Of all the places to meet, this is where we reunited. I couldn't wait to see what comes next.
"Aiden!" I exclaimed in shock.
He leaned in to hug me immediately, tears streaming down from his eyes. I was happy to see him, but I still couldn't believe that Aiden was the one in front of me. Last I checked, he was beaten to death, or at least almost to death because he is here with me.
I couldn't hug Aiden back because the chains on my hands were pretty much heavy for me to lift up easily.
"Emily, you're still alive! I thought I had lost you forever," Aiden said, weeping in joy.
"Aiden? How... are you alive? What are you doing here?" I asked, my voice trembling with disbelief.
Ethan was puzzled, unsure of what was going on. I had once mentioned Aiden to Ethan before, but at that time, we were not on good speaking terms, so I didn't go into details.
"Emily, who is he? Wait, is he...?" Ethan's expression showed that he remembered the night I had briefly spoken about Aiden.
"He's Aiden, I think," I replied, still uncertain about the identity of the man standing before me.
Aiden now looked like a real man, a virtuous werewolf. His chest was broad as ever and his piercing little devil eyes were still looking attractive. His rare, breathtaking smile was just as captivating as I remembered. I couldn't help but wonder if he was still single with all this handsomeness.
Silly me, thinking about such things in a situation like this.
Aiden immediately ordered the guards to release me from my chains, and they obeyed without hesitation. I couldn't fathom how Aiden had gained so much power and authority in just two years pass.
"What about my friends?" I anxiously inquired, hoping that Aiden would also set Ethan and Laura free.
He glanced at Ethan and Laura, and for a moment, I thought he would release them too. However, Aiden informed me that we would come back for them later.
Whispering to Ethan, I reassured him that I would be alright and find a way to free us all. Yet, deep down, I couldn't help but doubt my own words, knowing that Aiden had recognized Ethan as one of the werewolf Alphas responsible for burning down our once peaceful village.
"Be careful, Emily! The Grendorians are not to be trusted!" Laura warned as I followed Aiden out of the cell. One of the guards overheard her and struck her with a vicious slap.
"Shut your trap, you bitch...!"
"How about you release me from these chains, and we'll see who the real 'bitch' is." Laura retorted with a mischievous grin at the werewolf guard who had hit her.
Ethan clearly knows what Laura will do to the werewolf if she was free from the chains, he couldn't help but chuckle.
As Aiden and I exited the underground cell, I realized that we were still within the walls of the church basement where the artifact had been hidden.
Soon, another realization dawned on me. The Grendorians won't possibly catch two Midgard Alphas and store them in a church basement, or else, the Grendorians are not the ones keeping us prisoners, it must be another pack from Midgard. After all, Lucas was from Midgard and he said he was a spy from another pack. But who's pack could it be? And why would Aiden be working for them?
Aiden guided me towards the church area, where both humans and werewolves were interacting with one another.
The people of Grendor really love money, don't they? Even inside the church, there was buying and selling going on. I just wished I could be the 'Jesus' in this era, and toss all their goods away.
Silly me, another childish thought.
We found a place to sit and began catching up on the years we had spent apart. As we talked, I could clearly see Aiden's face, a childhood friend who had grown into someone I had fallen in love with.
As tears streamed down my cheeks, I pulled Aiden into a tight embrace. The relief of finding him alive, and knowing that at least one of us was living a good life, overwhelmed me. Aiden gently lifted my gaze and locked eyes with me. In his eyes, I could see a deep sense of regret and self-blame.
"I wish I was stronger back then. I would have saved you and our village," Aiden said as tears glittered in his eyes.
I didn't blame Aiden for what happened, even the Alpha of his pack was defeated easily by Icarus. How could he have possibly stopped him?
"It's not your fault," I whispered, trying to comfort him.
"You couldn't have stopped what happened that day. How could you have defeated two Alphas and their pack members all alone?"
"I just wished I found out earlier! I could've been able to protect you, Emily. It's my fault that I didn't found out on time!"
Aiden's hot tears finally screamed down his cheeks, expressing the guilt that had been weighing on him.
Though, what I don't get is what Aiden didn't find out on time. What could he had possibly found out back then that would've protect us against werewolves from Midgard?
"I searched for you all over Midgard. Every time I got a lead, I only reached a dead end. But I didn't stop looking, not until I heard that three hundred human slaves from the Amaxon war were sold off to the people of the northern side. As I headed towards the northern lands, I learned that all the slaves were killed during a crossfight with Deanite wolves. I was informed that the Deanite wolves were seeking revenge against the northern lands for slaughtering their kind five years ago," Aiden elucidated.
I did hear about the Deanite killings from five years ago.
It was heartbreaking to hear about his tireless efforts to find me, and the tragic end of those who were once slaves with me. Despite the pain of the past, I was grateful to be reunited with Aiden and to have him by my side once again.
"I've been safe in the Moonwalkers pack all this while," I revealed.
During my time in the Moonwalkers pack, I rarely left my room, and they didn't treat me as a slave but I was rather, just the Alpha's pawn. That's probably why Aiden couldn't find me.
Aiden apologized for stopping his search for me, and we hugged once more. However, in that moment, Aiden pulled away from the hug and raised a question.
"You look the same, but you smell different. You smell like a werewolf. What did they do to you?"
"Nothing," I quickly replied, trying not to worsen Aiden's anger towards Ethan and Laura.
With a heavy sigh, I explained briefly what had happened and how I was now becoming a werewolf. I skipped the parts about being strangled and being the Alpha's sex pawn. I knew that telling Aiden those details would likely lead to him seeking immediate revenge against Ethan and Laura.
Soon, our gazes locked on each other, and the world around us became blurred. In that moment, Aiden claimed my gentle lips, and instinctively, I kissed him back briefly. However, the realization struck me that things were different now. I pulled away from the kiss with an apology.
"It's fine. I know all of this is hard for you to take in, and believe me, it is for me too. Emily, I promise not to leave your side ever again. And I will protect you with my last breath."
I asked Aiden if he was now working with the Grendorians or for another pack in Midgard. Aiden's reply caught me off guard. "I work alone."
How could Aiden, who was the Omega of his pack two years ago, now have his own empire? The timing wasn't the only thing that surprised me, because to become a pack Alpha, one has to be exceptionally powerful and skilled.
"Then, who asked you to keep us locked up?" I inquired with a straight face, wiping away my tears.
Aiden sighed, clearly reluctant to disclose who he was working for, or with, because Alphas don't work for another Alpha.
"Please, free my friends and let us go. We didn't come here to cause trouble," I pleaded with Aiden.
Aiden rose from his seat, his expression revealing that there were higher forces at play here. He groaned, avoiding the topic, but perhaps it was for the best, because what he said next was something I never expected to hear.
"Your mum will be happy to see you after all this years," Aiden revealed.
Just the fact that Aiden was alive was already overwhelming, but the news of my mother being alive left me utterly shocked. Before I could say anything, Aiden added,
"Lily is here in Grendor, and she will be here soon."
"Lily!" I screamed. That's my kid sister.
How are they all alive? Or am I still unconscious and dreaming? The wolf who knocked me down applied a lot of pressure in his strike, and my head was still pounding. Am I hallucinating things now? Is this also part of the effects of becoming a werewolf?
As I was lost in my thoughts, I heard a voice I never thought I'd hear again in this world. It was Lily's voice.
"Aiden! Someone wants to see you," she called out to Aiden, who was standing nearby. She didn't notice me at first because I was seated, but as soon as I stood up and turned to her, her eyes widened in surprise.
To be continued... Them or Us [Brief Journey To The Past]