《Moonlit Skies》


 Destined Encounter

    I was standing outside one night, staring up at the sky. I heard a strange noise from the forest, so I investigated. As I made my way into the trees, I felt an eerie feeling that someone was watching me.


    Looking around the unfamiliar landscape, taking in the breathtaking view, I slowly moved deeper into the dark forest, scanning the area for any hint of who was watching me. As I journeyed deeper, the feeling became more decisive, and right then, I knew I had to find the person following me.


    The wind blew the fallen leaves around me as I continued further into the forest. About halfway into my voyage, I heard a twig snap behind me. I turned around quickly, trying to glimpse who it might have been, but all I could see was the empty vastness of darkness that lingered behind me. The only light that showed was from the pale moonlight shining past the treetops.


    Slowly backing into the forest more, I was unsure if I wanted to continue or run back to my home.


    I carefully turned around to continue into the abyss of darkness. Making my way through the trees and shrubs, I saw a little river in a secluded part of the forest. I cautiously walked over to the river, ensuring I didn''t step on any traps set for the wild animals lurking in the darkness. As I slowly kneeled by the river, I saw something shine in the pale moonlight. As I picked it up, I noticed it was an amulet.


    Suddenly, the atmosphere changed around me. When I looked up, I saw this dashing young man standing on the other side of the river, so I quickly stood up to greet him. Keeping his eyes on me, he crossed the river with ease.


    I quickly placed the amulet into my bag before he stood before me. He wrapped his arms around my waist to ensure I didn¡¯t back away, pulling me close to his chest. I didn¡¯t know what to do. I was so scared, so I just looked up at his beautiful face, silently searching for answers. With a gentle touch, he picked me up in the bridal position and carried me across the river. We disappeared into the shadows of the forest. The only thing I could see was his beautiful face illuminating the night.


    ????


    As I stared at him, I remembered the amulet I found in the river. I pulled it out of my bag and held it up to get a better look at it. I was mesmerized by the beautiful colors. Each color was one of the elements¡ªBrown for Earth, red for Fire, blue for Water, and white for Air. As the mysterious man stood there, I could see the look of melancholy engulf his face. He just stood there for a moment and stared at the amulet. After a moment, he gently took the amulet and carefully placed it in his pocket.


    I shouldn''t have gotten the necklace out. The man slowly continued into the woods. I didn''t know what he intended to do with me, and I didn''t want to find out either. He looks like he could be dangerous and yet charming at the same time.


    We soon arrived at a small cottage in the middle of nowhere. As the guy carried me inside and sat me on the couch, he walked into the kitchen. He was holding something when he returned. I was having a hard time figuring out what he had. He then sat beside me after placing the object on the table. He pulled me onto his lap and handed me a plate of food. ¡±Thank you, sir.¡± I quietly said as I took the plate and began to eat. ¡°You are most welcome. I had a hunch that you might be hungry. I figured the food would make you thirsty, so I brought you something. All I had was tea. I figured you would enjoy the sweet tea more than the tap water. It has a peculiar taste.¡± I slightly grinned as he handed me the cup. I took a sip of it to wash down the food. It was amazingly delicious, but I didn''t let on how much I loved it.


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    After I finished the food and drink, he took them into the kitchen. Now that I met him, his absence is making me feel lonely. While waiting for him to return, I decided to look around. I got up from the couch and walked over to the mantle. I was looking at one of the pictures when I felt his arms wrap around my waist, pulling me into his chest. I closed my eyes and took in his intriguing scent. I was happy.


    I didn''t even know this man, yet I was happy being wrapped in his arms.


    ????


    Even though I was happy, I knew this was wrong. I just met the man, yet being in his arms felt right. No matter how good it felt, I had to escape. I didn''t belong here and had a life waiting for me. For all I knew, this guy could be planning to murder me. As soon as the thought crossed my mind, I became contemptuous of the idea. I don''t understand how he can make me so happy, but deep down inside, I know I must leave.


    I decided I had to escape once I got my thoughts in order. I turned in the stranger''s embrace to stare into his beautiful hazel eyes. All I could do was stare into them; they were mesmerizing. "Hmm," he hummed quietly, smiling down at me. Being brought out of my thoughts, I pulled away from him and cleared my throat.


    "Thank you for your hospitality, but I really must be going now," I stated as I walked across the living room. "No!" His voice boomed throughout, shaking the house and the core of my body, causing me to freeze in my tracks.


    Soon, I felt him standing behind me. "You can''t leave me. Do you not feel that pull to me? The need to stay here with me? I know you have to, even though you''re a human." Human? Did he call me a human? What is he? A vampire or something?


    Slowly turning back to face him, my eyes were wide, with what, I wasn''t sure. "Did you just say human?" All I could do while waiting for his reply was stare at his handsome face.


    "Yes, yes, I did. Please don''t be scared. I won''t hurt you," my capture softly took my hand before gently tugging it to lead me back to the couch. Settling back on the sofa close to the capture, I curled into myself, not wanting to touch the man beside me. We sat silently for thirty minutes before finding the right words and mustering the courage to voice them out loud. "I need an explanation as to why you did all of this. We don''t know or even know each other''s name." It took everything I could muster up to look over at him. He gave me a melancholy look before dropping his head in defeat. "I''m sorry. My apology probably doesn''t mean much to you, but I was sincere. I genuinely feel bad for taking you and not letting you leave, but I can''t let you get away from me." It sounded almost like he was pleading with me not to go. Not to get up and run for the rest of my life, very much like I wanted to right then.


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t explain why you did any of this, and why me? Why not some other girl? You could have chosen millions of girls, but you had to pick me. Why? Why me?¡± Before I finished my rant, I sat up straight, staring at him. I heard a low, quiet growl come before me as I finished. Something about him changed, but I couldn¡¯t place what it was. ¡°My name is Emmett, and I¡¯m sorry if I scared you.¡±


    Emmett, that was a lovely name; I liked it. ¡°I suppose you want my name now¡­it¡¯s Scarlet.¡± No matter how handsome he was, I still had to be cautious. ¡°A beautiful name for a beautiful woman,¡± he smiled. ¡°Anyways, I took you because you¡¯re my mate. Before you say anything, let me finish.¡± He paused for a minute to gather his thoughts before continuing. ¡°I am Emmett Anders, a powerful werewolf and the alpha of the Full Moon pack.¡± By the time Emmett finished, he stood up straight with his chest poked out.


    I could feel the power rolling off of him in waves. There was no doubt in my mind that he was telling the truth. I stood up, staring into his eyes before I did the most stupid thing anyone could do to a wolf. I didn¡¯t care if he was a powerful werewolf or an alpha. I drew my hand back and punched him in the jaw. It may not have done much, if anything, to him since he was a werewolf, but it felt good.


    A low, deep growl made its way out of Emmett''s throat. Before I could do anything, he had me pinned to the couch. His eyes bored deep into my own. His glowing hazel eyes were beyond mesmerizing. ¡°You¡¯re playing a perilous game here, princess.¡± Upon hearing his words, a smirk played on my lips. ¡°I¡¯m glad you think so¡­alpha.¡± Whispering the last part in Emmett''s ear caused his grip to loosen on me.

 Chapter Two: The Unfaithful Morning

    I woke up the following day in a bed that looked unfamiliar. Suddenly, memories from last night rushed into my mind. Emmett takes me away from my everyday life and tells me about the existence of werewolves, Emmett being not only a werewolf himself but an alpha. Of course, my mind wouldn''t let me forget Emmett being my mate, my one true love, the perfect soul mate made just for me. Then the memory of punching him flashed to the front of my mind as if to say, ''You stupid human girl.''


    As I went to get up from bed to get ready for the day, even though I didn''t have any of my clothes with me, I would have to wear the same clothes again today. I felt warmth wrap around my abdomen; confused, I started to look around before I found the source. Emmett was lying behind me, asleep. He must have felt my shift on the bed and put his arms around me to keep me safe.


    Finally, being able to pry his arm from around me, I could sit up and take a better look at the room. It was elegant yet simple, with white walls and marble tile floors to brighten the room. The bed was a dark amber four-poster with black satin sheets, pillows, and a duvet to match. There was a 65" smart TV against the wall between two doors that I could only assume were the closet and bathroom. In front of the television sat a black leather sofa with a black leather recliner on either side, accompanied by a small black coffee table in the center placed on top of a black and white marbled rug. The bedroom door was to the right of me, behind Emmett. There was a small window on my left looking out into the woods. A dresser adorned the left wall beside the window, and a vanity makeup dresser adorned the right wall a few inches away from the door.


    I carefully got up from the bed so I wouldn''t wake Emmett and walk over to the door on the left; opening it, I found a large walk-in closet filled with Emmett''s clothes and shoes, but also there were women''s clothes and shoes. I walked into the closet to examine the clothes; they were all gorgeous, elegant dresses and a few shirts and pants. At the end of the closet was another door. Curiosity piqued my interest, and I went through the door to find it led to the bathroom. The bathroom had a white shower, a garden tub, and a porcelain toilet with black wallpaper with red roses scattered about it. The sink was also white and adorned with chestnut-colored countertops and cabinets under it.


    I found towels on a shelf near the shower and shower loofahs below the sink. All the soap, shampoo, and conditioner were in the shower and on the side of the bathtub. I turned the water on once I got everything I needed to shower. While waiting for it to heat up, I brushed my hair and teeth, then undressed to shower.


