Sorry, again... I'm terrible at keeping my updates up... Stupid school... At least I'll be done for the semester here in a couple weeks.

23

Emma

"Emma, wake up." A hand shook my shoulder.

"Shut up," I mumbled to the voice. "You don't control me."

The person sighed. "Emma, we're back."

"Back where?" I yawned and stretched. "I don't wanna be back in Cali-" My eyes popped wide as my pack house came into view. "Home... I'm home!" The second the car stopped, I leaped out of it and went right for the doors.

"Mom! Dad! Gaven! I'm home!" Almost instantly, people came out of nowhere to greet me.

"Way to ruin my dramatic entry, Emma." I looked over the sea of people to see Rorie pouting. He's smiling, though. He's happy to see me home.

"Welcome back, Emma." Gaven gave me a quick hug then we bumped knuckles. "You won't believe what we've gone through without you."

"Aw, you missed me." I lightly punched his shoulder.

"Emma!" I didn't even get to turn around before I was pulled into a bone crushing embrace. "Oh my god, Emma, I was so scared I thought I was never going to see you again don't you ever do that again young lady you are grounded for a month I oh my god I missed you so much!"

"Mom, ouch... Can't breathe... You're hurting me... please let go... I missed you too..."

"Reece, come on. Give her some space." I heard my dad chuckle.

"But if I let go, she'll disappear again!" Her arms held me tighter.

"Mom, ow! My ankle!" I gasped.

"What happened to it?" She instantly let go and went to check on it.

"Before I was captured, I stepped in one of the traps the Rogues had set." I explained as I rubbed some circulation back into my body.

"My poor baby..." She stood and gave me another hug, this time not as tight.

"Alright, step aside! Move it or there will be consequences!" A voice suddenly said from the back. "I'll go chihuahua on you and bite your ankles off!" Just then, Orien broke through the crowd.

"You," He pointed to me. "Have some explaining to do."

I raised an eyebrow at him. "Oh, do I?"

"Yes." He stood in front of me and tipped his head back. "Explain why you're not hugging me back."

I laughed. "Alright." I suddenly scooped him up in my arms. "I missed you, Orien."

"I missed you, too." He sniffed, his body shaking slightly.

"Emma," I looked over Orien's shoulder to see the pack doctor standing a little off to the side. "Let me get you upstairs. We need to get you looked at."

I bit my lip. "See, there's a bit of an issue with that." I set Orien back on the floor.

"Is there?" He asked, confused.

"You see..." How do I say this?

"Emma agreed to come back to my pack during the recovery process." Soran suddenly stated.

"What?!" Orien stomped his foot. "I just got her back! You're not taking her from me again!"

"Sorry, sport." Soran walked up beside me. "My doctors are more skilled to take care of her and make her feel better faster. I promise she'll be back no later than two months."

Orien stuck his tongue out at Soran. "She better be back. And don't you dare hurt her!"

"Easy there, Orien." Dad held him back. "She's not going anywhere unless I say so. Our doctors are perfectly capable of taking care of my daughter."

"I'm sure they are," Soran nodded. "But I bet it will take her even longer to heal. You see, she was given something to dilute her Wolf senses. She's practically human, aside from slightly enhanced senses, and even then, they're still muddled. My doctors can pinpoint exactly what's wrong with her in less time that yours, no offense."

My dad glared, but said nothing. "Besides, she already agreed to go with me."

"Is this true?" My dad asked me.

I stuck my lip out a bit. "Reluctantly, but I said yes. If it'll make me heal faster, then I'll do it."

"No over stepping her boundaries-" Dad pointed a finger at him.

"Done."

"She gets her own room-"

"No problem."

"You are not to touch her in any inappropriate way-"

"Easy."

"And no mating!"

"You have my word." Soran crossed his heart. "Your daughter will return well and unmated. I swear it."

Dad huffed and crossed his arms. Mom touched his arm. He looked down at her and he instantly softened. All it takes is one touch, and he relaxes.

"Can we at least have her pack?" My mom asked Soran.

"Of course." He nodded. "My warriors and I will be waiting outside when you're ready, Emma." I nodded and he left the house.

"You sure you'll be okay?" Dad asked me. He glanced around and the crowd we had began to disperse.

I nodded. "I may be injured, but I can still kick butt. You should have seen me! It turns out Victoria was the one behind the attacks and-"

"We know." Dad cut me off. "Caleb contacted his Alpha and he told Gaven. I'm proud of you, Emma. How are you feeling about all of this?"

