I'm updating a bit early to make up for all the times I was late posting a chapter. Here ya go!

26

Emma

"I promise everything is going good." I said into my phone as I rubbed the bridge of my nose.

"Has Soran done anything to you?" The person on the other end asked.

"No, nothing's happened. He's just made sure I eat and get exercise." My god, this is a terrible headache...

"He hasn't... touched you in an inappropriate way, has he?"

"No, he hasn't," I assured them as I sat back against the pillows.

"You're absolutely positive you don't need me to be out there with you?"

"Orien, I promise I don't need you to come out here." I smiled. He worries about me more than dad and mom do combined.

"I just want to make sure my sister is okay." I could hear the pout.

"Trust me, everything is fine." I stared up at the ceiling. "The treatment is taking longer than what we thought. I promise I'll be home next month, okay? You can wait that long, right?"

"No..." His pout is so cute. "I want you back now."

"I know, I want to go home, too." I sat up and held the side of my head. "But I promise the time will fly quickly. Hey, I have to go, okay? Tell everyone I miss them."

"Okay, Emma..." He sighed. "I love you."

"I love you, too." With that, we hung up.

Oh my god, my head is killing me... I rubbed the sides of my head and groaned.

"The doctor says the headaches are being caused because your Wolf is trying to surface again and fix the connection with the pack." I glanced up to see Soran standing at the door.

"Well, can't she be a bit more gentle?" I huffed and covered my eyes. "These headaches are starting to upset my stomach, and I've already puked three times today because of these damn pills! How many days do I have left?"

I heard the pills rattle in their container. "Four. You have four left, then you have to be here until next month, then the doc will decide if you need more, depending on how your results look."

I sighed to myself and slowly opened my eyes. "It's gonna hurt when I shift; I just know it."

"Just take it slow, alright?" I rolled my eyes and instantly regretted it. "There's no need for you to push yourself."

"But I feel so useless!" I winced when I accidentally hit my head. "I want to do something and not be stuck in bed. I wanna get up and move. You know what? I will get up!"

"Emma, wait!"

"And, down..." My body fell limp and I hit the floor hard.

"Emma. Emma, please. Please wake up!"

I groaned. "Stop yelling... You're hurting my head."

"Emma, what the hell!" I hissed as the pain shot through my head. "Don't ever try to get out of bed again!" I felt myself being placed on something soft.

"What happened?" I asked as I held my head and sat up.

"You went to get out of bed, got a head rush, then passed out for about two minutes." Soran explained as he covered me with blankets. "You scared the shit out of me."

My stomach suddenly flipped. "Bucket."

"What?"

"Bucket!" "Oh!" And there's round four of me throwing up.

Once I finished, I wiped at my mouth and groaned. "This is getting ridiculous. I want it to stop!"

"I know, Emma." A straw was guided to my lips and I took in a much needed drink of water. "You have no idea how bad I want this to stop."

I rolled my eyes and pushed the cup away. "Please. You're just saying that."

"No, it's true." I tried to pull my hands away when he grabbed them. He held on tighter. "I know I've been a huge ass to you. I know I haven't been the best person. Hell, I know I've been the worst mate. But I realized something when you went missing. I was only doing those things to try and get your attention. I did those things because I wanted you to get jealous of those other girls. I realized that the more times it happened, the more we talked."

"And then there was what Lex told me," He looked away. "I knew that how I was going about things was all wrong. I shouldn't have been doing those things to get your attention. I should have stopped the moment I found out you were my mate. But it was hard. Fuck, it was hard. I didn't realize how hard it was until I started to try and change myself to be a better person and a better mate you can be proud of. Emma, I'm sorry for all the hurt and pain I've caused you. If I could, I would go back in time, slap myself, and take away all the pain."

We grew silent after that. I let what he said sink in, deciphering every word. Understanding every phrase. Comprehending each sentence. I just soaked it all in and replayed his words over and over in my head.

Does he really mean what he says? I cast my gaze over to him, noticing the way he held my hands, his thumbs gently running over the tops of my hands once in a while. I noticed how his head was ducked, avoiding my gaze, ashamed of what he had done in the past. I even noticed that since I had come to his place and even before when we finished the battle in California, his hair had gotten longer. It was well kept, but longer.

Is he really changing? Just to be with me? To get me to notice the better parts of him? Well, he's definitely different when he's around his own pack members than when he is away. It's as if he's a new person when he's with his pack. Like... like there is a whole other side to him that I have not seen yet.

