Chapter 30
CHAPTER 30
C hance
“Yes, mother. My internship has ended and I’ll be home in a few days.”
A tightness squeezes around my chest as I watch Emery speak with her mother on the phone. We’re inside the bedroom and I swear if I could lock the door behind me and trap us both forever, I would.
The reality, however, is that we need to leave. Both of us. After the new evidence I uncovered, I need to go to New York to find the doctor who prescribed Emery those fucking pills. I’m certain he’s connected to the lone wolves who want to penetrate the Alliance.
Emery needs to return to New York for her sister.
Even if I didn’t need to investigate this doctor in New York for my alpha and pack, there’s no way in hell I would let Emery go anywhere by herself. This is her home now. Where she belongs and if she needs to leave, it will be with me.
“Is Ashley there?” she asks her mother while her eyes meet mine.
I don’t move as I watch her bite her lower lip, listening to whatever her mother’s saying on the other end.
“Oh.” She pushes out a breath. “It’s nothing. I just wanted to check-in with her. Tell her to give me a call when she’s awake.”
I narrow my eyes. It’s mid-afternoon in New York currently. Aside from that one time they spoke days ago, Emery’s sister is either occupied or asleep whenever Emery tries to reach her.
My wolf paces back and forth inside of me. He’s feeling as restless and on edge as I am. Both of our instincts tell us something is wrong.
“Well, I’ll see all of you in a couple of days, anyway.” She smiles, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. Emery’s smile falters. “Yes, ma’am.”
I drop my arms to my side. Emery only refers to her mother as ‘ma’am’ after the older woman admonishes her for some minor bullshit.
I don’t like the way my mate’s shoulders slump or her face falls whenever she speaks with her mother. Without thinking, I take a step forward. I don’t even realize my intention to take the phone away from her until Emery’s eyes widen on me.
“I have to go,” she says, looking up at me. Then she holds up her hand, stopping me. “Yes, I will tell you once I’m home. Bye.”
She disconnects the call.
I take her chin in my hand, trapping her gaze on me. I search her eyes, not liking the withdrawn look inside of them.
“ What is it?” I ask her through our bond.
A small, almost invisible smile touches her lips. I’ve noticed she makes this expression whenever I mind speak with her. Like it pleases her that we have this secret way of communicating that no one can penetrate.
Perhaps it’s just hope, on my part. Because that’s exactly how I feel about our mate bond abilities.
“Ashley’s asleep again. I wanted to talk to her to let her know that we’ll be in New York soon.”
“You’ll speak with her once you see her in person.”
She nods in agreement.
“I’ll have to explain to my parents too.”
“No.”
My response is immediate. This is the third time this conversation has come up in the three days since the Supermoon Ceremony. Emery obviously needs to speak with Ashley to tell her what they really are. That is, if Ashley doesn’t already know.
Which is highly doubtful since Ashley’s investigation into this world is what precipitated all of this.
However, their adoptive parents seemingly had no idea about any of this. As such, they’re human and therefore not invited to know anything about this world.
“They have to know,” Emery argues. “They’re our parents.”
“Adoptive parents,” I remind her. I barely keep myself from telling Emery what I actually think of the people who raised her. Who up until this point raised you as human.
Because they had no other reason to believe that’s what we were.
I nod slowly, not responding directly.
Which means they’re human. We don’t allow most humans into our world.
You allowed me in even before we were certain I was a shifter. She retorts.
With a shake of my head, I reveal to her, I always knew who you were. You were mine from the moment I laid eyes on you in that bar.
She blinks before her gaze drifts to the side before she meets my eyes again. Reese is a human and she’s the Alpha Queen of the pack.
Reese is an exception that Mother Moon made.
And my parents aren’t? s he asks.
No.
She pushes away from me in frustration. I hate the physical distance between us, but I allow her to pull away.
You have to tell your sister because she will need us when she makes her first transition. If she hasn’t already.
Emery abruptly turns to me, alerting me that she picked up on the warning in my tone on the last sentence.
Do you think she has? Is that why she’s resting so much? Maybe something went wrong during her first shift. Before you said…
Don’t think about what-ifs, I tell her. We’ll be in New York in a few days’ time. Then, and only then, will you be able to speak with your sister face-to-face and know for sure what she does and doesn’t know.
Emery’s face takes on a resigned expression. She nods in a way of someone accepting a reality they’re not happy with.
Will she be happy here? With us?
I push the question away, and ignore the plaguing thoughts that remind me that Emery is used to a different kind of lifestyle. Though our pack is one of the wealthiest wolf packs in the country, we aren’t the flashy type. We prefer growing most of our own foods, building sustainable homes and living off the land as much as possible.
