7. Betrayal

Everything about her showed the chaos that was coursing through her veins, from her unruly red hair to her crumpled pajamas and her unwashed face with very swollen eyes. 

She was a wreck and Matthais was to blame. 

She could barely think and after sitting at her desk staring at his perfect handwriting for over an hour, she decided to call out sick from work.  No one would suspect a thing.  She had never called out in the last 4 years.  

What was she going to do?

She could not bear this burden alone and he wasn't coming back anytime soon.

Sleep was allusive.

Dreams were furtive.

Her mind was burdened and she hated him.

She needed him.

Emma realized that her soul would be fractured without him but damn him! She wasn't going to make this easy for this bastard.  He was going to pay, every step of the way.

If he wanted to take her from everything she ever worked for, her family and her friends, well, what to say.

He would pay!

Oh! Yes! He was going to have to grovel to her.  Her perfect specimen, creature, whatever evil, creature he was; he would grovel! 

She wanted to say souless but he had a soul, just not a very nice one.  

Huh! The way he touched her! The way she desired him.  It wasn't fair!!!

Where was he?

She was tempted to call his name but instead she called her best friend and asked her to come over.  She desperately needed someone to talk to and she wasn't calling Matthais to have a heart to heart.

Now that Emma had some direction in her day, she showered without feeling his presence and then she cleaned her little apartment.  That took all of about an hour so she decided to run to the grocery store and she would cook a gourmet dinner for them.

They would have a great girls night with good food and lots and lots of wine.  Thank goodness it was a Friday night!

Upon returning home, she dropped the bags on the table and put away the groceries before she started to make the homemade pasta dough.  She kneaded it and left it to sit for the required twenty minutes while she started on the Roma tomatoes.  

While she was cooking, she desperately tried her best to not think about him. 

It wasn't working. 

She wanted him and her soul was yearning to turn.  Whatever that meant, she wanted to know all of him.  

That really angered her and she wasn't willing to admit her feelings for him.  She still wanted revenge.

It was 7 pm and Mia was knocking on her door already.  

Emma let her in and gave her the biggest hug in the world, knowing that she would soon be gone. 

Trying to hide her fears until after dinner, didn't work with Mia and as soon as the food was plated, Mia asked, "Out with it! First the Tony thing but I know there is someone else befuddling your brain."

Emma nodded and didn't respond as she suddenly was filled with fear, knowing that she should not reveal anything about Matthais.

That fear, however, large did not stop Emma from spitting out her next words, "I met someone and I think it's serious and it scares the hell out of me.  I just cannot explain it."

"How did you meet someone? When? Like the minute you left Tony's two weeks ago?" Mia asked in an exasperated tone.  She wasn't sure what was going on but rebound relationships were always dangerous.

"I know! I know! I can't explain it.  He is so perfect and the way he makes me feel is out of control.  I just know that he's the one." She was careful not to use his name but... the night was young.

Mia kept trying to pull information out of Emma on how they met and where he's from.  All Emma kept saying for the next twenty minutes was "I don't know" or "I can't say."

Mia's frustration was showing and she poured herself another glass of red wine and got up to go and sit on the small couch in the living room.  

Following with the bottle, Emma sat next to her and they both drank in silence for a few minutes before Emma said, "I really can't explain it all, as he doesn't want me to say anything to anybody just yet."

Mia put down her wine and turned to Emma and yelled, "That's because he is trying to brainwash you and get inside your head.  He must be one manipulative bastard to try and force you to keep your whirlwind romance a secret.  What kind of monster is he?"

Now Emma was getting mad at Mia.  Matthais wasn't a monster, well at least not in that sense.  Let's face it, he could touch her in her dreams and he faded and traveled in some sort of shadow force.  Oh and then the entire soulmate thing.

She knew it was real and she trusted his love but she didn't trust his world yet.  He was too secretive.  

In her anger, she blurted out the unthinkable, as she defended him.

"You listen here Mia, Matthais is the nicest and sweetest person and when he looks at me I melt.  I can't tell you how this happend so fast, but it did and I will be going away with him soon.  How soon I do not know but I know that I will be his partner and he will be mine."

"What the hell are you going on about? Matthais! Matthais! Listen to you.  You know nothing about this man yet you sound like you are going to give everything up for him.  What is going on Emma?" 

"I love him! If you ever saw him you would understand the depths of my feelings for him!" 

Emma was shaking as her anger was growing.  She was about to say something else to Mia when suddenly she became ghostly white and froze in place.  She didn't move an inch.  

She felt his presence and he was angry.  He was very angry with her.

Matthais projected to her, 'I warned you not to say my name.  It holds power young lady and we will discuss this later.  As of now, Mia's memories of tonight will be wiped and then you shall face your punishment.'

As she wasn't able to project to Matthais yet, she gasped and said, "Matthais, I am so sorry."

Mia looked at her in total confusion and then jumped backwards as Matthais walked out of Emma's bedroom. 

Mia yelled, "Emma, what kind of sick joke is this.  He's been here all along.  Have you been messing with my head? Trying to make him hate me, before he ever met me?"

Matthais held his hand up to Emma and indicated that she should not speak. 

She rushed to him and let him hold her in his embrace as she cried.

Before he wiped Mia's memories of the evening's events, he was brutal in searching her memories to ensure there wasn't any other forms of betrayal from Emma.  Once he was satisfied, a very confused Mia put on her coat and went out to catch a cab home. 

Matthais was enraged at Emma and her betrayal, especially after he warned her of the dire consequenses.   

Holding her in his arms in person and not just in her dreams, was too much for him.  He needed her and didn't want to wait another second.  He growled, "I was going to give you several week's to come to terms with me, but you have betrayed me.  I can no longer trust you in your human form."

With a shaking voice she asked him, "What are you going to do to me?  Please don't hurt me."  

Her eyes were huge and he could feel her body tremble in fear of his punishment.  

Matthais pushed her gently away and told her to sit down on the couch as he paced back and forth in the small room. He growled again, "I need to think.  You have vexed me!"

He wanted to banish her but he waited a thousand years to find his mate and he could not punish himself in that manner. 

Leaving her in this state for months, was too dangerous for she could now be located by the Toten.  They would enjoy killing her, piece by piece and that would destroy him.

After an hour of pacing and glaring silently at Emma, he said in a very calm voice, "I have no options left my love.  My enemies will now find you and hunt you down.  Come here." 

He held out his hand and she offered it meekly. 

Pulling her into his embrace, he placed his hand on her chin and raised it, so that their eyes met. 

He whispered, "I have decided on your punishment."

Emma's eyes were filled with fear as she waited for his decision, but the words never came as he kissed her sweet lips with such tenderness and passion.  She gave into his kiss.  

It was so perfect, until....

The sudden pain coursed through her body as she let out a blood curdling scream.  It was as if every bone was breaking in her and her blood was boiling.  

Her legs gave out as she started to collapse, but Matthias held her up as she cried out, "What's happening to me?" 

"You're punishment."