"It hasn't hit me yet." I picked at my fingers. "I'm sure it will soon, though. Anyway, I have to pack."

"Right." He picked me up and my family and I left the pack house to head to our home. I think I fell asleep again because when I opened my eyes, I was laying on my bed with two bags full of stuff beside me.

I sighed heavily and sat up. If my bags are packed, that means I have to leave for Soran's pack. Let's just see if he holds true to his word.

~~~~

"Holy crap..." My hands fell limp at my sides and my bags hit the ground. This place... It looks like a castle! And it even has a town around it! I glanced around the towering main gate, noticing the cars were parked outside. I guess no cars allowed inside.

Soran went to the side of the gate, stood in front of something, then stepped back as the gate began to open. Must've entered a number into a pin pad or something.

"We walk from here," I looked back to Soran to see him smiling slightly. I shook my head, picked up my bags, then followed him and the rest of the warriors into the bustling town. People milled around, going from shop to shop, laughing, talking, and taking care of the pups.

"Soran's back!" A voice suddenly cried. "Soran and the warriors are back!" Almost instantly, people stopped what they were doing to great Soran and the warriors. A huge smile lit up his face as he made his way to the crowd and met them with firm handshakes for the girls, and the handshake-one armed bro hug with the guys. The warriors went around me to be by Soran and the others, greeting each other and siblings and mates.

I hung in the back. This is all so new to me. I've never seen a pack as widely expansive as his. I expected Soran to start getting very friendly with the women and shut me out completely, reverting to what I've always known him as.

But no. He's not doing any of that, except ignoring me and conversing with his pack. There was nothing but smiles before me as tales of what he missed and what he went through in Oregon were passed around. The scene would be perfect if we were sitting around a campfire with the stars glittering above us. But it's broad daylight. And there is no fire.

Yet... it just has that atmosphere. That friendly setting where nothing could go wrong and we're just a bunch of friends around a blazing fire, enjoying life.

I feel like the outsider. That one person who just happened to stumble upon the group and joined when no one was looking, blending in as if I had been there the entire time.

"Soran," All activity seemed to freeze as the crowd parted to reveal a very powerful looking man. He walked with grace and confidence. His energy and power radiated off of him. "It's good to see you home, son." He gave Soran a quick embrace before pulling away.

"Your mother was worried sick the entire time," The man chuckled. "Coming up with these weird stories of how you would never be coming back from your fight with the Rogues."

Soran laughed and shook his head. "Nah, I'm fine. We defeated them and the leader. In fact, my mate was the one who took her down." The two then became engrossed in the conversation as the crowd moved a bit closer, enthralled by the events.

I hung back a bit more. Maybe he'll introduce me? Or do I just... go on my own?

"It's a lot to take in, isn't it?" I nearly leaped out of my skin at the voice that sounded next to me. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you. I understand what you're going through. My mate kinda left me, too, to join in with the welcoming party."

"And you are?" I asked as I turned to her.

"I'm Lexton's mate, Alazara." She held her hand out.

"Emma," I shook her hand.

"I know who you are," She retracted her hand and looked away. "I was one of the Rogues during the war."

"Wha-"

"But I put all that behind me when Soran agreed that I could join his pack." She quickly cut in. "Lex said that my initiation would be later tonight after we all got settled in."

I turned away a bit and ran my hand through my hair. "This is... something."

"I know." We faced the crowd again. "I'm really glad Victoria didn't succeed. She would have killed everyone. I mean, look at the size of this place! There's no way she would have made it past the gate. All the Rogues, including herself, would have been killed in roughly a half hour. These guys don't mess around. From what I was told, everyone has a purpose in case they're ever attacked, even the pups."

"But they're children!" I exclaimed.

She pointed to a building. "See there? That's where the pups are held. It's close to the front, yes, but that place is chock full of slingshots and various other slings. Lex told me that the pups go in there and use them to distract the attackers so the pack can take them down easier."

I whistled low. "This place is... something else."

"I know." Alazara sighed to herself. "Anyway, I have to go find Lex. He promised to show me around. It was nice to meet you on a more formal basis instead of trying to kidnap you."

I chuckled and shook her hand again. "Likewise." With that, she left and blended in to the crowd to find Lex.

Who's Lex? Oh well, not my concern.

