Emily's POV.
The sun shines in my eyes and I open them as I look around. I was in a different room.
Cameron.
I had to go. I had to run before he came for me.
I was still wearing the same dress but it did not matter as I opened the door to the room.
The world was silent. Not a single whisper could be heard in the house.
They had tricked me, brought me here to be given back to Cameron. I was not going back.
I run downstairs as fast as I can and head towards the door. I try pulling on the door but it's locked again.
"Excuse me? Are you okay?" I hear a girl's voice behind me and turn around looking at her.
Her blonde hair is in a tight bun above her head and she's wearing gloves.
"I need to get out of here. Can you open the door?" I ask her with a brave face, praying she didn't call him.
"I can call Alpha or Liam?" She smiles at me as she takes a step towards me.
"No no," I shake my head.
They tricked me.
I needed to get out.
"Open the door," I tell her politely just as I see another man walking out of a room with a mixing bowl in his hand.
"You alright there, sweetheart?" He asks with a smile on his face.
"Could you open the door please?" I ask him and he nods.
"Yeah sure. Our thumbs are scanned," he says walking towards me but the woman pulls him back.
"Noah, we can't. She's Alphas mate." The woman says to him and his eyes widen as he stares at me.
"Sorry Luna. Beta liam said he needed to talk to you before you decided to leave. It is only five in the morning. Would you not like to rest?" He questions and I frown.
I spent the whole day sleeping yesterday?
I can do this.
Yes you can. I'm right here with you. Ava says to me.
The first time Cameron had touched me, Ava had taken control of my body. She had roared at them all as I hid myself far far away from them in my mind. I did not remember what had happened but the next morning I had woken up and Cameron had a big burnt mark on his face. I had to heal him and he gave me enough Blugasm to keep Ava at bay.
The man and woman stare at me as I sigh.
"Would you like any help?" I ask pointing to his mixing bowl.
"Oh!" He chuckles, "No. I'm just making myself some cookies. I'll hand the rest out to the kids later." Noah explains and I nod as the girl smiles at me.
"I'm Stella. We work here," she introduces herself to me.
"I am Emily," I reply to her and she nods.
"Want to come with us in the kitchen? You could tell us what you like to eat and if you're allergic to anything?" Noah asks as he takes a step back.
I nod, following them. "I'm not allergic to anything," I walk into the kitchen and Stella pulls out a chair for me. I smile at her as I sit down and watch them cook.
"Usually everyone is up by six here, so we come a couple of hours early," Stella explains to me, "we clean up the house and just start making some breakfast for ourselves and then start for everyone else. Would you like to eat anything?" She asks as Noah mixes something in the mixing bowl.
"Here, try this," he lifts the spoon towards me.
I frown at the spoon. "Just like that?" I ask, confusion clear in my voice.
Noah grins. "Tell me how it tastes," he nods towards the spoon. I place my finger in it and lick the mixture off my finger.
I frown.
"It's nice," I smile at him quickly. I did not like it.
"Put the chocolate chips in," Stella hits him on the arm and he rolls his eyes at her but nods.
"He's my brother and he is annoying as hell. Forgive him for acting stupid at times," Stella says to me as she starts organizing some of the plates.
"May I help you?" I ask standing up from the chair.
"You want to help?" Noah turns around to look at me.
It would feel normal, rather than everyone treating me as if I was someone special. I wanted to do something, anything.
"Yes please." I smile at Stella and she nods her head slowly.
"Of course." She hands me the plates.
"Noah, can show you the dining room." She tells me and Noah nods as he picks up the napkins and the knife and forks.
"Follow me," he walks out of a different kitchen door, leading to a hallway. I follow him to the only door and he pushes it open, waiting for me to walk past.
"You go ahead," I say to him as he waits. He shrugs his shoulders and walks inside.
"Just put them in the middle and usually they pick the plates up themselves." Noah says to me and I nod, walking around him and putting the stuff on the table. I feel him walk closer to me and I quickly step back as he places the stuff on the table.
"Want to help me bake the cookies?" Noah asks as he walks towards the door again.
"Can I?" I ask and he nods, grinning.
"Of course. I would probably eat the dough if you don't stop me," he chuckles and I smile following him back to the kitchen. Stella smiles at me as she opens a cupboard and takes out a loaf of bread.
"Time to make breakfast." She grins as Noah hands me an apron.
This. This feels normal.
****
"Quickly," Noah groans as he hands me the tray full of bacon. I walk through the hallway and enter the dining room to see Liam sitting on a chair with that beautiful woman sitting next to him.
