Chapter 2

Emmy POV

Present Day

    “It figures, doesn’t it?” I say to myself as I lay in bed. The plush white and gray bedding suddenly feels cold and stiff. 

   How could I possibly sleep when my mind is a swirling mess of emotions?

   I throw the covers off me and stomp out of my bed, my feet thudding against the off-white carpeting. 

   The apartments at the Running River Pack are nice. A blank canvas for anyone to make into their own. I haven’t added any personal touches though. The plain, white walls remain bare of any photos or artwork. No colorful pillows or blankets on the stock gray furniture. The only personal item on display is my chessboard. I guess this place hasn’t felt like home to me. After what happened almost two weeks ago, I don’t want this to be my home anymore.

    I lean over my bathroom sink and splash cold water on my face. I look at myself in the mirror and watch the water drip down my face. My eyes are still red and puffy from crying myself to sleep- if you can even call three hours of tossing and turning sleep. I tuck my thick, wavy hair behind my ears, only for it to fall in front of my face again. I roll my eyes in annoyance. 

   My hair has always been untamed; I’ve never liked it. It’s light brown, I guess it’s kind of a chestnut color. It’s thick and wavy and I have to keep it long, or else it will be ridiculously poofy. 

   What a contrast to how I actually am;  calm, patient, and logical. Yet my hair screams wild and reckless. That’s not me at all.

     I look out the bathroom window and see that sky is still dark. 

    Daya won’t be leading training this morning. My older sister and her new mate, Darius, the Alpha of The Running River Pack, celebrated her Luna ceremony two weeks ago. He surprised all of us by asking Daya to be his Alpha-Luna. 

    I guess Darius is slowly growing on me. I mean, he made it possible for me and all my sisters to be together after being separated for the last twelve years. And they are the first werewolves to be fated mates since the Fated Plague occurred over twenty years ago.

    The Fated Plague is believed to be a curse from the Moon Goddess. Nobody understands why she created it. Most believe it is because she was tired of playing matchmaker and that she no longer wanted werewolves to have fated mates. 

    After over two decades of no fated mates occurring under the full moon, Daya and Darius experienced the pull of the mate bond and they accepted it. I was shocked that Daya was willing to accept the mate bond. We don’t know if the plague is over. They are taking a huge risk, but I don’t remember ever seeing Daya this happy. She truly does look complete.

    I tie my hair back into a braid and twist it around into a bun before making my way over to my dresser. I dig out a pair of high-waisted black leggings and a thick-strapped, full-coverage sports bra. 

    Thank the Goddess for these improvements in fitness clothes. My other sisters are slender and have lean body types. For some reason, I was given big boobs and wide hips that no amount of running, or training, has gotten rid of. I guess other girls would love to have a body like mine, but I hate it. I don’t have the first clue of what to do with it, so I do my best to cover it up. I throw on a gray sweatshirt over my sports bra and make my way to the front door to grab my sneakers.

    “What are the chances he will be there this morning?” I say out loud to myself as I tie my laces up. I can feel my face getting red and my throat starting to constrict as I fight back the urge to cry again. 

   “No!” I yell. 

   I take a few calming breaths and shake my hands out. I lean against the front door, and I cover my mouth to hold back my sobs as the memories of that night hit me like a truck.          

(Flashback to the Daya’s Luna Ceremony)

     Everyone cheered as Daya and Darius walked off the stage as the new official Alpha and Alpha-Luna of The Running River Pack. My older sister looks so happy with her fated mate. They take to the dance floor and get lost in each other’s eyes. I can tell they don’t see anyone else but each other. 

   I watch them and think maybe it’s not impossible; maybe I can have that too. I thought after Kai broke my heart and shattered my spirit, that I would never consider opening myself up to the possibility of being with another man again.

    I took my glass of champagne and chug it down. Hoping for a dose of liquid courage.

    “Whoa there, Em! Should I get us a couple of shots of tequila?” my younger sister, Amy, jokes. 

