Chapter 33

My Cheating Mate

Jeremy pov

Dawn broke gray and cold, the sky threatening rain. Fitting weather for an execution.

I stood beside Emma in the observation area, separated from the execution grounds by a thick pane of reinforced glass. My father stood on Emma's other side, with Beta Marcus just behind us. As future Alpha and the primary victim, we were required to witness.

Emma's hand found mine as they led Vanessa out. She was in restraints, flanked by four guards, but she walked with her head high. Defiant to the end.

"You okay?" I asked Emma quietly.

"No," she admitted. "But I need to see this. Need to know she can't hurt anyone else."

The execution detail lined up—six wolves with silver-loaded rifles. Silver to ensure a quick death, even for someone as strong as Vanessa. Beta Marcus stood at attention, his face impassive as he prepared to give the order.

They secured Vanessa to the posts, her arms spread, her body exposed to the firing squad. She should have looked vulnerable. Instead, she looked furious.

Her eyes found Emma through the glass, and her expression twisted into something hateful.

"This is all your fault!" Vanessa screamed, her voice carrying even through the barrier. "You stole him from me! You ruined everything!"

Emma flinched beside me. I squeezed her hand.

"He was never yours!" Vanessa continued, struggling against her restraints. "Jeremy loved me! He wanted me! You were just an inconvenient mistake that the Moon Goddess forced on him!"

"Don't listen to her," I said quietly to Emma. "She's just trying to hurt you one last time."

But Vanessa wasn't done. "You think this ends anything? You think killing me stops what I started?" Her laugh was manic. "The rogues I hired—they're not done! I paid them for six months of attacks! They'll keep coming until you're dead, Emma! Until you're bleeding in the dirt where you belong!"

Emma went rigid beside me. "What?"

"I left instructions!" Vanessa's eyes were wild now. "If I die, they intensify the attacks! Every rogue pack within three states has been paid to target you specifically! You'll never be safe! Never!"

"She's lying," my father said firmly. "Trying to terrorize you in her final moments."

But something about Vanessa's expression made my blood run cold. The certainty in her eyes. The savage satisfaction.

"Am I lying?" Vanessa called out. "Ask your precious mate! Ask Jeremy how much money I had access to through my family! Ask him how many connections I made while traveling to other packs!"

I had to admit, she'd had significant resources. Her family was wealthy, and as my supposed future Luna, she'd attended countless inter-pack meetings. Made connections with wolves all over the region.

"Even if it's true," Emma said, her voice shaking but firm, "we'll deal with it. We'll strengthen patrols, increase security. We'll protect the pack."

"You can't protect everyone!" Vanessa shrieked. "The attacks will be random! Unpredictable! Your pack will live in fear because of you! Because you stole what was mine!"

"Ready!" Beta Marcus's command cut through Vanessa's ranting.

"Jeremy!" Vanessa's eyes found mine now. "You're making a mistake! She'll never forgive you! Never trust you! You'll spend your whole life trying to earn back what you destroyed, and it will never be enough! I'm the one who understood you! I'm the one who—"

"Aim!"

"—loved you! Really loved you! Not her! She's just—"

"Fire!"

Six rifles discharged simultaneously. The sound was deafening even through the glass.

Vanessa's body jerked as the silver bullets struck—chest, heart, head. Precision shots that ensured instant death.

She was dead before her body slumped forward in the restraints.

Silence fell over the execution grounds. Even the birds seemed to have stopped singing.

Emma was trembling beside me, her hand crushing mine. "Is it over?"

"It's over," I confirmed, though Vanessa's threats still echoed in my head. "She's gone."

My father immediately turned to one of his advisors. "Get me intel on every rogue pack Vanessa had contact with. I want to know if there's any truth to her claims about ongoing attacks."

"Yes, Alpha."

"And double all patrol rotations. Increase security around Emma specifically. If there are rogues coming, we'll be ready."

Emma pulled her hand from mine and wrapped her arms around herself. "She hated me that much. Even at the end, all she wanted was to make sure I suffered."

"She was unhinged," I said. "Obsessed. Her love for me—if you can even call it love—twisted into something toxic and dangerous."