    While in the shower, I decided it was time to shave. After quickly shaving, I washed the rest of my body and hair.


    Once done, I stepped out onto the fluffy floor mat outside of the glass shower doors and began to towel dry myself. A loud whistle sounded behind me when I bent over to dry my legs. Startled, I jumped up and turned around to find Emmett leaning against the wall, watching me dry myself. With a massive grin, he walked over to me, capturing me in his big, strong arms, and nuzzled his face in the crook of my neck.


    "What are you doing in here? I thought you were still asleep?" I placed one hand on his arm, and the other held the towel around me tightly. "I was, but it woke me when you got up; I''ve been awake since you walked into the closet and admired the clothes I got for you. Besides, did you think I would miss seeing you fresh out of the shower?" He slowly drug his nose against my skin, making me shiver. He kissed my cheek, causing them to heat up. I usually wasn''t shy, but something about this man made it hard for me not to be.


    ????


    I walked into the kitchen, hoping to find Emmett there, but to no avail; I couldn''t find him anywhere in the house. I needed to talk to him about last night; I''m going home no matter what he says.


    I left the kitchen and headed to the living room when I noticed another door at the end of the hallway. Emmett has to be behind that door, and I hoped he was because I was growing tired of hide and seek with him.


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    I opened the door to find a luxurious office space with mahogany walls and floors, accompanied by a large desk in the center of the room. A black leather office chair sat behind the desk, facing the large floor-to-ceiling windows that parted over the land. Bookshelves lined both walls to the left and right of the desk.


    I walked around to the desk, gently running my hand over it, enjoying the feel of the excellent surface. My hand found the back of the leather chair before I ran it across the top, feeling the smooth leather under my touch. This office was the best I had ever seen in my life. Suddenly, the chair moved on its own to reveal a strange man.


    "Uh...who are you?" I asked as I backed away from him, startled. He got up from the chair and made his way over to me. " I''m Nate, a friend of Emmett''s. And you are?" I didn''t particularly appreciate how dangerously close Nate had gotten to me to tell me his name. I backed up even more. "Scarlet, I''m looking for Emmett. Have you seen him?" He stepped even closer to me. Again, dangerously close. What was he trying to do here? "Why yes, I have seen him. He said he would speak with the wolf pack about something important?" His wicked smirk told me he only mentioned the wolves to intimidate me, but it didn''t work. "I already know about the existence of werewolves and that Emmett is the alpha of the crescent moon pack," I smirked back, feeling triumphant about knowing more than this guy.


    I backed up and turned to leave the office when Nate grabbed my arm and yanked me back to him. "Listen here, human, we don''t need you here, nor do we want you here. You being here was a big mistake made by our stupid Alpha. You''re not his mate; there''s no way you''re his mate. Humans and werewolves couldn''t be mates." He let go of my arm once he finished, and I hurried out of the office. I hope Emmett returns soon; his friend needs some lessons on being a better host.


    ????


    I was sitting in the living room reading a book when a pair of callused hands covered my eyes. Knowing it could only be one of two people and that only one enjoyed being around me, I grabbed Emmett''s hands and pulled them away from my eyes to look back at him. "Emmett, you see, I''m reading. What can I help you with?" I marked my page and set the book on the coffee table before standing before Emmett.


    God, Emmett is so tall and handsome. Any girl would be lucky to have his attention. I bet all of the girls in his pack dream of being his mate, and how disappointed will they be when they find out his mate is me, a human? "I just missed you, is all princess. I hope you didn''t have any trouble while I was gone?" I knew he was referring to Nate. "No trouble. How was the pack meeting?" Upon hearing my question, Emmett looked at me like I had grown a second head. "What? I didn''t have a pack meeting this morning. I went shopping to get more food, and I thought you would be more comfortable in casual attire."


    Shopping? No pack meeting? That''s odd, but there was the possibility that Nate only told me that to scare me away. "I''m sorry. Your friend told me you had a pack meeting you were attending." I walked around Emmett and went to the kitchen to help put the groceries away. I could feel Emmett following close behind me with one thing on his mind.


    ''Who told her I had a pack meeting this morning?''


    The questions came non-stop while I put the food away in its appropriate spot, with a bit of help from Emmett every so often. Then, the most important question of all came last. "Princess, who told you I was at a pack meeting?" Emmett leaned against the counter where I was to stop me from putting the item in my hand away. "One of your friends. I think he said his name was Nate?" I looked at him as if to say move it or lose it. He stepped aside long enough for me to put the rest of the items away before he grabbed my waist and pulled me close to his chest.


    "Scarlet, you should know Nate is not one of my friends. He''s an ex-member of the pack. My father, the Alpha before me, kicked him out of the crescent Moon for his hatred of humans. When his father stepped down, Nate was to be the next beta, but Nate decided to try to kill every human in Durham, even those mated to wolves in his pack." He looked down at me with a weary look in his eyes.


    "You mean I was just inches from a killer? Yet I survived being around even though I''m a human myself." I tried to keep a calm exterior, but Emmett saw straight through me. He led me back to the living room and sat on the couch, holding me to his side. "This means it''s not safe for you here; it''s not safe for you at your house either. We''ll have to return to the pack to keep you safe."I could tell he had his mind made up about this, but I had to try. "Are you sure there''s no way I could persuade you to let me leave to return to my normal life? Like none whatsoever?" If looks could kill, I would be dead right now. "I don''t think you want to walk a thin line with me right now, Scarlet; your life is in danger. You''re not returning to your house, and we can not stay here, so we are returning to the pack."

 Chapter Three: Protecting Scarlet

    By the end of the day, he had everything arranged for us to go back to the pack, and there was no way I could persuade him to let me go home. Emmett had mind-linked a few warriors to move everything back to Emmett''s house within the pack.


    Around lunchtime, all the warriors returned to eat lunch with their families, and Emmett walked into the kitchen to fix something for us to share. "Come here, princess; I need you to help me with something," Emmett called from the stove. Walking over, I noticed he still needed to grab something to make lunch with. Turning to him, "You have no idea how to cook, do you?"


    Crossing my arms over my chest, I evaluated the unreadable expression on his perfect face. "No, that''s not what I needed your help with. I want this lunch to be perfect, but I''m unsure what you would like." He placed one hand on my waist while the other landed on the counter behind me. Emmett rested his head on my neck, kissing me gently along the curve.


    He wanted to make the perfect lunch for me. I didn''t understand how he could go from being hot and dangerous to being hot and caring. Wait, what made him change? Did he love me that much? "Well, I''m sure you can fix anything, and it is perfect." I smiled up at him and tried to back away from him. Knowing I wanted to escape his hold, Emmett released my waist, only to wrap both hands around my lower back and hold me close to his chest. "No, Scarlet, I want to make your favorite food and have everything perfect. I need to show you how much I love you." He gently kissed the tip of my nose before leaning his forehead against mine. "Why do you want to do all of this for me? I''m just a human girl. You could have any were-girl in your pack, so why me?" I managed to pull away from him to stare up at his face. What looked to be anger flashed across his face. "I don''t want any other girl, Scarlet. I only have eyes for you. You are my mate; I can''t just choose someone else, even if I want to. It doesn''t work that way, and it never will." I understood him loud and clear. "I''m sorry, I''m just not used to this. You have to realize I know nothing about the supernatural word. I never grew up in a wolf pack; I''ve never even thought that the existence of werewolves could be remotely possible."


    After our little dispute in the kitchen, Emmett decided that we should go out to eat. We also argued about where to go; we couldn''t seem to agree on anything, but eventually, he decided to go to this small Italian restaurant near the edge of town. Once we were done and got back to the cottage, Emmett informed me that the pack warriors had arrived an hour earlier to finish moving the stuff to his house in the pack; by the time we got inside, the warriors had moved everything to Emmett''s actual house.


    I''m still confused as to why he didn''t take me to his actual house when he first grabbed me in the woods. "Um...Emmett, you''re probably still mad at me from earlier, but why didn''t you take me straight to your house in the pack instead of here?" I shyly walked towards Emmett, who sat in the living room of the hidden cottage we were about to leave behind. "Look, first off, I''m not mad at you. It hurt to hear you thought I would choose someone else over you, my mate.


    Second, I didn''t take you to the pack because I didn''t want to overwhelm you when we first met. When you were ready, I needed to tell you about werewolves, but you wanted to leave. I had to do something you were fixing to walk out of my life, possibly forever. I will never be able to live with myself knowing that I did something to lose you forever." Emmett approached me, taking my hand and pulling me into his warm, gentle embrace.


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    ????


    The way to the house on pack grounds was a long, rough path deeper into the forest. Once we arrived, I saw millions of beautiful cabin-style houses scattered about the land; a big, beautiful, Victorian-style house was in the center. There was one house that was different from the others. It was a small two-story Victorian-style house on the outer edge of the other houses. Emmett was behind me, taking his time to walk the path. I stopped just outside of the woods to wait for him to exit. I started walking beside him when he walked out, keeping perfect pace. At some point, I subconsciously put my arm around his and leaned into him as we walked. Emmett put a hand over mine before chuckling. "What''s so funny?" I looked up at him and saw a devilish smirk playing on his lips. "Oh, just you said you weren''t good at this stuff, yet you are leaning against my arm while we walk around. You also waited for me at the entrance to the pack, so you must know something about relationships." I heard a playful tone in his voice.