"Oh," the woman says as she looks me up and down.
"Why are you working?" Liam questions.
"I'm sorry yesterday. I should have acted respectfully." I apologise to Liam as I place the tray on the table.
"Oh um yeah. It's alright." He answers as he sits down.
The door opens and Alpha King walks inside.
"Morning," he says to the beautiful woman as he sits down in a seat. "I'm starving." He sighs.
"I'm Natalie." The beautiful woman smiles at me, ignoring his greeting.
"Emily," I smile back at her just as the door opens again and another beautiful woman walks inside. Her brown hair falls in curls as she grins widely at Alpha King.
"Morning baby," she says to him as she walks towards him. I watch as she leans down and kisses him on the cheek as she sits next to him.
"I had fun last night." The girl says to him.
I turn to look at Liam who is wincing a little.
"May I be excused?" I ask politely.
I needed to disappear from this world.
"Yeah sure." Liam answers me and I don't hesitate to walk out of the room as quickly as I can. I head towards the stairs and I fist my hands beside me, forming a shield around myself.
"Holy fucking shit!" I hear a scream from below and I turn around to see Natalie standing near the door. In seconds Alex and Liam are standing there beside her.
"What's wrong?" Liam asks,his eyes scanning her body.
"She's just gone!" Natalie points towards the staircase that I stand on. I feel their eyes on me but they can't see me.
"She's in her room probably, Nat." Liam sighs as Alec walks back into the dining room.
I shake my head at myself for feeling so pathetic as I walk upstairs. I walk into my room and close the door behind myself softly.
The shield disappears as I stand in the middle of the room.
He had a girlfriend.
I cover my face with my hands as I let out a deep sigh and the door opens. I turn around to look at Nataline.
"I think I'm losing my mind," she chuckles as she looks me up and down.
"Shall I tell you a secret?" She asks, walking towards me. "I don't like Anna," she whispers and I nod.
"I didn't know he had a girlfriend. I would not have come," I tell her truthfully.
I would have stayed with my family.
"Alec is.." Nataline sighs, "what I would like to call complicated. His life hasn't been rainbows and sunshine. You should talk to him," she says to me.
Rainbows and sunshine.
"I have no idea what I have to say to him." I tell her and she nods. "Could I be alone please?" I ask her.
"Yeah. I can meet you later and show you around maybe?" She says and I nod.
Nataline walks out of the room and closes the door behind herself.
I sit on the ground in the middle of the room cross legged and I let out a deep breath. I create a shield around me and just breathe and try to relax my mind.
Every time I felt sad and Miles was busy, I would sit in my room,and go invisible to the world. The wolves and vampires would freak out,running in and out of the room and trying to look for me. I would ignore them and just concentrate on myself. On my breathing, trying not to cry and break down. It helped until Cameron realised what I was doing and knew I could still use my powers even if they gave me Blugasm. That powder that they turned to liquid could not keep me down for long. It did not harm me as it would harm a weretiger. It simply put my magic on a time out.
I close my eyes and relax my body just as the door opens again.
"I thought Stella said she was in her room!"
I open my eyes to see a strange man standing there. Someone I had not seen before. He looks around as he runs his hand through his hair.
"Cameron! You can't see her!" I hear Natalie hiss as the sound of footsteps get louder as she runs towards our room.
Cameron.
He was not my monster.
"What?" Natalie looks around confused in the room as Liam walks towards them.
I watch them, silently hoping they would leave.
"I fucking knew it!" Natalie gasps. "I was not crazy. She just disappears!" She turns to look at Liam with wide eyes.
I smile softly.
I wish I could just disappear.
"She was just here," Natalie says looking around the room, confusion in her eyes.
"Anna is going to be pissed that we stopped her breakfast date with Alec," Liam groans as he turns around to walk away.
I remove the shield away from myself.
"Holy fuck." I hear Cameron say, as they look at me.
"Don't call him, please." I say to Liam who stares at me with wide eyes. All of them do.
"I-"
They are speechless as I stand up from the ground.
"How did you do that?" Natalie stares at me with wide eyes.
Cameron takes a step towards me and I shake my head.
"Please." I take a step back and Natalie grabs his arm pulling him back.
"I told you Cam! She doesn't like you," she glares up at him.
"I don't even know her!" He exclaims, frustration clear in his voice. "I was just checking if she was real!"
"How did you do that?" Liam asks me.
"Did my dad not tell you anything about me?" I ask, confused.
Liam frowns, shaking his head. "He gave us the biggest warning ever. If we made you cry, he would kill us."
