Nebulous 5

A thought briefly crossed Emory's mind, just a second after her consciousness returned—that this was the deepest, most restful sleep she had ever had. Relief flooded her chest, creating a sense of spaciousness that words like peace and tranquillity couldn't begin to describe. It was as if a drop of dew had fallen to moisten her long-parched heart, flooding it with an incredible coolness.

A serene atmosphere settled around her. Comfort embraced her. Emory's body and soul felt light, as if she had grown wings that could take her anywhere. She was free, every chain that had bound her hands and feet was gone. She floated, carried on the breeze to the highest heavens.

Emory thought she felt reborn. Positive energy flowed through her being, filling her with a vitality mirrored by her wolf spirit. They moved in perfect harmony, something she had never felt before. The rhythm of her wolf spirit matched the beat of her heart. They shared a breath and became one.

The world felt more alive, more vivid, more colourful. Every worry, every uneasiness that had once haunted Emory's mind was gone. 

Something had changed in her. Emory knew it well and was sure it was not a dream or a fleeting feeling. The flame within her, once dim, was now burning brightly, rekindling her long dormant passion for life.

Emory stretched out luxuriously. Her long lashes fluttered gently before her eyes opened fully. She greeted the morning sunlight with a broad smile, her face radiant.

"Good morning."

A deep voice interrupted Emory's enjoyment of the morning warmth. She guessed it must belong to the call boy who had kept her company last night. She turned, ready to respond to the greeting, but was struck by an overwhelming shock.

"You!" Emory sat up immediately, pulling the blanket over her naked body. Her eyes widened in utter amazement. "Why are you here? What are you doing here?!"

For a moment, Emory hoped her eyes were deceiving her. Maybe she was hallucinating, or maybe she hadn't woken up yet. Unfortunately, that hope vanished as the man standing not far from the bed took a step closer.

Emory froze. She stared at the man without blinking. His face hadn't changed. "Jaxon."

Jaxon's steps stopped as he reached the edge of the bed. He looked fresh, wearing only a white towel wrapped around his waist. Droplets of water still clung to his bronze skin. His wet hair was slightly dishevelled, falling over his forehead, giving him a casual yet irresistibly seductive look.

Jaxon met Emory's gaze; his expression unreadable. Then he spoke. "I'm sure you do recognise me now. Don't you?"

Emory was silent for a moment. A flood of memories flashed through her mind, showing fragments of what had happened last night between her and Jaxon.

A chill ran through her. Emory's heart seemed to stop. Her face froze, her lips turned pale.

"It seems so." Jaxon found it easy to read Emory's instinctive reaction and a crooked smile appeared on his face. "That makes me happy, Emory. It shows you haven't forgotten what happened between us last night."

Emory couldn't breathe. The terror was clearly visible in her eyes. Her voice trembled as she asked, "What have you done to me, Jaxon?"

Jaxon crossed his arms. "Me?" He scoffed with a dismissive look on his face. "What do you think I did to you, Emory?"

Emory couldn't answer. A whirlwind of terrible possibilities of what might have happened overwhelmed her mind.

"It seems you're forgetting something, Emory," Jaxon said as he leaned towards her. He lifted her chin, bringing their faces together. "I didn't do anything last night. On the contrary, you came to my suite. Then you were the one who seduced me. Have you forgotten all that?"

Emory tried to break free of the intimidation that Jaxon held over her. She was cornered, her back completely against the wall, but she wasn't going to let Jaxon play with her fear.

Emory’s fingers gripped the blanket tightly. She gathered her strength and looked at Jaxon with defiant eyes. "You took advantage of me while I was unconscious." Her face hardened, filled with anger. "You're a coward, Jaxon."

Jaxon's grin widened. "I'm sure you'd have done the same in my position. Besides, an opportunity like this doesn't come around twice."

"You bastard, Jaxon," Emory growled, her glare sharp. "You trapped me."

Jaxon sneered, mocking her. "Trapped you?" He grabbed her chin, bringing their faces closer together. "I didn't trap you at all, Emory. You came to me with passion. You kissed me. You even begged me to pleasure you. Have you forgotten all that?"

Emory's anger was mixed with an overwhelming shame. Her face flushed. She snarled and slapped his hand away from her chin.

Jaxon chuckled weakly. "I hope not, Emory. Don't you dare forget what happened last night. Besides, you promised me. You'd remember last night as the best night of your life. Make sure you remember it well."

Emory couldn't hold back any longer. She pushed Jaxon away and climbed out of bed, her anger overflowing. She pointed at him. "You really are despicable, Jaxon. You have no dignity. You'll do anything to intimidate me and my pack. You'll justify any means to get what you want."

"Dignity?" Jaxon shook his head. "You talk of dignity when you screamed my name so sensuously last night? Come on, Emory."

Emory gritted her teeth, her pride torn to shreds. Jaxon had humiliated her to her lowest point. "That happened outside my consciousness and I assure you it won't happen again. And mark my words, Jaxon." She faced him with unwavering courage. "Do not even think about using this to pressure the Zyranos Pack. If you do, I swear I'll tear you apart."

Jaxon's eyes narrowed. "On the contrary, Emory. You should realise that the control of this game shifted into my hands last night," he said confidently, leaving Emory speechless. "You're already in my grasp, and I'll see to it that your words are true. I am indeed taking advantage of the situation. So, you better keep that in mind." He took a step forward and put an arm around Emory's waist. "Last night, I didn't just defeat you, I defeated the entire Zyranos Pack." He looked at her with undeniable intensity. "Once you're in my grasp, you'll never be able to escape."

