Chapter 3

EMMA

“They want to pick me up?” Serena asks in a whisper, looking up at me.

I caress her hair, hugging her closer. “Don’t worry, Sese. They won’t let them take you like that.”

I have just spoken the words as Fynn and Kai jog down the stairs. The Beta turns to look at us, winking in our direction and making us giggle.

Aunt Artemisia already has her index finger lifted towards them while she is still turned to the guards.

If her calming down the Alpha was impressive, this is totally insane. Beta Finnegan Blackwood must be the strongest wolf currently living on earth due to his supernatural powers, which he had enhanced by a black magic ritual. And still, as his mate tells him to stay back he listens, slowing down his pace to wait patiently behind her.

“I talked to Judge Attwood about this! I’m not giving you my daughter like this. I have a deal with him.”

My heart breaks as I hear the slight shaking in her voice, and I think of how much in pain she must be but still would give her everything to keep them from getting to her daughter.

The guard directly in front of her lifts his hands, shaking his head. “I apologize, Luna Blackwood, but the order was issued directly from Judge Attwood. And I’m afraid that we need to execute it.”

“Son of a bitch,” Cayden growls.

Aunt Artemisia moves her hand to cover her face, and it is like lifting her spell over Fynn because he moves, practically materializing between his mate and the guard. “You heard the Luna. I think you know your way out, otherwise, I will be happy to show you the way.”

Normally, Aunt Artemisia would do everything to de-escalate the situation and keep her mates calm, but I guess she is ready to start a war too to prevent her daughter from being taken from her.

“I’m afraid that we have to insist, Beta Blackwood,” the guard stutters, and if I didn't know better, I would say that he is turning pale.

But Fynn simply loses his grin, looking down at him defiantly. “Try to get my daughter out of this house and I’ll show you what insisting even means.”

“That doesn’t make any sense, Finnegan,” Cayden mumbles as he steps in, having to prevent a war from breaking out.

Once again.

But this time, I’m not sure he actually wants to prevent it with all his heart.

“Come,” I whisper to Serena, pulling her to her feet. “Let’s get you out of here.”

We run back up the stairs and from the corner of my eyes, I see Kai turning towards us.

I drag Serena through the hallways, hearing the agitated voices slowly die away. Her little feet taking quick steps to keep up with me is the only thing I hear as I reach one of the back exits of the pack house, breaking into the free.

Crossing the high grass enlightened by the red glow of the setting sun, we reach the line of trees and break into the forest.

“Where are we going?” Serena asks groaning, but I ignore her tone, pushing further.

“Somewhere safe,” I answer her.

Her whining is nearly getting on my nerves as we finally reach a massive tree. “Here. Get up there.”

I lift her up, and she claws into the wide tree trunk as she climbs up to reach the small tree house.

She gasps as she crawls into it, and stands up in the middle of the room, admiring the colored light bulbs on the ceiling. “Wow! What is this here?”

“Ace built it,” I just say, keeping to myself that he had built it for me.

For a special night, actually.

But I have ripped out the cute bed he had built us, made out of furs to keep us warm, and the other decorations that could link it to what it once was.

And left it as empty as it was supposed to be.

Just like one half of my heart.

Asshole.

Gasping again, she stomps her foot as the spoiled teen she is. “You never told me!”

“Of course, we didn’t, Sese,” I chuckle as I pull myself up into the tree house. “It was our special hiding place.”

She pouts, crossing her arms as she sits down. “So mean.”

I crawl to reach her, sitting down next to her. “Don’t be sad. It’s nothing personal.”

It surely must be hard for her to be the only girl in the family, so it’s only natural that she is especially clingy towards me as I practically grew up in this house.

Since Aunt Artemisia’s first pregnancy, where I got to calm down her pups, the Alpha made me move into the pack house with my father. We got a cute small apartment for us so that I could help her every time her pups would go crazy in her belly.

As the pups were the offspring of Uncle Fynn, they already showed hints of demonic powers, and every time they felt stressed or Aunty’s emotions ran wild, they exhibited them to her, endangering her health.

Fortunately, I could calm them down repeatedly, even if I don’t quite know how I actually did it and everyone kept joking around, saying it must be because of some slumbering mate bond.

Funny enough, the pups in question were Ace and Kai, and even though I went with the joke at the beginning, I shall be damned if they don’t get to be my mates.

I sigh, hugging my legs close and leaning my head onto my knees. “Do you want to play a game?”

“What game?” she asks quietly, mirroring my movements to sit down just the same way as me.

Laughing lowly, I watch her look at me expectantly as she in her cuteness doesn’t get what she did that I thought as funny. “What about ‘I spy with my little eye’?”

“I don’t know,” she says, scrunching her face up cutely, which definitely means ‘no’.

I purse my lips as I think further just as a sweet scent reaches my nose, and I jerk up.

“What is it?” Serena asks and I put my finger on my lips, and we look at the entrance to the tree house spellbound.

Holding our breath, we watch Hendrick appear at the door, propping himself on his elbows.

We exhale relieved, and Serena throws her hands into the air. “Papà!”

He flashes us a smile, showing off his fangs. “Here you are. I looked everywhere for you two.”

“Are the guards of the royal court gone?” I ask as Serena crawls forward to get into her father’s arms.

“Yes,” he answers as he takes his daughter into his arms and climbs back down.

I follow them, and as soon as he has set down Serena, he lifts his arms to ensure he will get me if I fall.

But I spent too much time up here to fall down, I know every step by heart.

So pathetic.

“I managed to get a decree from the High Court. They said they would give us more time and agreed to us bringing her to them,” Hendrick explains and I cross my hands in front of my lap.

“What does that mean?” Serena asks, looking up to her father.

“It means that you will go on a short holiday, my Love. But first, we have to prepare you for it,” he answers her, caressing her face.

Lifting his gaze to me, he flashes me a smile, but I can clearly see the worry in his eyes. “Are you ready for an intense training to help us disguise her powers?”

“Of course,” I confirm with a nod. “ Anything to not make us stay at the Royal Court for too long.”