    "Well, I have been in a few relationships before you came along. Come to think of it, I never got to break up with the person I was dating before I met you." After saying that to him, I smiled triumphantly until I heard an angry growl from Emmett. I looked up to see his eyes had changed to black. Well, this can''t be good. "I didn''t mean it that way, Emmett. I should probably text him and tell him it''s over?" I tried calming him down but didn''t know how to calm a wolf. "That''s a little better. Would you like to text him now or me? Before you answer, you might want to think about that carefully." He looked at me seriously before pulling me to a stop and twisting me around to look him in the eye. "N-no, I can handle it." I squeaked out, feeling his immense power embrace us.


    Breaking up with my ex proved more problematic than I thought, not because I had romantic feelings for him but because he refused to accept the breakup. Cole told me I didn''t sound convincing, which wasn''t a lie. I didn''t even say convincing to myself, but I had to call it off with him if I wanted him to stay alive. If Emmett found out I was still dating Cole, he would hunt him down and tear him from limb to limb. No doubt Emmett would check on it later to ensure I went through with the plan.


    ????


    Later that night, after getting everything from the sudden move put in its place, Emmett walked into the massive primary bedroom, where I had already curled up in bed with a good murder mystery novel. He walked over to the bed and pulled the book gently out of my hand. "Emmett! What are you doing?" I jumped up, trying to grab the book, but he pulled it away. "I think you read too much; you don''t spend enough time with me. You know what, I think we will start setting times for you to read, and the times you aren''t allowed to read, you''ll be spending time with me." He put the book on the highest shelf in the room, of course to where I can''t reach it. Returning to the bed, Emmett placed one knee beside me and wrapped one of his arms around my waist before pulling me to him. "Come, little mate, you need to get cleaned up." What is he talking about? I looked up at him in confusion as he gently pulled me off the bed and led me down the hall to the primary bathroom.


    Getting inside, he locked the door before going over to the shower and turned the hot water on to let it heat up. Once he was happy with the temperature, Emmett came over to me and started to undress me slowly. "What are you doing? Emmett, I can do all of this myself and decide when. I don''t need a shower."


    Nevertheless, Emmett did not listen to me and proceeded to undress me before undressing himself. After he finished, he pulled me into the shower with him and washed our bodies before focusing on my hair. Finishing with my hair, Emmett turned to wash his hair to clear any sweat or dirt hidden in his luscious dark brown curls. When we finished, he towel-dried me off to dress me in soft pajamas before drying and wrapping himself in a set that matched mine. Once he finished, he picked me up and carried me to bed, holding me close to his chest and providing warmth.

 Chapter Four: Going too Far?

    Waking up the following day still wrapped in Emmett''s arms felt right, but why? We barely knew each other. Am I going crazy, or am I falling in love?


    Having to fight Emmett to get up in the mornings was not easy; he would use his strength to keep me from moving his arm so I couldn''t move. After struggling for what felt like hours but could have only been a few minutes, I was finally able to get free from his hold and move about freely. I decided to explore the pack grounds after getting ready for the day. Going into the bathroom, I quickly washed my face and brushed my teeth. Once finished, I went into the closet to find an outfit. I settled on one of the new outfits Emmett bought me: a peach-colored cold-shoulder shirt with ripped jeans and my favorite high tops. Moving over to the vanity, I brushed my hair and applied minimal makeup.


    Quickly sneaking out of the house to not wake Emmett up, I quietly closed the door behind me. Turning around to head out for my walk, I saw several warriors around the house. Emmett probably had that done after Nate showed up. I carefully made my way down the stairs, catching the attention of the warriors standing guard at the front of the house. "I''m sorry, Luna, we can''t let you leave without Alpha Emmett. Please go back inside; this is for your safety." One of the guards turned to stop me. You have got to be kidding me right now. Am I not even allowed to leave the house by myself? "I just want to look around. You know, explore the place." I tried to convince them to let me pass. "I''m sorry, Alpha Emmett has to be with you." Before I could reply, I felt strong arms wrap around my waist."Good morning, little mate." Emmett.


    Emmett picked me up to carry me back into the house, but not before thanking the guard who stopped me. He shouldn''t be able to do this to me. I''m not a child, nor am I helpless. Fighting Emmett was proven more challenging than anything, with him always stepping in the way of my plans. I could always stop trying to avoid him and accept whatever this is with him. Doesn''t that mean I have to give up reading for a while?


    He sat me down in a chair in the dining room, allowing me to get a better look at him. Emmett dressed in a black and gray suit that hugged his biceps perfectly. Wait, why am I thinking this? It''s not right to believe this, but he looks so sexy in his suit. "Baby girl, I can feel you staring at me. If you have something to say, then say I won''t bite, hard anyways." Emmett looked down at me, giving me a wide wolfie grin, and winked at me. Blushing deeply, I turned away from him to pout about being caught. "Babygirl, don''t pout; you''re not in trouble," I felt Emmett wrap his arms around my waist before feeling his hot breath on my neck. "I enjoy it when you eye me with so much lust in your eyes. It shows me how much you want me." A soft kiss was placed just below my ear, causing me to bite back a moan. Emmett slowly kissed down to my collarbone before giving it a slight love nip; I tilted my head back slightly to allow him better access. "Princess, be careful, you''re not ready for this." Emmett placed one last soft kiss on my collar before releasing me from his grip and walking into the kitchen, out of my sight.


    ????


    Sitting in the living room with Emmett was decent. I didn''t know if I was starting to fall for him or if I just enjoyed his company. In a way, it was very unsettling, yet very calming at the same time. Emmett had repeatedly told me we were mates, but I felt nothing. My mother always told me I would find my mate, and it would be fantastic; there would be sparks and the need to always be around them no matter what. I never felt that with Emmett, or at least I don''t think so. Maybe Emmett was wrong, and I really wasn''t his mate, or he just said that to go to bed with me. Feeling my discomfort, Emmett pulled me closer to him to ease my troubles.


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    "Emmett, I have a question." I turned to look at him better. Seeing Emmett so calm as he watched the movie he picked for us was unusual. Typically, his expression was stern and severe, but not that night; it was quiet and peaceful, something unnatural for him. "Yes, baby girl?" Emmett looked over at me with a slight smile. "Can you explain what the mate bond feels like for werewolves? My mom told me what it felt like when she found her mate, but I don''t feel that with you." I started and looked up at him, a little confused. "I can, but you should know that humans do not have mates. Not like wolves do anyways." Emmett paused the movie and fully turned to me, studying my expression carefully, waiting for my response after this newfound information.


    Humans don''t have mates? Does that mean my mother wasn''t human? "Emmett, are werewolves the only ones that have mates? Well, are there even any other supernatural creatures out there?" I felt foolish asking him that I should at least know a little more about the supernatural world than this. "Well, no, baby, there is a whole world of supernatural creatures out there, but I can''t say too much about them. I know most of us have mates. Is there any particular reason you ask?" Thinking of what to say to him, I felt my mother always tried to hide something from me. "When I was younger, my mother told me what it would feel like when I found my mate, but you said humans don''t have mates. So, does that mean my mother wasn''t human? Maybe my father wasn''t human, and she referred to him?"


    Emmett put a comforting hand on my back and slowly rubbed it to soothe my worries. "If you would like, princess, we can examine your family history and figure this out." Emmett pulled me into his lap and hugged me close to his chest. "I wouldn''t mind knowing; I am curious, especially after learning all this information. I deserve to know if one of my parents was supernatural." I looked up at Emmett with innocent and tired eyes. "Come, little mate, it''s time for bed; you''re getting tired." He picked me up and carried me to the bedroom.


    Once we were in the bedroom, Emmett gently laid me on the bed before pulling the covers over me and slipping into the closet. Coming back into the room, I saw that he changed into his night clothes and brought me some night clothes. Emmett made his way to the bed before climbing beside me and pulling the covers back to help me change my clothes to ready me for bed. Once he finished helping me, Emmett laid down beside me and pulled me to his chest once again. "Good night, princess; sleep well." He murmured into my ear before I slowly drifted into the much-welcomed darkness of sleep. "I love you," I murmured out in my sleep. "I love you too." Emmett quietly replied before I finally fell into a much-needed deep slumber.


    ????


    Later the next day, I was outside on the backside of the house, enjoying the sun while Emmett was finishing some work. He has been neglecting his alpha duties since I''ve come along. Culp¨ªn appeared beside me as Fairlight hopped off him to hug me. Fairlight sensed Emmett walking through the walls, heading to Emmett; she tried to help him finish his work. She could read his mind like a book and knew how to help.


    Being curious, I followed Fairlight to Emmetts'' office. She finished all the paperwork quickly through Emmett, affecting his mind telepathically. " Fairlight, would you stop doing that? You can always use your words. Besides, when you use your telepathy, it messes with me." Emmett must have realized that she somehow controlled his mind to help him finish his work. There was suddenly a knock at the office door. "Come in!" Emmett yelled out to the person behind the door. A couple of the pack warriors filled the room, looking somewhat stiff. "What can I help you guys with?" He looked up at them from his seat behind the mahogany desk.


