Chapter 71

The blue eyes that hadn’t gotten a wink of sleep were dead set on the man who was sprawled on the bed with his eyes closed. His handsome face glowed under the moonlight that seeped into the room through the slits of the white blinds draped over the huge French windows.

With her cheek squished against her left fist and her elbow resting against the armrest of the chair, Emmaline didn’t let her eyes stray for a moment and kept them fixated on Damien. Her mind was blank, with no thoughts, no feelings, nothing. She felt empty, her face completely devoid of emotions. Her skin was laced with goosebumps because of the freezing winds that came gushing inside the room with a loud rumble but even they failed to break her trance.

After embarrassing the Knight couple, Zion left Emmaline alone with Damien. The Alpha didn’t regain consciousness because of the severe injuries and heavy doses of medicines. So before leaving Zion had requested her to dress his wounds but no sooner had he left the room, Emmaline tossed the first aid kit aside and went to bathe as she was stinking badly. After getting ready, she decided to eat something when her eyes fell on the bloodied sheets. That alarmed her and she rushed to Damien whose breathing had turned shallow. The white gauze wrapped around his body was completely soaked in blood and he was sweating. Emmaline instantly tend to him and dressed his wounds but they continued bleeding. That’s when she realized that the medicines weren’t working on him. Fretted, she kept scanning for something which could come as a help when it clicked her.

She fished out the herbs which Ryder had given her when they were heading back to Northern Valley. Her injuries were minor but she wouldn’t be lucky every time. To be on the safer side, Ryder gave her some extra. Emmaline didn’t waste time and crushed those magical herbs between her palms and then inclined her hands towards his lips to push the juice into his mouth.

Fortunately, it worked and that brought her great relief. After that, she again dressed his wounds and since then she didn’t blink an eye and kept watching him. Making sure he was all right.

But now she was regretting her decision.

It wasn’t the plan now was it? How can she help him? Him? The man who was her tormentor and the accomplice of his parents who were murderers? How dare she gave him the medicine that his brother gave to her?

No sooner that thought again struck her mind than her jaw clenched.

“Argg!!” Groaning out loud, she punched her head with her fists before grabbing a bunch of her hair. She would occasionally get these episodes of regret and after unleashing her frustration, she would relapse to silence and resume staring at Damien.

“I am so stupid. Damn stupid.”

Her lips curved downward as she felt so pathetic. Sighing, Emmaline threw her head back only to collide with the wall.

“Oww!!”

She winced and massaged the back of her head. She could feel the bump forming there.

“What’s wrong with me? Why do I have to care for him? I didn’t harm him to treat him later. He deserved it.”

She shrieked and stomped her legs, her frustration reached its peak. She punched the armrest before jumping on her legs. Eyes darkening in rage, Emmaline marched towards the sleeping Alpha like a raging bull before stopping near the foot of the bed.

“Just see how he is sleeping.” She gritted before walking closer to him.

Emmaline then plopped on the mattress beside him with a loud thump and glowered at him.

“Just look how peaceful and relaxed he looks. Not a single scar of worry is etched on his face and I can’t even spend a day without worrying about the future. You’re gonna make me old. You pig, I am younger than you but all these tensions you have bestowed on me, I will develop wrinkles soon. I should enjoy my life but since the moment you entered my life, I am only fighting and yelling.” She grumbled but soon tears pricked her eyes.

Emmaline fisted the hem of her skirt as she could feel her chin wobbling. Her vision turned blurry but she continued glaring at his massive form hogging the king-size bed.

“You spend your teen days partying and having fun. Though your parents are assholes, they care so much about you. Even when you’re the worst man alive, they still condone your mistakes and always try to clear your sins. Your mother is such a bitch that she can sacrifice anyone but can’t bear a single scratch on you. You have no tensions about the future, unlike the ones who spend day and night pondering about their lives. You sail in money and have an empire to handle. You’re so damn lucky to have such good friends by your side, there are so many people who love you and care for you. You’re injured but they are the ones who are crying in pain, and praying for your wellbeing. Then w-why?”

She spoke with clenched teeth when suddenly her voice cracked and a tear slid down her cheek.

“Then why did you do this to me? I did nothing wrong to you then why did you hurt me? Why come into my life and ravage it apart? I was already struggling so much then why do you have to double my pain?”

Her lips quivered as she closed her eyes freeing the tears. Emmaline couldn’t help but imagine Ryder in place of Damien. They both were exactly similar and which made them equally accountable for her aversion.

Yes, she envied her brother.

Where she was fighting with the world all alone, her brother was living like a sybarite. He didn’t have to worry about paying bills and doing multiple jobs to stash money for the school’s fees. She was only an eighteen-year-old kid who was surviving all alone with no parents, no friends, no well-wishers at her side. She laughed alone and cried alone. While Ryder had people who were ready to wipe his tears, support him and encourage him at every step of his life. He had his family and friends while she was her only family, her only friend.

“You’ve caused me so much harm but I couldn’t bear watching you die. I want to be like you, heartless, barbaric, a monster but I can’t. I just can’t and I hate myself for it.” Emmaline sobbed and clutched her shirt before pummeling her chest.

