Emily's POV

The trip down to the pack house was quicker than I had hoped, and before I knew it, Jax stopped the car in front of the pack house.

Jax got out of the car and went around, opening the car door for Mila. He held his hand out and carefully helped his mate from the car.

"Mila, my love," Jax said, kissing the top of her hand. "I will be right back. Wait for me!"

My heart pinched at the tenderness of his voice. He spoke to her with so much love and care.

Mila nodded her head, and Jax got back in the car and drove off.

Two minutes later, the dark-headed wolf appeared next to Mila.

"Ready?" He asked, taking her hands in his.

Mila giggled like a typical schoolgirl and blushed.

I turned my gaze away, giving them some privacy.

Some days I wish I had what Mila and Jax had. Their love for one another was so tender and unconditional.

A small smile followed at the corners of my lips, remembering the night Mila found out Jax was her mate.

We were all in the clearing, waiting for her to shift, when the single word 'mate' slipped from her lips.

Jax came forward, answering her call. He knew all along that Mila was his mate. He found out the year before and kept it a secret while keeping a watchful eye on her.

My gaze moved to where the two lovebirds stood. The tall, dark-headed wolf had his arms around his blond and beautiful mate and his lips devouring hers.

Mila was the first to pull away, turning her gaze toward me and blushing.

"I'm sorry," she apologized. "We can't help it!"

"I am used to it by now," I smiled, gesturing between the two of them. "No worries."

Jax's gaze moved toward the huge double doors and back to us.

"They are about to start," he announced.

Mila took my hand, and the three of us headed together toward the entrance.

The same unholy feeling crept up inside me, and my heart rate increased, warning me I shouldn't be there—I shouldn't have come.

We came to a stop a couple of feet from the door, and Jax let go of Mila's hand, opening the door.

I took a deep breath, trying to get my racing heart under control and force my anxiety aside.

As soon as Jax pushed the double door open, a scent so intoxicating hit my nostrils—apple crumble.

It was the most delicious scent I have ever smelled.

My mouth watered to have a taste of it.

The scent suddenly started to smother me, and I felt dizzy. I took an unwilling step back, turning my face away from the smell and seeking fresh air.

"What the hell?" I muttered to myself.

Mila turned to look at me, and concern crossed her eyes.

"Are you alright?" Jax asked worryingly.

"I-I-I don't know," I stuttered nervously. "There is this sweet smell of apple crumble coming from inside. It's overwhelming," I explained.

Mila knitted her eyebrows together, confused, and lifted her nose to the air, taking a whiff.

"I don't smell anything," she said a moment later. "Do you?" She asked, turning her gaze to Jax.

Jax, in return, shook his head.

"I don't smell anything out of the ordinary," he said.

"Maybe the kitchen is making some pies and desserts," Mila offered as an explanation. "Alpha Cole did mention that he was going out of his way to welcome Alexander back."

I nodded, and the scent suddenly cleared, giving me room to breathe.

I followed Mila and Jax into the pack house and down to the community room.

The community room was a huge room where we mostly had functions and packed meetings; tonight it looked more like a ballroom fit for a king.

"Wow!" Mila gasped, "It's Wow!"

"It's something, alright," I said, moving my gaze up the walls to the roof. Alpha Cole surely decorated the place beautifully.

We were just in time to see Alpha Cole leave the stage, and seconds later, the music started again.

I moved my gaze over the sea of people, hoping to get a glimpse of Alex, but he was nowhere to be found.

Did he leave already?

"Let's go dance," Mila said, interrupting my thoughts and grabbing my hand.

We were on the dance floor for about an hour when Mila said she wanted to go to the ladies' room.

"It seems like you are enjoying yourself after all," Mila said when we were heading to the exit.

"You know I love dancing," I said. I felt more myself, and my anxiety was long gone.

"Yeah, I know," Mila chirped, seriously. "You do know that every unmated wolf was checking you!"

I was taken aback by her words. I didn't even notice that people were looking at me.

"Well, if they are," I said sourly. "They are chicken sh*t for not asking me to dance."

"Maybe it's for the best," Mila said, pushing the ladies' room door open. "We both know you are way better than them."