    "Alpha, we know Nate is nearby and trying to enter the pack grounds. We can only assume he would be here for Luna Scarlet. What would you like for us to do?" Is Nate trying to get into the pack? All because he wants to get to me? But why? What am I to him? The only time I ever talked to Nate, he seemed to hate humans, so what could he possibly want with me? Emmett let out a low growl before quickly making his way over to me. Putting a protective arm around me, he ordered the guards to locate Nate immediately.

 Chapter Five: Will This Be It?

    Everyone but Fairlight around me started to panic and run around, trying to get everything in order. Emmett still held me tightly in his arms to protect me from Nate. Fairlight touched my shoulder and looked at Emmett, "If Nate tries to hurt her, I will erase him from existence." I have never heard Fairlight be so violent. Suddenly, a guy appeared out of nowhere and looked around, confused. Scarlet jumped back into Emmett''s chest. "Who are you? Where did you come from? Emmett laughed silently. "Don''t worry, I made him appear in thin air with a mere thought," Fairlight said. "Yes, I am Sebastian White; you must be Scarlet. Fairlight talks about you a lot."


    Emmett slowly released his hold on me before backing away. "No, damn it! He couldn''t have gotten away!" His outburst caused everyone in the room to grow silent and rigid, feeling his immense power radiating. Fairlight nudged me gently closer to Emmett. After stumbling backward into Emmett''s arms, I heard a deep growl before everyone filed out of the room, leaving us alone. "What happened? I thought he wanted to come onto the pack lands." I looked up at Emmett to see him staring at me with adoring eyes.


    I wonder what could have happened that caused Emmett to get so upset. I turned in Emmett''s arms to face him, "Is everything ok?" The news of Nate being so close made everyone so frantic and highly alert that I hadn''t had the chance to check on Emmett. I hope this all ends soon. "Scarlet, I want you to know that I love you wholeheartedly. I will always protect you no matter what." Suddenly, Emmett disappeared from my sight; everything had gone black. I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist and harshly pull me out of the room. While being dragged down the hallway, my capture hastily placed a rag over my nose and mouth, causing me to pass out quickly.


    ????


    I woke on a dirt floor with giant cement walls and a clad metal door. Almost as if we were living in the medieval times. Getting up, I noticed only a tiny cot off to one side of the cell. The door had a small slit in the bottom of it, I''m assuming for them to give me food. I continued to look around the cell for anything to indicate that I could escape, but to no avail; I came up empty-handed.


    The sound of the heavy-clad door squeaking open caused me to turn and come face to face with my capture. Nate bravely walked into the cell before one of his guards threw a small figure into the cell with us. I cautiously took a look to my left to see who it was. To my surprise, he captured Fairlight, or maybe she allowed him to catch her. Either way, we were both here now, locked in a dirty old cell by one of the most sadistic werewolves I have ever heard of. I quickly returned my gaze to Nate, who stood by the door with a triumphant smile on his wicked face.


    "You think you have won? Not yet, Nate. You forget that Emmett is still out there, and he will do anything to stop you." I spoke confidently, giving him a triumphant smile of my own. "Oh, on the contrary, little wolf. I won''t have to worry about Emmett getting in my way." Nate smiled as he moved aside to allow someone to enter.


    The guy''s face remained covered with a mask and dressed in all black, but I could tell it was a male. I could only assume it was a male wolf. I took a few steps closer to the figure before the mysterious guy threw his hand up to stop me. I always needed to improve at taking orders. I continued walking toward the guy; when I got close enough to be able to touch him, he caught my arm and pinned me against his chest in an attempt to keep me from identifying him.


    I slowly freed one of my arms from his hold and gently slid it up his chest before grabbing the bottom of his mask. I ripped his mask off in the process of freeing myself from his grip. Once the dust settled, I looked up into the eyes of Emmett, my mate; he had been a part of this the whole time.


    After the shock wore off, I backed up further away from Emmett; he must have seen the sadness in my eyes. "I''m sorry, Scarlet, but I had to do this. Just know I never lied about us being mates or loving you." Emmett pulled his mask back on and turned to walk out, leaving me speechless. Fairlight started to stir awake beside me. Once Nate left, shutting and locking the door behind him, I rushed to Fairlight to check on her. "Hey, are you alright? What happened?" I helped her to sit up slowly before checking her over for any open wounds that may need attending.


    "Oh, Scarlet, am I happy to see you. Emmett somehow could block my powers, giving him the upper hand. I couldn''t do anything; I was defenseless since I''m not a werewolf like he is. So, anyway, he managed to restrain Sebastian before kidnapping me. That''s all I know." Fairlight tried to recall everything, but due to being hit over the head, it was too painful for her. We moved her to the small cot so she could lie down for a bit.


    Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    I started to pace the cell floor; the shock of finding out Emmett had a part in this didn''t settle well with my gut. "Hey, Fairlight, can you use your powers to get into Emmetts'' mind? Even though he isn''t close by?" I turned toward her to see her sitting up and looking into space. I walked over to her, placing a hand on her shoulder, gently causing her to jump out of her daydream. "Oh, Scarlet! Don''t do that; you nearly gave me a heart attack. What''s wrong?" Fairlight looked up at me with concern-filled eyes. "I''m sorry, I wasn''t trying to; you were daydreaming. I asked you if you could use your powers to get into Emmetts'' head even though he isn''t nearby." I watched her contemplate my question for a minute before nodding softly. "Great, I feel he doesn''t want to do this. Like he''s being forced or something."


    Fairlight gave me a quizzical look before scratching her head out of concern. "What if he''s the one that put all of this together and is just trying to trick you into thinking he didn''t want to do it?" I thought about it for a minute before turning away from her. "I don''t think he would do that. He truly loves me, that I know of for sure." I dropped my head to look at my feet to clear my head before turning back to Fairlight, only to notice that she had already begun to work her magic.


    ????


    Fairlight had been listening to Emmetts'' thoughts for the past hour, and so far, all she had found out was that he felt terrible about this whole thing. I think that there is more to it than what meets the eye or mind in this case. Fairlight might be one of my friends and a member of Emmett''s pack, but I''m sure she''s hiding something from me.


    "Ok, I''m going to lie down; I''m getting tired; wake me if anything changes." I moved over to the small cot and laid down beside Fairlight. Slowly, I fell into a deep sleep, but not before hearing Fairlight whisper, "he doesn''t love you," in a sad voice.


    I was standing on the cliff''s edge with Emmett beside me, holding my hand. I smiled and looked at him as the rest of the pack members surrounded us with their families or mates. Peaking over the cliff''s edge, I saw a beautiful deep blue sea awaiting us to jump. "Come on, Scarlet, It''ll be fun. I know you will enjoy it. Besides, you''ll have me there holding your hand the entire time."


    Fairlight and Sebastian came to stand beside me. She smiled reassuringly before grabbing Sebastian''s hand to pull him closer to the edge. I watched them and a few other pack members and their mates jump to land in the sea below. A few members stood behind us, waiting to jump alone or hang out on the top. "Alright, fine, I''ll do it." On the inside, I was terrified something would go wrong, and I would somehow end up dead, but the best time to jump is when you''re too scared to. Otherwise, you''ll never move from where you''re at now.


    Emmett held my hand tightly as we jumped over the edge. We somehow got separated mid-jump. I landed first, going deep below the surface of the water. The water was refreshing in the summer sun''s heat, and as the sea engulfed me, I could feel all my worries disappear. I wanted to go further, but I knew I shouldn''t. Making my way back to the sea''s surface, I felt no one was around me anymore; I couldn''t feel Emmett anymore. Once I broke through the surface and looked around, I noticed I was the only one left in the sea.


    I swam to the beach and tried to walk over to the pack member there, but the water wouldn''t let me go further than the tide. I moved over to the bottom of the cliff and yelled up to them, but they couldn''t hear me, so I started to climb my way up the side since the only other way up was through the woods, but that would have taken too long. As I made my way up, the sea reached out, pulling me back into it, maybe to keep me prisoner forever.


    Almost to the top of the cliff, the sea finally gets hold of me, pulling back down a bit. I finally broke loose and quickly made my way back; once I reached the top of the cliff, the sea receded down. I went over the edge to the rest of the pack, but no one noticed me. Looking around, I found Emmett with another in his arms, talking amongst themselves. I''d never seen the girl before, so I walked over to them.


    Once I got to Emmett, I placed my hand on his shoulder, which caused him to turn around. "Scarlet? I haven''t seen you in years, how are you?" Emmett gave me his gentle smile, like he always has while pulling the girl closer to him. She gave me a dirty stare, staring at Emmett in disbelief. "Emmett, who is she? Years? What are you talking about? We just jumped off the cliff together." I replied in confusion. I gave the girl a once over while waiting for Erespond; sheeply, she was no doubt. "Oh, right, I forgot I haven''t introduced you guys. Scarlet, this is my mate Raven..." Everything else became an inaudible whisper in the distance as everything around me came crashing down, disappearing into my mind''s darkness, leaving me alone.


    Panicked, I jolted out of bed, causing Fairlight to jump beside me. "Wha-what is it? Scarlet, are you alright!?" She quickly scanned the room, looking for danger, before gently putting a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "Y-yea, I''m sorry I didn''t mean to wake you. Just go back to sleep, it''s alright." I tried to get her to lie back down.

 Chapter Six: The Truth Will Set You Free

    I stayed up the rest of the night, remembering every painful part of the dream. It felt so real like it had just happened, and I could not stop it. Maybe Fairlight was right; Emmett didn''t love me, and it was all just a game. Either way, he shouldn''t have done this; what could have possessed him to do this to me?


