So basically, I owe you all a massive apology for going MIA right after new years. I will spare you any details, but I kind of lost the motivation to write. But hopefully now I'm back! And I'll try to update on a regular basis again, because you all more than deserve it.

Recap:

Emma and her brother Roman are at Woodland and she has convinced Lonnie and Jimmie (the ones who trained to control her wolf when she was just a pup) to tag along on their journey to take out the rogues who are after her sister (who is the queen of the werewolves). But Woodland is surrounded by those rogues and her brother, Lonnie and Jimmie want to plan their attack before heading out. Emma has other ideas.

Because of the Rogue situation at Woodland, the alpha of Woodland had requested back up from Lycan Edge. 60 or so warriors would come, but they have not arrived and all contact with them has been lost.

Also, Emma is regretting her decision not to tell Dante that she is the Blood Wolf, and she is not aware that he is in fact searching for her alter ego. He is currently mad at her because she had lied to him about her whereabouts, and she feels guilty because of it. Main reason that she has not told him was because she was scared, but also because she's been on her own all her life and she has become bit of a rogue herself (she cannot mindlink, and she does not recognise the authority of others) which she despises. But she has come to realise that she has to accept him into her life and she is willing to change.

Just to remind you: Dante is NOT with Emma at the moment. He is in fact at Dawnfall Thunder where he had to search for Combat Advisor Terry Griffin who was in fact murdered. There they found a note in which Emmaline was threatened, but king Geoffrey did not allow Dante to make the journey to Woodland for it was too great a distance, and he needed Dante back home to help defend the Royal pack and the queen. Instead Dante resorted to calling to Woodland where he spoke with the former Luna who informed him that Woodland was under attack and Emma was fighting alongside the warriors and had yet to return.

Sooo hope that helps you a little. If you have any other questions... feel free to ask!

Lots of love (and lots of apologies),

Charlie <3

Chapter 37 - Emmaline

When Emma was thirteen years old, she once begged Lonnie and Jimmie to take her swimming in the lake on Woodland-territory. Initially they had refused to take her, saying that it was important she recovered first from the injuries she gained in her most recent rogue fight.

Of course Emma had always been head-strong and stubborn, and she didn't take 'no' for an answer. And so, the short-tempered, thirteen years old girl demanded the two full-grown males would take her swimming anyway. She firmly stood her ground, until she got what she wanted. Though not happy to be told what to do by a little girl, they had given in eventually. And that day, Emma had gotten to enjoy her well-deserved day off. It also had been her first day off ever since her trainers had taken her out rogue-hunting for the first time.

For the first time in a year, Emma was allowed to relax again. Even if it was just for a short period of time.

Many days passed since Emma begged Lonnie and Jimmie yet again to join her in something. Only this time, it was not for an enjoyable day at the lake. She needed them on her journey. She knew how much she was asking of them, they had their own families to think of, and she told them to take their time to think about it. The last thing she wanted was for them to rush through it and end up doing something when they're heart wasn't into it.

It had taken them three days to come to a definite decision, and much to Emma's surprise they both agreed to come. Part of her wondered if they did it out of guilt. But they assured her they didn't.

She still had trouble fully trusting that.

Nonetheless the four of them had started preparing to take off, they had been training, and freshened up on their defence- and attack-moves. And it was just a matter of days before they were ready to head out. If circumstances allowed it.

The numbers of rogues had only increased in the time frame that they had spent at Woodland. And though alpha Elias had already called for backup from Lycan Edge, those Warriors had yet to arrive. It worried everyone for those reinforcements should have arrived days ago. Alpha Elias called to Lycan Edge but he confirmed that about sixty wolves and his head warrior had departed long ago. But all contact with those wolves had been lost.

Emma thought it suspicious that sixty wolves went off the radar just like that. Normally if a wolf died the alpha of the pack the wolf belonged to, would feel the bond break. It did not cause the alpha to experience crippling pain though, for that would have been highly inconvenient in a life-death situation. It would more feel like someone pulled a hair out of your head, but mentally. But the alpha of Lycan Edge claimed not to have felt them die or exit the pack. So they should still be alive.

Emma offered to make the journey from Woodland to Lycan Edge, but she was stopped by Lady Rose, Lonnie, Jimmie and Roman who all of a sudden had decided to team up and gang up on her. She had something else to do. And they were going to help her. But for now she had to be patient. They would have to wait until it was safer to head out, much to Emma's dismay. She was getting impatient. If it was up to her, they would leave right this moment. Sadly it was not up to her alone anymore, she had to take the opinions of others into account. It wasn't just her own life that would be in danger were she to make a mistake, and they all had people they would leave behind, Emma just had Dante - if he would still have her.

Emma made her way to Roman's bedroom where she knocked and waited for him to answer. He did not come to the door in person, instead he called for her to enter. Hesitantly Emma walked in, it wasn't her intention to disturb him. Roman was lying on the bed, his eyes were glazed over, a smile lit up his face. No doubt he was mindlinking Isabelle, and whatever they were talking about was something good. "Five minutes, Emma." He said.

