Ughh I can't explain how horrible I feel for not updating earlier. But at least it's here. Just to give you a slight idea. I have started writing and rewriting this chapter maybe a million times and I was never satisfied, still not actually. But you all definitely deserve an update for voting and reading and commenting.

Just to let you know... This chapter contains a lot of things that happened in the past chapters because I thought it'd be nice to have some sort of a recap since it's been so long.

How was your December month? Did you have a nice Christmas? And I can't believe the day after tomorrow wil be new year's eve already. Time certainly has flown by.

Hope you enjoy,

Lots of love, Charlie <3

Chapter 33 – Emmaline

Emma snapped her jaws again when hearing one of the two men speak. She had no desire to deal with them right this moment. She just wanted to be left alone. That was what she always preferred anyways. She was good at it; being alone.

Shaking out her fur, she got ready to pounce on them again. She was confused when she realised the wolf who had knocked her to the ground had shifted back and was now standing next to the other man. She kept her eyes above their waist at all costs, not comfortable with the amount of nudity that was displayed right now.

"Now little princess, is this how wolves treat each other nowadays?" The guy who had barrelled into her said. Emma growled yet again as she lunged for them. Their eyes widened, not having anticipated her actually attacking them again which caused them to have but a second to react. The blond on the right didn't have enough time to shift as he was her main target. In one swift jump her jaws were around his neck when they both hit the ground. Her paws stood on his chest, pinning him to the ground. He was trapped. Whatever move he'd try to make, her fangs would easily rip out his throat.

The brown haired man who had shifted again, stood growling. He was trying to intimidate her, to get her to back off. But they all knew that there was nothing he could do without getting his companion killed.

"All right, Emma. You win." The man beneath her squeezed out as she applied a little more pressure to the frail skin on his neck. Emma still didn't release him though, she wanted to make sure he got the message. They shouldn't bother her and taunt her when she was in a mood. It took another four seconds that crept by ever so slowly before Emma showed mercy and released the man from her jaws. Whilst pulling back, she slightly nicked his skin, drawing the tiniest bit of blood to show him what could have happened.

"Damn girl," the blond groaned while rubbing the raw skin of his neck. "I think we trained you a little too well." He got up from the ground and dusted his clothes. Emma grumbled in response. Most of her skills she had learned on her own. And she was too prideful to admit that they had helped her. She was strong because she was born to be strong. Not because they trained her.

The beast inside of her agreed wholeheartedly.

Yet she couldn't deny that they had supported her tirelessly throughout the past decade. They had never shown any signs of wanting to abandon and give up on her. So in a way they had given her strength, a different kind of strength, but strength all the same.

"It would be good for you if we were to take you under our wings again. Teach some manners, for example." The blond growled.

Emma bared her teeth in a way of answering. She didn't need to be educated. She knew fully well how she was behaving, and she didn't feel the desire to change. Not in that aspect anyway.

Their gazes narrowed on her. It was obvious they did not understand why she was behaving so hostile. However, they should have grown accustomed to it by now, this wasn't the first time the she-wolf was in a mood. Still, having trained the she-wolf when she was barely reaching their chests, it was a strange sight to see her behaving so vicious.

"Lonnie, you all right?" The brunet called to his friend.

"Yeah," Lonnie answered. "Jimmie, I think it'd be best to leave our little princess alone. For now." He then turned back to Emma who was still eying them. "We'll come and check up on you tomorrow. Make sure you're in a better mood by then." His eyes flickered to Jimmie who was waiting patiently for his companion to go home.

"See you, Emma!" Jimmie called. And then, finally, the two males who Emma had come to know as Jimmie Tyler and Lonnie Larson, left her to her lonesome.

It wasn't that Emma didn't appreciate the two males who had helped her through her uncontrollable shifting and anger episodes, despite the fourteen and fifteen years age gap they had become friends of the sorts. She was just annoyed with everything and everyone.

"By the way, Lady Rose asked us to retrieve you. Something to do with a cup of tea and that brand new mark on your neck." Lonnie called over his shoulder, he just kept on walking and sooner rather than later they had disappeared from view.

Emma huffed and let herself fall to the ground again. She shouldn't allow herself to wallow in self-pity, rather she should get off her lazy ass and do something about those rogues so she could go to Dante and try to mend their matebond. She should also try and find someone who could help her to 'reset' her wolf in hopes of restoring the lost mindlink.

Perhaps Lady Rose would be a good start.

Now she just needed to find the courage to get up and do something about the mess she created for herself.

It took her all of the next fifteen minutes to gather that courage. And then she made her way toward the house Lady Rose and Sir Darius lived in now that they'd retired from their roles as alpha and luna of the Woodland-pack. Not in a rush to get there, Emma strolled rather leisurely over the territory until she reached the stone-house with the wooden front door and window-frames.