I couldn't help but smile. Mila always knew how to cheer me up.

But deep down I knew it wasn’t true. Everywhere I go, the pack members are always ignoring my existence—they wouldn’t even glance at me.

Some days I wish people would just notice me. I didn't disappear. I was still there and part of the pack.

A group of ten young adults passed me next, heading toward the exit of the building. They were my friends before my birthday. I used to be part of that group, and my Beta rank made me popular too.

I sighed.

Why was I part of a pack that didn't accept me the way I was?

My heart pinched, and my hands flew to my chest. The painful feeling made me feel numb inside.

"Do you want to go home?" Mila asked, taking my hand.

I lifted my gaze, and Mila smiled kindly at me, wiping the warm tears from my face that I didn't know had spilled over.

I shook my head. If I went home now, my parents would think that something had happened, and I wasn't in the mood to answer their questions.

"No," I whispered. "Just give me a minute."

Mila softly patted my shoulder, giving me time to gather myself.

"Feeling better?" she asked, and I gave her a weak smile, reading the pity in her eyes.

I slowly followed her back to the community room, but just as we passed the double doors going out to the gardens, I froze in my tracks.

It was as if everything inside me screamed to be outside.

And there’s the sweet scent of apple crumble again.

"What's wrong, Em?" Mila asked, looking back at the door. "You are acting strange."

I slowly turned my gaze to meet hers, and her hands flew to her lips as she gasped, taking a step back.

"I’m fine," I said, my voice sounding higher than usual in my ears. "I just need to go check something. I'll meet up with you in just a few minutes!"

Mila blinks a couple of times before she reacts. She then turned on her heels and dashed off toward the community center, as if someone were chasing her.

As soon as she was out of sight, I turned toward the door.

What happened next left my world spinning out of control.

****

Emily's POV

The cool autumn breeze shook me out of my trance, and I yelped out in fright as the door shut closer behind me.

I shook my head, confused, looking over the gardens.

Why did I have the urge to come here? There was nothing out of the ordinary out there. Everything was quiet, except for my racing heart.

The immense pull was unavoidable, and I took a step forward.

I ended up making my way down to the huge fountain centered in the gardens and sitting down on the cold white marble bench, overlooking the water and fountain.

I sighed.

Was I losing my mind?

I lifted my gaze toward Mother Moon's sculpture standing in the center of the huge bowl.

She stood protectively among powerful wolves who were howling at the moon.

"Why have you kept my wolf from me?" I whispered.

An unnerving silence answered me back, and my temper flared out of control.

I jumped to my feet as anger and pain rippled through my chest.

"Why did you punish me like that?" I cried out and dropped to my knees. "Am I not pure enough to be blessed with one of your creations? Am I not strong enough to have one?"

I sobbed uncontrollably, releasing every bottled-up emotion of the last few weeks.

"Why did you bring me here?" I asked, whipping my face.

The cold statue stared back at me with the same kind of cold smile as every other day.

"Tell me!" I demanded angrily. "Tell me why I am here!"

My yelling echoed through the silence of the night, disturbing the wildlife in the forest.

I sighed, getting to my feet.

"I should have known you wouldn't answer me!" I spat angrily.

I turned to leave, starting back at the packhouse.

I rushed down the path through the gardens, my eyes blurry from my tears. I went at a slower pace when the packhouse came into view, wiping my tears with my hands—my make-up must have been smeared from all my crying.

I reached out to open the door when the same intoxicated scent of apple crumble assaulted my nose.

I froze in my tracks with my hand firmly on the door handle, and my breathing started to race.

"Mate!" Alex's familiar, husky voice sounded behind me, sending pleasurable shivers down to my core.

"This can't be," I whispered, closing my eyes and swallowing the lump in my throat.

This must be some kind of dream. I must be imagining things!

I could hear Alex getting closer, and I yelped out of fright when he suddenly stretched his arms out, holding the door.

I visibly shivered, feeling his warm breath fanning over the side of my neck.

For a few odd seconds, we both stood frozen.

I wasn't sure what to do.

