Chapter 10

_Emma's POV_

The bond between us was still something I could not understand. Even after everything that had happened, a small part of me still hoped that I would wake up and realize that it had all been a terrible nightmare.

My entire world had changed in less than three days and I was still struggling to understand where I belonged in all of this.

But one thing had become clear. I could not run away anymore. And I could not ignore the strange presence inside me that I could feel but could not understand.

The next morning, Ryker told me that there would be a pack meeting. The moment he said those words, my stomach tightened.

“A meeting?” I repeated.

He nodded. “Yes.”

I looked at him carefully. “About what?”

For a moment, he said nothing. Then his eyes met mine.

“About you.”

My heart sank slightly. “Me?”

Ryker stepped closer. His gaze never left mine. “Emma, you are my mate.”

I looked away. Even after everything, I still was not used to hearing those words.

Every time he said them, something inside me reacted in a way I could not explain. A strange warmth spread through my chest, followed by a feeling of connection that frightened me because I did not understand it.

“I know,” I whispered.

His expression softened slightly. “Then you also know that the pack needs to know about us.”

"What if they do not accept me?”

Ryker looked at me for a long moment before reaching out and gently taking my hand.

“They will.”

“You sound very sure.”

“I am.”

A small smile appeared on my lips despite everything. “You always sound sure.”

“That is because I am their Alpha.”

His answer was serious but there was a small hint of amusement in his eyes. For a brief moment, the fear inside me faded and I almost forgot why I was nervous.

Then I remembered. I was going to stand in front of an entire pack of werewolves and they were going to see me as an outsider. They would try to understand why their Alpha had chosen someone like me.

A human.

Or at least, someone who had spent her entire life believing that she was one.

_______

The meeting hall was much larger than I had expected. The moment I stepped inside with Ryker, every conversation stopped.

I felt their eyes on me immediately. Some were filled with curiosity as if they were trying to understand who I was. Others were suspicious and watching me carefully. A few looked at me with open doubt, making it clear that they did not know what to think about the human standing beside their Alpha.

My fingers tightened slightly. Some days back, I had been the strange human Ryker had brought back to the pack. Today, I was walking beside him as his mate. The change felt impossible. It felt like I was living someone else’s life.

Ryker must have noticed my discomfort because, without saying a word, he reached down and took my hand. The simple gesture caught me off guard. It was not because he touched me. It was because he did it in front of everyone...like he wanted them to see that we were together.

The whispers faded completely. Ryker stepped forward and the atmosphere changed instantly. His Alpha presence filled the hall. It was powerful enough that everyone straightened and gave him their full attention.

“I called this meeting because there is something all of you need to know. This is Emma.”

Everyone looked at me.

“She is my fated mate.”

A wave of whispers spread through the room. I felt my heart beat faster. Some wolves lowered their heads in respect. Others exchanged uncertain looks. They were trying to understand how their Alpha had found his mate in a human.

But Ryker did not hesitate. His hand remained wrapped around mine as he continued.

“And she will become the Luna of the Devil’s Pack.”

________

A wave of whispers spread through the room after Ryker’s announcement. The silence that followed felt heavy, as if everyone was waiting to see what would happen next.

Then someone stepped forward. It was an older man with gray hair and a strong presence that immediately made me understand that he held an important position within the pack. He bowed slightly toward Ryker.

“Alpha.”

Ryker’s gaze moved to him. “Speak.”

The elder looked at me briefly before continuing. “We respect the mate bond. But the position of Luna is not only about being the Alpha’s mate.”

A cold feeling settled in my stomach because I already knew where this conversation was going.

“A Luna carries responsibilities,” he continued. “She protects this pack. She stands beside the Alpha. She leads when necessary and gives strength to those who depend on her.”

He paused.

“Everyone here understands the importance of a Luna.”

Ryker’s expression remained calm. “And?”

The elder looked at me. “We need to know if she can truly carry that position.”

The room became completely silent. I already knew what they wanted before he even said the words.

“Let her shift.”

My breath caught. The word felt heavier than it should have. It was the one thing I could not do yet.

Before I could react, Ryker stepped forward. “No.”

His voice was sharp enough that the entire room went tense.

“She does not need to prove herself.”

The elder lowered his head slightly. “Alpha, with respect, every wolf here can shift.”

Quiet murmurs of agreement spread through the pack.

