The lost mate

Chapter 103: Patchup

Anne smiled gently. "I’m not saying you should forget it or even that you shouldn’t be upset. But... maybe you should give him a chance. Talk to him. Try to understand why he did what he did. You and Chris... you’re mates, Em. That’s not something to take lightly."

Emily bit her lip, her brow furrowing as she thought about it. "I don’t even know what to think about this whole’mate’ thing. It’s so... overwhelming. One minute, I’m just a normal human, and the next, I’m supposedly destined to be with a werewolf for the rest of my life."

Anne smiled sympathetically. "I know it’s a lot to process. But I have warned Damien that you will not be forced to become Chris’s mate and go through the transformation if you don’t want."

Emily nodded and butted her lips.

Anne looked at her and asked, "Do you like Chris ?"

Emily looked up at her and nodded.

"I tried to ignore these feelings, but they just keep getting stronger. I don’t know what to do."

"That’s the thing about the mate bond, Em. It’s not just about physical attraction or affection—it’s something deeper. It’s like your soul is drawn to his, even when you don’t want it to be. That connection is hard to ignore."

Emily met Anne’s gaze, a hint of vulnerability in her eyes. "But what if I’m not ready for all of this? For being a part of this world? The wolves, the secrets... It’s so much. And Chris... he’s intense. He’s so sure of this bond, but I’m not."

Anne’s expression softened even further. "That’s okay, Em. No one’s saying you have to decide right now. And trust me, Chris doesn’t want to force anything on you either. If you’re not ready, he’ll wait. That’s part of being a mate—respecting each other’s choices."

Emily’s brow furrowed as she processed Anne’s words. "But the feelings... they won’t go away, will they?"

Anne shook her head, a small smile playing at her lips. "No, they won’t. They might get stronger, or they might ebb and flow depending on how you and Chris navigate things."

Emily’s gaze drifted back towards the bonfire, where Chris stood, his tall frame outlined by the flickering flames. She could feel the pull towards him even now, even in her confusion and uncertainty. It was like gravity—inescapable.

Anne noticed the direction of Emily’s gaze and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Talk to him. Tell him how you’re feeling. Chris is patient. He won’t push you into something you’re not ready for."

Emily sighed, a mix of resignation and acceptance in the sound. "I guess I’ll have to figure this out, one way or another."

"Good, come on, have some food; that roast meat smells delicious." Anne exclaimed.

"By the way, where are Damien’s parents ? Shouldn’t they be attending? They are the Alpha and Luna." Emily asked.

"They will join later; they had some urgent pack business." Anne replied.

Emily acanned the crowd looking for Chris when a tall, muscular wolf sidled up besides her. He had sandy-blond hair, a smirk that seemed permanently fixed on his face, and an air of casual arrogance.

"Hey there," he said smoothly, his amber eyes glinting in the firelight. "You must be the human everyone’s been talking about. I’m Jeff." He leant in slightly, his gaze sweeping over her. "I gotta say, you stand out in a good way."

Emily raised an eyebrow, unsure of how to respond.

"Uh, thanks," she said awkwardly, taking a small step back.

"You know, I’ve always been curious about human women," he continued, his tone low and suggestive. "You’ve got this... delicate thing going on. Makes me wonder how different things are with a human compared to us wolves."

Emily felt a flicker of unease crawl up her spine. She glanced around, searching for Chris, but the clearing was crowded, and he wasn’t anywhere in sight.

"Yeah, well, I’m not exactly looking for any comparisons," Emily replied, her voice firm as she attempted to put some distance between them.

Before she could step away, Jeff moved closer, his smile widening. "Come on, don’t be like that. I’m just saying... maybe we could get to know each other a little better."

Suddenly, a low growl rumbled from behind Emily, the sound sending a chill through the air. Chris appeared out of nowhere, his eyes glowing with a dangerous intensity, his posture rigid with fury.

"Jeff," Chris growled, his voice a warning as he stepped between Emily and the flirtatious wolf. "I suggest you back off. Now."

Jeff’s smirk faltered as he took a step back, his eyes widening slightly at the sheer menace radiating from Chris. "Hey, man, I was just talking to her. No need to get territorial."

