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.

****

Emily's POV

The pack house was fairly quiet when Mila and I arrived.

My parents, the Beta pair of the pack, asked me to come and help clean the community center.

It wasn't a normal occurrence for the Beta family to be involved in helping clean after a pack function. I guess Alpha Cole must have asked them to help after he gave everyone a day off.

"Where is everyone?" Mila asked, surprised when no guards were stationed at the front door of the pack house.

"I think everyone went down to the clearing to enjoy their snow day," I said, gesturing to the cold, wet, fluffy stuff lying all over the place.

Mila sighed.

"Why did you talk me into helping?" She asked, shivering. "I could have been lying under the blankets with a cup of hot chocolate in my hands, watching a movie."

"Because I needed help," I said, shrugging. "And you are my only friend."

Mila rolled her eyes as she entered the pack house.

The main reason Mila was sulking was that she was a bit disappointed that Jax went snowboarding with his friends that morning. Thus, she ended up in my room.

Jax wasn't a member of our pack; he was from one of our neighboring packs, the Dark River Pack.

Alpha Colt and Jax's father, Beta David, grew up together and were best friends in the day. When he found out that Mila was Jax's mate, he gave him permission to come and go as he liked.

One day, Mila would most likely request a transfer to Jax's pack and become a pack member there.

I sighed when I walked into the community center—it was a mess and would take us at least three hours to clean it up.

Mila's gaze turned toward me, shaking her head.

"I should have stayed in bed," she moaned under her breath.

We both grabbed a mop and a bucket and started the big clean-up.

"Em," my mother linked, after an hour. "Are you two done cleaning up the community room?"

"Almost done, mom," I replied. It went faster than I thought.

"Good," she said. "I have asked Omega Julie to prepare something to eat for you two. When you are done, come have your lunch."

Julie's food was always straight-forward and delicious. There were no funny things added to the meals, which were always perfect for us picky eaters.

I cut the link soon after, wiped the sweat from my forehead, and placed the mop in the bucket.

"Mom says our food is ready," I told Mila. "And Julie made it."

"Good, I'm starving," Mila replied, handing me the mop and the bucket.

Less than twenty minutes later, we were done in the community room, and we headed down to the kitchen.

Julie spotted us the second we entered, and she lifted her gaze, greeting us with a broad smile.

I couldn't help but notice her blond hair was neatly tied up in a bun on top of her head, and her eyes sparkled out of delight. She looked happy today.

Julie had recently lost her mate in a rogue attack. She tried to act brave, but we could all see that she was hurting inside.

This was the first time that the forty-five-year-old Omega had a smile on her face.

"Afternoon girls," she greeted us and waved us closer.

"Hi Omega Julie," we greeted her. Everyone, especially the kids, loved her.

"Your lunch is ready," she said, gesturing to the warmer, and Mila and I rushed toward it.

"Have you two washed your hands?" Julie asked the second we tried to retrieve our plates.

Mila and I looked at each other and then at Julie.

"No," we both whispered.

"Then off you two go," she said, chasing us out of the kitchen.

Mila and I exited the kitchen with our tails between our legs. We were starving, and now we needed to get our hands washed first before we could have our plate of food.

Julie made us her famous mac and cheese, and I could already imagine tasting it on my tongue.

Mila pulled a sour face, seemingly annoyed—the closed ladies' room was at the far end of the long hall.

I, in return, gave her a cheeky smile and winked at her.

"Oh, no, you don't," Mila warned.

"Oh, yes, I am," I said, reading myself to sprint down the hall.

"We are going to get into trouble," Mila complained.

"Only if they catch us," I said.

Mila rolled her eyes with a sigh, and before she was done rolling her eyes at me, I was already sprinting down the hall.

"That's cheating!" she yelled behind me.

Mila caught up with me a few seconds later, and the two were giggling with every step we took.

No one was there to see us, and no one would yell at us for making a racket or moan about seeing us running.

Mila won the race by just a few seconds.

"You cheated," I said, panting.

"Why do you say that?" She said, looking up at the roof, ignoring my gaze.

"Because you tapped into your wolf's speed," I said, annoyed.

"You didn't set any rules," Mila argued.

"But you know I don't have a wolf," I defended. "You are not playing fair!"

Mila turned silent, looking down at her feet, and I suddenly wondered what she was thinking.

Did I say something bad?

"What's wrong?" I asked, stepping closer.

"Em," she said, hesitating. She opened her mouth without making a sound, yet I could see that she had a lot to tell me.

"Mila, what's wrong?" I asked.

Her gaze snapped at me, and worry and confusion were reflected in them.

"You can tell me," I said. "You know you can."

Mila took a deep breath.

"Last night," Mila said, dropping her gaze to her hands and playing with the hem of her shirt. "I saw something happening to you."

My heart skipped a beat. Did she see me and Alex together?

"What did you see?" I asked, swallowing hard at the lump forming in my throat.

Mila lifted her gaze slowly.

"When we returned from the restroom, I noticed that you were acting strangely," she said.

My thoughts raced to last night. I remembered that the pull toward the exit was unavoidable—every living cell in my body wanted to go there.

"And?" I asked, remembering her gasping and taking a step back from me. She looked kind of horrified.

"You were not you," she said.

I fell silent, trying to process what Mila was trying to tell me.

What did Mila see?

"What do you mean by I wasn't me?" I asked.

"Emily, your eyes turned red," Mila whispered. "And your aura looked like red flames moving around you."

That confused me even more.

"Do you think that it might be my wolf?" I asked hopefully.

"Whatever it was," Mila said. "It frightened the living sh*t out of me."

Maybe I have a wolf after all?

****