Chapter 16
EMMA.
It’s happened again
It’s the second time now.
Last night, I had a dream. I don’t know if I’d call it a dream because it felt so real. What was, however, strange about it is I didn’t remember. I knew something happened, but I couldn’t recall the details and the pang in my heart when I woke up was the only reminder of it.
Same as today.
I shoot up with a gasp, sweat dripping down my face as I stare at my ceiling. There’s that same burn in my chest–one that feels so real, as though something sharp was driven through my heart. Except I don’t know what. And I don’t remember what happened in my sleep. Whatever it is, though, scares me so fucking much.
“Emma? Are you okay?” I flinch at the penetration of another voice and only relax when I see Doctor lan leaning over my bed. with a concerned look in his eyes. He fixes his glasses before he rests a hand on my shoulder. “Do you feel alright?”
“Yeah. I—” I lift my hand to caress the side of my chest to ease the burn. It hurts. So damn much. “I don’t know,” I whisper as tears well up in the brim of my eyes.
“Tell him what you dreamt of. It’s only when he speaks I realize it isn’t just Doctor lan in my room and my head snaps to the side. Will is at the end of my bed with his arms crossed to his chest and Ryan next to him. How long have they been here?
I drop my hand from my chest and shake my head. “I don’t–I can’t remember”
“You can’t remember?” Doctor lan repeats and I nod. “I can’t.”
“Try to. Was it a nightmare or something else?” Will voices once again and I turn my gaze on him. The sight of him standing there with his presence filling the room strangely calms me, and I forget how infuriated I’ve been at him after our last
encounter.
“You weren’t breathing when the Alpha found you, Emma.” Ryan fills in and my eyes remain on Will, whose eyes haven’t left me. Though I see them wander across my face, they give nothing away and I can’t tell what he’s thinking.
“You’re sure you recollect nothing? Nothing at all?” The doctor asks again, and I lower my head to clear my mind. Except I did that too this morning when it occurred last night and just like then, there’s nothing.
I shake my head and swallow, frustration filling my senses as it feels as though a big part of me is missing.
4
“Very well. Alpha, can I speak to you for a second?”
“Sure.” Will answers and leaves with Doctor Ian, leaving Ryan in the room with me. Our eyes meet before he strides closer to my side. “Are you sure you’re okay, Emma?”
“I can’t–I’m so scared. I can’t tell why I am, but I am. There’s this chilly feeling it feels bad. I tell him and he drops on my bed. He clasps my hands in one of his and squeezes my shoulder with the other. “It’s okay. We’re here and Doctor lan is good at his work. He’d figure out whatever is going on
“How’d he do that when I can’t even tell him anything?” I lift a brow, and Ryan shakes his head. “He will. Just trust him.”
“I don’t want to go back to sleep. I’m afraid it’ll happen again.”
“Is this the first time it’s happened?” Ryan’s hand drops from my shoulder when Will enters the room again, and I turn my head to him. I jerk my head and lick my dry lips before I say, “No. It happened last night; I woke up this morning not remembering the details of my sleep. All I felt was an unbearable burn. Right here.” I touch my chest as an expression and Will growls, “And you didn’t think to inform anyone?”
I’m taken aback by the visible anger in his eyes and the way his jaw is worked tight.
“I told you; I didn’t know what was happening. Just like I don’t now.” I grit through my teeth, my frustrations morphing into
annoyance
“You should have spoken, nonetheless!” He snaps and I can’t control the rise of my voice. “What should I have said, Alpha?
10:05 PM c
Chapter 16
That I woke up from a dream I do not recall and I feel a burn in my chest?”
“Do not speak to me that way and yes, that’s exactly what you should have said:”
I open my mouth to counter but Ryan cuts in, lifting a hand in the air as if he’s setting a gap between me and Will. “Alright. That’s enough. Let’s all calm down now, I know we’re all worried, but yelling at each other isn’t the way to go about it.”