She pawed at the front door and waited for someone to answer. It was Lady Rose who opened the door to reveal Emma – who was still a wolf at that moment – patiently waiting. The woman with the white-golden hair and kind, blue eyes didn't look all that surprised to find Emma on her doorstep. A smile lit up her face, and despite the few wrinkles, it was almost as if her skin glowed with happiness. She kissed the top of Emma's head and ran her hand through Emma's soft, blonde fur.

"I'm glad you decided to come and visit me tonight. I really did miss you, my dear." Her voice was warm and kind, just like Emma remembered it to be when she was still young and Lady Rose had taken her under her wing, much to Sir Darius' dismay.

Because Emma's shifting was unpredictable back then, Sir Darius – who had been alpha at the time – thought it to be too dangerous for anyone who wasn't a recognised warrior or trainer to be around her unsupervised by someone who was. Especially in the beginning the man had been cold and unforgiving toward the small, little girl with a hot temper. Over the years his opinion of Emma had changed and he had become more than welcoming to her. Emma didn't hold his hard feelings against him, knowing that if the roles had been reversed she'd have felt the same.

"Wait a second dearie, let me get you some clothes to change into." And off Lady Rose went. But she returned in no time with a blouse and a pair of jeans. They seemed to be a bit too big for Emma due to their size-difference, but she didn't complain.

"Lady Rose," Emma greeted the woman the second she was fully dressed again. The two females fell into each other's embrace and just stood outside the little home for a few minutes.

"So tell me all about your mate. Why didn't you bring him with you? I'd love to meet him." Lady Rose started off their conversation. They were now seated in her small kitchen that looked like it had been carved out of dark grey stone. Emma looked down at her hands and then briefly glanced at Lady Rose's face before looking down once more.

"I – erm – his name is Dante Hall." She stated quietly. His face appeared before her eyes. His soft, caramel coloured hair. His warm and welcoming, dark brown eyes that made her feel at ease instantly. She remembered seeing him for the first time, assessing him. First just his face and then his half-naked state. He had looked strong. Strong enough to hold his own against her. Strong enough to take care of her. And even though she'd vowed... she hadn't allowed him to.

"Dante Hall?" Lady Rose mused, mulling over the somewhat familiar name.

"Yes. The Royal Beta. He and King Geoffrey visited Lunar Guardian to bring—" Emma cut herself off. No one was supposed to know her sister had been found. "To see if we had any news on my sister's whereabouts yet." Emma swallowed away the guilt she was feeling in that moment. She got tired of all the lying.

"And did you?"

"No." Emma shook her head. "But it's not like the pack is trying really hard to find her. My dad stopped all the search parties years ago."

"Ah, because of what Roman had found back then?" Lady Rose realised.

"The dead girl. Yes." Emma agreed and gave nod of her head. "Anyways, something happened and you know I have trouble answering to authority—" Emma was interrupted by Lady Rose snorting and giving out a laugh. Emma couldn't fight the urge to join in as she knew all too well that Lady Rose and Sir Darius, too, were all too aware of Emma and her ways of avoiding authority of any kind.

"It took Darius years to finally stop trying to get you to submit to him and just embrace you as some sort of daughter." Lady Rose laughed. Emma shook her head and smiled. She did give Sir Darius a rather hard time. And she had been blessed that he hadn't punished her severely for her disobedience.

"Yeah I ought to make it up to him someday. I guess I've been a handful."

"You still are. But we wouldn't have you any other way. It's part of your character. You're strong willed and determined to do what you feel is right."

"I think Dante kind of resents that part of me right now." She admitted quietly. Lady Rose sensed her unease and offered her another cup of tea before proceeding the subject.

"What happened?"

"I may have lied to him." She firmly held the tea cup in her hands, allowing the heat to transfer to her body. "He doesn't understand where I'm coming from and I've only known him for a short while... There are still things about me he doesn't know yet. And I may have gone wrong about them." She grew frustrated with herself again. There were so many things she should have done differently, could have done differently. But all those should have's, could have's would do her no good.

They had the power to drive her mental if she let them.

"I came clean to him tonight, over a phonecall. But I couldn't even tell him all of it. He felt so betrayed by me that he eventually just hung up on me." His words still ran through her head.

Emma. I miss you, too. It's good to hear your voice. And she had felt the same way. Longing to be with him again. Emma? Are you okay? His concern for her well-being when he'd noticed something was bothering her. It still warmed her heart. She was loved by him. Safety and being okay are two different things. He had told her when she evaded his question. Where did you go then?

