Two years later.
Emma ran in her beloved forest. Today was her turn for duty. Though many disliked the early morning run, she relished the feeling of misty air lingering, and the entire forest still enveloped in slumber.
She reached the top of the slope, facing the fading moon, and let out a long, howling cry. It was a standard, resounding wolf howl.
Yes, when she came of age, she found her own wolf. It was a remarkably beautiful wolf, with snowy white fur and captivating ice-blue eyes, rumored to resemble her mother’s.
After becoming a wolf, this forest, once her secret hideaway, became even more welcoming. Whether the trees or the creatures hidden within, they all seemed more familiar, making her feel at ease.
However, Emma hadn’t found her destined mate, nor did she expect him to appear. She didn’t mind, as living freely in the Blue Halo Pack was what she wanted. It might go against her mother’s wishes, but she believed her mother would be pleased at this moment.
Two years ago, when she was severely injured, she returned to the Blue Halo Pack to recover. Subsequently, Edward officially handled the procedures to become Emma’s guardian.
They allowed Emma to attend school in a nearby human town, and would bring her back home on weekends. Emma excelled in completing her schoolwork, but she didn’t pursue a degree because when it came time to graduate, her wolf came, and she needed to return to the Blue Halo Pack.
Everything about the Silver Moon Pack felt like a dream, a bittersweet nightmare. She didn’t keep in touch with Harry and Nelson, and she hadn’t received any messages from Patrick either. She heard they had come looking for her, but due to her prolonged absence while studying elsewhere and the Blue Halo Pack’s secrecy about her whereabouts, they couldn’t find her and eventually gave up.
Emma knew she would forget, although she missed them. It was no longer necessary; she would become an outstanding female warrior for the Blue Halo Pack, taking her mother’s place.
Florence also found her wolf, a wolf with a predominantly grey-black fur, easily camouflaged in the forest, so she usually took the night shift. However, she would soon need rest because she had also found her destined mate-Jeff.
At the moment she found her wolf, she confirmed that Jeff was the one she had been searching for. Poor Jeff had known Florence was the one he sought for a long time, but he had to wait for her to awaken.
Of course, if she refrained from passing on her love experiences, Emma would like her even more.
Some pursued Emma, but she rejected them all because she felt nothing. When Patrick touched her, it was as if her body developed some kind of resistance, making her uncomfortable with anyone else’s touch.
At that time, she was not of age, and she didn’t know if Patrick was her destined mate. Now, there was no way to find out, unless Patrick stood in front of her. This, however, was all nonsense.
When she came of age, Nelson came to find her, only to be chased off by Edward. Emma and Florence watched the confrontation nearby, very pleased, and the two of them laughed heartily. Nonetheless, after returning, an inebriated Emma still cried bitterly in front of her mother’s grave.
Emma continued to run in the forest. She caught a strange scent in the air, one that didn’t belong to any of their pack members, whether it was a passerby or an intruder.
Emma decided to report this to the shift replacement and soon they needed to hold a pack meeting.
Since coming of age and leaving Edward’s house to live in her mother’s house, Emma had rarely seen so many wolf-bonded people gather together.
On the day of the meeting, Emma stood amongst them, appearing so diminutive.
“Emma’s discovery is commendable; it gives us enough time to deal with the enemy!” Edward praised Emma’s achievement loudly.
“After that, we sent people to search nearby, and indeed, numerous strangers’ footprints and scents were found. We suspect there’s a rogue wolf group lurking around.”
Upon hearing this news, she knew her wolf would join the fight. She angrily asked, “How many are they?”
Edward’s Beta Mike replied, “We don’t know, but there are probably a dozen or so.”
“Do they want to join us, or?” Florence inquired, always looking for the positive side.
“We don’t know, but for upcoming shifts, we’ll increase manpower. If they are spotted, notify the pack immediately, and let me handle it,” Edward said, looking at Emma. “Do not engage alone.”
Emma knew Edward had been protecting her these past two years, in anticipation of retaliation from the Silver Moon Pack. This time, they didn’t know which side the visitors came from.
But as a member of the pack, when required to fight, she would not hesitate.
“We must pair up one male and one female for patrols. Especially for those without mates, be extra cautious,” Edward stated. He assigned Florence and Jeff as a pair, while Emma was paired with a male named William.
Three years her senior, he also hadn’t found a mate.
“Hey, Emma, I hope we can work well together. How about we go to the coffee shop and discuss how to arrange things?” After the meeting, William took the initiative to invite Emma.
“No, I still want to go to the training ground over there,” Emma replied, as William cheerfully said, “Goodbye.”
“You shouldn’t have refused. You’re now the most sought-after she-wolf among the males in our pack,” Florence said, looking at William’s departing figure with a pitying gaze.
“Even so, I don’t need to agree to a date with someone who already has a girlfriend,” Emma said. Every time she turned down a man’s invitation, Florence would react this way, perhaps because she hadn’t expected to find her destined mate so soon, so she turned her enjoyment of finding a man into helping Emma find a mate.
“Oh, that’s not acceptable,” Florence said with that pitiful look, which turned into disdain. “But Emma, are you still not over Patrick?”
“I’m not,” Emma asserted firmly, but under Florence’s scrutinizing gaze, she hesitantly added, “or maybe I am a little, but not much.”
She did miss Patrick, even feeling a bit resentful that there had been no word from him in two years.
However, his mother, Jennifer, had wanted to kill her, and she couldn’t forgive that. So, she had imagined countless reunions with him, all ending in arguments without exception.
“It’s okay, Emma. You will meet someone. You already have a wolf now, and no one can hurt you at will. I have also found a good life,” Florence said, becoming more excited as she hugged Emma. After being with Jeff, she had also left that suffocating home, and no one could oppose the living arrangements of bonded wolves.
“Who would hurt us, Emma? Would you like a cup of hot tea? Edward always forgets to make tea for everyone when he’s in meetings,” Alice said, walking over with a warm cup of tea, smiling. She was Edward’s wife, and their son, Sam, was the next Alpha, but currently still in training.
“No one. We have to go; I still need to go to the training ground,” Emma said. She didn’t want Edward and Alice to know that she was still thinking about the Silver Moon Pack.
The training ground was on the edge of the forest, and the afternoon weather was gloomy, with light rain. It was already autumn, and there was always a bit of chill outdoors, but Emma was reminded of the small snowy mountain at the Silver Moon Pack.
There weren’t many people at the training ground, so Emma did a few sets of exercises before planning to return and rest.
But at that moment, a dangerous scent wafted in from the forest.
They had entered the Blue Halo Pack!