Was Alex waiting for me to answer his call? I didn't have a wolf to tell me if it was true!

I slowly let go of the door handle to turn to face him.

I gasped, surprised, seeing his huge body tower over my small 5'5 frame. His enormous biceps flexed under his black stretch shirt.

He had his eyes closed with a small, teasing smile playing on his lips.

Was he happy to have found me?

Alex's eyes snapped open, and I was met with deep pools of darkness staring back at me.

Startled, I took a quick step back, hitting the door—his wolf must have taken control.

Alex made no effort to move out of the way or let me go. Instead, he knitted his eyebrows together and shifted his head to the side.

Was he trying to read me?

Was he going to reject me?

"What's the big rush, little mate?" He asked, shifting his head from side to side.

"No, no, no big rush?" I muttered nervously under my breath. Alex's closeness was welling up unknown feelings inside me.

Alex's hand moved to the side of my face, and I flinched at his touch when he carefully removed stray hair from my face.

Did I just feel sparks?

"Why are you scared of me, little mate?" he asked, his husky voice full of emotion.

"I-I-I am not," I stuttered nervously. "I-I-I am just..."

Alex moved his head to my nape, extended his canines, and scraped my marking spot. I shivered, feeling my legs giving in under my weight. He slowly pulled his head back and openly took a deep and long whiff of my scent.

"Ahh," he said excitedly, licking his lips. "You smell so bloody delicious."

For a second, I was wondering what I smelled, but before I could ask, he flung me over his shoulder and ran off toward the forest.

He didn't run too deep into the forest. I could hear the rumbling of the waters close by.

A couple of minutes later, a cottage came into view, and Alex ran up the few steps to the door.

He carefully set me down, snaked his arm around my waist, and pushed the door open.

Alex picked me up in bridal style and carried me inside.

"Where are we?" I asked when I found my voice. I was too shocked to ask any questions or even yell when he ran off with me.

Alex switched on a light.

"The Alpha cottage," he said, setting me down on the couch. "I used to come here when I needed a break from reality."

I nodded in understanding. I used to have a special spot down the river where I used to hide, and only Mila knew where to find me.

Alex pulled his shirt over his head and threw it on the floor, then headed to the fireplace, squatted in front of it, and started the fire.

For a few minutes, Alex just stared into the fire, not saying a word.

What was he thinking?

Was he thinking about rejecting me?

My gaze moved toward the window, hearing the wind picking up outside.

Was a storm brewing? A couple of minutes ago, the skies were clear, and the moon hung low against the sky.

"Alpha Alexander," I called nervously.

"Alex," he said, getting to his feet. "Call me Alex."

"Uhm, Alex," I muttered. "I think you should take me back to the packhouse. It looks like it is about to rain."

Alex shook his head and got closer. He pinned his arms on the couch's armrest, caging me in.

"It is about to snow," he said happily.

"Snow?" I shrieked, my eyes widening.

"Yes, snow. Take a look," he urged, smiling.

Alex moved away from me, giving me room to get up. As soon as I was on my feet, I ran to the door and threw it open.

I gasped, surprised—everything was already covered in at least three feet of snow.

"How is this possible?" I squeaked. It had never snowed here before.

Alex gave me a cheeky grin, and for some reason, I already knew the answer. His wolf must be responsible for this.

"It only happens when our bloodline finds our true and fated mate," he said proudly, and his eyes shifted back to his beautiful gray color.

"Alex?" I whispered, enjoying the way his name rolled over my tongue.

"Yes, my love," he said, opening his arms for me. "Come to me."

I hesitated for a moment before my legs dragged my body towards him as if they were compelled to do so.

As soon as I was in his arms, he pulled me closer to his chest, and his warm apple crumble scent enveloped me. This was pure bliss; this was home.

I sighed in contentment, feeling accepted and loved.

Alex carefully lifted my chin with his index finger, searching my gaze.

Was he searching for approval?

His eyes shifted to my lips, leaving me nervous and quivering.

Was he about to kiss me? I so wanted to taste him.

"Sh*t!" I groaned inwardly, becoming intoxicated by Alex's scent. It was numbing my senses and making me feel and want things.

