Chapter 26

August's POV

"I missed you too August."

My chest tightened up when hearing her say my name. Her eyes were the only thing about her that had stayed the same. Her dark brown eye and one bright green that almost looked like it was glowing. I was still holding her wrist, but let go suddenly when I felt my fingers start to burn. I looked back down at my hand and my fingers were bright pink as if I had just accidentally touched a hot stove.

"I'm so sorry! That usually doesn't happen." She said and I looked back at her and she had balled her hands up in her lap.

"It's fine, Helen said you never use it." I said and closed my slightly burnt hand.

She snorted and rolled her eyes a minute before looking back down at her hands.

"I wouldn't say never."

I stretched my arm over the back of the couch and faced her a little more.

"Oh?" I said and tried to sound shocked.

She looked up at me and smirked, but it quickly grew into a smile. She looked around the living room as if to make sure we were alone and leaned in closer to me.

Zeb was practically digging his claws into my brain when her scent got stronger from her being so close. She held her hand out in front of me and then snapped her fingers.

I watched as a small tiny green flame started  to lift off her fingers. She opened her hand and the small flame grew into a ball of green fire.

My eyes widened when seeing it and I looked back up at her. She wasn't looking at me though, she was staring intently at the ball of green heat in her hand and I could see her left eye start to glow brighter.

She looked like she was in complete bliss with a small smile on her lips. The green flame burned bright and casted a green glow on her face and made her left eye look even more green. Like a bright shining jewel.

"Have you ever seen anything so beautiful?" She asked as she kept her eyes trained on the flames she was holding.

"Yes."

I said it without even thinking and when I did the fire in her hand bursted higher and I had to jump back to keep my face from being singed.

"I'm sorry!" She yelped and quickly clapped her other hand over the fire to smother it.

I took in a breath and relaxed back in my seat on the couch and looked at her. She seemed to be talking with her wolf because her face would change expression and the little lines on her forehead were showing.

"It's okay Emerald."

I just wanted to reassure her and comfort her in any way I could. Like I used to.

She looked up at me and then narrowed her eyes which made me raise an eyebrow.

"What?" I asked and she shook her head to the side and that same small smile came to her lips again.

"Nothing usually people just call me Em, so it's weird hearing my name."

I had noticed people had shortened the name I had picked for her. I didn't particularly care for the nickname, but she might like it.

"You know it's not too late to pick out a name. If you want I mean."

I couldn't stop the nervous twitch and brushed my grey hair back.

"No." She said flatly and I looked back to see her face.

"I love my name, it suits me remember?"

I felt that tightens go to my chest again. I love her name too.

"Of course I remember. I don't think Zeb could ever forget about being taken off guard by such a scary wolf."

I didn't try and hide my smile from her. It had been a long time since I had genuinely smiled. Probably since the last time I was around her.

She laughed and threw her head back a little and it was like a smooth melody that I wanted to play over and over.

"Well, if he thought Anala was scary then he should see her now."

'I plan to' Zeb said and I suddenly felt uncomfortable.

It was hard to not feel guilty over the fact that I found her beautiful. I had been wallowing in her scent like it was a drug and had to keep myself from ogling her.

"Did he miss me?" She asked and I snapped my eyes back to hers realizing I had been staring off into space.

"Of course. It's been lonely on our runs in the morning."

"I still run in the morning time too." She replied softly and brought her legs to her chest and sat her chin on the top of her knees.

"What else do you do?" I asked curiously and leaned my head against my hand.

"Hmm." She closed her eyes as if it could help her think better.

"Well I hunt early in the mornings before anyone else is up. Then I sit with Helen and make sure she gets her morning meds."

"Then I go to work and Alpha Paul comes here to check on her. If I get free time after that then  I either help with training or with Keith." She said rushing the last part and looking back down at her red painted toes.

"And who is Keith?" I asked raising an eyebrow.

I could tell by the hazelnut scent that was mixed into her smoky one that it belonged to a young male. It made her scent smell different and I didn't like it, but I tried to ignore it.

I wanted to let her know I was only playing, but my voice came out serious and demanding.

She rolled her eyes, but didn't look up at me.

"Keith is my boyfriend and he's a very nice guy. You'd like him." She said and snuck a glance at me before looking back down at her feet again.

'I doubt it.' Zeb said as if he was even apart of the conversation.

"Mhm and is he your mate?" I asked almost sounding like a parent trying to get information from their teen. Even though I already knew the answer was no.

She scoffed and leaned her chin off her knees and crossed her arms across her chest.

"No and I'm glad he's not my mate."

I furrowed my brows and lifted my head off my hand feeling confused by what she just said.

"Glad?"

She sighed hard and dropped her legs back down to the floor. She looked up to the ceiling and started to rub the back of her arms.

"Can I tell you something and you swear not to tell Alpha Paul?" She asked without looking away from the ceiling.

I didn't even think twice before I nodded my head. I wanted her to trust me and confide in me about anything.

She looked away from the ceiling and to me and began biting her bottom lip.

"I don't think I have a mate."

I couldn't hold back the chuckle.

She sat up more and uncrossed her arms when hearing me snicker and I could tell she was the confused one now.