"I can do magic," I tell them and they stare at me as if I grew another head.
"What can you do?" Cameron asks me with a big grin on his face just as I see Stella walking towards us. I smile at her as she smiles back.
"Alpha is calling you, Beta." She says to Liam who nods and she walks away.
"We should tell Alec. Come with us, we can all go together." Natalie says as she smiles at me.
Tell him. Get it over and done with. Maybe he will talk to me.
I nod as they all walk out of the room and she walks with me. We walk downstairs as Anna walks out of the dining room with a smile on her face.
"Where did you all go? I was looking for you, Nat." She grins at Natalie.
"Maybe another time? We have to talk to Alec." Natalie says to her and we walk past Anna as she laughs.
"Alright. He might be a little tired. We had a little too much fun." She chuckles as she walks away.
I carry on walking until they all stop and turn to look at me.
"What's wrong?" I ask, confused as they look me up and down.
"Do you not feel anything?" Nat asks me, in shock.
"No?" I look down at myself wondering what I'm supposed to feel.
Natalie walks closer to me and feels my forehead. I watch her carefully. "When you meet your mate- the touch and the sparks and all that jazz- and they sleep with someone else, the other mate usually feels pain. It's like your heart is being ripped apart." She explains to me.
"I do not feel anything." I tell her truthfully.
"You are weird." Cam mutters as he looks at me.
Oh.
"Come on, let's let her talk," Liam says as he walks towards a door and knocks on it.
"Why don't you all come in?" I hear his voice as Liam rolls his eyes and turns to me. He tilts his head towards the door and I walk towards it. I open the door and walk inside as Nat gives me a thumbs up and they close the door behind me.
I look towards him and he's watching me. Staring at me.
"What can I do for you?" He asks as he rests his hands on the desk and watches me.
I hear a bang on the other side and I realise they're all listening.
Does she really hate me? I don't know her, Nat. I promise I don't. I hear Cameron mindlinking Natalie.
I think she's been through a lot because when she heard your name, she fainted, Cam. Nat answers him.
I can change my name..
"Hello?" Alec clicks his fingers at me.
"Sorry," I apologise. "I wanted to let you know that I have magic." I tell him, having no idea what to say as I squeeze my hands behind my back.
"Okay." He answers me.
Okay? Is that all he is going to say? Is he serious? I hear Natalie's thoughts.
"Okay." I nod my head to myself, still standing there.
"Emily," he said my name. "I honestly do not care what you do here. We are mates just by a bond, but there will never be anything between us. We are tied by destiny, nothing else-"
It might be time to get her out of there. He's losing the fucking plot. Liam says to Natalie.
"I am in love with Anna. She's my girlfriend and is going to be Luna of my pack. I appreciate you telling me you have magic but it isn't going to hel-"
The door opens as I frown at him.
"Let's go, Emily," Natalie holds my hand.
"She has powers, Alec," Cam stretches the word powers at him.
"I want you all to know this, I do not care about her. She is my mate and she had to live here, but that is it. I have been in love with Anna for five years and nothing is going to change that." Alec growls at us.
I frown, watching him.
Are mates meant to be like this, Ava? I question her.
No. She answers quietly.
Natalie let's go of my hand and walks towards Alex. I ignore them all as I turn around and walk out of the office. I don't stop walking.
I was going to leave.
I see Noah opening the door and I run as fast as I can out of it.
"Emily!" Noah calls out my name but I run ahead as I see men walking towards the house with bags and suitcases.
"Sam." I say his name. The man that kept staring at me in my uncle's pack. Ashton's pack.
"Emily, hi." He smiles at me.
I didn't know the way home.
"I brought all your stuff. I was visiting your dad's pack and offered to help because I had to tell you something," he starts talking as I walk towards him.
"Take me home. Please," I plead to him.
He frowns as he looks at me. "Are they not taking care of you?" He looks behind me as I hear Liam and the rest of them walking towards me.
"Please, Sam. Tell my dad to come for me. I want to go home," I beg him.
I can't mindlink my parents. The bond had snapped many years ago and I didn't have a chance to form it again. I was happy that I was getting a mate and I didn't think it through.
Miles.
Miles? I call out to him in our mindlink. I don't get an answer back. Locked out.
"She's feeling a little under the weather. Homesick," Natalie smiles at Sam as she holds my arm.
No no no.
"I need to speak to her," Sam tells them.
"Go ahead," Liam says standing behind me as Cam helps the other men take the stuff inside.