"Emma," I looked up to see Soran walking towards me. "There you are. Come on, we need to get you inside so we can get you ready for the doctors." I nodded slowly and followed him. As we walked, the crowd began to disperse and return to what they were doing before we arrived. Some people looked in my direction, but didn't say anything. Some smiled while others gave me confused glances.

At the doors to the castle-like pack house, Soran opened the door for me. Okay, now I'm certain this place is a palace. "How in the world did you guys get this place?"

"We actually built this place generations ago." He explained as we walked through it. "We're actually the only large pack here. We support smaller packs, and they aid us in times of need. In fact, some of the warriors who came with us during the fight were from the the smaller packs. They'll be leaving for home in the morning."

"Damn..." I shook my head as we went up a flight of stairs. "This place is insanely huge."

"It is, but it works." He stuck his hands in his pockets as we reached the top of the stairs. "Anyway, the infirmary and the many offices are down this way. Some of the rooms are down the other hall and the wing for the Alpha, Beta, and third are on the next floor. I'll give you a more formal tour later. Right now, we need to have the doctor get a look at what's wrong with you." He knocked on a door near the end of the hall.

It opened to reveal a rather young man. "Hello, Soran. Welcome back. How may I help you?" He glanced down at me and I saw his nose twitch.

"This is Emma," He placed his hands on my shoulders and pulled me in front of him. "I need you to examine her. Something's wrong and I know you and your team can figure out what it is."

"Is she human?" The doctor asked as he let us in the room. Holy hell, this is one humongous examining room.

"No," Soran had me sit on a rather comfy seat near the cabinets. The doctor pulled out a clipboard and a pen. "She's Wolf, but something happened to her while we were fighting the Rogues. You see, when they kidnapped her, they gave her something that diluted her Wolf senses."

He stopped writing and looked to me. "Explain in as much detail as you can."

I nodded. "Well, after I found myself in the room, I tried to contact my pack, but it felt like I was trying to talk through a tunnel and I couldn't get past this one area. It was as if everything was bouncing back to me. I can't heal as well as I'm supposed to, and my hearing and sight are just as good as a human's."

The doctor nodded. "How was your senses before all this?"

"Well, I'm half human," The doctor nodded slowly at that. "So they were great, but not at the rate of that as an average Wolf. The Wolf genes are naturally strong, but as it was explained, they've been diluted. I believe I was slipped something while unconscious."

"Alright," He clicked his pen and set it down. "In order for me to fully understand what's going on, I'm going to do some routine tests that would be performed on both a human and Wolf. I'll first shine a light in your eyes, do some reflex tests, and see if I can find anything with a blood test."

I nodded. "What ever needs to be done, Doc."

He held up a small flashlight. "Open your eyes wide." I did as he said and followed the instructions he gave me to look. My eyes were burning from not being able to blink.

After he put the flashlight away, the doctor pulled out one of those reflex hammers. "Alright, I'm going to tap your knees, and elbows,"

He glanced up at Soran. "And after I do those, I'll need you to leave the room."

"Why?" Soran growled. "I'm staying here the entire time. I'm not leaving!"

"I'm sorry, but you will have to," The doctor then began to tap my knees. The reactions were a bit slow, but I still reacted. "I can see the Connection, Soran. This next test could help me determine what's going on with her. If it's interrupted, it could prove detrimental."

As the doctor tapped on my elbows, Soran growled and paced two steps by two steps. "What's a little blood testing gonna do, huh? It's a standard routine!"

"It's not that." Both Soran and I gave him confused looks. "Just trust me on this. Soran, I need you to leave the room, and get off this floor."

"What?!"

"Just trust me!" The doctor snapped as he got the syringe ready to draw blood.

"Please, Soran," His gaze softened as he looked to me. "If it'll help figure out what's wrong faster, I'll do it. You did promise it would be fast."

With a heavy sigh, Soran deflated. "Fine. Just do it quick." He then walked out of the room, gave me one last glance, then shut the door.

After a few moments of silence, the doctor spoke. "Now that he's gone, we can continue." I turned and watched him set the syringe down.

"Um, don't you need that to draw my blood?" I asked.

"Yes," He popped his neck.

"Then why- HOLY HELL!!" Out of no where he leaped right for me, his fingers extended and his claws out and ready. I scrambled to get out of the chair and ended up landing on the floor. I tripped over myself as I tried to get on my feet. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"

"Standard procedure." Was all he said as he charged again.

No wonder he didn't want Soran in here... He'd end up attacking the doctor for attacking me! Then again, I think this guy has lost his mind...

I rammed into a counter and spun to see the doctor stalking towards me. "Interesting..." He mused.

