The Heart Of The Alpha

4 - My sister

Kelly

There are no words to adequately describe what it felt like to see my sister cowering inside that van. I have never felt such heartbreak in all my life, and that’s saying something when I witnessed my best friend’s brutal death ten years ago.

But hearing my baby sister’s screams of terror will never leave me. It was hard to believe what Beta Jai mind linked the pack. They had successfully found Chloe, and he wanted everyone ready for when the Alpha arrived. They had four other girls who would need medical attention. Then he threw out that my sister had also been found, and I went into shock. It wasn’t until the van pulled up and those doors opened, revealing my sister, that I came out of it. Alpha Drew needed me to calm Emery down so we could get her to the infirmary. But there was no calming her, and Alpha Drew had to use his Vampire powers to put her to sleep. It was for her own good, but that didn’t make it any easier.

Emery is my baby sister, and I would do anything for her. Hell, I have done everything and anything for Emery all her life. I gave up everything to help raise my sister because it was just the two of us. Mom and Dad loved us, but they were always so damn busy. Then, when Mom died, Dad didn’t seem to care about us much. He was grieving and trying to stay alive, but he distanced himself from us.

Then he met his second chance mate, and everything went to shi.t even more than before. Dad was never around, and he didn’t seem to even remember he had kids most of the time. All he cared about was Teagan and being with her.

Emery was just five years old when our mother died. I was sixteen and begged our then-Alpha to allow me to keep Emery. Alpha Kyle had discovered that Dad had been taking off with his new mate and leaving us home alone. By rights, as Emery was adopted, and I was underage, Alpha Kyle should have removed her from Dad’s care.

I begged Alpha Kyle not to do that. Emery was everything to me, and I couldn’t bear to lose her, too. After losing Mom, Emery was all I had. Alpha wasn’t too sure, but luckily for me, Luna Marla was on my side.

I got to keep the house we grew up in and had to get a job to pay for food. Thankfully, there were no bills because the pack dealt with all of that.

I ensured Emery went to school every day, and I made sure she was clean and fed. Dad would pop by now and again, sometimes staying after the Alpha gave him a talking-to. Alpha Kyle had already threatened Dad’s life, calling him a coward for walking away from his children for a woman. I don’t know why Alpha Kyle let Dad live when that wasn’t his usual form. But I guess Luna felt sorry for us. She didn’t want us to be orphans, even if our father was all but useless.

Dad may have been able to visit, and Alpha Kyle may have let him live, but Dad was thrown out of the pack with his mate. He was permitted to visit regularly if he let the Alpha know first. However, we saw him only once a year at Christmastime.

I did well in raising Emery. Everyone had always complimented me on my ability to put my sister first while getting us both an education. But then our brother returned from the human world, confusing me immensely.

Liam left home before Emery was even born. My brother had fallen for a human, which was against pack rules. Alpha Kyle banished Liam when my brother refused to kill the woman he loved. Liam swore that Shannon was his mate, and nothing anyone said would change his mind.

Alpha Kyle said he’d let Liam leave with Shannon if he never set foot on pack grounds again, including never seeing his family again. Liam agreed because no one can deny the mate bond.

After some background checks, Luna Marla discovered that Shannon came from Werewolf heritage. She might not be able to transform, but she has Werewolf blood, which is why Liam and Shannon became mates.

Regardless, Alpha Kyle would not allow Liam to return, no matter what Luna said to him. Alpha wouldn’t allow a non-shifter to join the pack, just as he never allowed same-se.x mating.

Back to why Liam was suddenly home.

It turns out that Alpha Kyle was worried about Emery and me and called Liam home. The Alpha cared about us and couldn’t think of any other way to show that to us. So, he went against what he believed, and Liam was even allowed to bring his wife and children with him. Alpha was even more shocked to learn Shannon had a Wolf and could transform. Her great-grandmother’s Werewolf gene was awakened in Shannon the day Liam marked her.

I was shocked to see my brother because I hadn’t since I was eleven. Liam was six years older than me and seventeen years older than Emery, and he looked so mature and strong.

Alpha Kyle insisted that Liam and his family return to Crimson Moon to care for us. That meant Liam would move into the house with Emery and me. Liam did move back, and he was great when it came to taking care of Emery. It gave me a little freedom to be with my friend. But my sister never stopped turning to me when she needed someone, and I never stopped being there for her.

Emery met Drew when Dad decided to pop up and randomly take her to Gray Shadows pack with him. Liam had first refused to let her go, but Emery insisted she wanted to go. The moment Emery stepped out of the car, Drew was right in front of her. Drew didn’t care that Emery was deaf; he still wanted her.

It wasn’t long before Emery moved to Gray Shadows Pack. It broke my heart to see her go, but I knew that was the way of things, and I was happy for my sister. By then, I had my mate and children, and I wanted that for Emery.

When Emery went missing, Alpha Kyle believed that Drew Dalgaard had done something to hurt her. I didn’t believe it. Drew was Emery’s mate, so why would he hurt her?

I contacted Damian, Drew’s brother, hoping he could shed some light on what happened. He told me Emery and Drew had an argument, and Emery left. Drew was a mess because he believed his mate no longer wanted him.

I managed to convince Damian that Emery would never take off; she loved Drew way too much. However, Drew wouldn’t hear of it nor allow Damian to help me search for my sister. It hurt so much, and I was so disappointed, but I couldn’t force Drew.

Then suddenly, Drew changed his mind. It seemed he came out of shock and decided he’d do anything to find Emery, and he needed all the help he could get.

Then word got back to Drew a few months ago that Alpha Kyle was bad-mouthing him. I tried to talk to Alpha Kyle and make him understand that Drew loved Emery and that he was trying his best to find her. But Alpha Kyle wouldn't hear of it and lost his temper. He had men and women searching for my sister, but he began to believe that Drew had killed Emery. Alpha Kyle even told my dad the same thing. I don’t know what Dad said in reply, but he never came home to look for his daughter.

Drew suddenly turned up at Crimson Moon, filled with rage, and challenged our Alpha. Alpha Kyle accepted because he had no other choice, and I knew everything would go to hell. Challenging or accepting a challenge from a Dalgaard hardly ever ends well.

Long story short, Drew killed Alpha Kyle in a fit of rage, making him the new Alpha of Crimson Moon Pack.

Drew didn’t want the pack because this is where Emery was from. Her family is here, and I think we were too much of a reminder of her. I could see the pain in Drew’s eyes, even when he tried to hide it.

Regardless, after Drew’s father told him that he had no choice now that he’d kill Alpha Kyle, Drew took over.

The week before Drew moved to the pack with some of his own people, Luna Marla killed herself. It was a sad day for the pack, but Drew didn’t care. It seemed he stopped caring about anything other than finding Emery.

Drew had the pack house redecorated, hoping once Emery was home, she’d like it. I knew that she would because the whole place is now just as Emery always imagined.

I begged Drew not to kick Liam and me out of the pack, to which Drew told me he had no intention of doing so. Why would we think such a thing?

I explained our reasoning, and Drew told us that Emery loved us and he would never do anything to hurt her. Exiling Liam, his family, and mine would hurt Emery, so he allowed us to stay.

Drew swore that he’d bring Emery home if it killed him. Deep down, I knew it all along: my sister was out there. Now, my heart is broken, and I don’t know how to make things better for her.