I get it now. He did all that to make himself seem like this tough, I-don't-take-crap-from-anyone kind of person, when in reality, he's a big softy and has a huge, caring heart for his pack. Well, it's technically not his pack until he has his Luna.

His Luna... me... What would become of the pack if I declined? It might go to his brother. But what would happen to Soran? Would he go back to his old ways if he can't have me? Or will he shrivel up into depression? Or... would he go on a rampage to find me? Forcing me to go on the run to avoid him.. To avoid his lust filled need to be with his mate.

The last option scared me. I hope it doesn't come to that.

The depression made my heart ache.

Him going back to his old ways about broke my heart.

I felt nothing when I thought about his brother getting the pack. That has to be the better of the options.

Crap. What do I do? I honestly have no idea what to do. I feel... lost. I can't think. I can't move. All I can do is replay the words he said and imagine the different outcomes that could come with me rejecting him.

Do I really want to take that risk?

Or do I want to puke on his head?

I quickly called for the bucket, deciding against puking on him.

A thought occurred to me as I dry heaved, begging for it to stop.

If I do choose to be with him, if I ever get pregnant with his child, I'll have to deal with getting sick with morning sickness. This is basically what I'm going through, but on a much larger scale.

Funny how things click with other things that may or may not happen in the future.

~~~~

"You sure you want to go for a walk?" Soran asked for the millionth time.

I nodded. "Yes! I want to stretch my legs. I haven't gotten sick in three hours. I don't have a headache. I think I can stand and walk on my own. If not, you'll have to carry me."

"Fine," Soran came to stand by my bed to help me stand. "Alright, let's get you up and on your feet." It took some doing, but I was finally able to stand on my own and not have to worry about falling on my face.

"You good?" He asked as he carefully let me go.

I nodded. "Yeah, I'm good. So glad I only have one day left of these stupid pills."

"That we known of."

"Shut up," I glared at him. "Don't ruin my hope."

"Alright, alright." He held his hands up in surrender. "I'm sorry. Forget I said it. Let's take a walk around the pack house then get you back into bed." He gently took my hand, to which I didn't object. If I fell, he'd be coming down with me and he'd be my soft landing.

People watched us as we walked. Some smiled at us while others whispered among themselves. I could just barely make out what they were saying, but I could only get pieces of it. I didn't mind, though. I don't care if people talk about me.

"They're wondering what will become of us once you're cured." Soran suddenly said when we came to an empty hall.

"Really?" I asked a bit shocked. I honestly thought they'd be talking about me and if I'm lying about being human or something.

"Yes," He picked me up and carried me down a flight of stairs. "They don't want you to go. The ones who saw you speak up against Katie love you and want someone like you to be Luna." He set me back down on my feet.

I stayed in place, not moving when he gently tugged on my hand. Surprisingly, the sparks were a bit stronger since I started taking these pills. His pack actually likes me? They don't actually know me, aside from how I spoke against Katie, yet they like me. They want me to be Luna. If I left, would I disappoint them and make them hate me?

"Emma?" I slowly looked up to Soran's gaze. "What's wrong? What're you thinking?"

"They... like me?" I voiced the question floating around my head.

He nodded. "They really do. Yes, they might not know who you really are, but they were really impressed with how you stood up to Katie. Hell, everyone has wanted to rip into her for years. But when a stranger like you spoke your mind, they knew you would be the perfect Luna. Not afraid to speak your mind, strong, confident, and always quick with a response. They just couldn't believe that I got someone like you as a mate."

"Is me speaking against Katie really that big of a deal?" I wondered as we started walking again.

"It is," He responded. "You won't believe the crap she's done. You see, we adopted her into the pack. She had been abandoned as a young pup. When we took her in, she quickly warmed up to me since I was destined to be the Alpha of the pack. She figured she could force a Connection between us. So she began to get cocky and try to boss people around, stating she was going to be Luna and would 'take care' of any possible Lunas I might meet."

I nodded slowly. "Thus the instant hate when I mentioned I was your mate."

"Exactly," He confirmed. "God, she's so annoying. No one likes her. I wanted nothing to do with her the entire time we grew up. She just kept trying to cling on to me with each passing year, saying she was going to be my mate, she was going to be Luna, blah, blah, blah... Everyone is tired of her."