Chris bared his teeth, his growl deepening. "She’s mine." The words came out in a possessive snarl, sending a clear message to Jeff and everyone within earshot.

Jeff seemed to pale under Chris’s icy glare. With a nervous chuckle, he raised his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright. No harm done. I didn’t mean anything by it." He backed away quickly, shooting Emily one last apologetic look before disappearing into the crowd.

As soon as Jeff was out of sight, Chris turned to Emily, his expression softening slightly, though the tension still crackled in the air between them.

"Are you okay?" Chris asked, his voice low but gentler now.

Emily bit back a smile, shaking her head. "I’m fine, Chris. I can handle a little flirting, you know."

Chris’s jaw tightened, the jealousy still simmering in his eyes. "He shouldn’t have been anywhere near you."

Emily let out a small laugh, unable to help herself. "You scared him off so fast; he’s probably halfway across the forest by now."

Chris didn’t seem amused. "I don’t like other wolves getting close to you, Em. Especially ones like Jeff."

Emily chuckled again, shaking her head. "I’ll keep that in mind."

The two of them stood in comfortable silence for a moment.

"Want to get out of here for a bit?" Chris asked suddenly, his voice breaking the quiet between them. "Take a walk?"

Emily glanced at him, surprised but grateful for the offer. "Yeah, actually. I could use some fresh air."

Chris nodded, and without another word, they started walking towards the edge of the clearing, leaving the bonfire and the rest of the pack behind. The soft crunch of leaves beneath their feet was the only noise between them for a while.

"Chris," she began softly, her voice almost swallowed by the sounds of the forest. He glanced down at her, his expression patient, waiting. "I’ve been thinking a lot about everything. About you. About... us."

Chris’s gaze sharpened slightly, but he stayed quiet, giving her the space to speak.

She stopped walking, turning to face him fully, the moonlight casting soft shadows across his features. "I want you to know that... I’m not mad at you anymore."

Chris blinked, clearly surprised by her words. "You’re not?"

Emily shook her head. "No. I mean, I was upset when you told me about Damien manipulating the detective. And I understand why you did what you did. But what I want to focus on now is us. I’ve been avoiding the whole’mate’ thing because, honestly, it scares me. The idea of being bonded to someone for life, of everything changing... it’s overwhelming."

Chris’s eyes darkened slightly, and he nodded, understanding. "I get that. Believe me, I do. I didn’t want to pressure you or make you feel like you didn’t have a choice."

Emily took a small step closer, her heart racing as she looked up at him. "But the thing is... I do have feelings for you, Chris. And they’re not going away, no matter how much I try to ignore them. I can’t keep pretending that I don’t care about you, because I do."

Chris’s expression softened, a mix of hope and disbelief flickering in his eyes. "You... you mean that?"

Emily nodded, her own emotions finally spilling over. "Yes. I want to give us a chance, Chris. I don’t know what the future holds, and I’m still scared about what this mate bond means, but I don’t want to keep running from it. Or from you."

Chris stared at her for a long moment, his gaze intense, like he was searching for any sign that she didn’t mean it. Slowly, his lips curved into a smile—small at first, but growing wider.

"You don’t know how long I’ve waited to hear you say that."

Emily smiled, her heart swelling with a warmth she hadn’t expected. "I’m not making any promises, and I’m still figuring this all out. But I want to try. I want to see where this can go."

Chris stepped closer, his hand lifting to gently cup her cheek, his thumb brushing against her skin in the softest of touches. "That’s all I’ve ever wanted, Em. A chance. I’ll go at your pace, whatever you need. Just... thank you."

Emily leant into his touch, her heart beating faster in her chest, but this time it wasn’t fear or anxiety. It was something else—something she hadn’t allowed herself to feel fully until now. Hope.

Chris smiled down at her. He leant down slowly, his eyes never leaving hers, and when their lips met, it was gentle, tentative, before turning into an inferno.

When they finally pulled away, Chris rested his forehead against hers, his breath mingling with hers in the cool night air. "I won’t let you down, Em."