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.
"How did I get back to my room?" I muttered to myself. "Weren't I stuck in the cabin under thick snow?"
I carefully turned and headed to open the shower tap, hoping it would help bring back my memories of last night.
My gaze landed on the little black dress Mila picked for me that night.
"Who gave me a change of clothes?" Everything was a bit confusing.
I reached out and grabbed the dress, noticing a faint, familiar scent on the fabric.
Memories of last night flooded in, and I yelled out, surprised, throwing the dress to the side as if it had just burned me.
Alex took my innocence and my first kiss.
"Alex is my mate," I whispered to myself.
My heart pounded in my chest, and my stomach felt as if someone had turned it over.
"Alex is my fated mate?"
I knew it wasn't a question, but even that idea sounded surreal to my own ears.
I picked up the dress, dumped it in the washing bag, and got into the shower.
I grunted and moaned with every move I made, washing my tender and sore body.
When I was eventually done, I headed back to my room to get dressed. I knew I was in trouble because I was late for training, and I was now contemplating just skipping it.
"Finally!" Mila's angry voice rang in my ears, and I yelled out, surprised to find Mila sitting on my bed.
"Where the hell did you go last night?" She yelled angrily at me. "Jax and I looked all over for you! We were worried sick! Why was your block up? How did you get home, and what the f*ck are those marks around your nape?"
When Mila was eventually done yelling at me, her anger had subsided.
"It's a long story," I said. "One that I can't tell you now. I am already late for training."
Mila huffed, rolling her eyes at me, and in return, I narrowed my eyebrows at her, confused.
"Training was canceled this morning," she said. "If you had your link open, you would have known that Alpha Cole gave everyone off today."
"He canceled training?" I asked, surprised. My gaze landed on the alarm clock next to my bed. I was sure I had set it for 6 a.m., yet it went off at 8:30 a.m.
Did Alex change the time on the alarm clock? Did he know I would be exhausted after last night?
"Yeah," Mila continued, suddenly annoyed again. "It snowed last night."
My heart leaped out of my chest. It wasn't a dream; it really did happen.
"It hasn't snowed for over twenty-five years," Mila said, deep in thought. "Alpha Cole said not to worry. He looked kind of... happy about it."
"Oh," the single word slipped from my lips.
"Yeah," Mila said, knitting her eyebrows together, confused. "He said we should celebrate and enjoy the snow and not worry about it. Change is on the horizon."
I nodded in understanding and headed to my walk-in closet.
I needed to find some clothes that would hide all the evidence from last night.
I eventually settled on a chocolate brown turtleneck top and a comfortable pair of white jeans.
I quickly got dressed inside the closet, trying to hide the rest of the evidence from Mila. She would bombard me with questions if she suspected I had found my mate. And if she hears that it is Alex, I will never hear the end of it.
I grabbed a pair of white sneakers on my way out and took a seat on my bed.
Mila was quietly sitting in the corner of my room, flipping through an old magazine.
"Are you done ignoring my questions?" Mila asked, lowering the magazine.
I stopped what I was doing and dropped my shoulders. I knew Mila was only looking out for me, but what should I tell her? The truth? I wasn't ready, and I didn't even know what had happened last night.
"There is nothing to tell," I said, ignoring the truth. "I didn't feel well and went outside to get some fresh air. I must have lost track of time and gone home."
Mila rolled her eyes at me, not buying a word I said.
"So how do you explain the hickeys all over your neck?" she asked.
"Mosquito bites," I said, without thinking.
Mila threw her head back and roared out of laughter.
"Try again," she said, wiping her laughing tears from her eyes. "Maybe then I will believe you."
"Fine," I said. "It's a rash. I stumbled on some poison ivy."
That made Mila bend over with laughter, shaking her head.
"Maybe you should quit warrior training and rather go do stand-up comedy," she said between laughs.
I huffed, annoyed, and felt embarrassed. Mila could see right through me. Lying to her didn't help. She would eventually find out the truth.