    As I sat there sorting through my thoughts, the door opened, slightly casting light from the hallway into the cell, barely enough to see me sit on the floor. Nate walked into the cell with a devilish smile on his face. Emmett came dragging into the cell a few minutes later with a couple of chains dropped around his shoulders. Holding the ends in his hands, he gave me a sinister smile. Nate grabbed Fairlight roughly and pinned her against the wall before Emmett grabbed me by the arm and led me out of the cell. "No! Scarlet! You can''t take her away! She hasn''t done anything!" Fairlight yelled out. Nate demandingly replied, "It''s not up to you, girl. You have no say in this." The doors closed on us as I heard Fairlight call out, "Scarlet!"


    We walked outside, the moonlight covering us in its sheltering protection. The night sky, lit by the twinkling stars and an illuminated waxing crescent moon, shone brightly against the darkness. I stared up and felt a sense of serenity that I hadn''t experienced in a while. Even the chaos and the pain seemed like a distant memory as I stood captivated by the awing beauty of the night sky. We basked in the starlight for a few moments, the only sound being the gentle sounds of the night''s creatures.


    The calming atmosphere was peaceful and tranquil as if it was almost healing. I drew in a deep breath and felt some of my worries loosen their grip. Under the Moon''s light, we became genuinely enveloped in unbreakable safety and security. It was like nothing else in the world mattered at that very moment, and the universe was ours for the taking. The shining Moon hung high in the night sky and illuminated the world around us in a beautiful, soft silver glow. The stars glittered like colorful jewels against the dark backdrop of the night sky, seeming closer than ever before. I felt humbled by the beauty of the night; my thoughts stilled and my mind quiet. In the quiet of the night, I thought of all the possibilities that waited in the coming days. I drifted closer to the night''s warmth, reveling in the serenity of the moonlit skies.


    My fears returned as Emmett pushed us further away from the cells and closer to our unfortunate destiny. But there was still time, I knew, to turn this around and make something from this nightmare. I stood and looked up at the stars, finding strength in the countless points of light that filled the night sky. The light from the Moon shimmered and danced across the river''s surface. I felt hope for the future, and for once, I didn''t worry about our fate; instead, I allowed myself to be mesmerized. I hadn''t felt this peace in a long time and was thankful for this moment, no matter how.


    Brief and quiet it may be. The beauty of the night sky was astonishing, and I had never seen a night like this before. The scene was so ethereal and unique that it felt like I saw a part of time''s eternity. The trees were silhouetted against the stars as if painted, and the river moved like a river of silver that seemed to sparkle and impact. It was as if the moonlit night sky illuminated nature''s hidden secrets.


    Nate came walking up moments late before grabbing my arm and pulling me towards a house off to the far end of the pack. He dragged me up the stairs, through the front door, and down to the basement before throwing me against the wall and enclosing metal cuffs around my wrist. I lost sight of Fairlight as Nate was leading me to the house. He left Fairlight in the care of Emmet; I hope she is ok. "Nate, please, don''t do this. What have I done to you for you to hate me?" I struggled against the cuffs in hopes that I could break free. "Being born, my darling. You were never supposed to be born, and you do not need to continue living. You are an abomination to all humanity. Born to an alpha male and a human female. You are the last of your kind, and it will end with you, here and now."


    Nate gave an evil laugh and turned to walk out of the room when Emmett came in with an arrangement of torture instruments¡ªsitting them on a table to the side of me before walking over to me. Grabbing my chin, Emmett roughly turned my head to the left before roughly turning to the right and slowly running a finger down the side of my neck. "Mmm, such a shame I have to ruin such beauty, but I guess I can have a little fun while doing it. what do you say, sweetheart?" Emmett grabbed a strand of my hair and twirled it between his fingers before reaching around and grabbing a handful of my hair, pulling it back causing my head to fly backward, which caused me to gasp out of fear and pain.


    He let a breathy laugh as he let go and walked over to the table,e holding the knives and torches. Taking his time to pick out his first weapon, I looked around the room, hoping I would find Fairlight lurking in the shadows with a plan to get free, but to no avail. I couldn''t see her anywhere in the dank, dark basement. Emmett returned with a manic smile and a combat knife held tightly in his right hand. "Are you ready for the party to start, beauty? I''ll make sure to make you feel good and maybe make you look more beautiful before I kill you." I swallowed the lump in my throat and mentally prepared myself for the pain about to engulf my body. He stepped closer to me before placing the knife against my ribs and making a long, deep gash along the bottom of my rib cage.


    The torture continued for days; it felt like forever before Emmett finally got tired of the silence as he made dozens of cuts along my body. I was not going to give them the satisfaction of hearing me scream for help if they just planned to kill me in the end. As I waited for Emmett to return to finish the job, I lowered my head to close my eyes briefly, waiting for the end to come. The torture filled my body with pain the entire time, but I wasn''t going to show it for Emmett or Nate to get the satisfaction of hurting me, breaking me even.


    I don''t know how long I had my eyes closed, but I guess I had fallen asleep due to Nate poking at me, "Wakey wakey sleepy head." I slowly opened my eyes and looked up to see Nate mere inches from my face, "What? Here to finish the job your little puppy couldn''t? Just get it over with already." I tried to straighten up, but since Emmett broke most of my ribs, it was hard. "Oh, darling, poor naive little girl, if I wanted Emmett to kill you last night, then he wouldn''t have had his little fun with you. You see, Emmett is a very violent wolf whenever he has a thirst for blood, and right now, it''s at its highest, thanks to you." Nate replied while he walked around the room as if inspecting every little detail. Confusion took over every ounce of my mind, causing it to shut down. I''m not sure how long I had just stood there, not knowing what was happening around me, but when my mind finally started working again, Nate was sitting in a chair right in front of me. "What do you want from me exactly? I''m nothing special, just your average woman trying to live her life. Why not let me and my friend go? I''ll disappear from here, never to be seen or heard again. Doesn''t that sound like a much better plan than killing me?" I tried to reason with him to let Fairlight and me go, but Nate only smiled his sinister smile. "Sweetheart, could you come say hello to an old friend of ours?" He looked back towards the door as it started to open. I slowly looked over towards the door to see Fairlight walking in wearing all-black attire, her face adorned with a matching sinister smile. All of this had to be a horrible dream that I would wake up from any minute.


    "Fairlight, what has he done to you? You are not like them; you''re supposed to be here for me whenever I need you, like a true friend. You can''t be one of them," I pleaded, hoping it was just some sick joke they thought up, but looking into her eyes, I could tell that she hated me just as much as Nate and Emmett had. They can''t be how my life ends; I have no friends, no love, no family, and most importantly, no one to save me. I lost all hope in one single second of my life. I dropped my head out of defeat, for I knew that this moment in time would be the of my story, and I couldn''t do anything about it. I''m only human, after all.


    ????


    Emmett walked in, holding a tray of food. They wanted to make this long and painful, slowly torturing me every day to the brink of death before they stopped and accelerated my healing just to do it all over again the following day. He brought the tray of food to me, and I took it out of his hand. "Eat up little slut, this might be your last meal." Emmett let out an evil laugh as he turned away and walked out of the door. I sat my tray off to the side before getting up and walking closer to the door. Nate decided to unchain me from the wall and give me only enough food to survive for the time being, something about not wanting to waste their food supply on waste. "No, I refuse to let this be my last meal; I will survive."


    I placed my hand on the door before looking back at my prison. I dropped my gaze to the floor, and melancholy enveloped me. A guard came to the door to give a slight knock before opening it, letting the light shine into the room slightly. He reached through the door as if to hand me something; I reached out towards him, barely brushing against his hand accidentally. A great roar erupted in the hall, shaking the entire floor before the door began to shut right before my eyes. I put my hand up to push against the door lightly, "Please don''t shut it yet; I''m enjoying the light." I looked up at the guard to notice he was staring at me intently before he grabbed my wrist, pulling it from the door. I was confident he was going to slam the door shut, but instead, he pulled me into his chest. "Mate!"


    Once the shock wore off, I felt sparks traveling up my arm to settle in my chest, causing a warm feeling to engulf my body. I wanted this masked man. "Who are you?" I tried pulling away from him, but his grip tightened my wrist. "Do not be afraid of me, Scarlet; I promise I won''t hurt you. My name is Asher Gray." I slowly pulled away from him to put some distance between us. "I''m sorry. I wish I had met you sooner before I was broken." Asher put his other hand around my waist to keep me from moving away again. "Porcelain statues are still beautiful with some cracks. I''ll have to help fix you then. I''ll grab my glue." With my free hand, I reached up to Asher''s face and began to pull the mask down. He grabbed my hand and gently placed it on his cheek. Smiling up at him, I gently rubbed my thumb across his soft, tan skin.


    "Scarlet, I will find a way to get you out of here, I promise." Asher took my hand from his cheek and gently kissed my knuckles before slowly pulling away to shut the door. Leaving me in the darkness of my prison, I put my hand gently on the cold wooden door before turning away. I walked back over to my tray and began to eat.