What can’t be built or grown, we purchase locally as much as we can. We’re a mix of modern and living according to the old ways of our people. From Emery’s perspective it’s not luxury. Though we can afford the luxury if we wanted.
Emery has said she’s mine and feels at home here, but what if going back to New York changes her mind?
Now is not the time to wonder about that. What’s important is that I get to find out more about those fucking pills Emery was taking and the doctor who prescribed them. Additionally, I do recognize that I may have to let Emery’s parents into our world to an extent.
Emery glances up over my head.
I pivot to see the light over my bedroom door that lets me know there’s someone at the front door, blinking.
“Finish packing. I’ll see who it is.”
I pull her in and brush my lips across hers. Emery lets out a moan that she lets me hear through our bond. She does this on purpose, for my benefit because she knows I can’t get enough of her voice.
Ever since she awakened from her twelve hour sleep after her first shift, I’ve had her read to me stories from the history book she started. Yes, I enjoy learning about my pack’s history, especially through her eyes.
Yet, more importantly, I yearn for the sound of her voice.
“Whoever’s at the door isn’t going away.” She grins.
I realize I’ve been lingering over her, reminiscing about the sound of her voice while I was supposed to answer the fucking door.
“What?” I nearly growl at my brother as I yank the front door of my house open.
Chael’s eyes widen, but not in surprise or even from being startled. He’s amused.
“Did I interrupt something?”
I release a low, annoyed growl before stepping outside of the door, closing it behind me. Normally, I never display annoyance to my alpha, but I can’t help it when I want nothing more than to spend my every waking moment in the presence of my mate.
“We’re leaving for New York in the morning,” I tell my brother.
He crosses his arms over his chest and peers at me through slanted eyes. “How is she handling her shift?”
I glance back at the door and then back at Chael. “Better than me,” I admit. For someone who spent their entire lives believing they were human to then discover the shift, would be a lot for anyone.
But Emery has taken it well. There’s a light in her eyes that was dimmed prior to her shift. It’s her wolf. Finally integrated with the rest of her.
“She feels whole,” I tell him out loud, using the words she told me.
He nods with a half-smile. “ I’m certain that’s not the only reason she feels whole .”
He likely uses mind speak to say this so that I can ascertain his tone. So I know that he’s referring to our new mate bond formed the night of her first shift.
“And you? How are you coping?”
I think back to Emery’s gray streak. How she now wears it proudly. But also, what it means for her. She’s our pack’s storyteller. The one who compiles our history and ensures it’s preserved for future generations.
On the surface it sounds like a simple or easy role.
Yet, the truth is, that the responsibility of a storyteller comes with a certain amount of danger.
Because storytelling is integral to the preservation of a pack. It is also, at times, the heart of a pack, which if you take out the heart, you can end the way of life of a pack.
In past wars, another pack would often attack our storyteller first, signaling the desire to end the pack as a whole. Unfortunately, during my father’s reign, he utilized this war strategy as well.
Could that be the reason her identity was kept hidden for so long?
“I will take the life of anyone who tries to hurt her.”
Chael nods and lays a heavy hand on my shoulder. “Your mate is my family. She is our pack and we protect what belongs to us. If you want me to come with you to New York?—”
I shake my head, cutting him off. “You have to prepare to go back North soon and I’m still not completely sure whether this issue is connected with anyone from the Alliance. I’d rather get these answers for you.”
“I’ll give the Alliance my final decision this time around.”
“Which is?” I question. My brother hasn’t even told me which way he’s leaning regarding becoming a part of the National Shifter Alliance.
He looks me in the eyes when he responds, “I’ll let you know once I’ve decided.”
I nod.
I don’t like that you’re going alone, Chael suddenly says.
I give him an odd look. I’ve always taken these types of recognizance trips alone.
I’ll be fine, I assure him.
But you don’t have to do this alone.
This isn’t the first time he’s said these exact words to me. Any other time I would tell him that it’s not necessary to utilize reinforcements. This time, however, the weight in his words makes me hesitate.
Our eyes meet and my brother wears a serious expression.
You often believe you have to take on tasks on your own. He tells me.
I’m your head beta . I still remind him.
You are my strongest beta. Nearly as strong as me. And not simply in physical strength. But here as well. He taps my temple.
And here . He taps my chest.
This is the role you were born for. And nothing. Nothing has ever or will ever change that. We all know your commitment to this pack. To all of us. We know the way you put your life on the line when it came to saving all of the members back when Rufus Dalton tried to destroy us. Thank you, brother.