"You're still so young Emerald. You have plenty of time to find your mate still. Look at me I haven't given up." I said even though it felt like I was lying.

I didn't have much hope in ever finding my mate at this point, but being here with her made it seem like it wasn't so bad.

"No, it's not that."

"What is it then?" I asked with a playful grin on still.

She looked at me and gave me a serious look and I dropped my grin thinking this wasn't a time to joke.

"I can't smell."

"What do you mean you can't smell? You obviously can if you're hunting every morning."

She groaned and looked back up at the ceiling.

"I can't smell.. men." She said lowly.

I looked away from her and felt even more confused. Can't smell men?

'She's going to be a Luna idiot.' Zeb said coldly and my eyes went wide and I snapped my head back to her.

She looked away from the ceiling and back at me and then turned her body to face me more.

"What? Is that a bad thing?" She asked and I could see her eyes widen slightly in concern.

I didn't know what to say. I didn't want to lie to her, but I didn't want her to know either. If she's a Luna then that means her mate is an Alpha. Alpha Paul has a mate, so hers is probably at a different pack. If she stays here she'll probably never find him, but if she left then I would most likely never see her again.

"No. I don't know what that means, sorry." I said a little faster then I meant and she narrowed her eyes at me again.

"You're lying."

"I'm not."

She raised her dark brown eyebrow up at me and then the corner of her mouth turned up slightly. She moved closer to me and I moved back almost like a reflex. She giggled and moved even closer and then leaned her face down to my shirt and I could feel her small breathes fanning my neck and her smoke scent wrapped around me making me feel light headed.

"See, I can't smell you at all." She whispered and I gripped her shoulder tightly and held her back so she could look at me.

Her eyes were wide and wild looking and her frizzy blonde hair fell around her face. She smelled like she had just walked out of a burning forest and her plump pink lips were so close to mine.

"Don't worry.. I can smell you just fine."

Her thick dark lashes fluttered brushing her cheeks and I was struggling to let go of her for some reason. I never wanted to let her go in the first place and now that she's here again..

I let go of her shoulder and she slowly pulled away from me. I ran both my hands through my hair and let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding onto. This is so wrong. In so many ways this is wrong. What's wrong with me? I have to stop it.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that to you with your condition." She said in a serious tone.

I looked back up at her with both eyebrows raised.

"What condition?"

She shrugged her shoulders and kept the serious expression on when looking at me.

"I figure a man at your age probably has a lot of heart problems."

I could tell she was trying hard to hold back a smile. I let out a hard laugh and my mouth was wide open.

"Don't let the hair fool you, this old man could still teach you a thing or two." I said to her and watched the small blush come to her cheeks.

"I'm sure you could."

This time I didn't let the guilty feelings hold me back. I leaned back closer to her and her eyes stayed as big as saucers.

"You're still just a feisty puppy aren't you?" I asked making my voice drop a little lower.

Her blush came back and she stayed still staring back at my eyes. She didn't say anything and at first I thought maybe I took it too far, but she reached her delicate hand out and began to lightly trace down my scar.

At first I flinched back, not wanting her to feel it, but her fingers were leaving small sparks in their tracks. I closed my eyes and leaned in to her touch as she lightly ran her finger over my eye and to my cheek.

She pulled her hand back and when I opened my eyes she was looking into them.

"Does it hurt still?" She asked and I slowly leaned back from her, but held her gaze.

"No, I actually forget it's even there most of the time."

"Would it be weird if I said I liked it?" She asked and cocked her head to the side.

I felt a million flutters pour into my stomach and float to my chest when looking at her. It was that same little tick she had as a child and it suddenly felt wrong that I had been flirting with her.

"No, but you don't have to say that. I know it's ugly." I said making sure to not let the flutters swarm up in my throat.

She gave me a hard look and then shook her head.

"I wish you wouldn't say that."

"Why? Because it's true?" I asked sarcastically.

"No, because it's apart of you." She said sternly and I dropped the smile I was wearing.

I didn't say anything and just kept getting lost in her eyes. I wonder what she saw or thought when she looked at me. It must've been different then what I saw because I didn't see it as something to admire.

"You don't even know how handsome you are do you?"

I thought my ears were going to burst from how loud my heart was beating.

I nervously laughed and quickly moved my gaze from hers. I felt like a small school boy who didn't have a clue how to interact with girls suddenly.

"Look you don't have to try and make me feel better about it.." before I could even continue she had placed her soft hand over mine and I looked up at her again.

"I'm not saying it to make you feel better."

'Take her upstairs. You know where her room is.'  Zeb said and I was about ready to snap his neck.

"I'm gonna go check on Helen, I'll be right back." She said and squeezed my hand before getting up from the couch and leaving me alone in the living room.

When she was out of sight I ran my hands through my hair several times and like a jerk off I checked my breath. She was making me act like an idiot and I had to keep reminding myself that I was an Alpha and she well.. I wasn't really sure what she was.

'She's a Luna without a mate.' Zeb reminded me.

She wasn't my Luna though and I had to keep reminding myself that this is Emerald that I'm talking to, not whoever that woman is that's taken over her body.