My breath hitched when Alex dropped his gaze lower, his minty breath fanning over my face and leaving his lips inches from mine. I could feel his heat radiating from them.

My core clenched out of anticipation, making my juices willingly spill into my panties.

Alex's eyes darkened, and he licked his lips. He must have sensed my arousal.

"You smell so mouth-watering," he huskily whispered. "I want you! All of you! I want to be inside of you!"

My face warmed, spreading the heat down to my core and making my p*ssy throb.

I so wanted him to touch me. I wanted to feel his hands roaming over my body, lining every curve I had.

"Can I?" Alex asked, and for a moment, I was left confused.

Was he asking if he could kiss me? Or f*ck me? Or both?

Before I could answer, Alex's lips crushed on mine, stealing my first kiss, and I melted into his arms.

Alex lifted me without breaking the kiss, carried me up the stairs, into a room, and laid me down on a bed.

I whimpered when he pulled away—I wanted more!

"Relax, little mate," he said, chuckling. "I am not going anywhere!"

Alex turned toward the dresser and removed his jacket, while my gaze scanned over the interior of the room.

The room was clean and neat, and only simple things decorated the walls, but interesting enough, there was no scent of another she-wolf.

Alex came closer and sat next to me, taking my hands in his, and I hesitated for a moment.

"What is it?" I asked.

"I'm not sure how to say this," he said, rubbing the back of his head.

Did he get to his senses and notice that I didn't have a wolf? Was he-?

"I have never made love to anyone before," he said, looking up through his eyelashes, embarrassed.

My heart leaped out of my chest. Alex waited! He waited for me!

My hand instinctively cupped his face, and a small, relieved smile followed on my lips.

"So have I," I said, my cheeks burning.

Alex pushed his lips against mine and softly pushed me back on the bed. He looked like a boy opening a long-awaited Christmas present, his hands roaming and exploring my body.

This felt so good. This felt so right. This made me so happy!

If only I had known that this happy moment would end in the blink of an eye.

****

Emily's POV

I woke up with a bang, with my alarm clock screaming his red numbers next to me.

8:30 a.m.

My eyes widened.

I was late for training! I jumped out of bed and landed on my feet with a groan.

"F*ck!" I swore under my breath.

My body felt like a bulldozer had run over it. It was sore all over, and my breasts were tender and swollen.

I knitted my eyebrows together, confused, trying to remember what had happened last night.

I slowly moved toward the bathroom, feeling the tenderness between my legs.

Did I have..?

I shook the thoughts off just as fast as they came. I couldn't have—did I?

"Sh*t!" I gasped under my breath, startled, when I saw my painted reflection in the mirror.

My nape was covered in all colors and sizes of bruises, running down my breasts and stomach.

Hickeys! What the f*ck! Who did this to me, and why?

I sighed, frustrated. There was no way I could go out to training looking like that.

I wiped my hand over my face, shaking my head in disbelief.

"How did I get back to my room?" I muttered to myself. "Weren't I stuck in the cabin under thick snow?"

I carefully turned and headed to open the shower tap, hoping it would help bring back my memories of last night.

My gaze landed on the little black dress Mila picked for me that night.

"Who gave me a change of clothes?" Everything was a bit confusing.

I reached out and grabbed the dress, noticing a faint, familiar scent on the fabric.

Memories of last night flooded in, and I yelled out, surprised, throwing the dress to the side as if it had just burned me.

Alex took my innocence and my first kiss.

"Alex is my mate," I whispered to myself.

My heart pounded in my chest, and my stomach felt as if someone had turned it over.

"Alex is my fated mate?"

I knew it wasn't a question, but even that idea sounded surreal to my own ears.

I picked up the dress, dumped it in the washing bag, and got into the shower.

I grunted and moaned with every move I made, washing my tender and sore body.

When I was eventually done, I headed back to my room to get dressed. I knew I was in trouble because I was late for training, and I was now contemplating just skipping it.

"Finally!" Mila's angry voice rang in my ears, and I yelled out, surprised to find Mila sitting on my bed.

