Page 61 of The Werewolf's Deputy
Fear settled in his chest, making him tremble, and his gaze stayed locked on his alpha, the only one who could stop him if that happened. Did that happen out of nowhere? He’d heard of feral werewolves before, but he’d never asked how they became that way. Was he going feral?
Slowly, Ronan stood, offering Emmett a hand when he stayed where he was. “Come on. We’re taking a walk.”
Emmett took the offered help, grimacing as fire burned through his side. He hunched in on himself a little as he followed Ronan into the forest, away from the pack. Away from Jonah. A whine escaped him as the urge to turn around started warring with his instinct to follow his alpha’s orders. What was wrong with him?
Ronan glanced at him and huffed a laugh, shaking his head as he continued walking. “Keep moving, Emmett. You’re not stable enough to return to your mate right now.”
“M-Mate?” he squawked. “What are you talking about?”
Jonah was his mate? Since when? Did other people know that? Did Jonah?
Ronan stopped their trek beside a small creek the pups liked to play in when the weather was nice. When he turned around, he didn’t look angry or on edge like he was preparing to stop Emmett from going feral. He looked… amused.
“Gotta say, I hope I wasn’t as oblivious as you were when I found Harlem.”
Emmett jerked his head back, then glared at his alpha. “It’s not funny, Ronan. I felt like I was going feral. How did you–”
Ronan nodded, cutting him off. “It can feel that way. My mating wasn’t as messy, I got lucky that things happened naturally with Harlem, but I’ve seen more than my fair share of complicated matings in my time. You’re not the first werewolf to lose control when they thought their mate was being threatened, and you sure as hell won’t be the last.”
Emmett’s heart hammered in his chest, and he had to sit down to fully wrap his head around what Ronan was telling him. He plopped himself onto the ground, his mind racing. Jonah was his mate…
“How… How do you know?”
“I’m your alpha. I knew the minute you brought him home and shouted at me because you didn’t know how to help him. I felt your bond to him, just like I felt your fear and concern. Just like I felt your anger when Kyle threatened Jonah again.” He shook his head ruefully. “I’d punish him for it, but I think you did my job for me in that regard. He’ll be with the healer for at least a few days after the beating you gave him.”
Emmett winced. He didn’t want to be reminded of that. If he’d been in his right mind, he never would’ve done it. He didn’t like handling things with violence. It wasn’t who he was.
Ronan moved to squat in front of him, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Relax, Emmett. It’s not a permanent affliction. You’ll have better control once you properly claim your mate.”
The thought was both elating and terrifying. He and Jonah hadn’t even gotten to have the conversation about officially dating yet. He had no idea how Jonah would feel about being his mate.
He didn’t want to face that possibility yet, so instead he asked, “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Ronan shook his head. “It’s not my place to share such things. New bonds are fragile, they need time to grow into something more solid on their own. The only reason I told you now is because you needed to know why you were reacting so severely. I could tell it was scaring you. I didn’t want you to think you had to step away from Jonah to protect him. Believe me, the safest place he can be now is with you.”
There was a reason Ronan was alpha. Emmett had definitely been thinking along those lines when he thought he was going feral. He would rather put several continents between him and Jonah than put him at risk. If he was dangerous, he’d stay away even if it hurt him to do so.
For the second time that night, Ronan offered him a hand, patting his shoulder as he stood. “Go talk to your mate. Even if you aren’t ready to fully bond yet, having your relationship established will go a long way to helping you feel settled.” He raised an eyebrow at Emmett. “I know all about your fake dating scheme. I’m surprised you didn’t figure it out sooner. Who goes along with that if they aren’t trying to make a claim?”
Emmett winced. “He suggested saying he was seeing someone as a joke because he was getting a lot of attention at the office. I offered for it to be me because…”
“Because you wanted an excuse to be close to him,” Ronan finished, a smirk on his face. “It worked out, didn’t it?”
Maybe. But as they headed back towards home, Emmett wasn’t so sure. He knew Jonah liked him, and they had fun together, but it was one thing to date a supe. It was another thing entirely to mate with one. Jonah might be able to go back to his family if he ever changed his mind. Once they were mated, though? That option would disappear. Emmett wouldn’t be able to get near them after everything Jonah had said about them, and he wouldn’t be able to leave Jonah’s side either. He didn’t want to force Jonah into choosing between him and his family. If it were the other way around, the decision would gut him.
Ronan squeezed his shoulder as they stepped into his quiet backyard, the evidence of his fight with Kyle gone, but the tension and uneasiness still in the air. “Don’t stress so much. I’ve seen the way Jonah looks at you. Just because he’s human doesn’t mean the feeling isn’t mutual.”
Sucking in a deep breath, Emmett nodded, summoning the courage he’d need to face Jonah and finally have the conversation they’d been avoiding. He reached for his back door, figuring Jonah would’ve gone inside, but when he went in, all the lights were out and the scent of Jonah was light. He hadn’t been in there for a while.
Confused, he went back outside, following Jonah’s scent around the side of the house and into the front yard. He came up short when he noticed Jonah’s truck was gone. Looking around wildly, his gaze landed on Harlem, who was wringing his hands and talking low to Ronan, gesturing toward Emmett’s house.
Emmett headed in that direction, looking between them, anxiety coursing through him as Harlem frowned at his approach.
“Emmett…”
“Where is he?”
“A hotel,” Harlem answered, his voice choked with emotion. “I couldn’t convince him to stay. He said he needed time to think.”
