"Emma?"
"Emma?"
"Emma?"
Arielle, Anna, and Belle shouted simultaneously, halting Drake in his movement.
Drake's eyes widened in surprise as he turned to face the trio. "Do you know her?" he asked, his voice tinged with caution. Arielle, Anna, and Belle exchanged worried glances.
"Yes, she's our friend." Arielle said.
The men exchanged glances, "So, how come she's out here? We are so far from your kingdom." Mason said confused.
"What happened, Emma? How did you get here? And why?" Anna asked, also looking confused, as she could not fathom why Emma had come all the way from the south.
Emma clenched her fists, they didn't even ask her if she was doing well or how she managed to catch up with them. What they wanted to know was why she was here. They had totally forgotten about her now that they had werewolves as their mates.
"We do not have all day, miss. I would advise you to start talking." Adrian said coldly.
Emma shuddered and then gulped. "My father was about to marry off to an old man, I had to run away. I didn't know where to run to and just followed your carriage."
"There are some flaws in your tale. How did you keep up for a whole week?" Drake asked looking at her with narrowed eyes.
"We have no time for this, Drake. Allow her to go back to her kingdom since she isn't one of the rogues." Ethan said. "It will start raining soon, we have to find shelter." The clouds rumbled as if agreeing with Ethan.
The girls looked at each other, worry marred their faces. They could not understand why or how Emma had come all the way from their kingdom.
"Please you can't send me back, I would be married off." Emma pleaded.
"How's that any of our business?" Jarred said ruthlessly. He didn't like the girl, his guts told him that this girl was more to it than met the eye and his guts were never wrong. "Stop wasting time, Drake. Either finish her off or let her go back." He concluded.
Arielle stiffened after hearing that, she turned to Belle and Anna and they also had the same expression.
"You can't kill me, please. Just let me come with you." Emma pleaded tearfully.
"And why should you come with us?" Drake asked this time impatiently. The clouds rumbled again signaling that it would begin its downpour anytime soon.
"Enough of that! Pack your things and discard the carriage." Adrian said.
Arielle, Belle, and Anna looked at each other,
although they would have loved that Emma come
with them but they had no say in this matter and could only do as they were told.
Ethan helped them secure their bags on their horses since they could not use the carriage
"Can she not come with us?" Arielle whisper-asked Ethan. Anna and Belle also looked at him with pleading eyes.
"I don't have a say in that, Princess and it would be troublesome." Ethan said. "Besides the girl looks suspicious, don't you think? Think about it, all the way from the south, how could she have managed?"
"But we can't leave her here and I don't think she can go back either." Belle said, her voice barely audible.
Ethan sighed.
"Let me hear what the others are saying." He said and walked towards the other men.
The three girls walked towards Emma after Drake left her. They scrutinized her and they noticed she seemed a bit alright.
"Is it only me or does Emma look like she didn't just come all the way from the south." Anna whispered before they reached Emma. "Not only you, Anna." Belle agreed.
"How did you get here, Emma, and are you okay?"Arielle asked worriedly.
Emma rolled her eyes inwardly, it was only now they thought to ask about her well-being?
"I'm fine, Ari. I missed you. You didn't tell me anything, am I, not your friend anymore?" Emma said softly.
She was so angry at her friends, especially Arielle. They had forgotten about her. What happened to sticking together forever, huh? Whatever happened to, 'we will always be together'? They didn't even inform her of anything, if she had not seen their carriage leave, she wouldn't have known. Were they not friends anymore? Just because they were moving to another kingdom?
They would just make new friends and move on with their lives, forgetting about her.
"It's not that, Emma. Yes, we missed you also and felt bad that we weren't able to tell you anything but, you shouldn't have followed us still. What if you had been killed? And what about your parents, they would be dead worried already." Arielle said.
"So, you don't want me here? I would go back if that's the case. I ran away from home because of my father and thought since I didn't have any place to go to, I would just follow you. You are the only people I know." Emma said dejectedly.
"Calm down, Emma. Let's see what the king has to say." Anna said with a frown.
"His Majesty says she can tag along, but she isn't riding with me." Mason said.
"Me neither."
"Me neither."
Drake and Jarred spoke at the same time, leaving only Ethan, Brian, and Gayle but obviously, the men were going to ride with their mates so only Ethan remained.
"Ugh! I hate you guys." Ethan grumbled.
They shook their heads and laughed at his childishness.
"Do not flop this opportunity, since your mates will be riding with you from now on, use that time to get to know them." Drake advised Brian and Gayle.
"Let's get moving." Mason ordered.
Ethan climbed his horse and sighed, "You'll be riding with me. Hop on." He said to Emma.
"I can't." Emma said softly.
Ethan ran his hand through his hair frustrated.
He reached down and grasped Emma's hand, his other hand on her waist, pulling her up as she placed her foot in the stirrup then she swung her leg over the horse's back.
Adrian was contemplating with himself, he thought to let Arielle ride with Mason.
"If you dare let my mate ride with another man, I swear to the goddess you won't like yourself." Kaelos threatened.
Adrian was taken aback.
"Sometimes, I wonder how you are my wolf." Adrian said finally as he was lost for words.
"I don't care!" Kaelos said.
Adrian sighed and decided not to say anything.
*****
Brian approached Anna for the first time since he learned that she was his mate and he smiled.
"You'll be riding with me, m'lady." He said softly.
The mate bond was doing wonders to him and her scent was getting into his head. He shook his head as if to clear it. Anna would not be able to feel the mate bond because she was human, he was aware of that and he had to work towards her accepting him.
"Uhm.. alright." Anna said awkwardly. She had been told by the king that the man before her was her mate but he hadn't said a word to her since they left the south. She noticed he sometimes looked at her from a distance tho.
Brian carried her and placed her on the horse carefully and made sure she was stable. He adjusted the saddle and climbed to sit behind her.
"Are you comfortable?" Brian asked her.
Anna flinched a bit, his breath fanning her ear.
"Y-yes, I'm okay." She stuttered a little.
*****
Gayle assisted Belle to climb the horse and settled himself behind her.
He saw a little stiff and didn't know how to act around her.
"Are you okay?" Gayle asked.
"I'm alright." Belle replied with a smile.
"How come you are just talking to me now? Aren't I supposed to get to know you better? I also noticed you stared at me a lot but never spoke." Belle said. She was a bit more daring than Arielle and Anna.
Gayle was taken aback, he cleared his throat a little embarrassed.
"I'd like to apologize for that. I just didn't expect to have a human mate and then again I didn't think I would find my mate this soon." Gayle said.
"Mmm…"
"So am I forgiven?"
"Not yet." Belle said and smiled. She didn't know how but she found herself liking him. She was a bit upset when he did not come to talk to her.
"I would wait for when you do then." Gayle said and smiled also, this was a good start.
Her scent was so inviting and he could not get enough of it.
*****
Adrian grunted and nudged his horse forward.
Arielle looked at Adrian who walked towards her with his horse. She placed her hands in his when he stretched it.
Adrian lifted her by the waist and placed her in the horse as if she weighed nothing.
"You will be riding with me, I will hold the reins."
He then swung himself up to sit behind her in one swift movement.
"Let's move!" Mason said and the horses rode out of there.