“Emma.” Ryan’s whisper of my name is the only thing that lets me know a tear has dropped from my eye. I avert my gaze from Will’s and my hand rubs my cheek harshly, irritation lighting my stomach from the uncontested tear.
“Hey. It’s okay. You’ll be fine. We’ll figure it out, I promise.” Ryan pulls me into his arms only a second after I lift my head and I drop my chin on his shoulder as I shut my eyes to drown out the noise in my head with the ache that’s starting to kick in.
Ryan rubs a hand continuously down my back in an attempt to soothe me and though he’s the one providing me comfort in the moment, the one my gaze shifts to again is Will, who remains by the edge of the bed.
His jaw is tightened and when I drop my head, stuffing my nose into Ryan’s shoulder; he turns and walks out of the room. leaving me in the embrace of his Beta,
I don’t know why that makes my heart clench, and I shut my eyes, letting the tears fall and soak Ryan’s shirt.
I don’t go back to sleep after crying in Ryan’s arms. He left after I calmed and I just lay awake in bed, perturbation filling me each time my eyes shut and I got close to drifting off.
I stay with my back to the bed, my eyes to the ceiling and my hands flat on my stomach for hours before I finally hear the sound of a wolf’s roar.
I sit up on the bed, and my tired eyes go to the wall clock. It reads eight am and I get out of bed. I enter the bathroom to wash
face and my reflection stares back at me in the small mirror when I lift my head. My eyes are puffy from crying, with little to no sleep, and I have bags under them.
my
1 let out an exhausted sigh, splashing more water on my face before drying it with a towel and walking out of the bathroom. I stride to my closet and change into my training fit before I walk out of the room.
The hallway is quiet, and a few people are running around when I step outside. I watch them shift into their wolf form and race out of the pack house. With my head tilted, I look towards the training grounds and smile when Elijah waves at me from
“Hey.” He pats the seat next to him when I reach him and I occupy the space. “Hi. What’s going on? What’s with the strangeness in the air?“.
“Uh?” Elijah’s brow arches and I nod my head in the other direction. “Oh, that Heard there was a casualty near our territory–I think they’re going to check that out.” He informs and I hum before staring ahead to where Bianca is sparring with another.
“What’s with you, by the way?” Elijah asks, taking my attention off Bianca, and when I look back at him, his head is slanted as he studies my face. “Did you not get enough sleep? You look tired.”
“Oh yeah. Um had to stay up for an issue.
“What-”
“Emma?” The call of my name interrupts Elijah’s words and we both snap our heads in the direction the sound comes from. A girl I do not recognize stands several feet away from us and calls my name again. “Emma.”
I look at Elijah before rising from the bench and walking to the girl. “Yeah? That’s me.”
“You’re wanted in the Alpha’s office.” She says and turns to walk back inside without giving me a chance to question her.
The Alpha’s office? Does that mean Will?
My heart skips a beat at the thought and despite that we always seem to get into angry conversations these days, my stomach churns with excitement at being called to his office. I wonder what he wants me for and I hope I can manage to control my sentiments before him. I know Will won’t hurt me–or at least I think so–but he remains the Alpha of this pack. Not only that, despite being the youngest Alpha in existence for a while; he’s built quite a reputation for himself. I overhear the way the pack members speak of him and he’s one of the strongest Alphas we’ve seen for a while.
2/3
10:05 PM D
Chapter 16
Some even say he’s stronger than my father, which means he could have my head snapped within seconds if he wanted to.
I
I walk back into the pack house, the sound of my heart hammering, lood in my ears. As I saunter through the corners of the house, the only thought I have in mind is how I’ve never been summoned to his office before
My pulse is racing as I get closer to where he awaits me and my strides get longer when I reach the end of the last corner leading to his office.
I take a deep breath before I step forward, but my steps falter when I notier his door is slightly open–enough for me to peek through.
That’s however not what stops me. It’s what I see inside–a scene I’m imprepared for and that makes my stomach tighten.
A woman in his office. And not just his office; she’s between his legs while he’s in his seat.
E
