THE ALPHA'S UNWANTED OMEGA

CHAPTER 11. ECHOES OF THE PAST

Ava

"Still a little fierce, aren't you, Ava?..."

The moment he called me that, my heart raced. When we were still together, Rae had given me that sweet nickname. I wished I would never experience the surge of emotions I had when I heard him call me that for the second time that day.

I had made a self-promise to forget Rae and to just remember him as my torturer when I left the pack. It was not the case. That one word seemed to erase all the craziness in my life and restore peace with me.

In the hopes that he might say something else, I bit my lower lip, but Rae didn't even look at me.

At last he said, "You left me without even saying goodbye. Are you aware of what the pack says about wolves that flee during the night?"

"What action did you expect me to take?" My eyes locked with Rae's, who frowned and stiffened at my question.

"Should have I endured witnessing you wed your powerful luna while everyone mocks me for getting rejected and humiliated in front of the pack members and as if that wasn't enough, I still got pregnant out of wedlock?

You know, the struggles I had as an orphaned, frail omega. Running away from you and my aunt Larisa was the best decision I ever made."

"Well, this wouldn't be happening right now if you had stayed." He snapped.

"We both know that it wouldn't have been any different, so don't try to blame me, Rae," I said, taking a deep breath to try to hide my extreme sorrow.

"What should we do at this point?" I deviated from the topic.

He watched the people coming and going. "We'll have to wait for them to leave the house. I'm sure the kidnappers left behind some reasonable evidence that only a werewolf could find."

A slight pain struck my head, I closed my eyes and leaned my head back on the seat.

I added in a sarcastic voice, "How fortunate I am to have a werewolf by my side, especially such a strong alpha like you. To be completely honest, I'm happy about that."

Rae narrowed his eyes and observed me.

"Are you making jest of me, Ava?" My heart jumped at the tone of his voice. "You seem to have forgotten that you're also a werewolf and that your wolf is simply asleep. She'll eventually awaken."

I turned to face the Alpha King. "Listen, I wasn't making fun of you, okay? I also don't require your motivational talks. I seriously don't need them at this time."

I aggressively opened the door and came out of the car, leaving him alone. I didn't want to hear him say that things might have happened differently from what was planned or think of anything that has to do with the past. It was already too late. I closed my eyes again, contemplating how I would have to be stuck with him listening to his questions. He also came out of the car.

He approached me slowly and said, "I couldn't believe you had the courage to run away. I searched the entire pack for you." His voice was scratchy and very different from when I had met him earlier.

"You'll have to f*cking obey me if you want me to find the quads, and I don't care if you're in this city or anywhere else, you wouldn't dare challenge my authority." He whispered in my ear, sending a shiver down my spine.

I hesitated to go with Rae as he dragged me into the car, but I eventually gave in. Rae was even more infuriating than before when we were at last left alone. That he was the same man I had fell in love with shocked me. How could someone be so frigid and difficult?

"How long will we stay here?" I asked with a hint of discontent in my voice.

"Until I say otherwise." Rae ignored me, keeping his gaze fixed on the action in front of the house.

I muttered in frustration, "This is pointless."

"Go back to your house full of police officers and turn yourself in since you're in such a hurry, you'll be locked up in a cell, and you'll never see your children again." He said, gritting his teeth and glaring at me.

I felt alone in my own suffering because of Rae's icy and menacing demeanor. I made an unsuccessful attempt to hold back my emotions so that I wouldn't reveal my vulnerability to him. I sobbed so hard that I almost choked.

I wiped my damp face and said, "I can't stop wondering where they might be. They're just kids, Rae. How is it possible for someone to hurt children?"

"They still don't know that they're not just kids," Rae looked at me with icy eyes. He showed no indication of concern for my emotions. "You wouldn't have to worry so much if you had just simply told them who they are."

Rae acted in an unbelievable manner. I thought he would do better. Perhaps he would give me a warm hug and comforting words till my tears finally ceased. The person I was facing pretended not to know who I was. My heart hurt at Rae's coldness.

I met him with a terrible silence, even though I had a thousand things to say. I cleaned my face and tried not to show my grief, trying to be strong so I could find my kids.

The sun was sinking behind the hills, and an orange tinge had spread across the sky. One by one, the remaining police officers fled the house until there was no more movement in the vicinity. Rae watched every move, and he remained motionless for a few minutes even when the area was deserted.

I could feel my frustration rising beside him. I had the urge to exit the vehicle and sprint across the city in search of my kids. The car door opened at that very moment, and I saw Rae alight.

"Let's go," he said, leaving a look of perplexity and terror on my face.

He didn't hold off until I got out of the vehicle. He started to stroll toward the house, and I had to start running to keep up with him. There had been silence between us until a dog barked on the other side of the street. When we arrived at the front of the house, my breath became tight and caught in my throat. I was unable to take another step while Rae advanced.

Rae paused and turned around because he thought something was missing. Anyone with eyes could see me standing in the center of the road.

In an instant, his towering, powerful figure was in my line of sight. He looked at me pityingly and said, "Ava, what do you think you're doing?" He ignored my frailty and saw that if he didn't step in, I would endanger both of us. "Enter the house right away."

He waited for me to step forward as he stood in front of me. Just as Rae was about to seize my arm and bring me inside, I silently followed his request despite my fear. I entered the recollections.

When I moved the small wooden gate, it made a loud sound, and the area was brightly lit. The tape that encircled the entire home was broken by Rae. The area had a bloody stench and was gloomy. I closed my eyes, gripped the main door handle, and turned it. My hand gripped the wall next to the opened door and found the switch. I switched on the light, brightening the entire room as the door opened.

My body shook from the cold air and the sight of Leila's blood which was still on the floor.

As soon as he stepped into the house, Rae's eyes turned into a bright golden color, showing that he was sharing control of his wolf. He moved to one of the room's corners and snatched up a picture frame. There were four boys in the picture which looked incredibly identical, but he was drawn to one in particular.