(Emma''s POV)
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I ran across the beach, my heart pounding in my chest. The sand stuck to my wet
feet as I searched frantically for Mom. Finally, I spotted her sitting under arge umbre, pretending to read a magazine.
"Mom, he sank," I announced breathlessly, my voice quivering with excitement and fear.
I stood there, waiting for her reaction. My hands were still trembling from what I''d done, but I''d followed her instructions
perfectly. Just like she taught me.
Mom looked up slowly, her beautiful face breaking into a smile that made me feel warm inside. She set aside her magazine and
opened her arms to me.
"Come here, my clever girl," she said softly.
I rushed into her embrace, craving her approval. She smelled like expensive perfume and safety. Her arms wrapped around me tightly as she pressed a kiss to my cheek.
"You did so well," she whispered against my ear. "I''m so proud of you."
Pride swelled in my chest. I''d made Mom happy, and that was all that mattered. She always said we had to protect each other
because no one else would.
Mom pulled back slightly, her face suddenly serious. She brushed a strand of wet hair from my face, her touch gentle but firm.
"Remember, Emma," she said, her voice dropping to a whisper. "No one else can know about this. If anyone asks, just say you
don''t know."
I nodded eagerly, wanting to show her I understood.
"If they keep asking, cry out of fear," she continued, her eyes locked with mine. "Can you do that for me?"
I nodded again, already practicing the frightened expression in my mind. Mom had taught me how to cry onmandst year. It was easy once you knew the trick.
"If you can''t do this," Mom''s voice hardened slightly, "you''ll lose not just your dad, but me too."
Fear gripped my heart at her words. Losing Mom was the worst thing I could imagine. I trembled and hugged her tightly, burying my face in her embrace.
"Mom, I don''t know anything," I whispered, practicing my line.
She stroked my head gently, her fingersbing through my wet hair. "That''s my good girl."
I peeked up to see her staring out at the blue water of theke. Her eyes looked different-cold and hard like ice. It scared me a little, but I knew that look wasn''t meant for me.
"Let''s get you dried off," she said, her voice returning to normal. "Then we can get ice cream on the way home."
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As she wrapped a fluffy towel around my shoulders, I thought about the man who had sunk beneath the water. Connor. My real
dad, Mom had said. But he wasn''t like Alpha Stone. Alpha Stone bought me presents and took me to special ces. Connor just
looked at me with hungry eyes that made me ufortable.
Mom said he was a bad man who wanted to take me away from her. I couldn''t let that happen. Mom needed me, and I needed her.
Besides, now that Connor was gone, maybe Alpha Stone would spend even more time with us. Maybe he''d finally be my real
dad instead.
(Ethan''s POV)
I stared out the window of my Alpha''s Private Office, watching the pack members go about their daily business below. Dr.
Harrison Fletcher''s words echoed in my mind despite my dismissal of them.
"You''ve changed heart regarding Mrs. Winters."
The usation-because that''s what it felt like-had struck a nerve. I hadn''t
changed heart. My heart belonged to Victoria. It always had.
I turned back to my desk, focusing on the stack of reports that required my
attention. Pack business was a wee distraction from the confusion that had gued me since seeing Olivia at the hospital with her mother.
Maxwell Chen entered after a brief knock, carrying more documents for my review.
"The quarterly reports from the Northern mines, Alpha," he said, cing them neatly on my desk. "And the security assessment for next month''s territory negotiations."
I nodded, grateful for his efficiency. "Thank you, Maxwell."
He hesitated, clearly wanting to say something more.
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