I crossed my arms around my waist, waiting for her to be done laughing.
"It is not funny," I eventually said when she calmed down enough.
"It is!" Mila argued. "No one would believe the sh*t you just said. It snowed last night; no mosquito would dare be outside, and we don't have poison ivy on pack territory."
I kept silent, thinking about what I should say next.
"Fine," I said, giving in. "They are hickeys. It is not that I don't want to tell you; it is just that I don't know what to tell you."
"Then start from the beginning!" Mila said, dropping the magazine on the bedside table.
How do I tell my best friend that I am the soon-to-be Alpha’s mate?
I closed my eyes, praying. This wasn't the right time.
"I can't," I eventually said. "Things are a bit complicated at the moment. I promise I will tell you everything when the time comes."
Mila wanted to say something, but I stopped her.
"I don't even know what happened last night," I said, but I was hoping to find out soon.
Mila's face dropped, and she suddenly looked sad that I was keeping this from her.
I closed the gap between us, squatting next to the chair she was sitting on.
"Mila," I said. "You are my best friend, and you will be the first one I tell. Just trust me when I say I can't tell you now. I need to work things out for myself first before I share my secret with you."
Mila nodded and gave me a weak smile.
I didn't like keeping secrets from her, but never in my wildest dreams did I ever suspect that my secret would be short-lived.
****
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
Emily's POV "We're here." Willow's voice pulled me back out of my thoughts. I lifted my gaze to the exit of the forest overlooking my home. My four-wheel baby is already parked in his spot in the driveway. Willow handed me control, and I shifted back to human. Just four feet further, I found the clothes hidden in a hollow stump. Mila must have placed them there; they were still crisp and smelled like laundry detergent. I got dressed while making my way down the forest path toward my home. I lived in something similar to a duo home, sharing the house with Mila and Jax. We shared the same garden and driveway, but our entrance was allocated to the opposite side of our home. When I first decided it was time to move out of the pack house, Mila wanted me to live with her and Jax. I refused. I knew Mila didn't want me to be alone, but I didn't want to invade their privacy. Yet Mila pushed; she was determined to have me live close to her. After numerous arguments, Jax came up with
Emily's POV "Slow down, Lex!" I said, giggling behind him as he dragged me toward my room. He came to a stop and raised his head. "Close your eyes, mommy," he said seriously. Milan and Jax had followed us in, curious to see how I would react to the dress they picked for me. I turned my head toward the two, unsure what to do. Jax, who was holding Lilly in his arms, gave me a smile and nod of the head, which made me flinch. He was never one to get excited about anything. I turned to Lex, and I closed my eyes. He opened the door and took my hand, leading me inside my bedroom. "Okay, mommy," he said. "You can open your eyes now." My gaze landed on the dress hanging on my closet door, and I blinked a couple of times to process what I was seeing. "Wow!" I gasped. I have never seen such a beautiful dress. I carefully lifted the dress off its hanger, hanging it open against my body. The skirt hung touching the floor, but a pair of 6' stilettos would do the trick and would lift the d
Emily's POV "Did you forget something?" Mila asked when we crossed the border. At first, I was confused until my gaze fell on Mila's mask. "Sh*t!" I moaned. "No mask, no entry," she said. "Then stop the car and let me go fetch it!" I said, my heart racing. How could I have forgotten about the mask? "No, I can't do it!" Mila said. "The driver will only stop at the club and again at the pack house. Xavier's orders." "Uhm, did you bring an extra one?" I asked, hopeful. Mila giggled and pulled the box from behind her. "Jax handed it to me," she said. "Lex didn't see you take it when you left home, so he told Jax to quickly sneak it to me." I sighed, relieved. "Thank you!" I said, taking the box. I haven't opened the box and looked at the mask yet. I was curious, yet I knew Xavier and Mila wouldn't gift me a hideous mask. "Some champagne?" Mila asked, pulling a bottle out of an ice bucket. "Sure," I said. "Why not? I haven't had a proper drink in so long!" Mila carefully f