~~

Carter

~~

I was on a mission across the country when I got a call from home. It was a video chat and I wasn't really expecting it.

"Hey Trinity, what's up." I smiled at her as happily as I could trying to drown my sorrow in false happiness.

"How've you been Carter? Are you taking care of yourself?" I could have been honest and told her I was pining over my lost mate and I was working myself to death to deal with my heart ache. I had been looking for the missing warlock, her father who had gotten away. I seemed to be the only one overly worried about him right now.

"Hmph. I can always take care of myself, it's you I've got to worry about." I laughed and smiled playfully at her.

"Rude." She snapped at me sarcastically.

"So what's up? You never call me when I'm out like this." I was worried that something else had happened, that something was wrong.

"Well, I wanted to tell you something." She smiled at me, she looked really happy right now. "There's going to be a wedding next month."

"No shit. Really?" I was skeptical for a moment. "I'm happy for you cuz, I know that you must be super excited." I tried to sound happy for her, but I felt the sadness growing inside my heart and threaten to spill over

"I want you to be there. Will you be home?" She smiled at me with a look full of love and hope.

"Yeah, I will be there. Nothing could keep me away." I gave her my most sincere smile.

"Hey, Carter, I got something else to ask you." Reece butted in.

"Hey Alpha. what do you need?" I spoke formally, since I was out on business after all.

"No reason to be so formal man, I wanted to ask you something personal." Reece was smiling which just confused me. "I want you to be one of my groomsmen." Reece got right to the point.

"Seriously?" I laughed as he spoke. "If you're asking me dude, you must not have many friends." I joked which made Reece growl slightly. "I'm messing with you man. Of course I will, it's Trinity's big day after all, I wouldn't miss the opportunity to be part of it."

"Good to hear." Reece smiled but still looked a little unhappy. I was just glad that Trinity was happy and that they had thought to call me and ask me to be part of their special day. Maybe having something big like this to look forward to would stop me from being so lonely and depressed.

~~

Emmalee

~~

I was sitting at my desk doing work when my phone rang. The caller ID showed that it was Trinity. We had been talking for the last month and had gotten to be good friends. She was really nice and sweet and I would never say no to making a new friend. When I went to answer the call I saw that it was a video call so I propped my phone up and pressed the answer button.

"Hey Trinity, what's up? I just finished an assignment for class, ugh this homework never ends." I laughed, I knew that Trinity loved school while I loathed it, we were opposites there but it was fun.

"Hey Emmalee, how've you been." She chit chatted with a little smile on her face.

"Good, it's all good." I noticed that she seemed happy. Really happy.

"Well, I wanted to ask you something." She jumped right into what she wanted to tell me.

"What's wrong?" I was worried that something might have happened since we last talked.

"Nothing's wrong, I just wanted to ask you to be one of my bridesmaids." She blurted the words out in a hurried rush.

"Oh, I'm glad it's noth-." I stopped, finally realizing what it was that I had just heard, it had taken a minute for her words to process through my mind. "Did you say bridesmaid?" I asked her, still skeptical of the functioning abilities of my ears. She nodded her head to answer my question. "EEEeeeeee!" I squealed so loud and long I thought the windows might break, I was breathless when it was all over.

"Oh Goddess, Trinity, if you thought I loved birthdays, wait until you see me get excited over a wedding. I am so going to help you as much as I can." I was happier than I thought I would be. I knew I was missing my mate, and pining over him constantly, but I would not let that stop me from helping my friend to have the best wedding of her life.

~~

Carter

~~

Just after Trinity and Reece had called and asked me to be part of their wedding, some serious shit started to go down in town. It seemed that the Warlock that I was looking for, that piece of trash Gannon Edmond had kidnapped some kids, human and wolf. Now we all had to work to find them all.

There had been talks about postponing and cancelling the wedding, but we all put our foot down, collectively. Trinity deserved to have her day with everything that had happened to her. I would not let her father ruin anything else in her life. And I guess Reece deserved to be happy too. I mean, he was marrying my cousin after all.

Needless to say it had been a busy time, searching and planning, and time was passing fast. Before I knew it, the wedding was just around the corner and I was with Noah on my way to Trinity's house. I needed to be fitted for my suit along with everyone else.

