31: Emma

I closed the door to my suite and leaned against it, my muscles pleasantly tired from the sparring session, my mind racing from the brief contact with Theo. My fingers tingled where they had brushed against his, but I felt a warmth in my chest, an uncomfortable heat that wasn't quite guilt – more like anticipation mixed with dread. Dinner. Tonight. Just the two of us. Just me and the Lycan King who was, against all probability and perhaps wisdom, my second-chance mate.

Artemis stretched contentedly within me, still riding the high of our proximity to Theo. ‘Our mate is strong,’ she purred, projecting images of how quickly he had moved to catch me, the careful control in his powerful hands. ‘Did you see how fast he reacted? How gentle he was?’

"I was there," I muttered, pushing away from the door and heading toward the bathroom. "I felt it."

That was the problem. I had felt it – not just his physical presence, but the surge of the mate bond between us. The immediate recognition that had nothing to do with diplomatic titles or species differences. My body knew what he was to me, even as my mind raised a thousand practical objections.

The shower's hot spray eased the slight soreness from my muscles but did nothing to quiet my churning thoughts. I watched rivulets of water trace paths down my skin, carrying away the sweat and dirt from training but leaving the deeper imprint of Theo's scent on me. Even now, I could detect it beneath the hotel's floral soap – that distinctive cedar-stone-honey-lightning combination that spoke directly to my wolf.

Benjamin had smelled different. Woodsmoke and amber, with an underlying musk that I'd once found intoxicating. The memory made me scrub harder at my skin, as if I could erase the phantom scent along with the recollections. The temporary bond we'd formed had felt nothing like what was developing between Theo and me. With Benjamin, it had been immediate attraction followed by a gradual building of discomfort as his true nature revealed itself. With Theo...

‘Different,’ Artemis insisted, pushing forward again. ‘Benjamin was wrong mate. Theo is right mate. Feel the difference.’

"Feeling isn't knowing," I replied, shutting off the water with more force than necessary. "Benjamin fooled many people. He was charming, respected, powerful."

‘He never respected our strength,’ she countered. ‘Always wanted submission. Dominance. Control.’

I couldn't argue with that. Benjamin's first compliment to me had been about how my fighting skills were "impressive for a female." At the time, I'd been flattered by his attention, ignoring the condescension embedded in the praise. The signs had been there from the beginning – I just hadn't wanted to see them.

I wrapped myself in one of the hotel's plush towels, moving to the bedroom to check my phone. Two missed calls from Liam, of course. I sighed and returned the call, settling on the edge of the bed.

"Emma!" His voice came through immediately, relief evident. "I wanted to update you on that situation with the northwestern boundary."

"Go ahead," I said, leaning back against the pillows. Pack business was familiar territory, a welcome distraction from my personal complications.

"We picked up an unusual scent trail near the ridge overlook," he explained. "Not werewolf, not Lycan, but definitely shifter of some kind."

My attention sharpened. "Recent?"

"Within the last twelve hours. Davies found it during the morning patrol."

I made a mental note to commend Davies for his attentiveness, despite our earlier disagreement. "Set up additional patrols along that sector," I instructed. "Pairs only, experienced warriors."

"Already done," Liam replied, a hint of pride in his voice. "I also ordered scent markers refreshed along the entire northwestern line."

"Good." My approval was genuine. "That's exactly right. Have you checked with neighbouring packs to see if they've noticed anything similar?"

"Not yet. I wasn't sure about protocol for inter-pack communication without you or Alpha Elijah present."

I stifled a sigh. Liam had good instincts but consistently underestimated his authority. "You have full clearance to contact neighbouring packs for security matters," I reminded him. "Start with Stone River – they patrol adjacent to our northwestern border."

We spoke for a few more minutes about patrol rotations and training schedules. By the time we ended the call, I felt more centered, grounded in the familiar responsibilities that defined my role as gamma.

The brief respite from personal concerns ended as I opened my suitcase, confronted with the immediate question of what to wear to dinner with the Lycan King. I'd packed for a diplomatic summit – formal wear for official functions, practical clothes for downtime. Nothing specifically chosen for a private dinner with my unexpected mate.

I ran my fingers over the options, considering each against the complex backdrop of tonight's implications. The black dress I'd worn the first night was too formal. My standard pack uniform – dark jeans and a crimson button-down with our emblem – felt too official. Casual clothes seemed disrespectful for dining with royalty, even if said royalty had insisted I use his first name.