Emily's POV
"Ple-e-e-a-se, Emily!" Mila, my best friend, begged over the link. "I really want to go!"
"I'm not standing in your way, Mila. You are welcome to go and attend the pack dance," I linked back. "Go and have some fun with Jax."
Jax was Mila's mate, and even though we got along just fine, I always felt like a third wheel, tangling long.
"But you know it wouldn't be the same if you weren't there!" Mila sulked, her voice quivering. "And you owe me one!"
I sighed, annoyed.
I knew she would draw the "you owe me one card" sooner rather than later to force me to go.
The only reason I owed her was that I needed to copy her homework when my shift ended late. I was exhausted that night and had even skipped dinner.
"So you are cashing in on a favor I owe you?" I growled, frustrated.
"Is it working?" She asked, giggling.
I pinched the top of my nose, shaking my head—this friend of mine! She knew exactly how to manipulate me into saying yes!
Mila and I have been friends since kindergarten, but we only became best friends recently. She was the only friend I had left after my birthday.
I internally sighed as tears welled up in my eyes.
I had lost all of my friends and the respect of the pack in one night.
"You are the world's worst best friend," I growled. "You know that!"
"Does that mean you consider going?" She chirped, hopeful.
"Yeah," I replied sourly. "But I'm not staying out late. I have training in the morning!"
Mila squealed out of joy over the link.
"Deal!" She said, letting out another high-pitched squeal. "I'll see you in a bit!"
"Whatever!" I said, closing the link and plopping down on my bed.
It wasn't that I didn't want to go to the pack dance—I love dancing—it was just that I felt kind of strange, as if something was about to happen.
I knew it couldn't be my wolf; I didn't have one, and my parents, including Alpha Cole, believed that I was just a late bloomer.
I, on the other hand, believed that I was punished by the goddess and would not get one.
I sighed, closing my eyes.
I wish I had shifted on my birthday. I wish I had a wolf like the rest of the pack members.
I could just imagine how beautiful she would be—big and strong, and her fur silver under the full moon. She would have a no-nonsense attitude and wouldn't submit to anyone, including Alphas.
But that was just a dream, not my reality.
My mind drifted off to all the possibilities of having a wolf.
Maybe then the pack wouldn't see me as more than just a misfit or a liability.
Maybe then I could claim my rank as Beta.
A knock sounded at my door, and my eyes flew open. I turned my gaze disoriented toward the alarm clock on my desk.
7 p.m.
My eyes widened. I'm late!
"Emily?" Mila's worried voice came from the door. "Are you in there?"
"Sh*t!" I growled, jumping off the bed and rushing towards the door.
Another knock, this time more urgently, echoed through my quiet room.
"Yeah," I said, rubbing my eyes as I opened the door.
Mila knitted her eyebrows together, and her gaze silently moved over me.
"Why are you not dressed and ready?" She shrieked, disappointed.
"Sorry," I muttered. "I fell asleep."
Mila rolled her eyes at me and sighed.
"Come on," she said, dragging me back into the room. "We had better get you ready. We only have a few minutes before we'll need to leave, or else we'll be late!"
Mila's eyes glazed over—probably linking Jax to telling him I was late—again.
"What are you waiting for, girl?" Mila barked when I didn't move. "Get your ass in the shower now!"
I took a deep breath, grabbed my towel, and stalked toward the bathroom.
Ten minutes later, I was back in my room.
"Get dressed," Mila ordered, handing me a short, knee-length dress.
"There is no way I am wearing that!" I snapped, pointing at the dress.
"Oh, yes, you are!" She said, "Get dressed! We have a party to attend!"
"It's a bloody pack dance, Mila, not prom!" I argued.
"It's not just any pack dance, Emily," she said adamantly. "Don't you know whose back?"
"Who?" I asked, folding my arms around my waist. Did I miss the pack memo?
Mila sighed, giving me a look of annoyance, pushed me down on the chair, and started drying my hair.
"Alexander is back," she said.
I froze in my seat, hearing Alex's name.
I had a huge crush on him for as long as I could remember, as did every other unmated she-wolf.
He never seemed to notice me, and he always had the most beautiful or popular she-wolves on his arm.
It broke my heart, but I believe that one day he will eventually notice me and see me for me.
