Chapter 61 - I Take Everything Back!

'I take everything back, it was best if I didn't know.' 

'So Cornelia and Emilio had a daughter together? But it doesn't add up. Emilio was stuck in that cave when Madeline should've been…' 

Adrian paused, refusing to continue. 

'How could it be?' He asked Xavier.

'Go ask Emilio, how am I supposed to know?' Xavier said to him coldly, the two of them still communicating through their mind link. 

'I'm still not over how you left her there with Emilio.' 

Adrian shook his head in disapproval.

'He's in a weakened state,' Xavier insisted before he growled. 

'And I'm sure Madeline knows how to handle herself, I don't have to be in the office. She's not a child, she doesn't need to be babysat or anything like that.'

Adrian had to admit Xavier had a good point. 

However, this was Emilio. He was as cunning as he was powerful. 

Even in his weakened state due to being in the cave for so long and never being able to exercise his power… he still retained his powers. 

Adrian inquired, asking what both he and Briar had been wondering, 'What do we do if word does spread?' 

He glanced at Briar who immediately looked away from him, having caught the omega staring at him. 

Briar focused her glance elsewhere, slightly embarrassed she had been caught looking at Adrian. She just wanted to know what was going on and what was their next line of action. 

Would Emilio be returned to the cave? Would a stronger spell be cast upon it, sealing him to that cave forevermore? If not, would he be brutally killed in front of the pack? Would there be a special ceremony for it? So many questions! 

And why would Xavier have left Madeline in a room with Emilio?

Did he underestimate Emilio's capabilities?

Then again, he was Madeline's father. He wouldn't hurt her, she hoped. 

'Who am I kidding, he's Emilio,' Briar reminded herself. 

'And Madeline's father,' she added, still unable to get over the fact that Madeline wasn't human. 

Nothing changed, she was still Madeline, but this was a huge deal. 

Briar asked Xavier all of a sudden, "So if Madeline's the ex-alpha's daughter, who's her mother?"

And a few seconds after Briar asked that one question, she regretted it. 

"Ask your friend, not me," Xavier answered. 

"If she decides to tell you then so be it. I won't be the one to tell you unless Madeline permits it."

Adrian turned to look at his friend, his face displaying an expression halfway between pride and pure shock.

"What?" Xavier asked Adrian aloud, confused as to why Adrian looked so surprised. 

"Nothing," Adrian said, dismissing it. 

"Alpha Xavier," Briar addressed. 

"Have you tried communicating with Emilio by your mind link with him? In order to check if Madeline's alright in there being left alone with… uh, her dad," Briar said, keeping herself together. 

Xavier was intimidating, yes, but he was a fair leader. He'd listen to what his subjects had to say so long as they made a point. 

He nodded curtly, "I have." 

"Madeline's fine," he said, trying to hide an amused smile. 

Briar stared at him, looking like she'd just seen a ghost. 

Was he… smiling? Or trying to smile? What the hell was going on inside that room?

For one to know what happened… one must start from the very beginning of things. 

After Emilio had explained everything to her - that of which included telling her more about her mother and what kind of ruler he had been. 

Yes, she knew he was a tyrant. 

And yes, she learnt the full story of Cornelia and Emilio's whirlwind romance. For some reason, Emilio thought it fitting his daughter knew of it. He wasn't comfortable keeping secrets from her, no matter how gruesome they were. 

Out of all things, instead of getting to know each other or anything they chose to get all the questions out of the way. Was there billions of other things they could've discussed? Definitely. 

But, it was better than nothing. And frankly, Madeline appreciated the fact that Emilio tried starting conversation and took initiative. For a split second, Madeline expected for the room to be completely silent. 

As per what they discussed… How Emilio and Cornelia came to be? Check. 

Find out what sort of ruler Emilio was when he was still the alpha of the pack? Also check. 

"So what you're trying to tell me is, you have no idea how I came to be but you still think I'm your daughter?" Madeline asked, just as confused as Emilio. 

"Yes."

"And you told me of your tyranny… why?" Madeline questioned, wondering why in the world Emilio decided to tell her of this without any further context. 

Was he bragging to her? 

Was this bragging what caused his downfall in the first place? 

Was she supposed to pity him and sympathize with him after what he told her? Madeline didn't think so. Frankly, she was mortified. 

Truly, truly mortified. 

Who - in their right mind - would tell someone else, their daughter no less, that he'd taken the lives of the innocent. He didn't seem guilty either. 

"Because I figured it was best my daughter knows of it. And that I come clean and don't hide anything from you."

"It was a small test, who knows if it's accurate!" 

"Are you sure it was accurate or are you simply in denial?"

"Oh, so it's not instinct for me not to believe the man that tried killing me when he claims to be my father." 

"You heard what that soulmate of yours had to say."

Madeline paused. So Emilio knew she and Xavier were soulmates. He knew they had a red string connecting them both. 

"You know he's my soulmate?" 

"How did you think I connected the dots between you and the prophecy in the first place?" 

"...what prophecy?" Madeline questioned, extremely clueless. 

Slowly, something built up inside her.. Sooner or later, she'd burst, as the brighter the truth shone, the quicker Madeline deteriorated.