Chapter 15 

-Percy-

“Emmi is getting some extra sleep, so you might not see much of him today,” Keye tells me as she sits down next to me, a plate of food in hand. I was expecting to sit alone for my breakfast again but it’s nice to have some company.

“Thanks for letting me know. Do you mind showing me where his office is later? I don’t know my way around at all,” I explain, taking a sip of my water. Keye smiles, nodding. “Yeah that’s fine, we can go after this if you want? I have quite a bit to do today but that’s literally where I’m going anyway.”

“Thanks, that’d be great,” I say right as someone sits down to my right. Glancing at whoever it is, I suck in a breath when I catch sight of bright red hair and deep blue eyes. She reaches her hand out to mine and I awkwardly shake her hand, not really sure what the previous alpha wants with me.

“So, you must be my son’s latest fling. Quite different to his usual type, I’ll be honest. What’s your name?” She asks and I can’t stop myself from frowning. I’m not a fling- oh. Emmi doesn’t see me as just a fling, right? There’s no way. I know he’s serious about making things work.

Because I’m his mate.

And if I wasn’t his mate, I would mean nothing to him.

But that’s besides the point. We’ve talked about this, and I know that Emmi is serious about us. He’s trying really hard, so I shouldn’t doubt him. He’s trying, and he promised me. Plus, I’ve already made my own mind up about Emmanuel. There’s no going back now.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t know your name either. My name is Percy,” I say as politely as I can. I’m not sure if Emmi minds his mother knowing that we’re mates, so if I can avoid actually telling her anything then that would be good.

She smiles politely back at me, resting her elbow on the table and leaning her cheek into her palm. She looks quite young; she must have had Emmi when she was a teenager.

“My name is Augusta. I am the previous alpha of this pack, but I don’t recognise you. Are you a new member?”

Fiddling with the end of one of my braids (I have my hair back in two braids again), I think about how to answer. In the end, I go for the most basic version of the truth. “No, I am a refugee that this pack has offered solace to.”

Augusta’s smile widens a little as she nods. “I see. Well, I take it that you won’t be staying for too long then? You wouldn’t want to be a burden on such a generous pack now would you?”

This woman is a bitch. 

Keye steps in, leaning forwards in her seat so as to see Augusta. “He’s only been here three days, including today. Oh - it didn’t occur to me to ask before, but is anyone here part of your pack?” 

My heart clenches painfully and I stare down at my lap. “No. I don’t have a pack.”

I can practically feel Augusta’s gaze hone in on me. “I see. It seems that you’ve taken in a rogue, Keye. And my gosh does Emmanuel work fast - or perhaps you saw my son and seduced him?”

This woman is a bitch.

I rip my gaze up to hers, locking eyes with the spiteful woman. “I am not a rogue; my pack was annihilated. And I did not seduce your son, and neither did he. I’m not sure what you’re basing these things off; to my knowledge, you saw me sitting with your son and you have made up all these things which you say in a deliberately hurtful manner. I would be ashamed of myself if I spoke about others in such a distasteful way.”

I bottle up my anger. I don’t let it out. I never let myself explode at others, yet this woman pushed me far enough to say rude things to her. No wonder the thought of her is enough to make Emmanuel angry.

Augusta stares at me before laughing. “A fiery one, aren’t you. So lucky that a big, strong wolf like you managed to survive the apparent annihilation of your pack, yet those weaker than you did not. How strange. Oh - but I’m not calling you a coward who abandoned your brethren to die or anything. After all, I know nothing about you.”

This woman isn’t a bitch. She’s a monster.

Somehow, I manage to not cry. 

“And I’m not sure what you thought I saw, Percy, but I definitely saw how my son looked at you. I saw how he smiled at you. He wants you, is hungry for you like he always is for anyone and anything. You aren’t special to my son; he just wants one thing from you, and if you can’t give him that then you are nothing to him.”

I wasn’t crying before, but what she said…it was just too much. And all I can do is sit there as tears cloud my vision, blocking in the sight of my pack, dead in front of me.

“You’re such a fucking hypocrite and a liar!”

I don’t have to look up to recognise the voice. And the shout. And by now, our small group has garnered the attention of those around us. Emmi will be upset if he makes a scene; he’ll feel ashamed of this later, and then upset at himself. I can just tell that it’s coming.

So I take his hand and pull him with me, leaving the hall and just walking without really thinking about where I’m taking us. And then I spot the turn to the hall where my room is, so I bring Emmi along with me and lock us in there.

We sit on the bed in complete silence, Emmi’s rage clear to me through the bond and his heavy breathing. But it’s already decreasing - he shouted at his mother, something which I know is rather intimidating. He’s an alpha. That kind of thing should be scary.

But that woman didn’t even blink. She didn’t have any kind of reaction; she was totally in control the entire time. 

She is the complete opposite of Emmi. He loses control; his reactions are explosive. Perhaps, Emmi just wants a reaction from his mother. He wants some kind of acknowledgment of his actions. He wants to shake the unshakeable woman.

He isn’t an attention seeker. He isn’t doing this deliberately, he has just been hurt by his mother’s complete apathy. The dormant rage within him has been fuelled by his mother’s indifference.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers, his head tilted back against the wall and his eyes squeezed shut. Smiling sadly, I reach over, taking his hand in mine. I can see that he is already regretting shouting, that he’s already ashamed and feeling guilty. And I can’t just see it…I can feel it too.

So I bring back his own words. Because whilst Emmi’s actions are still his own and he is responsible for them…I can see it now. Not an excuse for his behaviour, but the explanation.

“Emmanuel. Please don’t ever apologise for what others have done to you.”