"Where the hell did you go last night?" She yelled angrily at me. "Jax and I looked all over for you! We were worried sick! Why was your block up? How did you get home, and what the f*ck are those marks around your nape?"

When Mila was eventually done yelling at me, her anger had subsided.

"It's a long story," I said. "One that I can't tell you now. I am already late for training."

Mila huffed, rolling her eyes at me, and in return, I narrowed my eyebrows at her, confused.

"Training was canceled this morning," she said. "If you had your link open, you would have known that Alpha Cole gave everyone off today."

"He canceled training?" I asked, surprised. My gaze landed on the alarm clock next to my bed. I was sure I had set it for 6 a.m., yet it went off at 8:30 a.m.

Did Alex change the time on the alarm clock? Did he know I would be exhausted after last night?

"Yeah," Mila continued, suddenly annoyed again. "It snowed last night."

My heart leaped out of my chest. It wasn't a dream; it really did happen.

"It hasn't snowed for over twenty-five years," Mila said, deep in thought. "Alpha Cole said not to worry. He looked kind of... happy about it."

"Oh," the single word slipped from my lips.

"Yeah," Mila said, knitting her eyebrows together, confused. "He said we should celebrate and enjoy the snow and not worry about it. Change is on the horizon."

I nodded in understanding and headed to my walk-in closet.

I needed to find some clothes that would hide all the evidence from last night.

I eventually settled on a chocolate brown turtleneck top and a comfortable pair of white jeans.

I quickly got dressed inside the closet, trying to hide the rest of the evidence from Mila. She would bombard me with questions if she suspected I had found my mate. And if she hears that it is Alex, I will never hear the end of it.

I grabbed a pair of white sneakers on my way out and took a seat on my bed.

Mila was quietly sitting in the corner of my room, flipping through an old magazine.

"Are you done ignoring my questions?" Mila asked, lowering the magazine.

I stopped what I was doing and dropped my shoulders. I knew Mila was only looking out for me, but what should I tell her? The truth? I wasn't ready, and I didn't even know what had happened last night.

"There is nothing to tell," I said, ignoring the truth. "I didn't feel well and went outside to get some fresh air. I must have lost track of time and gone home."

Mila rolled her eyes at me, not buying a word I said.

"So how do you explain the hickeys all over your neck?" she asked.

"Mosquito bites," I said, without thinking.

Mila threw her head back and roared out of laughter.

"Try again," she said, wiping her laughing tears from her eyes. "Maybe then I will believe you."

"Fine," I said. "It's a rash. I stumbled on some poison ivy."

That made Mila bend over with laughter, shaking her head.

"Maybe you should quit warrior training and rather go do stand-up comedy," she said between laughs.

I huffed, annoyed, and felt embarrassed. Mila could see right through me. Lying to her didn't help. She would eventually find out the truth.

I crossed my arms around my waist, waiting for her to be done laughing.

"It is not funny," I eventually said when she calmed down enough.

"It is!" Mila argued. "No one would believe the sh*t you just said. It snowed last night; no mosquito would dare be outside, and we don't have poison ivy on pack territory."

I kept silent, thinking about what I should say next.

"Fine," I said, giving in. "They are hickeys. It is not that I don't want to tell you; it is just that I don't know what to tell you."

"Then start from the beginning!" Mila said, dropping the magazine on the bedside table.

How do I tell my best friend that I am the soon-to-be Alpha’s mate?

I closed my eyes, praying. This wasn't the right time.

"I can't," I eventually said. "Things are a bit complicated at the moment. I promise I will tell you everything when the time comes."

Mila wanted to say something, but I stopped her.

"I don't even know what happened last night," I said, but I was hoping to find out soon.

Mila's face dropped, and she suddenly looked sad that I was keeping this from her.

I closed the gap between us, squatting next to the chair she was sitting on.

"Mila," I said. "You are my best friend, and you will be the first one I tell. Just trust me when I say I can't tell you now. I need to work things out for myself first before I share my secret with you."

Mila nodded and gave me a weak smile.

I didn't like keeping secrets from her, but never in my wildest dreams did I ever suspect that my secret would be short-lived.

****