Mates Inc.

Waiting For Emma -- Chapter 5

Chapter 5 - Unwanted Reunion

Even in prison she found copies of that ridiculous book, The Mate Manual. She had seen it enough to be annoyed with the phony advice written for men to dominate and manipulate women and their mates. Emma was always running damage control to prevent both men and women from destroying their fledgling romances.

She had been forced to remain in the minimum security wing of the prison, which was like a rehab center outside of town. Sighing she walked around the gardens, that was her assigned work for the day. She got to weed gardens most of the time while armed guards watched them all.

She was surprised when she noticed Caro standing in front of her, but went and stowed her rake and gloves back in their proper compartment, then dusted her hands and followed her friend to the Warden's office. She was swiftly released into Caro's care and walked out of that place.

When they stood at her car, Emma finally broke down and sobbed in her friends arms.

Emma had hated every moment in that place, no one liked prison. She learned no lessons and mercifully she only had to stay there two weeks. She thought the Prince would punish her far longer for not giving up the names.

During the drive back to Caro's apartment, the former Peacemaker filled her in on the details of the failed coup. Caro was staying in town with her mate Alpha Jardin, they had both been heavily involved with the 'clean up' efforts. It would take the Prince months or years to sort out the entire mess.

At least she'd been spared that duty, and Emma briefly felt a pang from being excluded. But quickly shook it off.

After Emma was shown to her temporary room, she took a shower and fell into bed completely exhausted. But thankfully Caro had arranged for Emma to have her laptop, so she booked a flight to a wonderful island near Thailand. She had fantasized about snorkeling, sailing on the ocean breezes, drinking fruity drinks until she got drunk, and lounging around reading her favorite romance novels.

While trying to forget all about a certain someone who somehow broke her heart when she wasn't looking.

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Two days later, Emma was sitting on a cushioned recliner on a shaded porch looking out at a tropical ocean, feeling the soft, warm breeze caress her cheeks. She lazily took a sip of her fruity drink and put her romance novel down. Ko Lipe Island was the perfect remedy for the stresses of preventing a full-out wolf war, and surviving being an unwilling messenger between factions.

Putting her heart back together was going to take some time, she didn't realize how much Lance had been a part of her life. The man was involved in her security detail, her event planning, and she had also been asking his advice about certain problems related to her Mates Inc. business.

Lance had been cunning and absolutely believable, Emma had fallen for his seeming friendship and had even thought that she stood a chance as perhaps his chosen mate. She huffed out loud at that thought, she wasn't as pretty as the women he usually chose.

She never actually stood a chance.

So she finished off her drink and walked out into the tropical forest behind her bungalow. There was plenty to do on this island, but she really just craved the isolation, she was done with groups of people for awhile. There were bars, men, snorkeling, men, tours, hikes, men, and men, and more men.