"Don't bother, take your time," replied Emma quickly. Whatever she came for was not at all urgent and did not by any means demand from Roman that he'd break off his conversation instantly. Emma just had had a fleeting thought and she wanted his opinion. Roman nodded and returned to his conversation. Emma got comfortable on the couch and observed the room. She was surprised, to put it frankly, because Roman had spent more than a week in this room without someone cleaning up after him, and she was still able to see the floor.

That most definitely was a first.

Her gaze then fell on Roman's cell phone that laid on the coffee table in front of her. Numerous times Emma had picked up that very same phone. And Emma had lost count of the times she had turned the phone over and over in her hands while she contemplated on whether or not to call the Royal pack and ask for Dante's number. She had even gotten as far as actually pressing the call button. Yet every time she ended up being too scared and ending the call before someone could pick up. She was afraid Dante did not wish to speak to her, scared he would hang up on her as soon as he'd hear her voice.

Now that she knew she had to accept the change that came with finding her mate, she was scared he was not yet ready to hear her out, or that she had created too big a mess.

But then... his last words to her were 'love you', so she did not lose him forever... Right?

In the end, just like the previous hundred times before, Emma decided against calling and she placed the phone back on the coffee table. Perhaps apologising and offering an explanation was better done in person, not over a lousy phone call.

About fifteen minutes after, Roman zoned back into the here and now, focusing his attention on his little sister.

"Isabelle?" Emma asked to be sure her assumption had been right.

"Yeah." He seemed really content and happy.

"How is she doing?" asked Emma.

"She's doing great, not counting the fact that she misses me." Roman smiled, Emma doubted she had ever seen him this content and excited with his life. "Our pup is doing great as well. She had a check-up this morning and his heartbeat is very strong. He's also growing just as he should. So I'm very excited."

"That's great, Roman!" Emma exclaimed, happy to hear that her nephew was doing good in his mother's womb. Soon there would be a little pup that resembled Roman running around Lunar Guardians, causing havoc and mischief. Emma was just sure of it, Roman had always been one to cause mischief around the house up until Emma's first shift.

"Yeah. I'm going to be a dad, Emmy. Can you imagine?" He seemed to still be astonished by the fact, and Emma could somewhat relate. Becoming a parent must have been a surreal feeling.

"Then we must hurry up and get you home before your son decides he is tired of waiting for his daddy to finally come home, and Isabelle goes into labour without you being present." A smile graced Emma's lips, more than anything she wanted her brother to be able to be there when his first pup was to be born. And, fortunately, she might have found a way to achieve that.

"Well, wouldn't that be nice?" Roman grinned. "But we're not even halfway done, Ems," he reminded her.

"I know. But I am tired of playing this endless game of cat and mouse. I know for a matter of fact that our main targets are out there, right this moment. And instead of going after them, we are hiding away because it is too high a risk!" Emma ranted. This was why she had come to her brother. She wasn't at all pleased with how they were handling things. Had she been alone, then she would have gone and attacked her targets the second she had caught whiff of their scent. She acted more on impulse, as opposed to her brother and two trainers. They insisted on planning the attack to the T first, before doing anything.

But Emma had reached her peak, and she was determined to get them to move. They had waited around enough.

Roman stayed eerily quiet, processing and just thinking. Emma observed his facial reaction, but he did not let anything show. His silence spoke volumes though, causing Emma to sigh irritably. He still wanted to wait.

"What are you proposing little sister?" He asked her, giving Emma at least a chance to defend her case. "I'm sure you've got your own vision."

Emma nodded before answering, "We go out there and hunt them down. Tonight."

"Tonight? Emma, are you insane?" Roman answered. He could not believe his little sister planned on going out there and hope that they would be able to catch the so called 'main targets'. Did she not take into account the numerous of other rogues who were present as well? And he bet his ass they were all ready and waiting, the moment they set foot out there they'd be a target and most likely ambushed. Emma couldn't be serious about this, could she?

"I am dead serious, Roman."

One look at Emma's face, and one knew she was not kidding.

"Emma, be real. It would be like running into their vicious claws. Have you not counted their numbers? Their numbers are growing every single day. We will not make it out alive. And you might be okay with that, Emma, but Lonnie, Jimmie and I are not. We would actually like to come home to our family and mates someday." Roman snapped.

"I went scouting yesterday. Everything went fine. They did not notice me. We just have to exit Woodland-territory on their Southern border, because they are expecting us to come out in the North. We can sneak passed them, kill their leader and be done with it." Emma countered.

"Emma, I admire your positive thinking. But we cannot-no, we should not put ourselves in danger like that. Even if we manage to slip passed them unnoticed... are you really that naïve to think they'll drop their mission the moment their leaders are killed?" Roman ran a hand through his hair. "You are the freaking Blood Wolf! You know better than anyone what rogues are like. You know their hierarchy. Maybe they'll falter for a few days, but eventually someone else will step up as their leader and they'll just continue."

Emma looked away defiantly. She knew her brother was right. But if every time she took out their leader, someone else would take over... would that mean this fight would never end? They were right within her grasp, to kill and to end...

But could she kill hundreds of them at once?