"I can imagine," I slowly shook my head. "She's a bitch."

Soran gave a short, loud laugh. "You got that right!"

"Hey!" Soran flinched and we came to a stop. "What do you think you're doing with my mate?! Let go of his hand!"

I slowly turned around and glared at Katie. "You are so damn lucky I'm sick right now, otherwise I'd claw your eyes out with a toothpick." Soran squeezed my hand in a silent warning.

Katie flipped her hair. "Like you scare me. You're all talk. I was only faking being scared of you that night during dinner. I wanted people to think you had the upper hand. But let me tell you- are you mocking me?!" She screeched the last part at me.

I dropped my hand to my side that had been moving every time she spoke. "Who, me? Psh, nah. That's not something I'd do. I'm too nice." I was laying the sarcasm on thick.

"Soran, are you seriously gonna let her do this to me? Your mate?" Her lip quivered and her eyes filled with fake tears.

Soran just groaned. "I don't have time for this..."

"Then make her stop!" Katie sobbed. "Kick her out! Tell her to stop being mean to me! Quick mocking me!!" I dropped my hand again.

Soran had me face him and whispered to me. "Do you remember the way back to the room?"

"I think so." I whispered back.

"Okay," His shoulders sagged a bit. "Say whatever you want to her. Beat her down with words, but no killing. She may be only adopted into the pack, but if you kill her, the treaty could risk being broken."

"Can I seriously injure her?" I asked hopefully.

"Not too badly."

"Yes!" I punched the air. "Alright, bitch! It's time for round two." I popped my neck and took a step towards her as Soran left.

"Soran, wait! Don't leave me with her!"

"Stay right where you are!" I shouted at her, making her freeze in place. Huh. My Beta authority must be finally starting to surface again. "I'm not done with you. You and I are about to go rounds."

"What do you mean?" She straightened up and crossed her arms, glaring at me.

I chuckled. "You have the worst of luck right now. You see, I'm starting to return to my old self. I gave you a command and your Wolf couldn't help but obey. I already told you that I'm the Beta of my pack. Do you believe me now?" I grinned madly at her.

She hesitated but shook it off. "So what? You're not part of this pack-"

"Not yet." I said mainly to shut her up, and it worked. I looked at my nails as I spoke again. "You see, I've been considering staying here after I've healed up from my ordeal. This is a really nice pack."

"You won't." She growled at me and changed her stance. "You can't. Soran is mine! I will be his mate and I will bear his pups! You can't stop Fate!"

"You're going against Fate!" I snapped at her. "You aren't meant to be Soran's mate! There's a reason for that! Your mate is out there somewhere and it sure as hell isn't Soran! Get it through your thick skull that he's mine!"  Whoa, where the hell did that come from?! That's not how I feel! I don't want to be his mate! I don't want to be here!

"You're wrong!" Katie snarled. "I will make it to where he's my mate, even if it means I have to get rid of you!" What sounded like soft gasps sounded. Both Katie and I glanced around to see that we had gathered a small crowd.

"You hear that?" I addressed the small crowd. "This bitch here wants to get rid of me. Soran's mate." Angry growls sounded from the few people who surrounded us.

"Don't you dare turn them against me!" I focused on Katie just in time to see her swing at me, her fingers curled. I didn't have time to react as her nails raked across my face, ripping skin. I fell to the ground and clutched my cheek as blood seeped through my fingers.

It grew silent. No one moved. No one breathed. No one spoke.

Katie was the first one to open her filthy mouth. "See? You're as weak as a human. There's no way you can be Luna. You don't have the strength or the blood line to take on being Luna! I, on the other hand, am pure Wolf. I would be giving Soran pure Wolf pups. And what would you do? Give him mixed mutts! Weak minded children who can't do anything! Heh, I bet you they won't be able to shift, either."

I just stayed on the ground, not moving. I could feel something stirring inside me. Is it my Wolf? Is it my stomach acid wanting to spray all over her body? I can't tell.

"Get up!" I gasped through my nose as she kicked my shin. "Get up and fight me! You think you're so tough?! Prove it! Get up and fight me! You say you killed an Alpha? You probably made them laugh so hard from your weakness that they died from laughing their heads off!"

Slowly, I stood to my feet. I dropped my hand from my cheek, the blood flowing freely down my face. The room seemed to grow cold from my icy cold glare. I even saw Katie take a slow step back.

