When they touch me (Shelagh Milano) novel Chapter 48

Chapter 48
ARTEMISIA

“It’s lovely to see that you are getting along again.”

I’ve just stumbled back onto the gravel path after tearing myself out of his arms with the last resolve I could find, as Celeste comments on our encounter happily.

I don’t want to let the rumour spread about how fucked up it really is, so I just force a smile. “Thank you. He is a good mate, I hate that we left such a bad impression on the pack as a couple.”

“Oh, you don’t have to worry about this. We were all glad he met his match.” She giggles cutely as she adds, “You are both so hot-blooded, it must be really nice.”

She blushes, making me look at her incredulously.

It’s always the quiet ones, isn’t it?!

“Erm… It is, to be honest,” I agree with her, making her giggle.

Oh, Goddess.

My heart gets a little blow at my thought that it is all a lie, and that I would actually like to have a drama-free relationship with him.

As I sigh, my gaze falls on Astrid walking in front of the pups, and Emma sleeping in her arms.

“Can I ask you something?” I ask Celeste, lowering my voice slightly.

“Sure,” she answers, nodding happily.

Taking a deep breath, I decide to just go with it, as I probably wouldn’t get the answer elsewhere. “Why is Emma so affectionate towards Fynn? Is there any reason why she is so comfortable around him? I guess that she was so affectionate towards me so quickly because she smelled his scent on me.”

“Ah, that’s…” She starts, stopping abruptly as she has her gaze fixated in front of her.

A lump forms in my throat and suddenly, I’m not sure that I want to hear the answer to it.

My thoughts start running wildly, wanting to tell her that she should forget what I said, but I keep my mouth closed.

Because it doesn’t matter how much more my heart will break, I have to know.

“Emma was kidnapped with her mother and held hostage in another pack territory for days. Her mother was wolfless, so it took the Alpha and his men days to find them. When they finally did, he wanted to do everything the right way, and instead of just crossing the borders and risking a war between packs, he appealed to the Alpha on the other territory and relied on him to take action. But he seemed to just want to waste time, and Alpha Blackwood couldn’t prove it well enough in order to attack them without getting penalised by the council. So, he had to wait as well. Fynn had already been stripped of his Beta title back then, and he said that he didn’t have anything to lose.”

She sighs, still avoiding my gaze, and I’m actually glad about it as she would just see my shocked expression.

I’m sorry… What?!, the little voice inside my head screams while Cassy snickers.

‘What a loser.’

“What did he do?” I ask feebly, my voice barely audible.

A small smile appears on her lips as she continues with her tale, answering my question. “He crossed the borders. Took down a few guarding posts, and got Emma out of the enemy’s territory.”

“Oh, my Goddess!” I breathe out, putting a hand on my chest.

“He returned with her, but also brought back the bad news about her mother already being gone… Apparently, they had tortured her to death, and also poor little Emma was already covered in scars.”

She puts a hand on her lips, taking a deep breath while her eyes well up with tears.

“Why do such a thing?” I ask, being totally appalled.

“From the rumours that I heard, they wanted to kidnap pack members to weaken the Alpha, and they started with her because they knew she was wolfless, and would have been easy to start with.”