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Chapter 16

Emily wasn’t making sense. She was just sitting there, crying and muttering things which weren’t understandable. I kept my hand on her knee, trying to pull her out of this babbling mess. Why was I trying? I didn’t have an answer for that.

“Emily, you’re not making sense,” I said kindly, again.

“So everything is true?” She looked me in the eye. “About…you…monsters.” She choked.

“Emily, I am going to give a word of advice. If you care for Xavier and your boys, you will not say that word to them.” My voice was hard.

“This isn’t happening.” She held her knees tight to her chest. “This isn’t meant to happen. Things like this don’t happen to me!”

Hurry up, Xavier, I screamed in my head. This wasn’t my place, to be explaining the ins and outs of our world to her. It was his. It was bad enough knowing that she would now be a part of my life, forever. Now that her sons were changed, they would join the pack, and she would be able to too, if Xavier stayed with her.

I prayed he wouldn’t, but then I cursed myself for thinking that.

“Is it true about soul mates?” Her face went pale and her eyes wide. “Am I Xavier’s?”

How did I respond to that? I could lie and say she is. I could scream no and tell her he’s mine. I could say no, we don’t have soul mates. It’s a myth.

But I couldn’t say anything. I just sat here with my mouth half open as my mind twisted over the facts, the options.

“It’s true, isn’t it?” She shook her head slightly and looked at me with complete panic.

“I…well…you…see…I…you…Xavier should…um…answer that…um, question.”

Oh, Chloe, you just made everything a hell of a lot worse.

She sprang up from the chair and started screaming Xavier’s name at the top of her lungs. Which for us is even louder!

“Shush!” I calmed her, or attempted to shut her up. “Xavier is busy with the boys. He can answer your questions later!”

“You mean my children!” She spat at me before crossing her arms. “MY children who are now…because of HIM!”

“Xavier loves you.” Oh, if she knew how much pain I felt saying those three words to her. Perhaps it would wipe the look of hatred from her eyes. “He chose you.”

“What do you mean, chose me?” Her eyes were narrowed slits.

I opened my mouth to say something to her, but at that moment my dad walked in.

“Chloe, I need to speak to you. Now.” Dad didn’t glance at Emily. His eyes were locked on mine and I knew from what was flickering in his pupils that something had happened.

Walking quickly past Emily, I followed Dad into the foyer.

“What, what’s happened?” My heart thumped and my palms sweated. Why did I have a feeling my world was about to be turned upside down, again, tonight?

“It’s Daniel.” Dad sighed. “His mother just phoned me…”

“And?”

“He found his mate.”

“Well, that’s a good thing.” I shook my head and tried to pretend to be calm about this, when the words were knives.

“It’s not what you think, Chloe.” Dad’s voice was a low whisper and he glanced up the staircase briefly before coming back down to my ear. “His mate…isn’t.”

“Isn’t what?”

Dan had his mate. I should be happy. I am happy for my friend. It was selfish of me to expect him to never find his mate. He deserved his other half.