I sighed as I remembered the day Alex left for Alpha training—that was two years ago.
I felt miserable and cried myself to sleep. I was even heartbroken when I found out that he wasn't allowed to visit the pack during the holidays.
"Alpha Cole's son?" I asked carefully; by this time, Alex must have found his mate.
Mila's green eyes lit up in excitement.
"Yes," she said, grabbing my brush.
"When did he return?" I asked, feeling a knot form in my throat.
"This morning," she answered, and she caught my gaze in the mirror. "This is his welcome-back party, Em."
My stomach felt as if someone had turned it upside down.
Alexander was back.
Alexander Black, the boy whom I had a major crush on, has returned to his pack.
"Mila, I think I should take a rain check on the pack dance." I slowly said.
Mila narrowed her eyes.
"Aren't you curious about what he looks like now?" She asked, confused. "We haven't seen him in a while! He must look different from all his intensive training at Alpha Camp."
"Yes, but..."
"Besides," Mila cut me off. "Alpha Cole has arranged the welcome-back party in hopes that Alexander will find his fated mate. He is due to become Alpha soon, and without his mate, he can't claim the Alpha title."
I kept quiet.
I wasn't Luna material. I was barely a warrior, and I knew Alex needed a beautiful and strong Luna to rule at his side. The likelihood of me fitting into those criteria was slim.
"Come on!" Mila said, excitedly. "It will be fun!"
Half an hour later, I was fully dressed in the black dress that Mila had picked for me.
"Let's go!" she said, grabbing my arm and pulling me out of the room.
What occurred at the pack dance would haunt me for the rest of my life.
****
Emily's POV The trip down to the pack house was quicker than I had hoped, and before I knew it, Jax stopped the car in front of the pack house. Jax got out of the car and went around, opening the car door for Mila. He held his hand out and carefully helped his mate from the car. "Mila, my love," Jax said, kissing the top of her hand. "I will be right back. Wait for me!" My heart pinched at the tenderness of his voice. He spoke to her with so much love and care. Mila nodded her head, and Jax got back in the car and drove off. Two minutes later, the dark-headed wolf appeared next to Mila. "Ready?" He asked, taking her hands in his. Mila giggled like a typical schoolgirl and blushed. I turned my gaze away, giving them some privacy. Some days I wish I had what Mila and Jax had. Their love for one another was so tender and unconditional. A small smile followed at the corners of my lips, remembering the night Mila found out Jax was her mate. We were all in the clearing, waiting
Emily's POV The cool autumn breeze shook me out of my trance, and I yelped out in fright as the door shut closer behind me. I shook my head, confused, looking over the gardens. Why did I have the urge to come here? There was nothing out of the ordinary out there. Everything was quiet, except for my racing heart. The immense pull was unavoidable, and I took a step forward. I ended up making my way down to the huge fountain centered in the gardens and sitting down on the cold white marble bench, overlooking the water and fountain. I sighed. Was I losing my mind? I lifted my gaze toward Mother Moon's sculpture standing in the center of the huge bowl. She stood protectively among powerful wolves who were howling at the moon. "Why have you kept my wolf from me?" I whispered. An unnerving silence answered me back, and my temper flared out of control. I jumped to my feet as anger and pain rippled through my chest. "Why did you punish me like that?" I cried out and dropped to my k
Emily's POV I woke up with a bang, with my alarm clock screaming his red numbers next to me. 8:30 a.m. My eyes widened. I was late for training! I jumped out of bed and landed on my feet with a groan. "F*ck!" I swore under my breath. My body felt like a bulldozer had run over it. It was sore all over, and my breasts were tender and swollen. I knitted my eyebrows together, confused, trying to remember what had happened last night. I slowly moved toward the bathroom, feeling the tenderness between my legs. Did I have..? I shook the thoughts off just as fast as they came. I couldn't have—did I? "Sh*t!" I gasped under my breath, startled, when I saw my painted reflection in the mirror. My nape was covered in all colors and sizes of bruises, running down my breasts and stomach. Hickeys! What the f*ck! Who did this to me, and why? I sighed, frustrated. There was no way I could go out to training looking like that. I wiped my hand over my face, shaking my head in disbelief. "
