Chapter 3

EMILY’S POV

The packed grand hall was pin-drop silent as I turned around to face the crowd, my children standing beside me peered up with curious eyes. They were my strength and shield and the only reason I decided to return.

I needed to give them an identity, so they could live freely and receive their rightful inheritance. They belonged to the Blackstone pack and they needed to know where their roots were.

James was also by my side, his eyes shining with pride as he watched me. He has been my rock all these years. He helped me when I left Chris and throughout the pregnancy. He had been there to take care of the children and even when I broke down he comforted me.

We shared a secret smile as the stars as their gazes burned through my skin and the crowd watched in shock.

“The late Alpha states that the title of the Alpha and Leader of the Black Stone pack be given to me as his first and only daughter.”

The crowd erupted at my revelation. My whole life everyone in the pack thought Lucy was my blood sister and Regina my mother.

Murmurs and whispers echoed through the hall as pack members watched the drama unfolding.

“Emily,” the delta said, stepping forward towards me, her expression filled with confusion “You’ve… returned. But… these children…”

I looked around the hall knowing what they were thinking and the questions they had about my children.

I took a deep breath, my eyes searching the room, until I saw Chris, my treacherous sister by his side. His expression was unreadable as he watched me intently. Lucy's hateful gaze aimed at me as she sneered.

“These are my children,” I say, my voice firm and loud through the hall, as I glanced at them

“The rightful heirs to the throne after me and we have come to claim the title.”

The murmurs grew louder, as speculations increased. I could hear a pack member beside me. “Who is the father of those children using the Beta standing beside her?” one of them asked.

“What if they are the children of Alpha Chris of the Mars pack?” Another asked.

“But their marriage ended on bad terms, so she married the beta.”

“How do we know these children are even yours?” someone shouts from the back of the hall. “And who’s their father? Beta James?”

James stiffens beside me, stepping forward. But I place a hand on his arm, calming him down. This is my fight and I could stand up for myself.

“I don’t owe anyone an explanation,” I replied, my eyes cold and determined. “I have returned, and that is all that matters. My father’s will is very clear—I am to inherit the throne, and I have come to fulfill my duty to my pack.”

The elders exchanged glances between each other, as they stared at me. “But… Emily, your absence. Where have you been all these years?”

“That is not what is important right now, what's important is that I am back now, ready to take over the pack,” I replied sternly.

When I decided to come back, I knew that there would be resistance against me and my children, but I was ready to face them.

My words hung in the air, as the crowd finally settled their murmurs dying down.

And then, from the front row, Lucy stepped forward, her face twisted with rage.

“You have no right!” she hissed. “My mother is going to be the leader of this pack. You can't just return and claim the throne.”

I smiled coldly at her as I closed the distance between us. “My father's will states who should be Alpha and that's the law.”

“You bitch!” she screamed as she raised her hand to me, but I caught her hand in mid-air, squeezing it with my Alpha strength, until I could hear her bones cracking.

She groaned in pain as I pushed harder against her bone. “Don't you dare lay your filthy hands on me?” I sneered in her face.

“Let go of my daughter right now!.” Regina called out stepping between us.

I threw her hands down, she stepped away from me, her eyes filled with fear as she cradled her wounded hand. Her eyes burned with anger.

“The council answers to me now!” I snapped “And anyone that contests my title as the Alpha of this pack would be punished severely.”

Regina's eyes flash with fury, but she says nothing, stepping back away from me with Lucy. I turned back to the elder, my eyes focused.

“Proceed with the ceremony,” I commanded sternly. The crowd silenced around me, as an elder rose up, picking up my father's will and facing the hall.

The elder nods, raising the will up for all to see. “As per the late Alpha’s wishes, Emily Blackstone the only daughter of Alpha Barnes would be named the Alpha of the Black Stone pack.”

A few guards held back Regina and Lucy ready to throw them out of the grand hall, but I stopped them. I wanted them to see me triumph. They stared at me with bitter expression, as I stepped towards the elder.

I extended my arm as he pricked my index right finger with a sharp pin. He pressed my finger until a drop of blood appeared. Then he places my bloody finger in the book of Alpha's leaving my finger print.

The crowd erupted with applause as I felt the Alpha power move through me, strengthening my limbs and muscles. I could feel my wolf Selene revealing in her new power as she pranced around happily.

“Congratulations Alpha Emily Blackstone.” the council greets in unison.

James moved beside me, a deep smile on his face, as he held my hand.

“You did it, Emily.” He said.

“Yes, I did,” I replied.

My eyes drift to Chris as he watches us, his eyes filled with sadness and remorse but I look away, gazing lovingly at my children. They were everything to me.