“A Luna cannot hide her wolf.”

My chest tightened because, deep down, I knew that they were right. That was the part that scared me the most. I did not know if there was truly a wolf inside me.

I had spent my entire life believing that I was human and now, I was standing in front of a room full of werewolves who expected me to prove otherwise. Before I could say anything, another voice cut through the room. It was a voice I recognized.

“So why are we protecting her?”

My body immediately tensed. I turned toward the sound and saw Linda standing near the back of the hall. She looked different from the last time I had seen her. There was no obvious anger on her face. She looked calm but I could still see the hatred burning in her eyes.

She walked forward slowly. “Everyone here understands the importance of the Luna position."

Her eyes moved around the room before returning to me. “But we are being asked to accept someone who appeared out of nowhere.”

Ryker’s expression darkened instantly. “Linda.”

She ignored the warning in his voice. “I am only saying what everyone else is thinking.”

She looked at the others. “Yesterday, she was a human but today, she is suddenly our Luna.”

Her eyes locked onto mine. “Then prove it.”

I looked at Ryker. His eyes immediately softened when they met mine. He knew that I was scared. I hated that everyone could see my fear.

But I also knew something. If I refused now, they would always question me. They would always see me as someone who did not belong.

I slowly stepped forward. “I will try.”

Ryker immediately turned toward me. “Emma.”

I looked at him. “I need to.”

His jaw tightened slightly. “You do not have to prove yourself to them.”

“Maybe not. But I need to prove it to myself.”

For a moment, Ryker said nothing. He simply looked at me like he was trying to decide whether to stop me or support me. Then, he nodded slowly.

“Okay.”

_________

I stood in the center of the room. Everyone watched me. I closed my eyes and searched for that strange feeling I had experienced before. The presence inside me that had awakened when Linda attacked me.

I reached for it, hoping that it would answer. But nothing happened. I took a slow breath and tried again.

Still nothing.

The emptiness inside me felt impossible. I knew that something had been there before. I had felt it. I had heard it. I had used a strength that should not have existed.

So why was it gone now?

The longer I stood there, the heavier the silence became. I tried harder. I imagined the change. I thought about a wolf hidden somewhere inside me, waiting to come forward. But all I found was darkness.

I opened my eyes and the first thing I saw was everyone watching me. The whispers started almost immediately.

“She cannot do it.”

“She really is human.”

The words hurt more than I expected. I looked down at my hands. The same hands that had pushed Linda away. The same hands that had carried a strength I could not explain.

Then why could I not do it now?

I felt something break inside me. I was Ryker’s mate. But I could not even do the one thing everyone expected from me.

Then someone spoke. “Maybe the bond was wrong.”

The moment those words left the person’s mouth, Ryker changed. The air itself seemed to shift. His Alpha power exploded through the room. Everyone lowered their heads instantly.

His aura was no longer hidden. It was dominating and dangerous. No one dared to look directly at him. Ryker stepped forward. His eyes were cold as he looked at the person who had spoken.

“No one questions my mate again.”

The entire room froze. He looked around.

“Her inability to shift does not make her less worthy.”

His eyes moved back to me. “She is my mate and that is enough.”

Something tightened in my chest. Everyone in this room feared Ryker. They respected his strength. They obeyed his commands. But he was not standing there because I had proven myself.

He was not protecting me because I was powerful. He was standing beside me because I was Emma. Because I was his mate.

And somehow, that meant more than anything else.

_________

Later, when the meeting ended, I stood outside the hall with Ryker. The noise of the pack slowly faded behind us. It was as if both of us were thinking about the same thing but neither of us knew how to say it. Finally, Ryker spoke.

“Why could you not shift?”

I looked away. “Because I cannot.”

“That is not an answer.”

I sighed. “Because maybe I do not have a wolf.”

Ryker stared at me. “No.”

I looked at him. “How can you be so sure?”

His eyes softened slightly. “Because my wolf knows yours.”

“Then why can’t I feel it?”

He had no answer and for the first time since I met him, the man who always seemed to have every answer looked uncertain.

“I think something is wrong with me,” I whispered.

Ryker stepped closer. “Emma.”

“I am supposed to be your mate. But what if I am not what you think I am?”

His eyes held mine. “Then we will find out.”

I searched his face. “How?”

His hand lifted slowly and gently touched my cheek. “Together."