Chapter 4

If there was anything that kept Emmaline’s mind completely away from work, it was children. She could stay in a room full of them and feel nothing but pure joy that they produced. She didn’t think they were stressful at all she thought of them as little bundles of joy and stress relief.

And after the stressful week she had which was more or less about Alan’s Houdini act she needed to de-stress with immediate effect which is why she took the opportunity to watch Chloe’s kids while she went to spend some quality time with her mate. 

“Thanks for watching them Emma.” Chloe thanked passing off a sleepy Dylan to her. Emma patted the boy’s head adoringly and hugged his soft warm body to her chest. 

“Common we both know I should be the one thanking you guys,” Emma joked. Chloe’s husband, Josh laughed as he tried to pry his hands away from his three year old daughter’s grip. Brianna was a stubborn little thing and at such a young age Emma could see that she was going to be so much like her mother when she grew up. 

Emma cleared her throat and stretched out her hand for Brianna to take, “Come on Bri, let’s go inside.”

Brianna pouted her small lips and sent a flattering puppy face to her father who had since had a hard time falling into the trap of her beautiful eyes. “Can I come with you Daddy?”

Also she was attached to her Dad and hardly left his side which made her reluctant to stay with anyone else that wasn’t her parents. And you might have guessed going to school every day was tough for Josh. 

Josh laughed and glanced at his wife who was already wearing an you’re-gonna-have-to-sort-this-one-out-yourself look. He retracted his gaze to Emma, the only woman he knew that could say no to Brianna’s puppy eyes. 

“I’m not going to say it again Brianna come inside with me.” Emma commanded with a gaze that always made her obey. 

She reluctantly left her father’s side and walked to Emma’s side, she gave them a sad wave before going inside the house by herself. 

It was going to be a fun afternoon Emma thought after Chloe and Josh left….

After hours and hours of watching cartoons and baking cookies with Chloe’s kids, Emma felt like she was a new person. She felt refreshed once again and ready to take on the world. Emma left her house few minutes after Josh came to pick up his children, he thanked her profusely for her help and Emma brushed it off like it was nothing. 

Now she was walking in a slow pace to the pack’s borders. It was kind of habitual for her now to check how well the patrol guards were securing their territory every Friday evening. And since the event that happened exactly one week ago with Alan Baker, she felt she had to check it to be sure that her people were safe. 

“Good evening Alpha Emma.” The head of the patrol team greeted walking up to her. Emma unfolded her arms and exchanged pleasantries with him. Mr. Gaius was a middle aged man that served in the same post during her father’s tenure as Alpha. Because of his age he would soon step down for a much younger and active man and he never failed to express his displeasure about it every time he saw Emma.

But this time he decided to keep it to himself knowing that she was checking the perimeter today because of the incident that happened last week. 

Emma walked from the east to the west of their border checking to make sure that each post was occupied with at least one or two men. When she was satisfied with what she saw she decided to go for a run in her wolf form outside the pack’s territory. 

“Let me send two of my men with you just to make sure that you’d be safe,” Gaius suggested. Alpha Emma simply smiled and told him, “I’ll be fine on my own.”

With that she trotted into the darkness that had fallen over the land. 

Five minutes into her short walk, she started to become restless. She didn’t know why and she didn’t know what was causing it but her mind was spiraling in a way she had never imagined. 

Emma couldn’t focus on a single thought and some parts of her body were tingling. 

She raised her nose in the air and breathed in the evening air for a full five seconds, a sickeningly sweet aroma passed through her nostrils and on impulse her legs started taking her to where the scent was coming from. Goosebumps sprang up on her skin as her heart hammered in her chest in anticipation, she wasn’t a fool, she could tell the signs and besides she had heard a lot of people describe the feeling of meeting your mate for the first time. 

A part of her could not believe it, and the other part of her thought her body was playing tricks on her. But she wouldn’t fully believe until she saw him since seeing is believing.

She used her hands to remove a branch in her way and after a few more steps she walked into a small clearing. It was very dark now but Emma could perfectly see the outline of the man lying on the floor with several cuts across his body. She stood rooted to the spot as she gazed at him. 

Her hands were shaking and she keep could barely keep her heart beat in check.

Her mate, the last key to her happiness was finally here.

But he was dying. With shaky hands Emma reached into her pocket and brought out the phone she had stuffed there when she left the house, she put on her flashlight and checked the surrounding. For some one that was always alert and quick to act, she was behaving like a newly born sheep practicing how to walk. 

Emma inhaled and exhaled, taking deep breaths to calm herself and wake her sleeping brain to action. When she felt calm enough, she walked towards the unconscious man and knelt beside him.