Emily’s POV
“You look nice,” my mother chirped when she saw me coming toward the bonfire. “Are you feeling better?”
“Thanks; I’m fine,” I said, giving her a reassuring smile. “Nothing a long hot bath couldn’t fix.”
“That’s good news,” she said, patting my hand. “I was worried that you would disappear again.”
The worry in my mother’s eyes was visible, and it broke my heart.
“As if I would be able to get very far,” I said, trying to lighten the mood. “I am done running!”
Well, at least for now.
I internally sighed.
My mother knew me all too well; the thought of running off again did cross my mind earlier, but Alex would make it his life’s mission to find me again.
“That’s good news,” my father suddenly said. “Will you be returning permanently?”
Permanently.
I haven’t thought about it yet.
Was I ready to return?
I did decide to stay.
Not just because I wanted Lex to meet his father and decide if he wanted him in his life, but because I wanted to give Alex and me a chance too.
I took a deep breath and let the rich forest scent fill my lungs.
This was home; I belonged here.
The familiar scents surrounding the pack house didn’t even change, and this place-this pack-was calling me to stay there.
Every part of me wanted to stay, yet my mind was still warning me to be cautious.
I balled my hands out of frustration.
I want to spend my life with Alex and be his mate. I am sure we can be happy together.
I want to give Lex a family life, the same as my parents used to give me.
“Then what is keeping you from staying?” Willow asked.
“My honor,” I said, looking back at her.
“What about your honor?” Willow asked. “You can have a piece of both worlds.”
“If that was possible, I would,” I said, feeling emotionally tired. “But I can’t have any distractions. Not now. Not after I have put so much work into finding who is responsible for these rogue attacks.”
“It seems like you are looking for excuses to delay,” Willow huffed.
“Willow,” I said, cutting her off. “This is important to me. I need to close those files before I can settle down and have a normal life. I am not going to be selfish and just pack up and live here.”
My voice broke.
I couldn’t just let this slide.
“Emily,” Willow said, shifting her head to the side, trying to read me. “What’s really bothering you?”
“I-” I sighed, shaking my head as tears welled up behind my eyelids. I can’t hide my feelings and reasons anymore.
“All I can think of are those pack members who have been taken and disappeared without a trace. The pack members suffer, not knowing if their family and friends are dead or alive. I need answers. What if that happened to us? What if they took Lex? I would go crazy.”
Willow came closer and pressed her nose against my hand.
“I understand,” she said. “The Lycans would be very proud to call you their Queen one day.”
That warmed my heart.
Now that that was settled, the sooner I got to the bottom of these rogue attacks and brought them to justice, the sooner I could resign from Xavier’s court.
Xavier would be pleased with my accomplishment, and he would have no other choice but to let me go and live my life as I please.
Yet, I had the nagging feeling that it would not be that easy.
I internally sighed.
I will state my argument that I am Alex’s fated mate, and he can’t refuse my being with him.
This is my home.
I belong here.
My father smiled down at me and waited patiently for my answer.
“Maybe in the future,” I answered, and that made my dad smile.
He smiled and said, “I hope it will be in the near future.”
I hope so; I prayed.
“We will see you in a bit,” my mother said. “We are heading to the opening.”
I nodded, watching them go, yet I did not attempt to go with them.
I used to love these kinds of festivals when I was younger. Now I only attend them for Lex’s sake, and tonight for Sasha’s.
My heart skipped a beat, thinking of Lex. I had called him before I came down, but he was already down with Mila at the clearing for the White Moon Pack full moon festivities, and Jax promised to give him the message that I had called.
I stared into the huge bonfire in the center of the clearing; it lit our surroundings, and the shadows of the flames danced on the faces of the pack members.
I silently observed the pack members until the heat from the flames sounded like they were siring me.
I narrowed my eyes, shifting my head as I listened. I couldn’t ignore the call; it fascinated me and was coming from the center of the fire.
“Be careful,” my father warned, sounding like a concerned parent as he passed me. “You might get burned.”
I looked back at him, startled.
Burned?
Fire doesn’t hurt me, and it shouldn’t hurt him either.
“Luna.” Sasha’s voice rang in my ears, and my gaze snapped toward her. She had a bunch of our old friends with her.
“Why does Sarah call her Luna?” Jessie, a brunette, asked a girl standing next to her in disgust. “There is no way she could be mated to an Alpha-not looking like that.”
“I agree,” her friend whispered. “She looks just as pathetic as five years ago when she found out she couldn’t shift.”
“Most probably she still can’t,” Jessie sneered.
Her friend giggled next to her.
“She will be a bigger loser if she can’t help Sasha shift,” the girl said.
“She is giving Sasha false hope,” Jessie growled. “I wonder why she thinks she is some wizard to magically fix Sarah.”
I never liked Jessie much; she was a snake.
“Why did Sasha tell her friends that I agreed to help her?” Willow asked, irritated.
“I’m not sure,” I said. “I guess she must be excited that someone is willing to help her.”
Willow huffed, annoyed.
“Why do you sound worried?” I asked.
“Because,” Willow said, “the girls are going to make your life miserable if I can’t help Sasha.”
“Don’t worry about it,” I said. “I can fend for myself.”
My mind wandered off to the last time Jessie spoke to me-the events of said day, buried in my memories.
“You can’t be serious,” she growled darkly at me and extended her claws. “These tables are reserved for wolves that can shift, not some wannabe who doesn’t have a wolf!”
My jaw dropped in disbelief. I have known Jessie since kindergarten, and we became friends in first grade.
Although I was aware of her constant jealousy of me, I was unaware of the depth of her resentment.
“Those,” Jessie gestured to the tables outside the cafeteria in the rain. “Are reserved for losers like you. Go sit there and have your lunch.”
I was speechless. I was so shocked to hear Jessie’s words come out of her mouth.
“We can’t be associated with someone like you,” her buddy added. “What will the rest of the school think if we hang out with a freak like you?”
“But-” Tears burned behind my eyelids.
“F*ck off,” Jessie growled in disgust. “I will not lose my popularity to someone like you.”
I blinked the tears back. Less than twenty-four hours before, she had called me her friend; now I was downgraded to nothing.
“And that goes for the rest of us,” her friend added, getting up and pulling the cafeteria chair from under me. I landed on the floor, looking up at her.
A dark grin followed on her lips. She grabbed my lunch tray and turned it over, spilling my spaghetti bolognese lunch all over me. “Now f*ck off, and stay the hell away from us,” Jessie yelled.
Mila helped me up from the floor, flipped Jessie and the group of girls the bird, and she dragged me out of the cafeteria to get me cleaned up.
Things went downhill from there. I was regularly harassed when I was alone and ignored like the plague when Mila was around.
“If you say so,” Willow mused. “I wish I could claw that nasty smirk from her face.”
“Me too, girl,” I said. “But it’s not worth it.”
I turned my attention to Sasha and smiled at her.
“Are you ready?” I asked.
“As prepared as I will ever be,” she exclaimed with excitement.
“Then let’s go see if we can find a quiet place away from all these witnesses,” I said, keeping my voice level.
What Sasha said next caught me off guard.
****