When we got to the house we saw Reece standing in the yard with none other than Bryce. I didn't see anyone else there with him, unless you counted the severed head of Stanley, the now deceased Alpha of the Black Moon pack.

"Well, looks like he lost his head." I joked as I walked over to the two men standing near the SUV.

"Good one boy." Bryce laughed and clapped me on the shoulder. Now if only I could get him to accept me as his daughter's mate as easily as I could make him laugh.

"Um, Reece, is there a reason why you two have, that uh, well, Stanley's head?" Noah seemed a little nervous as he spoke. Not afraid, just apprehensive.

"It's a wedding gift." Bryce laughed.

"We made a promise that whoever found Stanley first would get to kill him. I have been a little busy, so Bryce took the lead. What do you think, should I have it mounted?" Reece's joke seemed to go over my brother's head.

"Absolutely not." Noah shouted.

"That'd be fucking awesome. He'd be a warning to assholes everywhere, fuck with you and you get mounted, and not in the good way." I laughed at my own sexual joke and was surprised when Bryce laughed too. This guy was actually quite friendly, when you got past his rough attitude and gruff way of talking.

"You're a riot man." He was smiling at me as he talked.

We were all still laughing when we went inside. My mind was so befuddled by the laughing and smiling Bryce and the intense smell of the blood from outside that I never noticed the other scent in the house.

I had been walking behind Reece and Bryce, my head down and their scents blocking most of the others in my distracted state of mind. All of a sudden I heard an excited, yet musical shout.

"Oh Goddess! He's here." The sweetest, most beautiful voice I had ever heard seemed to be coming from the other room. I knew that voice but I didn't expect to hear it right now.

I heard pounding footsteps as she came running toward us. In a dazed stupor I raised my head. That was when I saw a blonde head bobbing and darting right at me. I smiled as I saw her running toward me, the sight made my heart sing.

Then, while I was lost in my daze, she pounced on me. Tackled might be the better word for it. Her upper body slammed into my chest and together we toppled over backward and she landed on my chest.

"You're not getting away this time." Her words and voice were full of elated joy and rage filled anger.

"EMMALEE!" Her parents both screamed at the same time.

"Carter are you alright?" Trinity asked, sounding shocked.

"What the?" Noah gasped.

After a few shock filled moments, the tension passed and everyone started to function again.

"Emmalee, what are you doing?" Bryce demanded.

"Emmalee?" I just stared at her while my wolf howled with glee and yanked on the tether of control I was desperately trying to maintain.

"It's alright Bryce, I think we should just watch for now." Reece smiled knowingly and Bryce stared on in confusion.

"Why did you run away from me?" Emmalee seemed to be on the verge of tears as she looked at me.

"I had no choice. I couldn't be found out." I put every ounce of regret I had into my voice.

"What's he talking about?" Bryce asked Reece.

"When the Warlocks were after Trinity, I knew that other packs were part of it, so I sent scouts." I expected Bryce to be mad, but he just smiled. Reece had been right, Bryce did understand.

"Exactly what I would have done. Smart boy."

"I don't care that you could have been found out. I thought my mate didn't want me. I thought you looked at me and ran away." Her words broke my heart.

"I never even got the chance to speak to you. But I saw you, and I wanted you." I turned my head to look away from her in my embarrassment. "I have been wondering if I'd ever get the chance to make it right. I knew that if I went back to the pack and talked to everyone then they would know that I was a spy. I thought you would hate me too, for being a spy."

"You were following orders, and we had nothing to hide. I don't know why you were investigating us, but I know our packs are allies now." Emmalee was smiling, but I just couldn't let it go. I had hurt her, I thought for sure she hadn't noticed me but she did. And knowing that, knowing that I hurt her, that made me feel like scum.

"I just thought I blew it before I had a chance to meet you as myself."

"Who are you? Why are you here? What's your name?" Emmalee bombarded me with questions.

"My name is Carter, and I am Trinity's cousin."

"So you mean Trinity and I are going to be related now?" She squealed excitedly.

"Does that mean you forgive me for running?" I asked nervously.

