Chapter 403
Four hundred and five
Emma POV
The sun burned down on the stretch of road, but my body felt frozen. Across the concrete divide, my father stood with his arms spread wide. When he saw me alive, he smiled, and the tension around his eyes eased. Uncle Cameron stood beside him, while Charlie stayed close, scanning me from head to toe.
The old woman shuffled past me, moving slowly but keeping her head up. Her eyes stayed on me as she crossed the gap toward the rogue line. Alexander stepped forward and wrapped an arm around her shoulders to steady her, then guided her to Lucas.
I stared at Alexander’s face. It gave nothing away. He didn’t look at me. His eyes stayed on the horizon.
My pulse battered against my ribs, just as it had earlier that day when I fled the eating nook.
I half walked, half ran down the corridor to get away from him. Heat burned through my skin. If I’d stayed in that small room with Alexander one more second, I would’ve stripped off my clothes and thrown myself into his arms
When I slammed the door to our holding room, Anita looked up and saw the panic on my face.
Are you okay? her eyes asked.
I pressed my back against the doorframe to keep my knees from buckling.
Haley looked up from her corner. “What’s going on between you and the rogue?” She let out a snort. “This is why sticking with women is so much easier. Men are exhausting p>
I needed to shut down her curiosity before she started digging into things she had no business knowing.
“No gender is better than the other,” I said. “A female friend of mine was assaulted by a woman back in school. Anita’s had bad experiences with women too. People are just complicated p>
Haley grunted and turned her head away, the deflection working just enough to quiet her down.
Later, when Haley finally fell asleep, Anita leaned close to my ear.
“You came back in here looking flushed,” she whispered. “Like you just did something wrong. You weren’t gone long enough to have sex, unless it was the quickest encounter in history p>
I rolled my eyes, keeping my voice down to a whisper. “Do you have to be so nosy p>
“Tell me what he said,” Anita insisted. “Did you make any progress p>
“There’s no progress. He’s just letting us go p>
Anita chewed on her lip. “What if you see him in secret? After all this blows over? He could come near the pack borders, or you could pick a hidden spot. Just satisfy the bond when you need to, then go back to your normal lives. You don’t have to be a traditional couple p>
“Are you crazy?” I whispered back. “If my parents or Uncle Cameron found out I was sneaking out to meet a rogue, the backlash would destroy everything. It’s impossible p>
That conversation had repeated in my head during the journey to the exchange point. In the back of the truck, sitting close to Alexander yet miles apart, the mate bond clawed at my chest. My wolf raged beneath my skin, demanding I reach out and touch him, while my human mind reminded me of my family, my duty, and the world waiting for me.
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Even if we hid it, how long could a secret like that last? What would happen when my family expected me to marry an Alpha heir from a respected pack? How could I drag another man into a life built around a hidden mate bond?
“Emma!” my dad called again, breaking the silence.
The memories faded in the harsh sunlight. Alexander stood a few feet away, stoic, as if the chaos between us didn’t exist.
My father, Uncle Cameron, and Charlie stood a few yards away, Their faces meant everything I’d known since childhood: safety, pack structure, and home. I stood on the side of the road where I belonged, surrounded by people who loved me and had risked everything to bring me back.
Yet my feet wouldn’t move.
A cramp twisted through my stomach. When Alexander stepped back, putting more space between us, the mate bond pulled tight. It wasn’t just a thought or feeling. Cold sweat broke out on my neck. My skin went cold, and something burned deep in my ribs, stealing my breath. My wolf clawed at my chest, demanding I close the gap and return to him.
Across the divide, the old woman turned her head. Her sunken grey eyes met mine. She didn’t look angry or bitter. Her lips pressed together as she watched me, as if warning me without words.
Don’t go back, her eyes seemed to say. You don’t belong over there anymore.
My father noticed my silence. He stepped over the concrete line dividing the two groups, grabbed my shoulders, and pulled me against his chest.
His coat smelled like home. It was the scent that had comforted me my entire life, but it didn’t stop the shivering in my limbs.
“Emma,” he breathed, tightening his arms around me. “My girl. You’re okay. You’re safe p>
Charlie stepped in behind him and wrapped his arms around both of us. He pressed his face against the top of my head, his chest heaving. He talked fast, telling me how terrified my mother had been and how hard they’d worked to find us.
I heard his voice, but his words sounded far away, like he was speaking through deep water. The pulse in my ears drowned out everything else.
Over Charlie’s shoulder, I kept my eyes on Alexander.
My father pulled back and studied my face. He saw my blank stare and trembling body and took it for shock and fear. He thought my captors had broken me.
Rage flashed across his face. He turned toward the rogue line and glared at Alexander.
“You bastard!” he shouted, his voice carrying across the open terrain. “What did you do to her p>
Alexander didn’t shout back or raise a weapon. But when my father screamed, his mask cracked. A flash of hurt crossed his eyes before he shut it away.
My father shook my arms gently. “Emma, talk to me p>
Alexander turned his back on us. He said nothing and didn’t look back. He walked toward the tree line, flanked by his armed guards.
As he moved farther away, the pain in my chest spiked. Dizziness hit me, and the sun’s glare hurt my eyes. It felt
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like a hook beneath my collarbone, pulling me toward the forest with every step he took.
cle Cameron stepped forward and placed a hand on my neck. He pulled me from my father’s grip and against his shoulder, then kissed my forehead.
“You’re free now, darling,” he said. “Look at me, Emma p>
He lifted my chin, mistaking my trembling for something else.
“It’s over. Did he hurt you? Did he lay a hand on you while you were in that house p>
I stared at the tree line as Alexander disappeared into the woods. My throat felt dry, like it was packed with ash
I opened my mouth to answer, but I knew I’d break down. I couldn’t tell my father that my captor was my true mate. I couldn’t tell my uncle that the pain came from Alexander leaving me behind.
I shut my eyes and blinked back the tears. I pressed a hand to my stomach to stop the nausea, turned into my father’s shoulder, and let them lead me back to the car.
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Lucia Morh
Lucia Morh is a passionate storyteller who brings emotions to life through her words. When she’s not writing, she finds peace nurturing her garden.