"You want me to fight back?" Whoa, that voice isn't mine. "You want me to prove I killed that Alpha with my bear hands? To prove I'm not weak? That I'm fit to be Luna? I have been sitting dormant for too long from the fucking silver that had been injected into my system! It's time I make an appearance!" Before I knew it, I shifted and flew at Katie at the exact same second.

She screamed and turned to run, shifting as well. I easily caught up with her and tackled her. We tumbled end over end and went through a window. I pushed away from her just before we hit the ground from a second story drop. I landed perfectly while Katie had a not so easy landing.

She whimpered and favored her left front leg. She looked up with genuine fear in her eyes as I seemed to tower over her, my Beta authority filling the area around us. I could sense people watching us from the window we fell through as well as other windows in the area.

Katie lowered herself to the ground, but not in surrender. She had this wild look in her eyes that replaced her fear. Her leg must have healed already. Damn Wolf healing abilities.

Wait. I rolled my ankle that had gotten stuck in the trap and chuckled to myself. Well, with this sudden burst of energy and power, it seemed to have completely healed my ankle. Luck is on my side today.

Katie suddenly charged at me, teeth bared and ready to sink into my flesh. I lowered my front half and waited. Just as she got ready to rip her teeth into my shoulder, I twisted my head and sunk my teeth into her scruff. I easily picked her up and slung her half way across the back yard.

She bounced a couple times before laying still on her side. I stood straight once more and stared with narrowed eyes at her. There's no way that counter attack could have knocked her out that quickly. She must be stunned from how fast I had gotten her before she even got a chance to come at me.

I was right. Katie got back on her feet, shaking in fear. It was rolling off her in waves. I bet right now she's regretting going up against me. She can back down now. She can save her ego from being hurt anymore than it has been.

"Emma!" I turned my head slightly to see Soran running up to me. "What the hell! How is this possible! What happened?!"

I looked back to see Katie still frozen with fear. I figured she was subdued enough to not pose a threat. I barked at someone and they scampered off. They soon came back with a long robe. He gave it to Soran who draped it over my body. I lowered myself and shifted back, wincing slightly. I'm surprised it didn't hurt when I did shift into my Wolf.

I tied the robe around me then stood to my feet, not shaking or unsteady at all. "You see, after you left, Katie-"

"What the fuck did she do to you face?!" He growled and shook with fury.

I ran my fingers over where she had clawed me with her nails. They're pretty much healed, except for small scars. "As I was saying, she got mad, challenged me, nearly clawed off my face- just ask those guys up there." I motioned to the people watching from the second story window.

"You fell out a window?!" By now he was blind with rage.

I quickly took his hand, the sparks stronger than ever between us. He instantly calmed down and took a few deep breaths. "Soran, just listen to me. After she scratched my face, I was suddenly filled with this feeling deep within me. It fueled me enough to shift without pain. I had tackled Katie and basically threw us out that window. We had maybe a thirty second fight before I threw her away from me and-"

I had turned to motion to Katie but found her to no longer be in the place I had thrown her to. "Well, in any case, I won this fight and I think I got it through her head that I'm not as weak as she says I am."

"Emma, that was very stupid and very dangerous." He drew me into a huge embrace. "Please don't ever do something like this without me around. I want to put a stop to it before it gets out of hand."

Slowly and hesitantly, my hands found their way around Soran. "I make no such promises."

"Damn it, Emma." He chuckled. "You're gonna make me go gray before I'm thirty."

I rolled my eyes and pushed away from him. "Alright, whatever. I've had enough for the day. I'm ready to go back to my room."

"Alright." Soran turned to shoo the crowd away. I stood still and leaned on one leg, watching him. Why did I hug him? Why did I suddenly want to be so close to him? Is it because my Wolf finally resurfaced?

"Anna?" Silence. I tried to contact my dad. Nothing. Just the tunnel.

Well, this stinks. I get Anna back long enough for the fight and she's not here to celebrate the victory? Party pooper...

"Look out!"

"Wha-" I didn't get to finish my sentence. Just as I turned around to see what was coming at me from behind, all air was knocked from my lungs. A piercing ring shot through my ears and everything seemed to go white. All I happened to see was Katie with this crazed look in her eyes as I fell to the ground hard.

Just as my vision was fading, I happened to catch her holding a huge branch. Then I saw her look up as terror filled her eyes.

Then everything went black as hot liquid spilled from my throat.