"Not yet, but eventually." She joked playfully as she smiled.

"Emmalee, get off the boy and let him breathe for crying out loud." She slowly rose, her soft, comforting, sexy weight was removed from me and I stood, only for her to grab my hand immediately.

"Mom, Dad, this is the mate I was telling you about before."

"So, Reece, it looks like our packs were already bound together before you came to me for help." Bryce laughed. "It's good to meet you Carter." He smiled and shook my hand with an open, friendly smile, but I noticed a protective fatherly glint in his eyes.

"Thank you sir, it's good to meet you as well."

~~

Emmalee

~~

We were surprising Trinity and Reece today. It was so exciting and I couldn't wait to help her plan the wedding. I knew I was going to be staying here until the wedding since I was in the wedding party and I needed to help finalize the details. I had missed so many of the planning sessions and the important parts of what makes a wedding perfect, but I was going to be here for the rest of it.

I was bouncing up and down on my heels when we knocked on the door and waited for them to answer.

"Trinity!"I leapt toward her as soon as the door opened. "I'm so happy for you."

"Emmalee, it's great to see you." She said as we hugged each other.

"Emmalee, give the woman a chance to breathe." Daddy scolded me from behind. "I'm sorry Reece, my boy, I never can control that girl."

"No worries Bryce, it's fine. To what do we owe for the surprise visit today?" Reece asked with a smile.

"I have some personal business to discuss with you. If I may borrow some of your time for a little while."

"Yeah, no problem. Should we discuss things in my office then?"

"No, I would prefer to talk outside if that is alright with you."

"Ok." Reece seemed confused but agreed.

"Emmalee, Bree, would the two of you like to join me in the living room. I can get some refreshments and we can catch up." Trinity smiled and ushered us inside.

"Yes, oh Goddess, I need to hear details about the proposal and the wedding." I linked my arm around hers as we walked. "Let's have some champagne to celebrate."

"Emmalee!" Trinity squealed.

"No!" Dad and Reece yelled out at the same time causing me to freeze.

"Emmalee Jade Evans, you are not using Trinity as an excuse to drink, not after last time." I hung my head after Dad's words.

"Trinity and you are both underage anyway." Reece looked angry.

"Come on you old fuddies. It's not like we're humans, a little celebration is nothing to fear." I pleaded with them.

"No, Emmalee, I can't drink." Trinity declined my suggestion.

"Don't let those boring boys staunch your fun Trinity."

"It's not that Emmalee, I can't." Trinity smiled while I was confused.

"Oh, congratulations Trinity." Mom cooed.

"Reece, boy, you dog." Dad smiled. "Congrats. Hopefully you have better luck than I did." He laughed and Reece grinned a goofy grin.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"Are you kidding me?"Dad asked in exasperation.

"Emmalee, Trinity is pregnant, so she can't drink alcohol." Mom's words hit me like a brick.

The words swirled a moment then sank in. Then, I squealed.

"EEeeeee! Trinity! Congratulations." I hugged her tight.

"Thank you Emmalee. Now, let's go so the boys can have their play time. See you later." Trinity waved them away and we went off into the sitting room.

We talked about all the different wedding plans they had made already. The dresses that were designed and made, my measurements having been sent in for my dress already. We discussed flowers and food and arrangements. It was the most fun I'd had in a long time. Then something amazing happened.

I was in the middle of saying something to Trinity when I smelled that scent again. My mate was here, and I would not let him get away this time. I leapt to my feet with a shout.

"Oh Goddess! He's here." With those words I was running. All I could think about was what mom had told me before. If I had to tackle him to stop him from getting away then I would.

I ran as fast as I could and slammed right into him. I intended to knock him over and expected him to brace himself. I did not expect him to look at me and smile like he had seen an angel. Oh goddess, why had it taken me so long to find him?

The moment I touched him, the moment I felt him against me, I knew that he was the one. His touch was like static electricity sending little charges through me everywhere that he touched my bare skin. I felt peaceful, happy, and content. But there was also the anger and sadness at him having run away. I had to know why he had run away from me.

But we had lots of time now, I wasn't letting him get away this time.