Mates Inc.

Chapter 4 - Unmasked

I ran to the toilet and threw up, kneeling before the altar of idiots. I kept retching until there was nothing left to throw up. I suddenly felt warm hands pulling my hair back, I smelled Emma's perfume and remembered this is not the first time she had done this for me. Or the second, but those times were back when we were young and partied all the time.

She put my hair up with an elastic band, then handed me some water. I rinsed my mouth and sat back against the wall, closing my eyes. I saw flashbacks of the far field and my mate on his rampage. I now knew that he was killing his own pack traitors, not the Silver Moon pack.

His Alpha Wolf demanded no less.

I was such a fool and everyone there knew it. I didn't know how I'd be able to face them. But I realized I was finished with my job as Peacemaker. I just couldn't do it anymore, I could barely sleep at night seeing pictures of not just this one battlefield, but of all the wars, all the massacres, all the horrors that sentient beings could inflict on each other.

I felt like I had given everything I could and there was nothing left of my soul. I felt broken.

Knowing Emma was there I just spoke to the room, "I don't know how I can go back there now. I've been the biggest fool." I felt a tear streak down my face. I had hurt my mate, and I was just now letting myself feel everything. I'd blocked my emotions for so long it was hard to adjust to just... feeling again.

It was a little overwhelming.

I had wanted to justify my actions by proving my mate a coward, and he had proven himself a worthy Alpha. And all my friends and colleagues knew this.

"Caro, we are behind you, remember? We are all in this together. You are loved and supported, and we just want you to be happy. That's all we've ever wanted." Emma sighed and ran her hand through her hair. "We just want you to learn the truth about your mate, and allow yourself to remember how to love."

Emma hugged me and added, "He did all this for you, Caro, he wants you as his mate. He knows you're a woman of honor, he knows you formed the wrong impression of him and he's willing to fight to convince you. To prove himself worthy of you."

Emma continued while she held me and gently stroked my hair. "In the office we all work every day to pair second-chance mates together, they have to take the time to allow the mate bond to form. You've been given the amazing gift of a 'true mate', you know how rare and wonderful they are, Caro."

Emma stood up and held out her hand. "Let's go talk to the Prince and get ready for this afternoon. You are no coward Caro, I've seen you fight wolves twice your size. Plus your mate will help you, you have to learn to trust him."

Caro looked up at her friend and gave her a watery smile. "You're right," she said as she grabbed her friend's hand and stood. Emma looked at her friend, then walked into the other room to wait. Caro looked at herself in the mirror, then looked down ashamed of herself.

After brushing her teeth and gargling, she held her head high as she walked back into her room, and grabbed her mask and followed Emma to walk toward the dining hall.

********

The Prince waited for his friend, he knew what she had to do and was glad his fierce friend found her mate. She needed his support now as she rebuilt her life, he made a mistake keeping her as the Peacekeeper so long. He should have seen the signs of the reactions to the horrible traumas she encountered. He often sent emissaries in his place and hadn't been as directly involved in the wars as Caro had.