Chapter 3

Emma’s POV

One Week Later

9:28 pm

It is a chilly day, but I feel warm and dry thanks to Lydia's clothes and mom's money. I lift up my head, the moon is big in the midnight sky like it's trying to brighten up my heart.

I stop at a gas station to add some fuel and buy some warm food to eat. After spending several days and nights in the car, I also want to find a place to take a shower, but most of all, I need to change a tire.

I keep telling myself that once I arrive at Nevermore, I'll be safe and have a roof over my head to sleep.

Opening my pocket, thousands of dollars are hiding down there. Lydia gave me two thousand dollars, mom passed me five thousand dollars. Gee, thanks, mom and Lydia, I love you. I think to myself.

I sigh. That will buy enough gas and some food for a few days, I need more money to feed my stomach and have a normal life.

Then I find a purse, open it and I find ten thousand dollars. She want to buy a new computer so she worked hard to save money, she gave me all her savings!

Opening the bags Lydia sent for me, I find three wool sweaters, two pairs of a waterproof winter boots, and some skin products. Hydrating moisturizer, makeup. She gave me what I needed, I wipe away my tears when the wave of conflicting emotions begin to tear at me again.

I dig out my phone and ring my sister Lydia, desperately needing a shoulder to cry on. She is not answering the phone, I send her a text.

It's lucky to have you, Lydia. I love you.

She sends me back.

I'm working, can't talk to you. And I love you too, Emma.

I believe you can do whatever you want, bless you.

The light rain is nearly stopped, I reach my hand inside it and put out fries and chicken, taking a bite off the cold and soggy chicken.

The food is as cold as ice, but I narrow my eyes and sigh of contentment once I can taste the food. I should be blessed for finding some food, especially for free.

Tap! Tap! Tap!

Someone tapping on my car's window. I take another bite as the delicious morsel spreads in my throat, I don’t want to respond.

“Ah...” The teeth mark on my neck burns like on fire. I straight slowly and feel the back of my neck prickled.

Another flash of lightning washes out the dark scene around me, a pair of strikingly green stare at me, and a shocking growl escape from my mouth.

“Holly shit!” I growl.

"Excuse me, are you alone?" A female asks, I nod, looking into her eyes. She has strange eyes, long lashes screening her bright green eyes, which remind me of the only man I slept with, Jordy.

“You must be Emma.”

I hear a relieved sigh outside of my car, startling me out of my thoughts. I turn to see a stranger puffing out breaths, she keeps tapping my window.

Something doesn't feel right.

She sniffs the air and stops when my eyes land on her warily. She looks familiar for some weird reason as we had met before.

The rain pell her skin, her clothes completely plaster to her body.

"Emma?" She says with a confident tone.

"Yes, I am. And you’re...?" I blurt out before feeling regret.

In suspicion my eyebrows frown, the gas station is empty and eerily silent, which is the opposite of what's supposed to be. Thirty minutes ago, many people held parties and celebrations for a football game.

"I'm Jordy's mother, I'm looking for you for many days." She smiles at me.

Jordy's mother? She is Mrs. Antonakos? Is that the reason it's deadly silent here? Because of her? But why? Why she's looking for me?

My mouth full open as my body stiffen in confusion. She seems puzzled at the same moment, not knowing why I have such a response.

“Emma, why are you wandering about this crap place?”

"I'm not 'wandering about'. I've been driving my car to my college. You're the one who intruded on me and asked about my privacy."

Her eyes narrow, "I need to find you."

Oh, a rich billionaire is looking for her son's one passion night partner, what a story. It's a big mistake for me and I'm all alone now, thanks to Jordy. Come to think of it, make everything rather difficult to sort out.

"Can your car run?" She asks, staring at my broken tire.

"I need to change my tire, I'll buy a new one in the morning," I tell her and roll my eyes.

"Why do you want to see me?" I ask peevishly.

"I'm here to bring you home."

"A home, are you kidding me?" I say doubly. My parents kicked me out of the house, what I heard must be wrong.

“It’s not the right place to explain to you, and your face is pale, are you alright?" she asks in concern.

I wear a fake smile and decide to lie to her, "I'm fine, just a bit cold.” She opens my car door and grabs my hand and leads me to her Audi A3 Limousine.