    As I finished my food, Emmett walked back into the room, going over to the table and holding the weapons; he slowly ran his hand over every one of them as if trying to choose carefully. I gently pushed my tray away once I finished with the last bite and stood up, walking over to the wall where I would be chained up shortly to be tortured. "That won''t be necessary today, princess." Emmett''s cold voice echoed across the silent room, causing me to turn away out of curiosity. "Oh? And why not?" After everything he had done, I dared to speak to him, but my curiosity got to me again. "You''ll be going with me instead. Per orders of the Alpha, of course," he gave me his signature wicked smile that I have gotten used to seeing lay across his mouth. It''s nothing like the kind one he once gave me, but this is my fate now.


    This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it


    ????


    Emmett brought a change of clothes for me to wear while he took me wherever his Alpha wanted him to take me. It had been hours since I''d met Asher; how I wish I could see him again; he brought me so much peace and joy, something I miss dearly. As Emmett led me down the halls of this mysterious place, I took in every little detail I could, just in case I ever managed to escape this hell.


    After walking what felt like forever and a mile, we came to a massive wooden door that had a very unique design carved into it. Emmett pushed heavily on the door, causing it to open, giving me a perfect view of the room it hid behind it. The room had giant stone pillars lining the walls to hold the ceiling in place; the walls were adorned with various paintings of different men and women; I could only assume they were past Alphas and Lunas of this pack. Center against the back wall sat two throne-style chairs, one slightly bigger than the other, and of course, Nate sat in the biggest one. Fairlight sat in the other, giving me their wicked smiles as Emmett led me further into the room and closer to the pair.


    As I grew closer to the two, my head suddenly started to hurt, causing me to fall to my knees, holding my head in pain. I fell forward with my head against the ground before screaming out in pain. Suddenly, the door jolted open, causing me to force myself to roll over to my side. As the pain continued to become more unbearable, I cried out, holding my head. Nate and Fairlight looked terrified as to what might happen.


    Cracks started to sound out in the quiet air of the room before I heard the rushing sound of feet colliding with the floor. "Scarlet! Scarlet, are you alright!?" Asher listened to my screams from down the hall and came to check on me. He placed a gentle hand on my shoulder, causing most of the pain to subside and relieve me. "It hurts so much; please make it stop." I whimpered into the darkness; my vision had failed to work, and I hoped for more relief. I felt a hand gently land on my side, causing the pain to subside.


    Asher gently placed a hand on my forehead to calm me down. Feeling relieved, I opened my eyes to see Ashers'' shocked expressions. Asher bent down and planted a soft and gentle kiss on my lips. He quickly moved over to the other side of the room. Emmett and the others are hiding behind the thrones, fear evident on their faces.


    "Hello, Scarlet, my name is Sky. I''ve been waiting for you to let me out." There was suddenly a voice in my head, causing me to panic. "Who are you? Where are you?" Panic started rising in my chest, causing me to curl into myself while holding my head. "I''m your wolf, Scarlet; it''s very nice to meet you. Hey, I smell something very delicious. What could it be." Sky asked as I could feel her prancing around in my mind. I looked over to Asher, thinking that she could have meant him. I let out a deep growl when our eyes connected, "Mate!"


    Sky rushed to the front of my mind, "Mate? Have you found our mate? Oh! Having our mate makes me so happy!" Sky bounded around in my head, giving me another headache. Suddenly, I felt my bones start breaking again, and all of the pain rushed back to the surface, causing me to scream out in pain. "What is going on Sky? I don''t understand." I let out a horrific cry as my back arched in pain before falling to the floor face-first. "Oh, I''m sorry, Scarlet, I''m taking over. You need to shift for the first time, and it''s painful, to begin with, but as time goes on, it''ll get better." Sky informed me as she pushed her way to the front of my mind, and I began to change.Asher watched on in understanding and pain, seeing me having to go through this alone. My bones continued to break and reform into new shapes and lengths before I entirely transformed into a beautiful copper-colored wolf. I looked around through my newly enhanced eyes to see Asher standing so far away. He was my mate; I needed to be near my mate now. I used my freshly formed wolf ears to listen to the quiet sounds around me. Listening intently, I heard Emmetts, Nates, and Fairlight''s hearts beating rapidly, which caused me to give a little wolf smile as I stalked around the room closer to them before making my way over to Asher.


    Getting closer, Asher stepped forward and placed his hand out in front of him. I stopped in my tracks and watched him for a minute to see what he would do; he slowly and carefully took another step toward me before gently placing his hand on my head. I pushed up against it before walking closer to him, rubbing my head against his leg. "Hey, baby girl, you''re alright with me." I looked up to see Asher''s eyes sparkling with love and admiration. I pressed myself against Asher''s legs and slowly walked in a semicircle to sit at his feet before looking at the others intruding on us. "Scarlet, it''s alright. They''re not going to harm us, I promise." Asher placed his hand back on my head.


    He walked around and knelt before placing his hand on my furry face. My mate looked deep into my eyes for a minute before turning to the others, "Could one of you get her a change of clothes, please?" With that, Fairlight ran out of the room. ''Can you hear me, Scarlet? It''s Asher. If you can hear me, give me your paw.'' I gently placed my paw in his hand and looked at him in confusion. I heard his voice, but his mouth didn''t move. ''Good, now close your eyes and focus on being human again; this will cause you to change back.'' I closed my eyes and pictured myself being a human again, wrapped in his arms. With him holding my paw, it caused the shift to be less painful than before, but I could still feel every bone break and reposition. "Where''s Fairlight with the clothes?" Asher yelled out to the others as they continued to hide behind the thrones, holding me close to his chest to keep me hidden from the view of the others. Fairlight came back still looking terrified and quickly gave the clothes to Asher before returning to her hiding spot with Nate and Emmet.


    Asher helped me to my feet before leading me out the door. He pulled me into his chest as the door slammed shut, giving me a long, sweet kiss. He pulled away from the kiss and rested his forehead against mine, "Scarlet, you need to know that where we are now is not your home. We are leaving here tonight; I have a few of my pack members stationed here to help us." I heard how serious this was in his voice and pulled away to look into his beautiful blue eyes. "OK, but where are we going to go? Are there more packs around here or something?" I searched his face for answers, but nothing came of it. Asher pulled me further away from any listening ears; we were now closer to the exit. "If we''re lucky, we can go now, but for now, we''ll have to go to a safe house until we can get to my pack."


    He looked around for any sign that Nate had sent some of his warriors after us after we left the room, but there wasn''t anyone around. Asher wrapped his arms around me tightly, and soon after, his eyes went a misty gray color before turning back to their natural blue. "Ok, everything is all set, but we must move before they get curious." Asher pulled me towards the door as three warriors entered the room we had just left. "Asher, what''s going on? What happened to your eyes back there? They changed colors." I tried to keep up with him as he walked through the grounds. It''s been days since I''ve been outside, and the only time I was out here was at night when they relocated me to torture me.


    He looked around, surveying the area, before dashing behind a nearby building, pulling me in after him, and tucking me under his arm almost entirely under him. "Asher, please tell me what''s going on." I pleaded with him before slipping out from under him slightly. He looked down at me while placing his hand at my side to keep me from moving further away. "Scarlet, right now, it''s perilous for us to be out in the open like this; let me get you to safety before you start questioning me about everything. I promise I''ll tell you everything you need to know." He gave me a pleading look as if to say, ''Just listen to me,'' I stared at him for a second before nodding, showing him I understood and would wait. He smiled slightly before removing his arm around me and checking our surroundings. Once he was sure the coast was clear, he grabbed my hand to pull me towards the forest. He was trying to stop occasionally to hide behind the occasional house before making it to the wood line.


    We made it to the forest''s edge quickly, maybe too easily. We made our way further into the forest, away from my captors. Asher pulled me through the forest gently so as not to hurt me. We came to an abandoned-looking house in the middle of a meadow, the most beautiful house I had ever seen. He approached the house with me in tow, close behind him. "Asher, what is this place? It''s quite beautiful." He turned to look back to look at me with a smile. "This is the safe place we''ll be staying until I can get us back to my pack."


    We made our way into the house and cleaned it up a bit. As I was in the kitchen finishing the dishes to start supper, I heard footsteps behind me; I grabbed a knife from the dish drainer and spun around, holding the knife out towards the person behind me. Before I could look at who it was, they grabbed my wrist so I couldn''t hurt them. "Babygirl, you need to calm down; you''re safe here; now put the knife down, please?" Asher slowly let go of my wrist so I could lay the knife down; once I had laid it down, he came closer to me and wrapped his arms around me. "I''m sorry, Ash, I didn''t know it was you." I leaned into his embrace and inhaled his scent. "It''s alright, princess, just know that with me at your side, you are always safe." He kissed my head softly before pulling me away from the kitchen and sat me on the couch in the living room.


    "Asher, what are you doing? I have got to make supper for us." I looked up at him in confusion; he sat beside me and took my hand. "That can wait for a minute; we need to talk fast," Asher took on a severe look before continuing. "Some of my men, whom I had stationed with Nate, will be coming here to join us and protect their newly founded Luna. They are very eager to meet you, along with the rest of the pack, I''m sure of it." He paused for a minute to see my reaction. I nodded for him to continue, "Before we left, you saw my eyes change colors because I mind-linked all the warriors I had there. I had to get them caught up on the latest news, finding you, what you are, and who you are, and I ordered them to take care of Nate and his warriors. That includes Emmett and Fairlight as well. They were a bigger threat to you than any of the warriors Nate could handle. She, Fairlight, was not a werewolf, as you might already know. Fairlight was a witch and very powerful at that. She would have been able to track you down no matter what we hid." Asher took a moment to let me process everything that he just told me.


