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“Ouch.” I grabbed the remaining pillow and smacked him with it, using all the pitiful strength I had in me. Given my angle and my exhaustion, it wasn’t a hard hit—not hard enough, anyway.
He must’ve not expected it, though, because I heard his wolf side growl before he kicked me in the shin.
I raised my hand to smack him, but Ember’s voice startled me.
“Would you two give it a rest?” Her voice was raspy, and she groaned, raising her head from her pillow. Emily was still tucked in, comfortably sleeping beneath the covers.
Why couldn’t I be sharing a bed with her?
“Why do I have to share with you?” I snapped, beating Griffin with my pillow once more before getting up from the bed. I was aware that I was pouting like a child, but I couldn’t help it. My wolf was still antsy from being away from Emily when she was in danger, and being so close, yet so distant, was tearing me up. I wanted to be curled next to her, feeling the warmth of her body, not Griffin’s.
I checked my phone to see a text from Sam about an hour and a half ago, saying they’d left the warehouse and were on their way. We still had a while before they got there, so I figured I’d take a shower while we waited.
The warm water cascading over my body was just the relaxation I needed to replenish myself. When I got out, I slid back into my jeans, tossing the shirt over my shoulder until my body was dried completely. I couldn’t stand feeling clothes against my skin while it was still wet, but I couldn’t walk around naked. This was the next best thing.
When I stepped out of the bathroom, Emily’s eyes found mine and drifted over my bare chest. Her cheeks flushed, and heat flashed through her eyes as she took a few steps to close the distance between us.
“How do you feel?” she asked, too distracted with my body to look at my face.
My lips curled into a smirk, seeing my mate so obviously pining for me. By now, most wolves would’ve solidified the union. But where our situation was different, we’d moved at a much slower pace.
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t want more, but I would never want to rush Emily into something she wasn’t ready to do. However, seeing that expression on her face made my wolf want to pounce—to push her onto that bed and claim her as my mate, and no one else’s.
But there was also a sense of relief—knowing that she was interested in me like she claimed. Until recently, we’d never even kissed, and she’d hardly shown me any affection outside of friendship. If that was what she wanted, then I would comply, but my wolf was howling in delight seeing that she so obviously wanted more.
My arms wrapped around her, pulling her into my body. She welcomed the motion, her hands sliding up my chest and wrapping around my neck. Resting her head against my shoulder, she closed her eyes and hummed. It was a strange sensation, but I could feel my wolf’s tail wag, despite it not being present.
I ran my fingers through her hair, reveling in the moment I was having, when my phone vibrated. Damn, stupid phone. Why, of all moments, did someone need to call me now?
Sighing, I pulled away to answer the picture of Sam on my screen.
“We’re here,” he said, echoing his footsteps on the stairway sounding through the phone.
Not even a minute later, he knocked on the door. I quickly pulled on my shirt—much to Emily’s disappointment, as indicated by her pout—and answered the door. Behind Sam were Tiny, Gus, Liam, and Tristan.
The space was cramped when I invited the men in—most of us tall and hulking over the two lone females, except for Sam. He was shorter than the rest of us, but his fighting skills were incredible, nonetheless. However, he wouldn’t be joining us in this fight.
“Sam, you’re going back to the warehouse with Emily and Ember,” I delegated once we were all, somewhat, comfortably seated. “The rest of us will put our noses to the test and track Morgan. She won’t escape us this time.”
A sense of determination filled me, and I was ready to tear that bitch’s limbs from her body for daring to lay a finger on my mate.
“Wait, what? We’re not going with you?” Emily asked, displeased with my statement.
“No. I need someone to take care of the pack while I’m gone. If Morgan’s on the loose, who knows how close she is to the warehouse or who she has with her? We don’t know what kind of an army she’s been building, and I can’t leave my pack unattended. Emily, as the luna, you have full authority to make decisions in my absence. As my beta, Sam will assist you.”
“But…” Emily trailed off, her eyes lowering to the floor. “I don’t want to go back without you. What if Morgan uses her black magic on you?”
I knelt on the floor in front of her, grabbing her hands and caressing them with my thumbs. I couldn’t care less who saw me crawling on the floor like an animal because—let’s face it—I was part animal, and this was my mate. Any wolf in the pack who’d found their mate would understand, and just about every member of my pack who was present had a mate waiting for them back home.
But Emily wasn’t so keen on having outsider eyes watching our affection firsthand. I pulled her face toward me, bringing her attention to me, like we were the only two people in the room.
“I know you’re scared. For me, and Griffin, and the rest of the pack. I also know you’re scared to be luna. But don’t let that fear hold you back. Let it fuel your fire, so your flame burns bright. You’re strong, Em. You’re brave and bold—perfect for the luna of the Knox pack. I believe in you. And before you know it, we’ll return home with a traitor and figure out what the hell is going on with Morgan and Samara. That would be awesome, wouldn’t it?”
She smiled, though I could tell it was forced. You don’t spend this many years with someone without picking up on their tells. I kissed her forehead gently and held her gaze. After a moment, she nodded, and I stood up to face the others.
“Then, it’s settled. We’ve already lost hours of tracking Morgan. If we want to find her soon, we’d better get moving.”