*

Lacey closed her eyes dramatically, trying to suppress the anger that had filled her mind for hours. "So..." She took a deep breath and then slowly opened her eyes to look at the club manager. "...you really can't find Miss Abernathy?"

The club manager swallowed hard and nodded with a pale face. "I'm sorry, but there's nothing I can do. As you know, we don't have CCTV here. The privacy of our guests is our highest priority."

Lacey gripped her hair in frustration, wanting to curse the manager. She knew the protocols of a high-end club, but she hadn't expected them to become such an obstacle.

Emory's whereabouts were unknown. Lacey had been looking for her since last night, right after she had been contacted by the call boy who was supposed to accompany Emory.

Lacey panicked. Emory had never gone to the suite. She had simply disappeared.

What am I going to do? Lacey asked herself. Her body felt cold as all the terrible possibilities ran through her mind. Please let Luna be safe.

Lacey's mind raced, as did the club manager's. While there were no CCTV cameras in the VVIP area, that wasn't the case in other areas.

"We've checked and rechecked," the club manager assured Lacey, pointing to all the computer screens showing surveillance footage from various angles. "Miss Abernathy didn't leave the club. She hasn't been abducted. So, I'm pretty sure she's still here."

Lacey paused, crossing her arms over her chest as she thought. If Luna was still in the club, where could she be?

Time was ticking. Lacey couldn't just sit on the sidelines. Emory's safety was paramount. So, she left the monitor room, followed closely by the club manager.

Lacey had no choice. When she reached the lobby, she took out her mobile phone. She was going to call Orlando. They would have to search the entire club to find Emory.

But just as Lacey was about to call Orlando, she heard the faint sound of a lift door opening. She turned to see Emory stepping out of the lift.

"Miss Abernathy!"

The club manager's exclamation broke the silence. He immediately ran towards Emory, as did Lacey. They approached Emory, who looked dishevelled.

"Miss, are you all right?" the club manager asked quickly, looking extremely concerned as Emory was one of their top VVIP customers. "Has something happened to you?"

Emory didn't answer the manager's question; instead, she looked at Lacey. She didn't say anything, but Lacey understood.

"It seems we should go now, Miss," Lacey said, stepping closer to Emory. "Let's go."

Emory immediately began to walk away, with Lacey following. The club manager was confused.

"Miss Abernathy." The manager tried to stop Emory. He didn't want to take any chances. He needed to make sure Emory was safe and that nothing had happened. "Are you—"

But Lacey raised a hand and placed it against the manager's chest, signalling him to stop. "We're leaving."

This time there was nothing the manager could do. He could only curse himself as Emory and Lacey walked away. "Argh! I hope nothing happened."

*

For a moment, Jaxon just stared. He just stared at the door, which had closed again. Emory was gone, leaving him alone with a mixture of emotions. A sudden emptiness and hollowness filled him, hitting him like a wave and trapping him in a whirlpool of confusion.

Jaxon blinked, took a deep breath and put a hand to his chest, feeling an uncomfortable rhythm that made him question himself. What's wrong with me? He wondered, frowning. What's happening to me?

No logical answer could explain it. It was just a strange feeling that had clumped together, seeping in without permission, leaving a faint trace that couldn't be erased.

Jaxon's heart raced for no apparent reason. He stood in silence, trying to figure it out, as a chill settled over him.

The feeling wasn't entirely unfamiliar. It wasn't exactly the same, but it was eerily similar. Jaxon had felt it before, on the day he had last seen his parents and now he felt something similar—lost.

Jaxon closed his eyes, trying to calm the turmoil in his chest. But suddenly an image of Emory appeared in his mind. Her steady gaze, her firm words and her unwavering steps played over and over in his mind, leaving an indelible mark.

"Emory." Jaxon said her name instinctively. He opened his eyes, then snarled. "Impossible."

Jaxon cursed himself, then stood and began to prepare. Then he grabbed his phone from the bedside table.

Jaxon started to call Damian but stopped when he noticed Emory's necklace. He froze for a moment before picking it up. He examined it carefully and memories of their passionate night together flooded his mind.

What Jaxon hadn't expected was that the memory didn't come alone. It brought with it all the sensations and emotions that had enveloped him and Emory, from the chills to the electricity that had held them together in their heated embrace. It felt real, not just a memory.

Jaxon's face hardened. He scolded himself again, feeling every thrill coursing through his veins. He wasn't stupid enough to ignore such a primal sign. He felt it, and his anger at himself was uncontrollable.

"Of all the she-wolves in the world," Jaxon growled, clutching Emory's necklace tightly, "why does it have to be her?"

The phone rang. A call from Damian made Jaxon answer it immediately. "Hello Damian. Where are you now?"

"Alpha, I'm still stuck in Portego," Damian replied, his voice sounding different. "There's a big problem here."

Jaxon frowned. "A big problem?" he asked, remembering the brief conversation he'd had with Damian the night before, just before Damian had left. He hadn't thought it was a big problem, but now Damian was calling him about it. "What's the problem?"

Damian replied, "Our wheat fields have been burned by the Zyranos Pack."

Jaxon froze. His eyes widened as the news hit him like a hammer. He clutched Emory's necklace tightly, filled with rage. "Emory."

*