    "Alright, so what did your warriors do to them?" I knew I shouldn''t have asked, but I had to know; I had to know what I was up against, what was trying to kill me, and why. It didn''t matter to me how horrible it was or even if they had destroyed them the same way Emmett was going to kill me. I needed to know everything, especially if I was to be the Luna of this pack and live in a world that was not my own. "Asher, I need to know everything; I don''t care if you think I can''t handle it. I have got to know if you expect me to live in a world I do not belong in." I stood up and walked over to the nearby window and peered out over the meadow, only half imagining what could have happened to the people who captured me and wanted me dead.


    Asher got up and walked over to where I stood to place his hands on my shoulders and turn me towards him. "After they captured the three, my men took Nate to the room he had you locked away in and chained him up, then they took Emmett out back and chained him to a tree. As for Fairlight, they took her to the front of the house, in front of all the pack members, and burned her alive. Naturally, the pack wanted to attack my men until they showed her true self. The only way to truly kill a witch is to burn them alive; as a werewolf, they won''t die from just being set on fire, so once they saw that their Luna was dead, everyone knew that she was not one of them. Most of Full Moon asked to join our pack; of course, they would have to swear never to attempt any harm on the Luna. My men proceeded to tear Emmett apart limb by limb before returning to Nate and torturing him in the same way he had you tortured, but he couldn''t handle it, unlike you." Asher looked down at me with a sad smile before softly touching my cheek. "Do you know why that is?" I momentarily looked out at the meadow before returning to him and looking up into his eyes innocently. "No, I don''t understand. I''m just a human, and he was an Alpha." My head started hurting, and I could feel Sky pounding at the walls of my mind. Sorry, Sky, I didn''t mean it like that.


    "You were able to survive all of the torture because you are stronger than any other werewolf, even myself, but being your mate makes me stronger than I was before I met you. Not everyone understands it, but it''s because the moon goddess personally made you special for this reason, to lead us and make the entire existence of werewolves stronger." Asher gently ran his hand over my hair before pulling me closer to him and holding me in his warm embrace as we stood at the window looking out over the darkening meadow as his warriors came home to welcome their new Luna.

 Chapter Seven: The Beloved Luna

    Asher was outside training some of his warriors for the coming battle that we all knew was bound to come sooner than later. I met all of the pack warriors at Nate''s pack shortly after they arrived at the house. We were still at the house in the woods, biding our time, waiting for the perfect time to return home. It''s funny how I could call it home before it ever became my home. I had just met Asher a few days prior, and he felt at home. He had explained that the mate bond was unbreakable and that what I felt was normal. The best way to put it for any human to understand was it was like finding your soulmate and instantly knowing the two of you would be together forever, but of course, with werewolves, it was always ten times more.


    I''ve taken up the habit of informing myself about every little thing I could about werewolves and mate bonds, seeing as how ignorant I was on the subject. Of course, I didn''t let Asher know I was doing this; I wasn''t worried he would disapprove; I just wanted it to be a surprise. Most days, I stood by the window watching Asher with the other warriors with a history book, reading slowly to soak up as much information as possible. I would return the book where I found it when it was time for everyone to come in for lunch. I always had everything ready for them at meal times.


    Everyone I have met so far was charming, a relief from what I had been getting. I hurried over to the bookshelf to replace the book I had in my hands while I watched Asher and the other warriors as he trained for the day. As they were walking into the house, I slipped into the kitchen and started working on lunch. I couldn''t fix anything fancy since we didn''t have the means for now, but I always did my best and made it out of love. I had grown to love the Alpha and the small amount of the pack we had with us.


    "Scarlet? Are you in the kitchen?" Asher called me from the living room, "Yes, dear, I''m fixing lunch for everyone." I quickly walked around the corner to see him standing at the doorway to the dining room with his beautiful smile plastered on his handsome face. "I have some good news for you, baby girl." Asher continued as he made his way over to me, pulling me back into the kitchen. "What is it? Are we getting to go back to the pack soon?" I gently placed my hands on his chest and looked up into his icy blue eyes, which showed the love he held for me. Asher leaned down to give me a soft kiss on my lips. "Yes, actually, and according to my calculations, if we leave tonight, we will return in time for the first full Moon since we''ve met. Do you know what that means?" I chuckled lightly at how excited he was to share this information. "I have no idea, but I can tell it''s important." I folded my arms over my chest, waiting for him to continue.


    "Yes, it''s crucial that we get back to the pack before the full Moon. See, once the full Moon comes around, we have to finish the mating ceremony for you to be able to become Luna by werewolf laws. Of course, if it were that simple, we could do it here, but it has to happen when the entire is present and the first full Moon after the meeting. Which isn''t for another two weeks, roughly." Asher pulled away and walked to the fridge to grab a drink before leaning against the counter. I took this time to examine this information and compare what I have learned so far. "OK, when do you want to leave? Also, what all is to go with us?" I decided it was best to take his word for it and move quickly. I was excited to meet the rest of the pack but wasn''t in any hurry to leave this place either.


    "We''ll leave first thing in the morning; I sent a couple of my warriors ahead to get a few cars so you don''t have to walk the whole way. We''ll have to meet them about halfway. After the mating ceremony, we''ll go somewhere more private to spend time alone to let the bond completely form and strengthen. After that, I''ll have some of my men come back here and finish getting the rest of the books." I smiled at the last bit, knowing that I would have my library in the end. I looked up to see Asher smiling down at me. "Right now, though, we must finish lunch before it burns." I looked at the stove and saw that I almost burned the food. I hurried over to remove it from the eye before it could burn any more than it already had.


    I heard laughter coming from behind me as I tried to save what I could of the food. Turning around, I saw Asher trying not to fall on the floor from laughing hard. I soon started to laugh alongside him. Shortly after our outburst, one of the warriors walked into the kitchen and gave us a confused look; Asher quickly straightened up to greet him, "Hello, Alastor. Lunch will be ready shortly." I turned back to the stove and promptly finished up lunch. Once I finished, Asher set the table and put the food out while Alastor grabbed the drinks. "Thank you, Luna. We all appreciate everything you do for us. It''s a pleasure having you as our Luna, and we all would die to protect you and Alpha Asher." Alastor bowed slightly in front of me before we all went into the dining room to enjoy our lunch. I smiled, knowing these warriors enjoy having me as their Luna even though I have yet to prove that I''m worth the title.


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    ?? ??


    As I got ready for bed, Asher came in from a pack meeting about the previous attack on me. According to Asher, Fairlight was a spy for Nate, and she was also his mate. He sent her to Emmett''s pack to ensure everything went according to plan. So, her being my friend was all a part of the plan the whole time so that I would trust her when it came time to kidnap me. I feel so stupid thinking she was my friend; I should have known it was too good to be true. I just moved here; it wouldn''t be that easy meeting the guy destined to be with me for the rest of my life. Since he kidnapped me, to begin with, I guess part of me wanted to believe him after everything I''ve been through.


    I got lost in my thoughts, giving Asher a chance to sneak up behind me and tackle me onto the bed before he started tickling me. "Hahah, cut it out, Ash! Hahaha! No, please stop that tickles!" I tried my best to fight him off as he continued to attack my sides, but to no avail, he continued his assault on my sides. "Not going to happen, princess. I love hearing your laugh and seeing your smile too much to stop." Asher stated as he flipped me over onto my back, even with him sitting on me. I managed to grab his hands before he could tickle me anymore. "Hey! That''s not fair! I was having fun." Asher pouted like a child after I grabbed his hands, which caused me to laugh before finally giving in and letting go of his hands. "Now, I''m going to bed. I would appreciate it if you would allow me to do that, or you could always go to bed." I gave him a severe look before fixing myself and getting the bed ready. Before I could climb into bed, Asher wrapped his arms around my waist from behind again, but this time, he had no intention of playing around. It was more of a loving gesture than anything I''ve felt before. I liked it. I wasn''t sure when I had started falling for Asher, but I knew then that I loved him.


    ?? ??


    The next morning we began our journey to the pack, I tried to grab everything that I would need for the upcoming time. Since Asher was going to wait until after the bond was fully developed and strengthened to send some warriors to get our belongings; I knew I would need as much stuff as I could grab. With my small arms, I was unable to grab everything I thought I would need at that time. Asher got up early to make sure everything was ready for us to leave. He decided to make breakfast for everyone including myself, letting me sleep in a bit. Once he was done cooking, he brought it to the room and woke me up gently for me to eat.


    After I finished eating he took the dishes back to the kitchen to clean up his mess before we both got ready for the day. I was able to grab our shower supplies and a few pairs of clothes before Asher came in to get the stuff and myself for the long journey home.


    We slowly made our way through the woods until we made it to a small clearing near a dirt road, once there I saw two SUVs waiting for us. Asher told me to stay hidden while he went to talk to the guards. I stood where I was left behind a tree, watching him make his way to the guards to inform them of everything going on, and about me. After a few minutes of talking, Asher turned back around to motion for me to come to him, I noticed one of the guards looking over Asher''s shoulder waiting for me to emerge. As I made my way through the trees to Asher the guard behind him slipped his mask off slowly to reveal his face to me. I stopped in my tracks once I was able to see his face. It was my brother standing there, as one of Asher''s guards, I don''t understand how my brother could be a part of this, but here he was.