    Amy is definitely the feisty one of us five. Standing at only five feet tall, she has the biggest attitude. She and I tend to clash heads because she speaks her mind without thinking about the consequences, while all I do is think about the consequences. I roll my eyes at Amy and put my glass down on the bar.

   “No shots, Amy. You know you have the tolerance of a toddler. Saph and Pearl should tell the bartenders to cut you off,” I say to her with a wink. She scoffs and makes her way to the bar abruptly. Ever the rebellious sister.

     I begin to make my way to the other side of the dance floor.

    “Where are you off to, Emmy?” Saph asks me. 

    Saph is only a year younger than I am, but she is so caring and soulful. She’s the optimist of us five. She has always been able to see the bright side of things. That goes with her desire to want to heal people, hence her specialty in medicine.    

   “I’m just off to say hi to a couple of people,” I try to say nonchalantly. 

   Saph just nods, gives me a small smile, and takes a sip of her white wine.

    I walk across the dance floor, narrowly avoiding bumping into the dancing crowd. I see him standing at the other bar. He looks so sleek and handsome in his black suit. His light, brown hair is in its usual side part and his hazel eyes are bright with laughter. He and Beta Tobias have a lot of catching up to do now that Tobias has regained his strength. 

    I stop as I near him. I almost turn around.

    “Emmy! Join us for a drink!” Tobias calls out to me. It sure is nice having him back. 

    I shift my attention to the man on his left, and do my best not to blush.

   “Um, yea. Sure. I was just coming to say hi and that I’m happy to see you back, Tobias,” I say softly. I’m trying so hard not to seem pathetic. I step up to the bar and raise my hand to get the bartender’s attention. “White wine, please! When you have a chance, no rush,” my voice slowly drops to an almost whisper.

   “He’s not gonna hear ya if you don’t yell it with some gusto, Emmy,” Tobias says, coming up next to me. “Alex! A white wine for Emmy and two whiskeys for me and Lucas!” 

    I bury my face in my hands in embarrassment as Tobias shouts across the bar.

    “Relax, Tobias. We will get our drinks. Give the man a second,” Lucas says as he comes up to my other side. His arm lightly brushes against mine and I shiver at the contact. I feel a rush knowing he is so close to me.

    Not a moment later, our drinks are handed to us, and I take a quick sip of my wine. I clear my throat to speak, but I’m interrupted by Tobias before I can get a syllable out.

    “So, Emmy. Tell me, what the fuck is the point of a pocket square?!” Tobias’ tone startles me, and I almost choke on my wine. I look up at the giant of a man, who resembles Thor, as he flaps his pocket square in the air.

    “Goddess, Tobias. Chill out about the pocket square, will you? It completes the look,” Lucas says as he rolls his eyes. 

    I can’t help but smile at his comment and my gaze lingers on his face for a moment too long.

    “I have to agree with Lucas. The pocket square does complete the look and adds a nice pop of color to your suit,” I say as I take another sip of wine, trying to still my nerves.

    “It seems I am right again. Perhaps I should stay in control a while longer.” Aurelian, Tobias’ wolf spirit, pushes forward and causes Tobias’ blue eyes to change to Aurelian’s black ones. I flinch at the sudden change in his demeanor. 

    As werewolves, our wolf spirits stay in the background of our minds and only press forward when we shift to our wolf forms, or under emotional distress. Even then, our wolf spirits don’t communicate with us. After an incident, Tobias now shares control with his wolf spirit, Aurelian, making him unique within the werewolf universe now.

   “You look really nice tonight, Emmy,” Lucas says to me, pulling my attention back to him and I quickly turn away to hide my blushing cheeks. 

    Why did I tie my hair back? I could have hidden within the cocoon of my frizzy locks right now.

   “Thank you, Lucas. So do you.”

    An awkward silence starts to settle between us, and I am getting ready to walk away.

    “Would you like to dance, Emmy?” Lucas asks me. 

