Saved [First Half] ✓

09

Chapter Nine

It was something I always wanted.

Emmi Parker’s Point of View

“Emmi?”

My eyes snapped to the source of the voice and smiled as I have seen my mate’s mother. The infamous Mint Wright, an omega who had tamed the raging monster. She had this tired expression printed on her face as she looked around, it seemed like she was searching for the three, but they had been excused. Closing the book that I was reading, I faced her with a soft smile.

“Mr. Wright had excused your daughters,” I mentioned, helping her with her job.

She sighed, holding her temple. “That man is impossible.”

“Is there anything wrong?” I questioned as she seemed really tired.

From the second that I have arrived in this pack, she had always been composed and someone who does enjoy having some fun with her family. She looked like the one presented in the news, only more dignified and serene to look at. Now that I am seeing her, she seemed troubled and clearly going through distress.

“Not really,” She chuckled, looking at me with a soft smile. “I just could not believe that my babies are old enough to train. They would usually help me bake some cookies for the warriors, and now they are one of the people who will be needing my cookies.”

A soft frown escaped my lips. “Cookies?”

“Every warrior requested cookies for their training, as it has some sugar that will help them recharge for the lost energy that they have.” Mint delivered the words so easily that the words had rolled out her tongue.

My lips bubbled up a chuckle, not comprehending that a pack that holds such a bad reputation and evil doings have warriors who had requested cookies to be their food after training. From the things that I am hearing, it was tough to picture this pack like the ones that were written in my books.

“Please excuse me, I needed to-” She trailed her thoughts, slowly pacing back to look at me. There was a soft smile on her face, eyes seemingly shining in expectancy. “You don’t have anything to do right now, right?”

I agreed, nodding my head for more measure. “Yes, I don’t.”

“You should help me bake them, as I always wanted to have some time with you. The three are always stealing my only daughter-in-law in this household.”

A small smile escaped my lips. “I would love to help you.”

She had easily guided me into the kitchen. But as we had walked along the hallways, she would tell stories about the man that was placed on the portraits. She had such a connection with these people, and it was challenging to think that she was once only pulled to live in this world.

“I actually have a question for you,” my lips had the courage to say as I tie the apron on my waist.

Mint mindlessly let me speak, her hands seemed busy as she grabbed an apron for herself and puts it on carefully. “Sure, I do not mind.”

“From the books that the kids have given me, it was written there that you were kidnapped to be a slave in this place. Is that story rings any truth? From what I could see… your husband adores you.”

Mint paused from the question, her eyes drifting for a second. It seemed like she was fondly thinking of the past as if it did not carry anything drastic. “You should believe what you see instead of what others had written for people to fear.” She replied as she moved behind me to put the apron on me. I have been struggling to tie it to the last minute. My heart was soaring to have this kind of connection to a woman that sees me as her daughter. “My husband is many things, and I have the fair share of seeing every shade of personality inside that man. Leighton needed to be evil in order to do his job, but it does not mean that he is evil.”

Dark Knights have a heavy standing in the realm. It is a position that grants them to kill anyone they wanted, without facing any consequences. As long as the King knew they were planning to kill someone, all annihilations are excused. The fear did spike into knowing that Alpha Leighton was walking to the very land we are standing on.

The idea that he could kill you is not near impossible.

“He made mistakes and did kill a lot of people,” Mint confirmed, her hands slowly patting my shoulders as she finished tying the strings. “But it was for a reason. My husband did not kill anyone just because he feels like it.”

Her husband also seemed kind.

While he does have a fierce face, it would always grow soft whenever he would talk to his family and have his children swarm into him. The man looked nothing like I was expecting. Even when I was in the same room, he holds the exact same face of a fatherly figure when he had talked to me.

He also does not hold any ill reaction to how I acted. It seemed like he genuinely understand where I was coming from.

“He does seem very kind,” I commented.

She chuckled. “He was not always like that, but he had learned from his mistakes. My husband has flaws, as all others do. But in order to put some scare, people had created more damage than most.”

Kaiden is only 19 years old. Having to carry the pressure in carrying a pack that is flourished and has a high standing in the realm must have been hard. People will always fear the pack, and while many Alphas thrived in fear- I am sure that Kaiden wanted that fear away from his sisters.

“Now.” She smiled as she looked around. “Should we bake some cookies?”

I agreed, now feeling a tad lighter than earlier. “Yes, we should.”

Since I was not sure how baking cookies work, Mint would tell me what I needed to do while I only follow her batch. There were no harsh words from her whenever I would make a mistake, all she did was correct what I did in such a positive remark that I would have to stand there, gawking at her.

The very interaction made me see what her parenting method was: encouragement. I have never received such words from my mother. All these gentle words and a positive environment were never on my giving end.

“Give yourself some slack.” Mint chuckled as she patted my head. “This is your first time cooking, and as much as it looks like that—I am sure that it is good.”

I frowned. “No, it is not.”

“We should test it.”

My hands were quick to get it from her, but she had already taken a bite. Her nose scrunched as she looked at me, as much as I wanted to apologize, my laughter bubbled along with hers. To see her reaction in that same manner while being proud that it was good speaks volumes.

“Maybe we should try this one again.” She had requested as she shook her head. “But for your peace of mind, it is still quite edible. Kaiden had baked a version of cookies that resembled coal.”

“So there is something that he’s not good at?” I teased.

She had made a face that made me double in laughter. “I cannot wait to tell you what my son continues to f**k up.”

My mate’s mother and I continued baking the available hours that we have. Our laughter and bonding through the passing time were getting nothing but vital to me, making me realize how I never had this type of affection from my mother.

“Are you okay?” She asked, hands pressed on my back as she looked at me. “You seem gloomy, Emmi.”

I shook my head. “I just… never had this experience from my mother from before.”

“Don’t worry,” Mint replied as she patted my head. “I am your mother now, and we could spend more of these experiences as much as you want.”

My heart did nothing but flutter, never knowing that my mate’s family will end up being the real version of a family that I had always hoped for. There are still things that I would be thankful for, and I could not believe that they are subjected to the rogues who had saved me.