    Once I got beside Asher he turned around to face everyone there, noticing my brother had taken off his mask, Asher looked between him and me before noticing the resemblance. "Scarlet, you wouldn''t happen to know this man would you?" Asher asked as he placed one of his hands around my waist and pulled me to his side protectively. "Actually, yes I do. He is my brother. I haven''t seen him since he ran away three years ago. I can see why now." I looked my brother up and down unable to believe my eyes. Everyone thought he was dead after we looked everywhere and couldn''t find him. He was the reason I moved to Durham, I received a call from one of the locals saying they saw him walking around in town, and that they knew it was a bit of a surprise since he''s been missing for so long now. I didn''t hesitate to thank the person on the phone and hang up to hurriedly pack my stuff and move out here, in hopes that I would be able to find him.


    Asher looked over to Sebastian for confirmation of the subject, once Sebastian nodded in agreement Asher opened the door for us to enter into the SUV. Once sat in the vehicle he had the drivers return to the pack lands with us; It didn''t take very long for us to get to the pack house thankfully, I was ready to get out of the car, and the intensity of the atmosphere between Asher and Sebastian. Soon after I got out of the car Asher followed behind ordering Sebastian to get the bags and take them to the house. I stood by watching as he followed Ashers orders like a brainwashed soldier, something that Sebastian has never been before. He was always the type of person that only followed his orders and no one elses. Clearly being apart of this pack has changed him, but I don''t know if it was for the better or for the worse.

 Am I Meant To Be Luna?

    It''s been close to a month since the attack on me. It was pretty hard afterward; not knowing who to trust and who my friends were did not make my life any easier. Asher had a hard enough time getting me to leave the room for breakfast when I had to go with him to meetings, and the court hearing was a battle in itself. The werewolf council wanted answers for Asher killing another alpha, so of course, we had to deal with a court hearing for it, and who better to testify in Asher''s defense? None other than his Luna, right? Wrong; the council couldn''t have cared less for what I had to say; they just wanted to listen to Asher and the few pack members who survived the recovery attack.


    In the last few days, Asher''s pack seems to be the only one who cares what Luna has to say or if she''s delighted. I may have spent little time in Emmett''s pack or been around many other alphas, but from how Asher and the rest of the pack members talk about them, I can tell that Asher is the better choice.


    We have been working towards my ability to go out into the pack lands alone and trusting the other members for a little while now. Today is the day I''m able to go out by myself. No matter what, I know that Asher will always be there for me; I can feel it in the mate bond. Since I''m new to being a werewolf, I realize I don''t know much about the culture or the belief, but I''ve become accustomed to the mate bond. Many other pack members were more than welcome to help me understand the bond better by sharing their experiences with it. I''m glad I have so much support in this, even though I''m a werewolf with no idea what''s happening.


    As I made my way through the cabin to the front door, I started to have second thoughts about trying my hand at the outside world. I hesitated at the door with my hand inches away from the doorknob, wondering if it was worth it. Asher has tried hard to help me, but it was a waste of time. As if he could sense my uncertainty, Asher opened the front door slowly so as not to hit me with it. "Baby, what''s wrong? I could feel your doubt at the office." Asher wrapped his arms around my waist and cradled my head against his chest. "I don''t know, I just feel like I can''t do it no matter what. Like there''s still something holding me back, but I don''t know what." I gently placed my hand on his chest and closed my eyes to take in the moment given to me by my mate.


    "Come on, sweetie, everything will be fine. Would you like to return to the office with me for a start? Then tomorrow, I can take the day off, and we can try to go for a walk?" He led me over to the couch before rushing to the kitchen for a glass of water. "I-I guess that would be fine, as long as I''m with you." I took the glass from him and took a sip before sitting it on the side table where I would forget the glass.


    We slowly made our way to the office, going through the pack behind all the houses. Asher thought that it would be better for me. Soon, we arrived at the office and slipped in through the back entrance and up the elevator used only for the Alpha in case of emergencies. Once we reached the top floor, the slick metal doors slid apart, allowing us to enter a sleek, elegant office space. A big mahogany desk sat in the middle, with a black leather chair positioned behind it and two black leather chairs in front of the desk. An oversized white leather couch sat against the far wall to the right of the desk, with a glass coffee table in front. The walls were decorated with black wallpaper with white roses scattered all across it. To the far left of Asher''s desk was a giant glass table one could only assume to be used for meetings.


    Asher escorted me further into the room and over to the couch to sit down. Once he was sure I was comfortable, he moved his files and laptop to the coffee table and sat beside me, allowing me to lean against his chest while he finished his work. As I laid on his chest, I listened to his heartbeat against my ear and slowly drifted to sleep, curled against him, happy and content for the time being.


    ?? ??


    I woke up to find Asher had moved over to his conference table with pack guards sitting around it, each with a folder placed neatly in front of them. Laying there, I looked at Asher to see he was deep in conversation with his men, assuming I was still asleep, but no one dared to look this way. I noticed my brother sitting closer to Asher than the other guys. Sebastian must have felt that I was staring at him because he looked up from his folder enough that Asher didn''t notice the change in attention. Sebastian smiled at me, causing me to smile back before adding a small wave. He didn''t return the wave, but I could hear his voice inside my head. I looked at him, startled by the new voice in my head, unsure what to make of it.


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    "It''s OK, Scarlet, it''s called mindlinking. Since we are family by blood, we can talk like this to keep our conversations secret. You can also link with Alpha Asher since he is your mate. Since the mating ceremony has already happened, all the Alpha has to do now is introduce you to the pack as their official Luna, and then you will be able to mind-link anyone in the pack. You can also block anyone from communicating with you when you are busy, but try not to do it very often as there may be an attack on the pack and someone is trying to make sure you are OK or trying to relocate you for safety reasons." Sebastian gave me the crash course of this whole mind-linking thing since Asher was always busy with pack business. "Thank you, Sebastian; I have missed you so much. Why did you leave without a word to anyone? especially me." I closed my eyes again, not wanting to see the pain in his eyes any longer. "I''m sorry, Scarlet. I tried to tell you, but Mom and Dad wouldn''t let me." I barely caught his reply before I drifted back to sleep.


    I woke up about an hour later; looking around, I found Asher sitting at his desk, and the guards had left. I slowly raised on the couch and watched Asher for a minute. I waited to try mind-linking him as Sebastian said. Gazing at Asher, I concentrated on talking to him before I felt the connection open, "Alpha." I said teasingly, causing Asher to look up at me. I smiled back at him, excited that I could mind-link him on the first try. "Scarlet, you''re awake. Good, are you ready to go then?" Asher raised from his chair and walked over to me before he picked me up, causing me to wrap my legs around his waist. Confusion took over my mind at his words. "Ready to go where?" I asked as I wrapped my arms around his neck to stay balanced and look him in the eyes. "I''m taking you out to eat tonight as sort of a celebration of finding you and having you as my mate and Luna." At that, he gave me a deep kiss and held me closer to his warm body.


    ?? ??


    I was walking back to the room from the kitchen after getting something to drink. Coming to the bedroom door, I heard Asher talking to someone, maybe one of the guards, but then I heard a female voice answer. I stepped closer to the door and peered in through the tiny crack left in the ajar door. "Come on, Ash, you know we''re meant to be together and not her. Don''t you feel the pull between us? You have to feel it; I do. Come on, please, she doesn''t have to know anything about it." I noticed one of the lower-ranking girls kept eyeing Asher when we went out together. Of course, he doesn''t pay them attention, but it''s hard for me to ignore someone dressing the way she does, eyeing my mate.


    I focused on what was being said between the two. "Listen, Kaila, I''m not goin'' to leave Scarlet just because you think something is between us. Scarlet is my mate, not you. I would appreciate it if you would leave my house and return to your family; I''m sure you will find your mate soon." I heard Asher respond harshly before moving further away from her. "Well, you are too blind to see she has you under a spell. I will not give up on us; no matter what you say, I believe we can still make this work." With that, Kaila stormed out of the door to be stopped by me blocking the door. The look on her face was one of fear of being caught trying to steal the Alpha away from the Luna. "Kaila. I suggest you leave my house and never return to it, understood?" I crossed my arms over my chest, waiting for a reply. "Yes, ma''am." She held her head low, showing her submission. "Good, because if I ever catch you here again, I will ensure you will be looking for your mate as a rouge." At that, I stepped aside and allowed her to flee from the house as if her life depended on it.


    I walked into the bedroom and stood on the other side of the bed, unsure how to address Asher afterward. Of course, I didn''t have him under a spell, but that doesn''t mean he wouldn''t believe what she said. Even though he had taken up for me, it could have been because he could tell I was at the door listening.


    Asher walked over to me from his place near the window. When he got to my side, he wrapped one arm around my waist and used the other to move my hair away before he buried his nose into my neck. Asher slowly started to lick my neck before he bit down on my collarbone, causing me to moan out in delight. He pulled his head away from the mark and placed soft kisses along my jawline. "You don''t have to worry about anything; I know everything she said isn''t true. Now I think it''s the perfect time to finish what we started. What do you say?" He pulled me closer before laying us on the bed. I know now not to doubt anything about myself or the relationship anymore.