Chapter 63 - What Does This Woman Have Against Me?

Briar looked around, glaring at Emilio.

Emilio caught Briar glaring at him.

He wondered what this woman had against him. Emilio had never met her in his entire life, so what was her deal? She couldn't possibly be Cornelia in disguise, since he'd have easily sensed in the first place. 

Was she a friend of Madeline's? That'd explain why she seemed to bear a grudge against him. 

"You could always start by apologizing sincerely," Briar suggested. 

"Who even are you?" 

Briar scoffed, before she reminded herself Xavier and Adrian were there with her. 

"A friend of Madeline's." 

"Ah." 

"I'd say it's nice to meet you but it's not," Briar said next, feeling like she had to get it out there. 

She was close to pouncing on him and trying to kill him. 

How dare he try to kill Madeline? 

And he was her father too! 

He didn't deserve to live. 

Madeline simply slapped him - she could've done worse but no. She slapped him. That was all. 

Xavier and Adrian didn't seem to mind anyway. 

"I don't even know you," he said glaringly. 

"And that's your concern," Briar retorted. 

How did Madeline put up with him? They were in Xavier's office for a great deal of time, she must've had to listen to him explain. 

God, it was infuriating, not being able to do anything. Being in a position where you were powerless was excruciatingly painful, especially when the evildoer had inflicted pain to your friend. 

She hissed, thinking to herself, 'If only I was stronger, then I'd be able to kill him or at least get my revenge for what he did to Maddie.'

'The damn bastard deserves to rot in hell.' 

He hadn't done something insignificant, like told her a lie. 

He had nearly taken her life. He had threatened to take her life away too. Many others as well. 

Briar lowered her head, deciding to check up on Madeline. After what she'd just found out about herself, Briar reckoned she wanted someone to talk to.

Someone that properly knew her before this entire mess. 

"I'll go and check up on Madeline now," Briar said, chuckling nervously. 

Right, she had spoken to Emilio with an attitude in front of Xavier and Adrian. 

Thankfully, they didn't seem to bear the intent of punishing her, so at the moment Briar was relieved to know she was in the clear. 

Although, if she hadn't left when she did… Who knew? 

"Your time is up Emilio," Xavier said, asking Adrian to leave promptly. 

'Leave me and Emilio. You have work, don't you? Go attend to it,' Xavier ordered Adrian sternly. 

Adrian nodded in understanding, leaving as quickly as he could. 

"That your beta?" Emilio inquired as he tilted his head to the side. 

"Yes, he is." 

"Aren't you the least bit scared he'll betray you and try assuming the title of alpha like you did me?" Emilio questioned, trying to get Xavier to turn on Adrian. 

"That won't work, Adrian and I are friends. He wouldn't do that." 

"However, since your daughter clearly seems not to want you here, I'm going to have to ask you to leave. I've been kind enough, lending you extra time to live. Then you tested my patience by coming here and I still lent you mercy." 

"So return to the cave you belonged without any fusses, a stronger spell will be cast and we'll return to our normal lives." 

"You know why the spell was broken," Xavier realized.

"I may have an educated guess," Emilio said, slowly backing away. 

"But it has something to do with her. Her being the woman that just slapped me, of course." 

Xavier snarled, knowing whatever spell that was to be casted on the cave would be ineffective. Emilio had managed to escape the last time, what was to stop him from escaping again? 

They weren't out of the woods yet… and besides, there was still danger prowling amongst it. 

"What is it you want?" 

"Your reputation is tarnished, you're banished from Eudora, you aren't supposed to be here. What could you possibly be staying for?" Xavier questioned, a mysterious glint in his eye. 

"You're right," Emilio admitted, not answering any of Xavier's questions. 

Beating around the bush, he said, "I know that I'm not supposed to be here." 

"But…" 

"Speak," Xavier hissed. 

"Someone seems upset." 

"How could I possibly be not upset?" 

Xavier had been holding back. No one else had noticed the way he'd been looking at Emilio. Murderous rage burned behind his dark, stormy eyes. The fact that he couldn't do anything about Emilio only made the fire that fueled his anger burn even brighter in him. 

He was brought back to the olden days, where Emilio had the upper hand. Except, he was the alpha this time. He had the power. 

All he needed was the answer to his current problem. 

And the only person who knew its answer was the same person who'd hide it from him no matter what the cost. 

"I have a daughter," Emilio said. 

"And?" 

"You didn't let me finish." 

Xavier threw his hands up in the air. 

"Fine, finish it." 

"I should've just killed you all those years ago," Xavier admitted as he bared his sharp teeth at Emilio. 

'Would've saved me the trouble from dealing with all of this,' he grumbled to himself, knowing damn well Emilio could hear him. 

"I want to get to know her." 

"She's the only piece of Cornelia I have left." 

"You speak of Cornelia as if she's passed," Xavier said. 

"She's my daughter."

"Whom you tried killing."

"Why doesn't anyone understand that it was all a misunderstanding?" 

Emilio paused. 

"Xavier," he suddenly called. 

"Humour me for once, and be completely honest with what I'm about to say." 

"If this had happened to a regular human, someone that wasn't her, would you be as upset, and would I still be able to speak to you?" 

Xavier kept quiet. 

"You're not acting like this because I harmed a human." 

"You don't know what you're talking ab--"

"You're doing this because it was Madeline I nearly killed."