Alpha's Secret

Chapter Twenty-Three: Hidden Truths

EMILIA'S POV

I stood there, trying to process what had just happened. Elijah's anger had been palpable, and I felt a twinge of fear.

Sarah walked in, concern etched on her face. "Hey, are you okay?" she asked, sitting beside me on the bed.

I nodded, feeling a lump form in my throat. "Yeah, I'm fine," I lied.

Sarah put a gentle hand on my arm. "Don't try to sugarcoat it, Emilia. I saw Elijah storm out of here. What happened?"

I sighed, feeling a mix of emotions. "We were talking about the mate thing... and I told him I didn't know if I could do it."

Sarah's expression softened. "Oh, Emilia. You're scared. And that's okay."

I shifted to a different question, one that had been bothering me. "Sarah, can I ask you something?"

"Of course," she replied.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked, my voice shaking slightly. "We've been friends for years, and you never mentioned that you're a werewolf. Why?"

Sarah looked taken aback. "I was trying to protect you, Emilia. I didn't want you to get hurt."

I felt a pang of hurt. "You didn't trust me?"

Sarah's eyes filled with tears. "That's not it, Emilia. I just... I didn't know how to tell you. And I was scared of losing our friendship." She paused, collecting her thoughts. "I'm sorry, Emilia. I was wrong to keep it from you."