Wild at Heart
Chapter 34

The logical thing to do after my disaster of a lunch date with Chloe would have been to go home and calm down. Maybe go to the training center and work off some steam? But did I do the logical thing? Of course not. I never follow logic. I marched myself right up to Natalie’s front door and banged on it as hard as I could without breaking it. I left Chloe in the parking lot of the restaurant and told her I was going home to sleep it off. I should have listened to my own advice, but I didn’t. I should have gone home and filled Nick’s ear with everything bad I wanted to say about her, but I didn’t. I banged on her door again.

“What the hell, Emma?” She said after swinging the door open.

“That’s exactly what I was going to say to you.” I lowered my fist, but I kept it balled up. My anger was still there, and I squeezed my hand to get it under control.

“Get your ass in here before my neighbors call the Omegas.” She swung the door open more and stepped aside for me to come in. It’s been too long since I was in her tiny townhouse. It was decorated to perfection in a high-maintenance way that I would never understand. “What the hell do you want?” She asked.

“I want to know what your problem has been?” I narrowed my eyes at her, waiting for her to confess her true feelings. Natalie crossed her arms over her chest and looked me up and down like she was studying my body language. “Well?” I added after more silence.

“I want to know what happened to Derek.” She finally blurted out.

“You know what happened to Derek.” I couldn’t understand why she suddenly became so interested in Derek. They only spoke to each other when we made plans as a group, and she told me herself that they never hooked up due to his feelings for me. So, what changed?

“I know what you and Nick want the rest of the pack to believe happened to Derek.”

“What makes you think that’s not the truth?”

“Anyone with a brain knows Derek would die for you.” She finally locked her eyes with mine. “It would be easy for everyone to believe that he followed you into danger and was killed in the explosion that killed Emmett and Roland.”

“Then why do you think something different happened?” I asked.

“I don’t think anyone was killed in the explosion.” She shifted her weight to her other hip and raised a brow at me, trying to catch anything from my expression, but I gave her nothing to go off of.

“Then please do, Natalie, tell me what you think happened.” I crossed my arms over my own chest to mimic her stance.

“I think they were all murdered.” I couldn’t help but laugh. Leave it to the gossip queen to discover the truth. But did she know it was the truth and not just a grasp in the dark?

“Alright, Natalie, I’ll play your game.” I began. “If they were all murdered, what’s the motive? Who killed them?”

“Nick.” I laughed again, but this time tears came from the corners of my eyes. “Don’t laugh at me, I’m serious.” I laughed again by the thought that Nick murdered anyone besides his own uncle in that bunker. He had the opportunity to murder Derek and he didn’t. But I did. “Nick isn’t who you think he is.” She kept going. “He doesn’t want what’s best for the pack. He wants to force a war between territories so he can make a deal with Stefan.”

“Natalie, what in the Moon Goddess makes you think Nick wants to make any kind of deal with Stefan?” I asked her. “Nick is already Alpha; he doesn’t have motive to get more power by doing anything with Stefan. You have your wires completely twisted.”

“You would say that.” Natalie said with a scoff. “You’d say anything to defend your mate.”

“Like you would?” I asked. “Natalie, I know you. You like to be the first to know the gossip, but you’re not diabolical.” I lowered my arms and took a step closer to her. “I know all of this isn’t coming from you. You would never make up these crazy accusations against your pack and your Alpha.” She rolled her eyes at me. “Natalie, I know this is coming from Chase, and he’s wrong. You can’t trust him.”

“Don’t you dare talk badly about him.” She flashed her fangs at me in a warning, but I didn’t take it.

“He’s trying to turn you against your own pack, Natalie, can’t you see that?”

“I don’t need to be part of this pack!” She shot back at me.

“No one is forcing you to stay.” I stated matter-of-factly. “No one is being held against their will here, you’re free to leave the pack if you want.” She knew damn well that leaving this pack meant she could only hope the East pack took her in. If Reggie would deny her request to join his pack, she would become a rogue. And Natalie would never be able to make it as a rogue.

“I will.” She said. “I’ll talk to Reginald and he’ll take me in his pack so I can be with Chase.”

“And if he says no?”

“He wouldn’t.”

“Chase isn’t a wolf you should be associated with.” She shook her head at me. “He left to be with his pack, and you should keep it that way.”

“I won’t just leave him.”

“You should, Natalie.” I argued. “He’s nothing but trouble.”

“Stop! Just stop it!” She slapped her hands over her ears like a child. “He’s my mate! He loves me and I love him!”

“He’s manipulating you, Natalie!” I didn’t know what to say to her to make her believe me. “Nick would never do anything to put this pack in harm. Chase is evil!” Natalie’s hand swung up to me, ready to connect with my cheek, but I caught her wrist before it made contact with my skin. “You should think twice before you pick a fight with me, Natalie.” I held her wrist tighter than I should have. I had to talk myself out of squeezing any harder. I could snap her wrist with just the slightest bit of force, yet I had to remind myself that she was my friend. The nasty things she said about Nick weren’t coming from her. They were coming from that sleezeball that she called her mate. She ripped her hand from my grip, tears welling up in her eyes.

“I think it’s time you go.” She said as she rubbed her wrist.

“I think that’s the best idea you’ve ever had.”