The Blade

Chapter Thirteen - Emelia

Emelia

A knock at the door didn’t even surprise her. She imagined it was Damien, preparing for another round of trying to get her to understand. She didn’t respond. She didn’t have to. He wouldn’t take no for an answer – he’d sit out there all day.

                “Emelia, can I come in?” To her shock it wasn’t the alpha, but instead his right hand man. Colten. Emelia didn’t want to allow him to come in, but he had never been anything but

 good to her, regardless of his ability to shift into a wolf.

                For the first time in four days, she spoke, “What do you need?”

                “I just want to talk. If you get uncomfortable, I’ll leave, but we need to start somewhere,” Colten’s pleading tone made Emelia shut her eyes.

                “Okay, fine,” the door opened immediately, “But only for a short while. Is Damien outside the door?”

                Colten shook his head, “I convinced him to go on a run. I knew you wouldn’t want him to listen.”

                The stress that had accumulated in Emelia’s shoulders lessened a bit. She found trust in Colten, which was odd seeing as she rarely found trust in anyone.

                “Thank you,” Emelia’s tone was formal, as if she were speaking with a lower ranked member of the Blade.

                Colten moved to the chair that was situated a few feet away from the foot of her bed. Emelia repositioned herself, resting her back against the headboard and waiting for him to begin.

                “The alpha hates himself for what he did that night,” Colten pointed out the obvious, but the blonde woman was having none of it.

                “Trust me, I hate him a bit more,” she rolled her eyes.

                “And you have every right to. Right now, though, you’re our Luna. I know you feel a bond with the pack because we all felt it when he marked you. We look to you in times of turmoil and Damien hasn’t been paying attention. Everyone is doing the best that they can, but without direction we will fail,” Colten’s voice wasn’t harsh, it was pleading.

                “I might be your Luna, but you are not my pack,” Emelia’s lip trembled just uttering the words and she felt a stirring inside of her that she hadn’t felt for a few days.

                “We are too and you know it. You aren’t full human and ever since the bite, you’ve smelled different. If you abandon us and somehow leave, anyone could tell you were a wolf from a mile away. You’d be attacked, whether it be by rogues or vampires, you wouldn’t be safe.”

                “Colten,” the woman started, “I need to leave this place. I don’t belong here no matter how much everyone likes to think I do. Damien and I come from two different worlds. Does the pack know that? That I was a leader of an organization to revolt against you?”

                “No, but-“

                “Exactly. They don’t know who I am or where I came from. They only trust me because the little voices inside their head tell them to. That isn’t freewill. That’s predetermination from another being,” Emelia spat.

                “But we trust our wolves! Don’t you understand that? They are a part of us. A sixth sense, if you will. They want what is best for us and they know that what is best for us is you,” Colten’s tone was starting to become more thunderous.