"You're insane!" I shouted as my hands blindly reached and grabbed something. Wow, weird sense of deja vu. I threw the item, which turned out to be an empty bottle. He swatted it away, having it instead crash against the wall.

I panicked and fell to the floor, shielding my body with my arms and tucking my head between my knees.

"Emma," The voice was considerably softer than what I had just been hearing from the doctor. "Emma, the test is over. Please stand; I was never going to hurt you. I just wanted to see how much of your Wolf instincts were present. Please get up."

I slowly lifted my head and wiped away a tear. "You're an ass."

"I know, I'm sorry." He held out a hand and I took it. He helped me stand and sat me back in the chair. "And now to draw your blood so I can get more conclusive results." He quickly prepped my arm, took some blood, then told me to stay put as he ran the sample to the lab.

A few moments after he left, Soran returned. "How'd it go?" He asked as he knelt beside me.

"Your doctor is an ass." I stated as I looked into my lap.

"What do you mean?" He lightly touched my knee.

I opened my mouth to tell him what happened, but quickly snapped it shut. "He just had me close my eyes and he surprised me from coming up beside me and knocking my elbows and spine with the hammer. He wanted to see how my hearing was and if I could detect someone coming up behind me. Nearly made me leap out of my skin."

Soran sighed. "He can be a jerk sometimes. So, did he take the blood to the lab, or has that not been done yet?"

I showed him my arm where there was a small bandage over where he took the blood. "He already did. Just waiting for the results."

"Okay," We fell into silence after that.

It was a kind of awkward silence. Neither of us knew what to say. Do we speak? Do we remain quiet and let the tension grow? Do we drown in the silence? Should one of us make a move? Like, move far away and never return? That sounds like a good idea.

"Emma, Soran," We looked up to see the doctor enter the room. "I've ran some tests, but not all. It's so... strange. I can't make sense of the results."

"Maybe these will help?" Soon after he said that, Soran's Beta came in with my folder. He gave it to Soran and Soran gave it to the doctor. The doctor opened it and scanned over the notes.

His eyes widened. "This is... incredible. I will need a day to process all this. Excuse me," With that, he left the room.

I turned to Soran. "You said he could do the tests in a half hour and have treatment ready within the hour."

Soran shrugged. "I thought this would be an easy case. Either way, at least we're moving forward. He'll give us the results tomorrow some time. No doubt he'll be up all night scrutinizing every detail. Speaking of night, I will show you to your room." With that, we stood and left the office.

He led us down a few halls and up a flight of stairs. He stopped us a fairly large, intricate door with fancy scrolls and leafed vines. "This will be your room for your stay." My jaw dropped.

"Holy hell..." I slowly stepped in, taking in everything. This room... Oh my god. It's freaking huge! It's gotta be the size of the first floor of my home! The bed, a king size, is in the far right corner of the room, a lacy canopy with drapes covering it. The window hung near the foot of the bed, a large vanity sitting on the other side of it.

I took a couple steps in on the plush carpet and scanned the room more. Three other doors were in the room on the far left wall. One was open to an expansive en suite. I'm guessing the other is the door for the closet, no doubt a walk in closet big enough to fit a queen size bed in it.

I looked farther to my left and found a desk, a changing station, a six drawer dark cherry wood dresser, and a bookshelf stocked full with various books. I've never been in a room this extravagant before. This is... something else...

"Do you love it?" I nearly jumped out of my skin when the voice sounded behind me. I almost forgot Soran was there.

I nodded slowly. "I've never seen a room like this. It's... Almost too much."

"We could change that," I turned to face him. "We could take some square footage from the room and put it towards more space for the closet, or expand the room on the right side of you. It's just my office; no big deal."

"No, no." I held up my hand and faced the room again. "I really do like it. I'll just need to get used to it."

"Well, you'll have roughly a month to do so." He stated. "So, make yourself at home. Unload, unwind, and get comfy. Dinner is at six. I'll come get you a quarter til." I nodded and with that, the door to my new room shut, leaving me to myself.

Now to explore those other doors. I chose the one to the right of the bathroom first. My predictions were correct. The closet could hold a queen bed. It even has a bench to sit on. I shook my head and closed the door.

I slowly opened the other door and peeked my head in. It's his office, just as he stated. But why is my room right next to his office? I'll ask later. I shut the door again and faced my new room. I didn't notice that my bags had been placed near the foot of the bed.

Well, I guess I better unpack everything. I have a couple hours until Soran comes back for me.

I unzipped my first bag and got to work unpacking everything.