It hurts so badly.

“I am not like this but I also can’t do this anymore. I can’t spend my whole life alone. I am tired of living as an outcast. I also want friends, a family. I also want parents and a loving husband. I want people to love and respect me. I tried so hard to suppress my emotions. I showed people that I don’t care but I do. I hated watching my classmates playing with each other in the playground I used to hole myself in the library to avoid them. I wasn’t a sociopath but I had to accept that image to curb the distractions. I still remember how I used to watch them with painful eyes when they used to go out and make plans of watching movies. My indifference made them exclude me from their circles. They used to hang out while I saved money to buy books and stuff. I hated when they had birthday parties while I never had anyone to wish me. I hadn’t ever cut a cake on my birthday. I don’t want to confess but I’ve always hated my life.”

Her past flashed in front of her eyes like a broken record. It was true though. Only she knows the value of relationships because she never had one. She knows the pain of solitude and the worth of having a family.

The tears of the past had dried but since the day she met Ryder, those bitter feelings returned and day by day they only turned stronger. Emmaline was aware of the truth about how their fates changed but it wasn’t that easy to accept it. Whenever Ryder popped in front of her, the only thought that came across her mind was...

‘Why not her?’

Why was she born with an unfortunate fate? When they both had the same blood, why she has to go through all the pain and not him?

Today even she was not at all happy seeing him. Indeed, he came to see her but her entire attention was on his regal attire. He looked devilishly handsome while she looked like a homeless beggar in front of him despite being a Luna of one of the strongest packs.

And she found no one but Damien to blame for everything.

Why was he hell-bent on carrying the revenge? Can’t he just forget and embrace reality? His present that screamed that she was his mate. His wife, his other half. Why can’t he give her the respect, the love which she legally deserves?

Emmaline harshly wiped the tears away but they kept trickling down.

“I tried so hard but looks like I had to do it for myself. I made myself who I am. I did that in the past and I will do it in the present too.”

A new determination surged in her veins as she cleared her tears and looked at Damien with a hard gaze.

“I have accepted that only I can reverse my situation. I want to have everything which you have, which Ryder has and I will get it no matter what. And I am willing to go to any extent to have it.” She told herself and nodded like a woman who was set on a mission.

Emmaline was done shedding tears. She was tired of being vulnerable and begging people to understand her.

Inhaling a deep breath, she scooted forward and placed her palm on the pillow beside his head before caressing his face with her other hand.

“You snatched everything from me and now I will make you return it. You have to, I am not giving you a choice.”

Tracing her fingers over his jawline, she stopped near his lips and stared at him. A dark glint entered her azure eyes, she could feel her anger rising.

“I don’t want to love you but looks like I have to. I prioritized my self-respect but if I want to achieve my dreams, I have to forget my morals. My love can only bring you back. I will wrap you around my fingers and only then my plan will work. Meanwhile, I’ll use my brother to master the Lycan’s powers and once I become more powerful than him, I will wipe him from my path. It will be like killing two birds with one stone.” Her lips twisted in an evil smile.

People never took her consent before announcing their decision and forced her to follow them then why she has to always look at everything through the mirror of ethics and morals?

“It’s time to look at the bigger picture. This valley is mine and the throne is also mine. What my brother has is also mine. You all had ruled enough, it’s my time now. I will snatch everything right under your noses and you both wouldn’t even sense it.”

Saying that she leaned back and stood up. Emmaline checked his forehead; his fever had gone down which means he would be conscious any minute.

‘It was time to work on her plan.’

Emmaline quickly entered the bathroom. Getting rid of her clothes, she took a hot shower. After cleansing herself with the scented shampoos, she exited the bathroom in a bathrobe and padded to the walk-in closet. Swiping her fingers through the various clothes, she took out a satin red lacy nightgown and examined it. A scowl instantly marred her face.

The gown was skimpy with a deep v-neckline and barely covered anything. Nonetheless, she wore it and dried her silver hair before leaving them open. Emmaline ground her teeth to swallow the disgust crawling in her veins as she felt extremely uncomfortable. That lacy dress exposed her buttcheeks and accentuated her curves. But the problem was that they were too sexy for her liking as her cleavage was on full display.

But can she back down? No, not at all.

Emmaline hurriedly grabbed the lip gloss and applied it to her lips without even checking herself in the mirror. Her fingers trembled but she didn’t let her resolve break and retired herself to the bed.

Emmaline gulped as she got inside the covers and scooted closer to Damien who was still asleep. Her heart was pounding in her ears as if she was doing a crime but she convinced her mind that she was his wife and there was nothing wrong with it. Hugging the duvet tightly to her chest, she closed her eyes and forced her to sleep.

But she actually fell asleep much faster than she had imagined.

Her silver hair was sprawled all over the pillows. Emmaline let out a whine as she kicked the covers with her leg before stretching her arms out.

After a lot of tossing and turning, she finally got a comfortable position and entered her dreamland completely unaware of the pair of ruby fireballs that were gazing at her darkly.