"Let's use my car, it’s warmer, and my maid can help you change your tire tomorrow," she says. I sit in my car, don't want to move.

"This is my car," she ignores my refusing face and grabs me tightly as we walk to her fancy car.

Her eyes softened with a grin. “I swear to you, I won't hurt you, Emma. I promise.”

I nod my head.

As I enter her car, the driver’s head bows down still in a sign of respect and submission. My palms start to get sweat, I bite my lips to reduce the nervousness.

"Jordy never mentioned you're a really beautiful girl," she chuckles, pulling me out of thought.

"What?" My hands shaking in my pocket, I'm nervous.

I feel awkward as she links my arms through mine, "I like you, Emma." She says and wears a big smile.

I feel a nice vibe from her, I can't make a good judge of people's character when it comes to a person, but I do feel she tries her best to make me feel comfortable.

"Jordy is crazy about you, he has been acting like madness since he lost your trace," she giggled.

She pours me a glass of warm water and asks me, “has Jordy introduced himself to you?"

"Umm... we barely know each other." I avoid seeing her eyes directly. Why he made an introduction to a stranger?

She shakes her head in disappointment, "that idiot. Jordy is my firstborn child, he's an outgoing person, I really think he did introduce himself to you when you met each other."

"Speaking of Jordy, he's busy on dealing with dangerous people today, some omegas reported seeing them sneaking into our pack lately. He left earlier this morning to check."

While she continues her explanation, my confused mind starts to stray.

Who are these dangerous people? Can he be in danger?

The thought makes me unstable and I ask her without thinking twice, "do these people hurt him?"

She looks quite shocked by my question, "no, that's impossible. Jordy is one of the most powerful Alpha in our pack, these cowards won't have the nerve to step foot into our land knowing what will face if they do."

"Wait, are you speaking about Pack? Alpha?" My eyes are wide open. What do these names mean?

"Emma, you... you don't understand?" She is shocked.

"Why I should understand?"

She pours herself a glass of wine and takes a sip, slowly studying me, "wait a minute!"

She moves her head closer to me and sniffs me again and again, "Jordy finished the whole mating process, you're his mate officially. And yes... you're not -"

She speaks in a lower voice that I can't hear clearly, then pour another glass of wine to calm herself down as if to keep herself from saying another word.

“Mrs. Antonakos, I still don’t know what you’re talking about, and the reason you bring me to your home, I think I need to go, please stop your car, I’ll take a taxi to the gas station.” I’m losing my patience.

“No, Emma, Jordy and Austin are waiting for you at home.”

“Austin?”

“He’s Jordy’s younger brother, he’s eighteen years old, and he’s a very shy boy. Oh, he will go to Nevermore, you two can live together, I will buy you a small villa to live, and you two will have enough space to know each other.”

She gives me a photo, and two handsome men waving their hands happily. The taller one is Jordy, and the other one must be Austin.

“Why Austin will live with me? I can rent a place and live alone, I don’t need his company.” 

“Emma, you will be Jordy and Austin's wife, you can let you three engage before you and Austin go to Nevermore.” Slowly, she watches me, her eyes roaming over my appearance before stopping at my neck.

What the heck? This woman is insane! Two men want me to marry them?!

"Calm down, Emma, I'll explain to you one day." She explains taking a sip.

"What's all that car going on outside?" She asks the driver.

I am not watching a single thing, yet the driver and she immediately shout loudly. Something coming towards the car at an impossible speed.

I narrow my eyes, and in the split second I realized it was a big truck that lost control, there is no way we are going to be able to avoid it.

“Emma, watch out!” She shouts out and hugs me tightly, my mouth shouts in surprise as she wraps my whole body under hers.

Bang!

I hear crying, which may be my own.

The last thing I can remember is a face covered with mud and blood, the hopelessness in this woman’s eyes mirroring her own.

A warm hand touches my face and says to me, “I’m glad you’re alive, and... run, don’t tell anyone who you really are. You will be in danger.”

I feel the tears burning in my eyes, but I swallow hard and try my best to keep my lower lip from quivering.

“Tell my sons, I love them, Emma.” Then her hand drops down and I feel an explosion as everything fragments.

And then there was nothing.