04.
EMMA.
My heart pounds hard in my chest as Will gets the car out of the road, veering to the side just before the wolf hits the windshield. As I attempt to let out a breath of relief, we go crashing into a tree; the collision causing my body to fall forward and I quickly grab into the edge of the window before my head slams into the airbag.
The engine roars as the tires screech and I finally settle back in my seat. I tuck my hair behind my ears and meet Will’s gaze. He removes his hold from the key and sighs, “Hey, are you—“ my eyes widen when Will is snatched out of his seat before he can finish his sentence.
“Will!” I scream and lean into his seat. I peek out of the window, but there’s nothing. No sign of him or the wolf.
Trepidation grips my being and I don’t stop to think before I’m running out of the car. I’ve only taken a few steps when I see Will standing several feet away with the black wolf only a minimal distance from him and growling with its fangs out.
“Will—“
“No! Don’t come. Stay back, Emma.” Will shouts and I gasp, the sound of my heavy breathing mixed with my racing heart reaching my ears as I watch in anxiousness.
Will moves back and squats halfway through as the wolf prepares to attack, its paws gliding against the ground. The next scene happens faster than I can blink. One second, the wolf is right there and the next; it jumps towards Will—so high in the air that my jaw drops.
I start to run towards Will and I’ve hardly taken more than two steps when he suddenly catches the wolf in the air by its sides and flings it back. Goosebumps rise on my skin as the wolf lands on the ground with a thud and I hear the sound of a whine.
I stare at it slowly turning into a human in bewilderment before I look back to Will where he stands tall and unshifted, a red aura radiating off him.
He just did that… without turning.
“Hey. You okay?” I can only blink in response as Will appears before me with a brow scrunched in my direction.
“I—uh…I don’t…” I stammer like a fool, still in amazement at what has just happened.
“I told you to stay back,” Will utters and I shake my head. “I thought you would. I didn’t know… how did you do that?”
He gives me a dazed look as he cocks his head to the side. “Do what?”
“That…” I point at nowhere. “You threw that wolf without turning.”
The corner of his lips turns slightly and the illusion of what might have been a smile or a smirk causes my heart to race and I swallow nothing as my throat dries.
“I’ve received training. What? You think I’d be able to lead a pack without being capable of protecting myself first?”
“Still, that was—“
“Motherfucker. You didn’t have to throw me that hard.” I hop, startled by the voice that suddenly breaks through ours, and I turn my head from Will, gasping when I see a guy standing completely naked before me.
What the…
“I told you not to do anything foolish, didn’t I?” My brows furrow in confusion when I hear Will respond and I glance back at him. “You know him?”
“Emma, right?” The man speaks again before Will can respond to my question and I flinch when my hand is abruptly snatched and shaken. “Name is Ryan.” He grins sheepishly, not seeming to care that he’s entirely naked and I can literally see… heat spreads across my cheeks as I struggle to keep my eyes on his face.
“I… I um, you’re naked.” I say in a quiet voice, and Ryan tips his head before his gaze drops lower. He chuckles and meets my eyes again. “Right. Oh, you don’t have to be shy. I don’t mind if you steal a peek. I’m not ashamed, trust me.” He winks, and I’m taken aback by his words.
“She can tell.” Will slams pieces of wears into his chest, saving me the embarrassment of having his attention on me for a while longer and failing miserably to keep my eyes up. “Go change and stop fucking around.”
He lets go of my hand and clicks his tongue. “Really? I don’t think Emma minds, though. Do you?”
“Ryan!” A growl from Will answers him before I can, and he rolls his eyes. “Geez, fine. I’ll go wear these. A man can’t even be proud of his own body these days.”
“You’re a creep.”
“Not necessarily if the other is willing to look. And appreciates it, mind you.” I look away as Ryan begins to turn and several heartbeats of silence pass before his voice comes again. “There. Satisfied? You can look now, beautiful.”
I remain still, blinking into space, when Ryan voices out again. “Emma. You can turn. I’m clothed.” At the confirmation, I look back at him and my chest drops in relief at the sight of him in black sweatpants and a black shirt.
“Not as charming as earlier, don’t you agree, Emma?” His lips curl in a smile and the sight of him without the distraction of his nakedness finally let it sink in that this guy knows my name.
“Do you know me?” I ask, and his smile grows bigger. “Who wouldn’t know you? You’re the Alpha’s daughter. Sorry. I mean ex alpha’s daughter.” He chuckles and glances at Will, then back at me. “Though that might change now, since Alpha here decided to bite more than he could chew.”
“Ryan.” Will’s voice is edged with a warning and, recognizing it instantly, Ryan’s playful smile drops and there’s a tensed stillness as I stare between the two of them.
“Fine.” Ryan sighs and looks back at me, the big smile emerging once again. “You don’t recognize me, do you?”
“I don’t think we’ve met,” I respond, and he nods. “Of course, you wouldn’t remember. We weren’t exactly friends. It’s Brown.”
“Brown?”
“Full name is Ryan Brown.”
I stare at him in puzzlement before it finally clicks, and I point a finger. “Oh! Brown! Brown as in—“
“Son to your father’s beta.” He grins, then jerks his head. “Ex Beta. Sorry.”
“Now I remember.” I return his smile with a small one of mine and Ryan seizes a step back, his eyes wandering from my eyes downwards. When he looks back into my eyes, he sucks in a breath. “You’ve changed.”
“Uh?”
“You look way prettier than I remember.” Heat creeps up my neck at the compliment and I shift on my feet, unsure of how to respond.
“That’s enough talk,” Will speaks now. “Let’s go.” Without waiting for a reply, he walks ahead, his steps hurried and strides long. Ryan seems to find that amusing because he laughs before he casually throws a hand over my shoulder, bringing our bodies together. “Come on. We should follow before he gets annoyed. He gets irritated real quick, don’t you think?”
“I wouldn’t know. I’m just seeing him again for the first time in four years.” I mumble as I stare at the back of Will’s head.
We walk back to the car and successfully get it out of the tree before we fall back onto the road.
I learn that Ryan is Will’s friend and also his Beta. He seems to take quite a pleasure in aggravating him and his presence fills the atmosphere with a warmth that I can only smile at.
The smile that’s been on my face throughout the ride drops when the car suddenly comes to a halt and I look out the window, my breath catching in my throat when I realize we’ve arrived. At my pack. At my home.
Will and Ryan move out of the car first; after a few minutes of fidgeting and trying to calm my nerves, I unlock the door and jump out.
As soon as my feet touch the ground, I feel eyes on me and it doesn’t take long before the whispers and the murmurs follow—some louder than the others.
It’s been four years. Could they possibly recognize me that easily?
“Relax.” A gentle touch at the small of my back drowns out the voices, and I lift my head to see Ryan beaming at me. “Don’t be scared. This is your home, Emma; you should remember that.”
I give a nod and a small smile before Ryan’s hand drops. I thought I felt another watch on me close by, but when I turn to look at Will, he’s already walking ahead. I quickly catch up with him, using his frame as a shield from the prying, curious eyes of the others, while Ryan walks behind us.
We make it into the pack house and once the whispers drown, I’m able to let my gaze wander around, astounded by the change to the inside of the building.
“It’s different,” I mumble under my breath as I gape at the gold that now paints the walls rather than the white I was used to.
“Just a slight modification.” My gaze falls back to Will following his words and our eyes meet briefly before he looks away.
I continue to look around as I walk and just as we take the first stair, a voice roars, bringing us all to a stop.
“WHAT THE HELL IS SHE DOING HERE?”