I shake my head.
I never needed a thank you. That is my job .
Yes. And thank you, anyway.
I swallow down the emotion that arises in my throat. I give Chael a nod.
This. He waves a hand between our two chests. …is a two way street. We’re here when and if you need us.
I nod but don’t say anything. My brother knows well that I’m a man of few words. At least, with anyone besides my mate. I seem to open up to Emery in ways I never have or had the desire to with anyone else.
“I’ll have the information you need soon,” I tell him out loud.
He dips his head before stepping back. “I suspect you’re anxious to get back to your mate.” He grins. “We’ll see you tomorrow before you leave for your long drive.”
Though it’ll take days for us to arrive, I’ve chosen to drive from New Mexico to New York with Emery. New wolves often have trouble controlling their shifts. Governing one’s wolf is a learned skill.
It’s the process of the wolf and the human learning to coexist within the same body.
It’s happened a couple of times with Emery in the past few days, and I won’t risk having Emery in the middle of an airport or on a plane while it happens.
The results could be disastrous.
“Ms. Elsie wants to give you something.”
I peer over Chael’s shoulder to see Ms. Elsie approaching us with a huge basket in her arms and a smile a mile wide on her face. I don’t even need to ask what she’s done.
“These are for the both of you,” she says as she hands me the basket that smells delicious. One sniff alone tells me it’s full of cured meats, freshly baked bread, with the special herb butter that one of our members makes from the herbs grown in her garden and milk from local cows.
“This wasn’t necessary,” I tell her, taking the basket she insists I take.
“Nonsense. It’s only about four types of cured meat, two blocks of the cheese Emery loves, the herb butter of course, two jars of olives, one green and one black.” She stops and frowns, placing her hand on her chin. “Is that all?”
The way her eyes point to the ground as she asks this, tells me she’s more asking herself than me.
“Oh.” Her eyes widen. “I knew that couldn’t be all. Three loaves of bread and tomatoes fresh from the garden. That should be enough to last you until you get to your first stop.”
She frowns, her eyebrows dipping as if she’s not quite sure.
“Maybe I’ll grab another stick of the cured chorizo. And cheese.”
“This is more than enough,” I say as a spontaneous laugh spills from me.
I don’t even realize I do it until Ms. Elsie’s head juts back in surprise. We both stop moving for a beat. Then her eyes sparkle with the smile that breaks through.
“I told you, you would find her one day,” she suddenly says. She takes my face in her hands. I move my gaze to Chael, who watches this exchange with laughter in his expression.
“I knew this day would come for you,” she tells me, her hands still holding onto my face. “Make sure you protect her.” Her face turns serious. “Protect both of you.”
I nod because at this point it’s not even a question of whether or not I’ll protect my mate. It is a matter of how many bodies will have to be cleaned up once I’m done with whoever tries to hurt her.
But I don’t allow those words to slip from my mouth.
A second after Ms. Elsie releases me, she lights up again as she rises on her tiptoes to peer over my shoulder.
My wolf immediately stands up as we sense Emery behind us.
“What’s this?” she asks, looking at the basket in my hands.
Ms. Elsie tells her “Oh, nothing,” before going into detail about the very long list of food and snacks inside of the basket she’s prepared.
I peer down at the woman who’s become the grandmother of our pack, as she takes Emery’s hand in hers and wishes us both well on our long trip.
“Once you return, we’ll have to search out more of the caves around here for the stories that have been lost over time.”
My stomach twists as I watch Ms. Elsie’s lips move with excitement as she tells everything she’s looking forward to Emery documenting upon our return.
Either she doesn’t notice or she’s pretending not to notice the way Emery’s eyes turn slightly unsure whenever she mentions our return.
Is she having doubts?
As soon as that question pops into my head, Emery gives me a look. I have to pause to figure out if I mind spoke my private thoughts to her.
I conclude I haven’t when she smiles and then embraces Ms. Elsie, as our elder prepares to return to her home for the night.
We should go to bed early. I tell Emery. We have an early morning and a long trip ahead of us.
After saying good night to both Chael and Ms. Elsie, we close the door behind us. I don’t miss how quiet Emery’s become. I’m sure our trip back to New York weighs on her.
After placing the basket of food in the kitchen, I scoop my mate in my arms and carry her to our bedroom. Despite telling her that we need to rest, I plan on devouring her body for most of the night to remove the worrisome thoughts from her.
I don’t know what we’ll find in New York, but I do know that whatever it is, if it’s dangerous to Emery, it’ll have to go through me to get to her.
And that’s a battle I don’t ever plan on losing.
Nothing will touch my mate.