"Love shouldn't do that," Emma said quietly. "Real love shouldn't make you want to destroy someone."

"No. It shouldn't." I wanted to touch her, to comfort her, but I wasn't sure if it would be welcome. "Emma—"

"I need to go." She was already moving toward the exit. "I can't—I need to process this. Alone."

"Emma, wait—"

But she was gone, practically running from the observation room.

My father put a hand on my shoulder. "Give her space. This was hard for her. Hearing Vanessa's threats, watching her die—Emma needs time."

"What if Vanessa was telling the truth?" I asked. "About the rogues? About having six months of attacks planned?"

"Then we deal with it." His expression was grim. "I'm having our intelligence wolves investigate immediately. If there are contracts out on Emma, we'll find them and neutralize them."

"And if we can't? If Vanessa really did set something in motion that we can't stop?"

"Then we protect Emma with everything we have." He squeezed my shoulder. "Son, Vanessa was trying to terrorize her. To make sure her final act was causing maximum pain. Don't let her win by falling for it."

But I couldn't shake the certainty in Vanessa's eyes. The satisfaction when she'd talked about the attacks continuing. She'd wanted Emma dead even more than she'd wanted me.

The observation room was clearing out now. The guards were removing Vanessa's body. By tomorrow, she'd be burned and her ashes scattered outside pack territory. No burial, no memorial. That was the punishment for traitors.

I should feel relieved. Vanessa was dead. The woman who'd manipulated me, who'd tried to kill Emma, who'd led an assault on our pack—she was gone.

But all I felt was dread.

Because Vanessa had been right about one thing: Emma would never feel completely safe again. Would always be looking over her shoulder, waiting for the next attack.

And it was my fault. All of it was my fault.

"Jeremy." Beta Marcus approached, his expression serious. "We need to talk. About Emma's security."

"What about it?"

"She's refusing a detail. Says she won't live her life surrounded by guards." He paused. "But if Vanessa was telling the truth about those rogue contracts—"

"Emma needs protection whether she wants it or not," I finished.

"Exactly. But she won't listen to me. Won't listen to the Alpha. Maybe she'll listen to you."

"She doesn't want to listen to me about anything lately," I said honestly. "But I'll try."

I found Emma in the pack house library, curled up in a window seat, staring out at nothing.

"Hey," I said softly, not wanting to startle her.

"Hey." She didn't look at me. "Did they send you to convince me to accept a security detail?"

"Your father asked me to talk to you about it, yes."

"And what do you think?" Now she did turn, her eyes challenging. "Do you think I need bodyguards following me everywhere? Think I can't protect myself?"

"I think you're one of the strongest people I know," I said carefully. "I watched you fight off rogues at that motel. Watched you train young wolves. I know you can protect yourself."

"But?"

"But if Vanessa was telling the truth, if she really did set up months of coordinated attacks targeting you specifically—one person can't defend against that alone. No matter how strong they are."

Emma's jaw clenched. "So I'm supposed to live in fear? Surrounded by guards? Looking over my shoulder constantly?"

"You're supposed to live. Period." I moved closer but kept my distance. "Emma, I know you hate feeling helpless. Hate the idea of needing protection. But please—please accept the detail. At least until we can verify whether Vanessa's threats were real."

"And if they're real? If there really are rogue packs gunning for me for the next six months? Do I just live with guards forever?"

"If that's what it takes to keep you safe, then yes."

She laughed bitterly. "This is what my life has become. Living in fear because your ex-mistress hated me enough to hire my murder multiple times over."

The words hit like a physical blow. Because she was right. This was what her life had become because of my choices.

"I'm sorry," I said, knowing how inadequate the words were. "I'm so sorry that my actions led to this. That you can't feel safe in your own pack because of me."

"Don't." Her voice was sharp. "Don't apologize again. Don't take responsibility for Vanessa's choices. I'm tired of you martyring yourself."

"But Emma—"

"No. You had an affair. You hurt me. Those are your crimes." She stood, facing me fully now. "But Vanessa hiring assassins? Vanessa orchestrating pack attacks? Vanessa spending six months and God knows how much money trying to have me killed? Those are her crimes. Not yours."

