Who are you?

Emily’s POV

Nolan held my hand, and I looked at him, finally seeing what I had missed. We spent so much time together. I trusted him deeply, and now I realize I want more than friendship. I ache for him, uncertain if I deserve this after everything. Still, I can't hide how much I want him.

Hunter swept me off my feet and treated me well, until Isabella came into the picture. The pack pressure, his brother. I was just that human who gave him a son, nothing more. Now to find out I’m actually a wolf. How could they not realize that? How did only Nolan know this?

Nolan? I have so many questions about the wolf…

"Emily, not now. Remember, a human gave birth to Jay for us," Nolan said quietly. He turned to me and touched my face softly. Leaning in, he kissed my lips.

"Love birds," someone called from behind us. Nolan turned to see Betty standing there.

"Good morning," Nolan said to her with a smile. I just followed his lead and smiled too.

"Let’s get you the supplies," Betty said, waving to a woman. When the woman got closer, Betty took her hand and said, "Honey, the baby must be starving. This is Nolan and Emily. They had a baby; his name is Jay. Watch him and feed him; they’ll come and get him later."

"Thank you so much, Lilian," I said to her. Lilian nodded in response.

Now let’s go to the warehouse. We walked for a good while, and soon the warehouse came into view. It was a house, packed edge to edge with supplies. Shelves lined up every wall and even the middle of each room.

Nolan handed me a container for the small stuff. "Pick what you need. We produce most of our own stuff and barter some of it with other settlements," he explained.

I walked slowly, my fingers running over the almost-forgotten necessities I never thought I'd see again. The rough cardboard boxes gave off a faint scent of dust and old paper. Toothpaste in a can caught my eye, shiny metal cool beneath my hand. Toothbrushes were bundled together, their bristles uneven and stiff when I pressed a thumb against them, clearly handmade but sturdy. I wouldn't complain; until now, I’d only flossed my teeth and scrubbed them with my fingers, using a pinch of salt. Small towels sat folded, edges frayed but soft to the touch. There were soaps and shampoos tucked into little glass jars, their surfaces cloudy from many uses, and even jars of creamy body butter. I twisted one open, and the scent blossomed in the air, sharp mint and sweet lemongrass tingling my nose, clean and bright. For a moment, I just closed my eyes, breathing in, grateful. I smiled.

"Glad you like it," Betty said. "I make that myself."

"I... we are very grateful for everything," I said.

"Oh, honey, the wolf community will be so happy to have you here, and the humans," Betty added.

Nolan had the basinet and a baby bathtub that looked more like a container than a tub. Most of the stuff there was handmade. recycled and nicely labeled.

I got to the medicine part of the shelves. I picked a container and looked confused.

"That’s for humans; some of them have three children and don’t want any more," Betty explained. "It's herbal and works maybe 80%. Our doctor’s formula has worked fine so far and has no side effects. Here, take the band aids. The baby's cloth diapers."

We were now moving upstairs, where all the clothing was. I picked a few outfits, undergarments, and shoes. "Nolan!" I shouted, looking around. Then I felt the heat in my stomach. A few seconds later, he hugged me from behind, his lips kissing my neck. I closed my eyes.

"Did you call me?" Nolan asked.

"Yeah," I replied, trying to recover from such a good moment. "Let’s get some clothes. Then for Jay."

Watching Nolan pick things for himself, I felt tears sting. Why can’t I forgive myself? Nolan fought for me and still does, and I can’t help but love him for it. I’m scared because I was hurt badly, and trusting is hard, but Nolan protected me and kept my secret.

He smiled, and I smiled back. There was no agenda; he just acted from the heart, even breaking his loyalty to Hunter. Do I love Hunter? It doesn’t disappear easily. He was my first, and I believed he would care for me.

Nolan was different. With him, things were natural, not forced. Touching him felt electric, and being with him felt real. Every look and touch warmed me. His scent and closeness made me ache for him. The world is unsettled, but with him, I feel safe for a moment.

"Emily," he said, my name sounding so sweet. "Did you get everything you wanted?" He leaned in and whispered, "I would rather have you naked all the time…"

I blushed. "Nolan," I said, turning to him. His amber eyes looked through me, and I felt fire inside of me, like my blood was boiling. I wanted to kiss him and touch him, but instead, I just hugged him, holding back the tears. His hands held me as he petted my hair.

"You still need more sleep and food. Let’s get the stuff to the cabin and go eat," Nolan said, turning—and George was there.

"Good morning," George greeted us. "Don’t worry about the stuff; our boys will take it to the cabin. Let me show you our cafeteria. Now we have a system where everyone pitches in unless they're old, sick, or have babies." He laughed.

"Of course," Nolan said. "We will contribute as well." I nodded in agreement.

"Glad to hear that," George said. As we got closer, it smelled so good, like baked bread, waffles, and something sweet. Nolan didn’t let go of my hand.

Suddenly, someone walked in front of us and stared at me. Nolan started to growl, and I just felt uncomfortable.

Do I know you? he asked. Savannah?

"Back off," Nolan said firmly. "Her name is Emily, and she’s my mate."

George stared between them. "This is Dennis, beta to Salem, the alpha of the small wolf community," he introduced.

"Why isn’t she marked then?" Dennis pushed, ignoring George

I touched my neck, and the mark Hunter made was gone.

"Because I didn’t have a chance yet. Not that I have to explain myself to you," Nolan snapped, taking a step towards him as Dennis backed up.

"Who are you?" Dennis asked, sounding confused and scared. Then he looked back at me.