From there on it had started going downhill. Why? And why didn't you tell me? It was when she had to admit that there was more she had been keeping from him. Yeah. No kidding. I thought you were safe in Woodland, while all this time you have been goddess knows where. And his suspicion had raised to where he felt the need to ask her: Are you even with your brother?

Of course she had been with her brother. Betraying him by venturing off with a male who wasn't related to her, was something even Emma wouldn't willingly do. I don't know what to think of this. And to be frank with you, I don't have the time or the energy to delve further into it. The words had been harsh and had caused her to flinch. But she knew she had no right to feel hurt. I want you to stop searching for those rogues. I do not need you putting yourself in danger.

Emma, we're handling it. Go home. Trust that I'm fixing this problem. And when she hadn't given in to his wishes he had to try one more time. "Please don't fight me on this. I don't want to have to worry about you as well."

"I'm not telling you. I'm begging you. Please, please Emma. Don't do anything potentially dangerous." Her heart broke for him, just thinking back to how desperate he had sounded. And she still felt guilty that she just couldn't comply with his wishes. And it was selfish really, but she didn't want him to be mad at her. "I'm so mad at you right now, but despite that I don't want to run the risk of losing you. Please Emma."

But she couldn't let down Roman. She couldn't let down her parents. Her sister. Or herself. They deserved justice for what had been done to them, for the grief they were caused. For the hurt they'd felt. She had to continue.

"No, you don't. I understand that you feel responsible because you are the Royal Guardian, but now you're just over exaggerating."

"Emma, I have to go. I'll see you when I see you, I guess. We'll talk then. Love you."

"I suppose I deserved it though," Emma finally said to Lady Rose who had kept quiet while Emma had gotten lost in her thoughts. "I let the fear of him not accepting me cloud my better judgement. I've done everything on my own for so long that I don't know how to fit another being into my life. At least not in the way a mate is supposed to be."

"But have you tried?"

"Tried what?"

"To fit in a true mate?"

"Of course I have!" Emma snapped. But Lady Rose wasn't the least bit impressed with Emma's answer. She pulled up her eyebrows and pressed her lips into a thin line. "I guess I haven't. Not really at least. I've told him I love him and I do like him... but it was all so sudden and I have never really loved anyone before, so how do I know what it feels like?" Emma conceded.

"You're having second thoughts," Lady Rose realised. Emma nodded and put her face in her hands.

"I know it's horrible." She sighed and shook her head from side to side. "But what would I know about love? It's supposed to come gradually, not the whole shit-load at once, right?"

"For some who fall in love with another than their mate, it mostly comes gradually, yes." Lady Rose agreed. "But you forget, dear Emma, that Dante is your mate. Your true mate. Which means he is literally made to complete you. You'll be complete with him around, balanced—"

"—But that doesn't mean I love him!" Emma cut in. "I just... what if I don't want to have Dante for a mate? Can't I choose who I want to spend the rest of my life with?"

"What's wrong with Dante?" Lady Rose suddenly seemed a little disappointed in Emma and how she was handling everything. "You should be happy you found him alive and well." She reprimanded her. "If Dante turns out to be your mate, you have to trust that no one will make you as happy as he will."

Emma sighed and slowly nodded her head. "It's just... it makes me feel trapped. Everything is changing... I am changing and I feel like I don't have a choice in everything that's going on. All of a sudden I've got a mate and I find myself questioning who I am and what I'm doing with my life. But truth is, I was content with the way I was living before he entered my life."

"I know it seems like you're not in control anymore and that it may feel suffocating. But I promise you for every 'sacrifice' you make, you'll gain something so much better."

Emma let the words sink in, not bothering to reply and actually taking the time to think things through.

She couldn't go around it anymore. There was no point in fighting it. Perhaps if she just would allow herself to actually feel something other than fury and anger and fear, maybe she'd find it easier to give into everything that was changing now that Dante had strolled into her life.

All right. She would go out there, find those rogues and end this madness. Then, when all was done, she'd allow herself to feel whatever is that Dante made her feel. She'd search for him and beg for his forgiveness, for another chance. And then, if he'd still have her, she would give him her all. All her darkest secrets, her devotion, her loyalty and her trust. He could even have her heart if he wanted. It was all his.

Just the thought of being that vulnerable had her heart skip a beat. But she would not allow fear to determine her actions anymore.

She thought of Dante and how they'd met. A smile played on her lips.

"You know," Emma started softly, not really looking at Lady Rose who had noticed the resolve in Emma even if Emma hadn't truly noticed herself and smiled at the young girl.

"What is it, dear?"

"He smells like freshly fallen rain..." Emma trailed off again, looking at something so close yet so far away, and in the same time at nothing at all. She was lost in her own dreamy thoughts.

"And?" Lady Rose urged her to continue.

"And though it scares me shitless, I guess I really do like him."