To my surprise, the door wasn't locked. I pushed the door gently, allowing it to open fully. I looked around the new area the open door had shown me. It seemed to be a long hallway, with green wallpaper and large, decorative paintings hung every few feet on the walls.

I stepped tentatively into the hallway, my arms crossing across my chest as I did. I looked both ways, wondering which way to go. I was torn, but then I heard faint voices coming from the right. So I turned right, and followed the long, green hallway. I could hear the sound of my own footsteps pattering against the dark brown hardwood flooring. I noticed that while the decor of my bedroom seemed luxurious and modern, this hallway seemed to be the opposite. It looked like the bones of a very old house.

When the poorly lit hallway finally ended, light poured into the large room in which I entered. I only had time for a cursory glance around the room, enough to know that it was a large one. It was a kitchen and a dining room, but the decor in this room was the least of my concerns.

Instead, I was greeted by the sight of two large wolves.

My feet stopped their movements entirely, my body coming to a screeching halt. I looked ahead, peering at the wolves that were in front of me. They were both seated at the large breakfast bar in the middle of the room, clearly halfway through breakfast. They, just like me, had stopped their movements to look at me, too. Though they had vastly differing appearances, they were both large in stature. There was a power exuding from them, but a power much less than that of Emeric's. I knew pretty quickly that they must be his Betas, the wolves next in rank.

"Um," I broke the awkward silence that had filled the room. "Hi," I said awkwardly, raising my hand in a short wave. I felt nervous, knowing that this was my first real interaction with Emeric's pack.

"Well, well, well." The wolf closest to me spoke. He cracked a smile, allowing his features to lighten considerably. He had dark brown hair, almost black, that was cut short to his scalp. He had a playful demeanor, and I quickly realized he was the class clown, so to speak.

"If it isn't Sleeping Beauty," he tilted his head, his eyes crinkled as he looked at me. "We thought you'd be rushing out the door, trying to escape, seeing as from what Emeric said, you didn't want to be here in the first place."

"Sleeping Beauty?" I replied, questioning his use of words. Though my anxiety began to fade away, just slightly, with the air of ease that was floating through him. I didn't touch the rest of what he said. I didn't blame him for assuming that I would try to escape as soon as I could.

"We've never seen a wolf take so long to heal," the other wolf said. This one had red hair, a soft red that could be considered closer to orange. It was pleated in a long braid, swept onto his right shoulder. "We were beginning to think that asshole had knocked you into the next realm."

It seemed that the fact of my missing wolf wasn't quite yet public knowledge. Which made sense, because I knew as much as Emeric likely knew, his pack would not accept the mate of their Alpha if she wasn't really a wolf anymore.

"Oh," I said awkwardly. "And it's not that I didn't want to be here... exactly," I hesitated, grappling for words that wouldn't offend them. "It was just..."

"No," he shook his head, letting a deep laugh leave from his chest. "I mean, we get it. Emeric can be intimidating. I wouldn't want him as my mate, either. Have you seen those serious eyes of his... no fun at all," he said. I knew he was joking, though, from the deep look of respect in his eyes when he said Emeric's name.

"Emeric never did tell us your name," the dark haired one said, smirking at me like he thought this meeting was exceptionally funny. "I'm Thorne."

"He didn't tell you my name?" I asked, confirming his statement.

"No," the one with red hair said. "He said you wouldn't tell him. He said he thought the name on your ID was fake. Though, maybe he wasn't thinking straight. You should have seen him the three days you were asleep. He was pacing, and wouldn't sleep," he laughed though, despite his words being worrisome.

I raised my eyebrows, remembering how confident he had seemed when he confronted me about it. He had even used my name in our conversation last night. It seemed he was guessing all along.

"You can call me Gem," I told them, even though the idea of inventing another fake alias was appealing.

"I'm Ronan," the redhead spoke again. "Gem," he said my name like he was testing it on his lips. "Short for anything?"

"Nope," I said quickly, and I wondered if they would see past my lies. It's much easier to detect deceit when you're a wolf, after all. There are so many more senses available for you to use. You can hear if their heartbeat speeds up, you can smell the nervousness pushing through their blood.

Thorne and Ronan exchanged a glance, seemingly evaluating the truth behind my words. After a moment, Thorne shrugged and turned his attention back to his breakfast. Ronan, on the other hand, continued to study me with an intensity that made me slightly uncomfortable.

"So, Gem," Ronan began, his voice casual yet inquisitive, "what brings you to our humble abode at this early hour?"

I hesitated, wondering how much I should reveal. "I just wanted to explore. I didn't expect to find anyone here," I confessed, feeling a bit embarrassed. "I haven't seen any of the territory except for that bedroom."

Thorne chuckled, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Well, you found us, alright. But don't worry, we don't bite...unless we're provoked," he added with a wink, causing me to suppress a small smile.

Ronan's expression softened as he caught my smile, and he gave me a warm, welcoming nod. "You're part of our pack now, Gem. You're welcome here anytime. If you have any questions or need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

I nodded, appreciating their kindness but still feeling out of place in this unfamiliar world. "Thank you, both of you."

"Were you really living with the humans?" Throne asked me, eyeing me warily like he couldn't believe anyone would do that willingly. "Emeric said he found you in Northern Canada, in the middle of nowhere."

I let out a small laugh, knowing that it did probably sound strange to him. "Yeah, I was."

Ronan's mouth was formed into a look of disgust. "Why?"

I stilled, biting down on my lip as I thought of what to say. I could come up with yet another elaborate lie, but I decided to keep it simple, instead.

"It's a long story," I shrugged, hoping I was making it clear that I didn't want to get into it.

"It's a miracle that Emeric found you there," Throne let out, and there was an air of mystery in his voice. "He searched for his mate for so long... I think he was beginning to give up hope."

I felt a pang of guilt at Thorne's words, knowing that Emeric had been searching for me, while I had been completely unaware of his existence. And even worse, now that he found me, I was useless to him.

"Yes, it's quite surprising," I admitted, not knowing what else to say.

Ronan seemed to sense my discomfort and quickly changed the subject. "So, Gem, have you met any of the other pack members yet? Or has Emeric been keeping you all to himself?"

I shook my head. "I met your healer, Selene, but I haven't met anyone else yet."

Thorne snorted. "Sounds like Emeric, alright. Overprotective and possessive as ever. But don't worry, you'll get to know everyone soon enough. We're a pretty tight-knit pack."

I couldn't help but feel a mix of curiosity and apprehension at the thought of meeting more wolves. "What's the pack like?" I asked, hoping to get a better idea of what to expect.

"Well," Ronan mused, "we're a diverse group. Some of us were born into the pack, while others, like you, joined later on."

Thorne chimed in, "We're a pretty laid-back bunch, for the most part. We like to joke around and have fun, but we also take our responsibilities seriously. We look out for each other and protect our territory fiercely. And, of course, we all answer to Emeric. Emeric's family has ruled this pack for centuries."

I nodded, from the way Ronan and Thorne put it, it sounded like how my own pack, The Aurora Pack, had been before they were slaughtered. I wondered if that could really be true, that I might have stumbled across a pack who loved each other as much as I loved my own family.

"In any case," Ronan continued, "we'll make sure to introduce you to everyone soon. And we'll be here to help you adjust and find your place in the pack."

"Thank you," I said sincerely, feeling grateful for their support. "I really appreciate it."

Thorne grinned. "No problem, Gem. That's what packmates are for."