Joseph? You know me better than that." She was lying to me, in all our years of marriage, we had never failed to be honest with one another.

"Apparently, I don't, Elizabeth. How could you do this to our son? You know how much the girl means to him but you were still willing to risk his happiness, for what?" She was silent as I continued my ranting.

"First, it was the little plan you had with Helen and making Elena uneasy and uncomfortable. Now, this? Have you no shame, Elizabeth? You may look like the woman I married thirty years ago but you are definitely not her right now. My Elizabeth would never sacrifice our son's happiness for her own happiness."

"Joseph, you are being irrational and emotional right now. Of course, I am the same woman you fell in love with."

"No, you aren't, Elizabeth. He loves that girl and you contribute to his current suffering. I had been racking my head for weeks trying to figure out how in the world such a thing could have gotten out. Anyone with eyes cloud sees how deeply and madly in love Elena and Bernard were. They did a crap job at hiding their relationship but we noticed the sneaking around and Elena coming in and out of his house at all hours."

"She is not good for him, Joseph. Can you not see that I am trying to save him?" I slammed my hand on the countertop hard.

"You are ruining him! You are not only hurting our son's future but you have placed our entire Pack at risk. Elena is the destined Luna of this Pack whether you like it or not."

"Over my dead body."

My mate had officially lost it, there was no getting through to her at this point. She was set in her viewpoint, frankly, I knew if I stayed in front of her for a moment longer. I would have said a lot of things. I turned on my heel and headed to the front door. There was one person who needed to hear this and that is my son. I could only imagine the kind of hell he was going through.

"Where are you going?" She asked.

"To my son."

I didn't wait to hear her response, I pulled the door open and exited my home. I headed straight to my car and turned it on, I drove like I was being chased by fire.

Elizabeth had gotten what she had wanted, she had caused a rift between Elena and Bernard. I could just hope that I wasn't too late to fix it.


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Bernard

I didn't even know what time it was, I had lost track of time days ago. I could have been in my house for weeks and I wouldn't have noticed. The pain still hurt like it did on the first day.

I hadn't felt so broken in my entire life, I didn't know what to do with myself. It was like a piece of my soul had been taken away from me and I was only half living. I didn't know it was possible to feel this much pain until this happened. I had thought the pain of Liza betraying me had been bad, that was paper cut compared to what this was. This was the kind of pain that crippled and silenced you. It was the kind of pain where tears could fall from your eyes and you wouldn't make a sound. It was the kind of pain that you felt even down to your bones.

I just opened a beer, I can't even count the numbers I had taken. I was ready to down it when I heard my front door open. Damn it, I knew I should have looked at the door. From the scent, I already knew who it was, which was why I stayed on the couch rather than going to meet my father. He walked through the archway of the living room and stood there for a moment. I could feel his eyes boring holes into my skull.

"You want beer, father or are you just going to stand there like a creeper?" I didn't look at him, I just kept drinking my now lukewarm beer that kind of tasted like piss.

"Son, we need to talk." I sighed, throwing my now empty beer can across the room.

"Everyone seems to want to talk to me today. I must be fucking popular then."

He rounded the couch and came to stand in front of me. I reached for another can but my father grabbed it and flung it across the room.

"Hey," I stood up from the couch.

"If you are here to try to lecture me or whatever you have, it is pointless. I don't need one and I don't want one. If you want to help me, get me another beer." He grabbed my shoulder and shook me slightly.

"It is all a lie, son. It was your mother, she is the one who took the picture of Elena and Jack and sent it around. She was the one who started the rumors, she wanted to separate you from her and this was her way of finally doing it."

"What?" He grabbed my face and forced me to look dead in his eyes.

"Your mother is the cause of all this pain you are going through now. I heard it with my ears, Elena didn't cheat on you. It was all a lie."

The fog that had been clouding my mind for the last few days lifted and reality started to seep back into my bones. Everything was becoming clearer and sounded less like I was underwear. My mother was responsible for all of this?

How could she have done this to me? How could she have put me through this pain? Had she not known what she had done to me and to Elena? The initial surprise washed away and the devastation set in.

"Fuck?" I cursed and my father looked at me alarmed.

"What?"

"I need to find Elena." I said a lot of stupid and hurtful stuff to her. I need to set everything right again or I may lose her for good." He gave me a knowing look.

"You can never lose her, son. She belongs to you the same way you belong to her. You two are one now and there is no separating, no matter how many times others may try."

"I will deal with my mother later but for now, I need to find my mate." He nodded.

"Go find her, I will stay here and clean up this mess you created."

"Thank you, father."

Then I took off in a sprint. I ran out of my door and made my way to the gamma's house. I was shirtless and without shoes but I didn't care, I needed to get to my woman so I could set things right again. I picked up my pace and hurried to the house. As the building came into view, her scent grew stronger and stronger. I bounded into the lobby and stopped at the reception.

"Alpha, I…."

"Elena, where is she?" The receptionist looked at me a little confused.

"Elena?"

"Yes."

"She is at the back, Alpha by the benches. I can go and call…."

I was already making my way to the back of the house where the benches were. As I passed by, some wolves moved out of my way and greeted me looking rather confused. I never came to the gamma's house and if I did, I always ended my visit at the door. I walked through the open sliding door and saw her.

She was sitting on a bench alone with her knees pulled to her chest and her eyes on the mountain horizon. I wasted no time and made my way towards her. I didn't care that people were watching me, I didn't care that they would probably learn our secret. All I cared about was having my woman in my arms again.

She must have felt my presence because she lifted her head and looked over her shoulder at me. Her eyes went wide and she stood up from the bench.

"Bernard?" I grabbed her face in between my hands.

"I am sorry, I was dumb and stupid. I should have listened to you."

I didn't even give her the chance to respond because my lips covered her in a sweeping kiss. I heard a few audible gasps from all around us but I didn't care. Our mouths molded together in a perfect dance, she pushed and I pulled. I felt electrified at that moment. When we pulled away, she was gasping for air.

"Bernard," she breathed.

"Everyone is staring at us."

"Let them." I murmured against her lips.

"Hell, let them take pictures, it will last longer. I missed you."

"I missed you too." She breathed.

Then my lips crashed down onto hers and she melted into mine. There were many ways I could describe how Elena felt, she was like warmth and honey, and she was both safe and adventurous. She tasted of pureness and wholeness but the all-around perfect word that I could have used to describe her was home.

She felt like home, my home.