Emily's POV The pack house was fairly quiet when Mila and I arrived. My parents, the Beta pair of the pack, asked me to come and help clean the community center. It wasn't a normal occurrence for the Beta family to be involved in helping clean after a pack function. I guess Alpha Cole must have asked them to help after he gave everyone a day off. "Where is everyone?" Mila asked, surprised when no guards were stationed at the front door of the pack house. "I think everyone went down to the clearing to enjoy their snow day," I said, gesturing to the cold, wet, fluffy stuff lying all over the place. Mila sighed. "Why did you talk me into helping?" She asked, shivering. "I could have been lying under the blankets with a cup of hot chocolate in my hands, watching a movie." "Because I needed help," I said, shrugging. "And you are my only friend." Mila rolled her eyes as she entered the pack house. The main reason Mila was sulking was that she was a bit disappointed that Jax went s
Emily's POV Mila and I headed back to the kitchen, taking a shorter route through the square. "No cheating this time," I called behind Mila. "Oh, come on, Em!" she yelled over her shoulder. "We both know that you will beat me by far if I don't use my wolf's abilities." I chuckled, knowing she was right. Mila's parents were only high-ranking warriors, but everyone knew that her father came from Delta rank. He forfeited his title when he decided to switch packs to be with Mila's mom. I watched as Mila grabbed the door handle, swung the door open, and ran inside. She only had a two-second lead. I swung the door open, seeing Mila sprinting down the hall, and she disappeared around the corner. There was no way I could catch her now. I started running at a slower pace, passing my father's office. I knew that Alpha Col's office was situated next to his, and I didn't want to disturb an unknown meeting. I quickly, but as quietly as possible, tried to pass them. I froze in my tracks,
Emily's POV I shifted the truck's gears back into third as I took the steep, rocky turn-off towards the White Moon Pack, my home for the last five years. I have been on an assignment, and it felt good to be able to come home again. It was Mila's idea to come to live here, and even though it was hard in the beginning to leave my family behind, I was proud of what I had accomplished by myself. My thoughts wandered off to that night. My mom had mind-linked Mila, telling her that I wasn't feeling well and that I needed a friend. Mila didn't even wait for my mother's scent to fade from my room when she sneaked in through my window. "Em," she whispered. "Are you awake?" I nodded my head, unable to utter a word. "Are you okay?" She asked, climbing through the window and into my bed with me. Mila pulled me to her, and I rested my head on her chest. She gave me a moment before she started asking questions. "Can you tell me what happened?" She whispered. I shook my head as tears welle
Emily's POV A huge white building greeted me as I drove up the driveway. I lived in the building—the pack house—for almost a year and knew the place like the back of my hand. A youngish blond guard rushed closer as I set foot out of the truck. He looked about nineteen. "Morning Parker," he bowed. "King Xavier is waiting for you." I nodded and handed him the truck keys. "Parker?" He asked, looking at me confused. "I'll be running back in wolf form," I said, smiling. "Willow wants to stretch her legs." The guard nodded and opened the driver's door. He looked quite happy to be driving my black truck. "Don't scratch her," I warned, and I ran up the stairs. As suspected, Xavier waited for me in the gardens, and a tender smile followed on his lips as I made my way down the steps to meet him. "Welcome back, dear!" He said, throwing his arms wide open for me. I didn't shy away from the embrace and ran into his arms, hugging him back. Xavier is Mila's uncle, and he has become a fat
Emily's POV Mila took an urgent step back, her hands moving to her lips as she gasped wide-eyed. She looked terrified, yet she refused to leave my side. The doctor rushed in and froze in his tracks when he saw me partly shifted. "What the f*ck!" he yelled out. I assume he never saw a she-wolf give birth and shift at the same time. "How the f*ck did this happen?" He rushed to my side, unsure what to do. "The pup!" I yelled, grabbing his shirt and pulling him toward me. "Get him out!" I suddenly had the urge to push... Mila stepped closer, sensing the time had come to deliver the pup to the world, taking my shifted hand in hers. She had no idea how much that meant to me. "Em!" Mila called my name over my moans. "It's time for you to push!" Seconds felt like minutes, minutes like hours—I whimpered and yelled, and everything around me became one big blur. The second the doctor freed the pup from me, I let go and handed all control over to my wolf; she took control and completed