    A wave of excitement strums through my entire body. I haven’t felt this way in so long. I nod enthusiastically and put my drink down. Lucas extends his hand and leads me to the dance floor.

   The music changes to “I Can Love You Like That” by All-4-One. I feel as giddy as a schoolgirl as the words of the song fill the outdoor space. Lucas takes my hand in his and places his other on my waist. Our eyes meet and we begin swaying to the music.

   “So, you must be excited that Daya is officially mated to Darius. They can lead the pack side by side now, right?” I start making small talk as we continue to dance. I can’t help but to notice how easy it is being with Lucas.

   “Definitely. With The Underground preparing to make more moves, we need all the strength we can get. Daya bringing you all here has been a tremendous help. You’ve been vital to our pack’s safety over the last couple of months, Emmy.”

   “Yea. It’s been great knowing we have been helpful. I think I like it here at Running River,” I say to him softly. 

   He simply nods and smiles. 

   “Lucas, can I ask you something?” I question, and just as I finish speaking, the song changes to an upbeat boy band song. 

   Everybody rushes onto the dance floor and begins screaming the words, making it impossible for me to think, let alone talk.

“Sorry, it just got very loud and crazy,” Lucas says with a chuckle. I laugh with him.

  “Maybe we can go somewhere a little less crowded?” I suggest as I fidget with my fingers behind my back. I can feel myself starting to sweat from nervousness.

    “Yea, sure. Lead the way,” he says as he extends his arm out towards the edge of the dance floor.

   We walk off to a small garden area. The music is still audible, but not blaring in my ears anymore. I take a deep breath and look Lucas in the eyes.

   “Okay, so. I think we have gotten to know each other pretty well in the last couple of months. I really enjoy working with you. I think we make a good team,” I begin talking. I feel my hands begin to shake and my palms are starting to get sweaty too. How embarrassing.

   “I agree, Emmy. You’re such an impressive strategist. You’re a really critical thinker and have added significant value to our pack. I’m glad you’re staying on to help us improve our security,” Lucas says,  speaking in his typical professional and respectful tone. His deep voice is gentle and soothing to my ears.

   “Yea. So, um... I was thinking. I think since we work well together, and we are so similar, maybe we could be a good fit in other ways. Like as chosen mates…” I say, my voice trailing off at the end of my statement. 

   Lucas’ eyes shoot open as wide as saucers. He takes a step back from me and begins running his hand through his hair and scratching the back of his neck.

   “Emerald…I think you’re a lovely person. But…” he pauses and my heart drops. 

  Have I read this situation completely wrong? I want to run away, but I can’t move. 

   “But now that fated mates are a possibility again…I want to find mine. Don’t you?” he asks me gently.

   “You think you’ll find your fated mate? And you think they will be a better match? You said that we get along great. I’m not saying we have to take each other as chosen mates right now, but isn’t it a logical decision?” I ask, trying to plead my case, hoping he will see how easy it could be if we just chose each other. 

   He takes another step away from me as if he is planning to run away.

“Emmy, a few months ago, I would have said yes to you without hesitation. But knowing that I might have a fated mate out there, the true, other half of my soul, I don’t want to miss the opportunity of meeting her. And you deserve to find yours as well.” 

   I simply nod and this time. Backing away. I’m mortified.

   “I understand. You’d rather have a mate, who may not even exist, who may cause you to die from the plague, over me.” 

   He steps towards me, frowning deeply. “Emmy, no. That’s not what I’m saying. Please…” 

   I hold my hand up to stop him from talking. “It’s okay, Lucas. It’s probably best if we just keep our relationship professional. Thank you for listening to me. I do hope you find your fated mate. I have to go.” 

   I turn around and hurry away. I feel my eyes welling up with tears. 

   Once again, I'm the second choice. Once again, I’m not worthy of someone’s love or affection. I run as fast as I can back to my apartment.

(End of flashback)

    I push myself up from the floor. I wipe my face clean and take a few deep breaths.

   “I need a new plan…” I mutter to myself as I open the door, doing my best to put on a brave face.