Page 161 of An Omega for the Lycan Prince
“Alpha Elden.” Emmet bows his head in respect and slight fear. “Because it’s now or never,” he admits. “My pack either turns over a new leaf today or will diminish into darkness and death.” He turns his head slightly, his eyes lighting up when he sees Ella. “Miss Ella, it’s so good to see you.”
Ella looks at him in surprise. It’s obvious she hasn’t seen him before. “Wh… You know my name?”
“Everyone knows your name. We are sorry we couldn’t do more for you,” he says, his eyes flashing with guilt. “All we could do was keep you on the outside and away from the pack as much as possible.”
“You,” her eyes widen. “You guys spread the rumor that I befriended Annalise!?”
“You made it sound like my family is best friends with Alpha Cedric and wouldn’t hesitate to investigate what was going on in this pack?” I ask curiously.
He nods.
“But why!?” Ella exclaims. “I’m nothing but the daughter of a traitor!”
The man smiles tiredly. “A traitor to whom?” he asks quietly.
I tilt my head slightly. So, Liam and Elden were right with their assumption about Ella’s father. “He planned to kill Alpha Marcus and free the pack,” I mutter.
The man nods. “He had Alpha blood in him, and his mate was a strong Beta she-wolf. He was the only one who ever tried to go against Marcus. Unfortunately, Marcus caught on to his plan and infused him and everyone else with wolfsbane. It was…” He pauses, taking a shaky breath. “Bad, really bad. Afterwards, Marcus and his followers killed everyone involved. All the she-wolves, the mates, the children. They only spared the very youngest to have them grow up in misery, as an example of what happens to traitors. The kids who were captured with Ella mostly grew up as slaves.” There is pain and guilt in his eyes, probably for not being able to do more.
Jun looks downright angry, though.
A shiver runs through Ella. It seems like the sudden truth catches up with her too. They tried to save her by making her an outsider. She was their hero’s daughter. She never realized that being an outcast was what kept her alive and healthy, unlike the other poor souls at the mercy of the Alpha.
“And what was your role in that story?” Elden inquires.
Emmet sighs tiredly. “I was Deacon’s best friend.”
“Deacon?” Elden asks.
“Ella’s father.”
“So how are you still alive?” Elden wants to know.
For the blink of a moment, Emmet looks pained. “I wish I could have died with them,” he says bitterly. “But Deacon wanted me to remain hidden in case things went wrong. I was his backup plan. He put aside some money, while Eleanore, his mate and Ella’s mom, secretly purchased a small apartment. They wanted me to keep Ella safe.” He pauses. “I failed her for the first years of her life, I couldn’t protect her. But as soon as I could, I made sure she was out of this pack. I worked for years, pretending to be loyal to Marcus and his cause.”
Ella swallows visibly at his words. “You… were the one who made sure I could leave the pack and who paid for my college tuition?”
“When you befriended the young Luna,” he says, while gesturing towards me. “I felt like this was the best chance to manipulate Marcus into believing he is better off with her away from the pack.”
“What about you?” Elden turns towards Jun, who hasn’t said anything.
He lifts his sleeve, revealing a tattoo on the underside of his arm. To my surprise, it’s not a pack sign or anything alike. It’s a name, a signature. Yuka Noshimuri. “That asshole raped my sister. She killed herself,” he says shortly, anger flashing in his eyes. He is ready to take some heads, I think. I turn to look at Elden, who gives me a short nod.
He thinks the same.
“Tell me everything you know about the pack grounds,” Elden demands. “Especially where they keep the prisoners.”
Emmet looks at Jun. “Jun?”
The man nods shortly, stepping forward. He takes a sheet of paper out of his pocket. When he unfolds it, I notice it’s a map. “You brought us a map… in such detail?” Ella asks in surprise.
Jun furrows his brows. “Yuka was my only family. He took my only treasure from me like she was some disposable object, like she was trash. When I found her that night, she was crying and could barely move. Two weeks later, she hung herself.” He looks up with burning eyes. “If I could, I would have killed him myself.”
My heart breaks at his words. Marcus is a psychopath through and through. What kind of monster does that to his pack members? I look at Jun, hoping my eyes will convey my feelings. “He is definitely going down,” I say with conviction. “Liam is raging. He will not allow him to continue with his cruelty. It’s about time justice is served. For your sister, Ella’s parents, the families he ripped apart, and every person he tortured, killed, or raped. Let’s get him.”
Jun looks at me, his hard gaze softening a bit. He nods at me firmly. “Let’s take him down.”
Elden furrows his brows, looking at the two men darkly. His patience is wearing thin right now; it’s easy to tell. With Liam captured, Alpha Marcus threatening Silverlake, and me and Dante doing our own thing, plus the betrayal of Alpha Philipp… his wolf has to be on edge. His eyes are dark, and his wolf seems to be on the surface. “I’m only going to say this once, but if you betray me in any way, I’ll snap your necks within seconds, and I’ll leave you and your pack to perish into nothingness!” he growls.