"If I hadn't—"

"Jeremy!" She was shouting now. "Stop! Just stop! I can't heal if you keep trying to take responsibility for every bad thing that's ever happened! Yes, you fucked up! Yes, you hurt me! But you didn't make Vanessa a murderer! You didn't force her to hire rogues! She made those choices all on her own!"

I stared at her, stunned. She'd never yelled at me like this before. Never lost control in quite this way.

"You want to take responsibility for something?" Emma continued, her voice shaking. "Take responsibility for actually healing. For doing the work in therapy. For being present instead of drowning in guilt. Because I can't do this alone, Jeremy. I can't heal from what you did to me while also carrying the weight of your guilt. It's too much. I'm drowning too."

The admission broke something in me. I'd been so focused on my own pain, my own guilt, that I hadn't seen how it was affecting her. How my self-destruction was just another burden for her to carry.

"You're right," I said quietly. "I've been selfish even in my guilt. I'm sorry."

"Stop apologizing and start changing," she said, wiping angry tears from her face. "I need you to actually be here, Jeremy. Not some guilt-ridden ghost. I need a partner who's working on healing, not punishing himself."

"Okay." I nodded. "Okay. I'll do better. I'll actually engage with therapy instead of just going through the motions. I'll eat, sleep, take care of myself. I'll be present."

"Good." She sank back onto the window seat, exhausted. "And I'll accept the security detail. Because you're right—I can't protect myself from coordinated rogue attacks alone. As much as I hate it."

"Thank you." I wanted to hug her, to comfort her, but I wasn't sure if I was welcome. "Emma, I know today was hard. Watching Vanessa die, hearing her threats—"

"I feel relieved," she interrupted. "Is that awful? She's dead, and all I feel is relief that she can't hurt anyone else."

"That's not awful. That's human. Wolf. Whatever." I offered a small smile. "She tried to kill you. Multiple times. You're allowed to be relieved she's gone."

"Even if she set things in motion that might—" Emma's voice cracked. "That might get me killed anyway?"

"That's not going to happen." I was firm now. "We'll find out if her threats were real. And if they are, we'll stop them. Every single contract, every single rogue pack. Whatever it takes."

"You sound so certain."

"I am certain. Because I've already lost you once through my own stupidity. I'm not losing you to Vanessa's final act of vengeance." I paused. "The pack won't let that happen either. You're one of us, Emma. You're the future Luna whether we're together or not. And we protect our own."

She was quiet for a long moment. Then: "Thank you. For that. For not making this about us."

"It's not about us. It's about keeping you safe."

"Still." She stood, moving toward the door. "I should go. Your father wants to debrief with me about security protocols."

"Emma?"

She turned back.

"I meant what I said. About being present. About actually healing instead of just marinating in guilt." I met her eyes. "I'm done being selfish, even in my pain. From now on, I'm actually going to do the work."

A small smile crossed her face. "Good. Because I can't carry both of us anymore."

"You shouldn't have to carry me at all."

"No," she agreed. "I shouldn't. But I was anyway. So thank you. For finally seeing that."

After she left, I stood in the empty library for a long time.

Vanessa was dead. That chapter was closed.

But her final threats lingered. Six months of potential attacks. Rogue packs gunning for Emma. Coordinated assaults that would keep us all living in fear.

Unless we stopped them first.

I pulled out my phone and called my father. "I want to be part of the investigation. Into Vanessa's rogue contacts."

"Jeremy—"

"I knew her," I interrupted. "Knew how she thought, who she associated with. I can help find these contracts and neutralize them before they're carried out."

My father was quiet. Then: "Alright. But son? Don't make this about redemption. Make it about actually protecting Emma."

"I will. I am." I paused. "Dad? Thank you. For this morning. For defending me to Drake."

"You're my son. I'll always defend you. Even when you're being an idiot."

"Pretty sure I'm always being an idiot lately."

"Then I guess I'll be defending you a lot." His voice softened. "But Jeremy? Emma was right. Stop drowning in guilt and start actually healing. For yourself. For her. For the pack."

"I'm trying."

"Try harder."

He hung up, leaving me alone with my thoughts.

Vanessa was dead.

But her hatred lived on.

And I'd be damned if I let her win.

Even from the grave.