"Alone." Sam insists and I pull away from Natalie. I follow Sam away.
"Read my thoughts." He points to his mind and I nod, frowning at him.
I kept staring at you because I felt like I've seen your face somewhere before, then it came to my mind one night. You're from the Royal Crystal Pack. The first ever Royal Vampires that did not see themselves as others and lived like the wolves and called themselves a pack. You're from that pack. They were all beautiful and powerful as vampires but the royal family. They were the strongest and it's been nearly 30 years since they have been wiped out, but when I saw you.
He made an explosive sound with his mouth.
"I don't understand," I say to him confused. I had never heard of the pack.
"Emily, Alec is calling you!" I hear Anna's voice from the front door. I turn to look at her.
I don't want to go.
"Come on," she groans, twirling her hand in front of her and I feel myself getting dragged towards the door. I smile at her as she looks at me weirdly.
"You're a witch," I say in shock.
I had never seen a witch in my life.
"Would you like a photograph? He's calling you," she turns around to walk away and the world spins in front of me.
I steady my hand out against the door as I feel my heart burning inside of me. It's like your heart is being ripped apart.
"Emily!" I hear Sam shout and I shut out the voices as I fall to the ground, my hand squeezing my chest. I crawl inside, tears running down my face.
Pain. It was too much. Worse than what Cameron had ever done to me.
I crawl to the wall as I feel a hand on me.
"Don't touch me!" I scream.
I can't stop the pain. It intensifies with every breath.
"How long.." I pant as I rest my head against the wall.
"It could take hours," I hear Nataline say and I shake my head as I press my hand harder into my chest.
I couldn't last hours.
I feel the world darken around me as if all the lights had gone off as I let the tears fall down.
Fight it. You are stronger than this. Ava roars at me.
I can't. I'm weak. Nobody ever wants me.
Cameron
Cameron
Cameron
His name floats in my mind as they shout orders to get water and clothes. I ignore it all.
You are powerful, Emily. You are strong. You are not weak, and you deserve all the love in the world. We don't need a mate. We can live our life. We can get stronger. Let's be happy. Ava talks to me.
I let out another scream as my heart burns and rips apart inside of me.
I can't be happy. I cry to her.
She laughs at me. Who told you that? I refuse to accept that. I refuse to accept that you will just give up because he doesn't want you. We can have the whole world against us and it would not matter. You are still strong.
I am strong. I say to myself in my mind.
What's happening? I hear Alec's voice.
I don't need you. I don't need anyone. I am not weak. I need to be stronger, I need to ignore it. Let it go and move on. I can do this.
I push past the pain. It's fake. Ignore it. It will not kill me.
Take her upstairs to my room.
No. No.
I feel Liam move towards me.
"No."
The first no I had ever said.
"No." I repeat it, pushing past the pain I was feeling.
I was stronger than this. I had gone through so much pain and I did not deserve this. I deserved to be happy just like everyone else. If he didn't want me, it did not matter. I was not ready for the mated life. I needed to be stronger for myself. I did not need them.
"Take her upstairs to my room." Alec repeats as I watch him walk back to his office.
No. No.
I shake my head as Liam reaches out.
I feel the pain disappearing slowly. It was a far away pain that seemed like a memory.
"Do not touch me." I say to him as I push myself up using the wall behind me.
That's my girl! Ava grins at me.
"I'm getting your dad here." Sam walks towards me and I put my hand out, stopping him.
I did not need anyone. I needed myself.
"No. I was having one of my episode." Dad would kill Alec if he found out and I was not strong enough to feel that yet.
"I don't need anyone." I stare at Sam who frowns as I walk towards him. He stares at me as I move my hand in front of his hand, clearing his memory of the recent events.
Forget about it all. Erasing his memories. I could do that. I could do anything.
I walk towards the stairs, ignoring everyone staring at me. The pain, it was inside of me but I could fight it. It would try to eat me up from the inside but I would not let it.
My girl! Ava laughs happily at me as I use the railing and walk upstairs slowly. I can feel all their eyes on me, speechless.
I had fought something in minutes that could last hours. I did not care what they thought of me. I needed to leave it all behind.
With every step on the stairs, I was leaving it all behind. If Alec needed me here, I would stay but I would not care about him. I would care about myself and I would live my life.
If everyone else could move on, why could I not?
They do not deserve me. No one did.
Ava squeaks in my hand happily as I walk past Alec's room and towards the room I was staying in. I close the door with a soft click and fall on the bed, falling into oblivion.
●●●●●
I need an Ava in my life