Chapter 21: Back At It

The next morning Lucien was up before Emma. She was happy to have a moment to herself.; there were plans to be made. A knock on her door startled her out of her thoughts.
When she opened the door Dex stood there a smile on his face. “Come here.”
“Is Lucien gone?”
“He left fifteen minutes ago,” Dex said.
“Then come in.
Dex shook his head. “No. He’ll smell me in your room. Come to mine.”
“I’m in my pajamas.”
“Five minutes Emma. Just five minutes, then you can go on with your day.”
She looked around, but since there was no one else staying in the house and Lucien was long gone, she nodded. “Okay, Dex.”
She followed him to his room. It was just like hers with a table and a bed, but the view was better; Dex’s room looked out onto the woods.
Dex stood by the door while Emma looked around his room. Clothing was strewn on a chair. “I see you’re still as neat as you once were.”
He chuckled. “My house is better, but not by much.” He rubbed a hand over his face. “If we have limited time together I want to relearn as much as possible about you. Tell me things, Emma.”
She spun away from the window. “What things?”
“What have you been up to?”
That wasn’t a great topic. She hadn’t accomplished much in the last five years. She settled on the edge of his bed. “Not really that much. Dex. Lucien isn’t interested in my being a Luna to the pack.”
Dex pushed off the wall, frowning. He sat next to her. “That’s a shame, Emma.”
He took her hand. She stared down at his large one in her smaller one. “I’ve done this to myself haven’t I?”
“We make decisions when we’re young that we regret.”
Emma looked up into his eyes. “What do you regret Dex?”
His gaze smoldered. “I regret letting you go.”
Her heart did a flip flop in her chest. This wolf had been a large part of her younger years and now he was back. “I need to do this right, Dex. Leaving Lucien is a big deal.”
“I understand and I’ll let you set the pace between us, but for the record, I’d like to lay you down and show you how much I missed you.”
Her whole body warmed. She would like nothing better than that, but she couldn’t. “I don’t want our future to be tainted, Dex. No one should think of you as the wolf that stole Lucien’s Luna.”
“I don’t care what others think, Emma. I can take you away from this with one word.”
Emma shook her head. She was going to make a clean break from Lucien before she went to Dex’s pack. As much as she already had a friend in Leyton, Emma wanted to make sure Dex and the pack knew that she was coming of her own volition. Dex wasn’t her rebound guy. He was her mate.
“I know, Dex. I know you would, but I need to do this. If for no other reason than I need to know I can do this. To step away from Lucien and keep myself intact.”
“You are finally figuring out how strong you are, Emma. I’m proud of you. It makes you even sexier in my book.”
She smiled up at him. “Thank you for letting me set the boundaries.”
He leaned closer to her, his lips hovering close to hers. “That doesn’t mean I won’t push the boundaries a little Emma. I am only a wolf. I have a weakness for you.”
“Isn’t that how a Luna and Alpha relationship is supposed to be?” she said, a little breathless.
He didn’t move away from her and his gaze dropped to her mouth. “Yes. An Alpha’s only weakness is his Luna. She’s also his greatest strength.”
Emma hadn’t thought about what else she’d been missing in her life as Lucien’s wife. Since he’d never let her be a true Luna, he never let her be her true self. The fact that Emma could bring Dex to his knees if she wanted felt so powerful. A Luna would never wield that power capriciously. “I don’t think I am either of those things to Lucien.”
Emma stared back at Dex licking her lips.
“That’s wrong, Emma.” His gaze dipped to her mouth once again. “One taste? Then I’ll go.”
If they were anywhere else, but sitting on a bed, Emma might dive headfirst into it, but now she hesitated. “You promise? Just a kiss?”
“I’m not going to maul you, Emma,” he said, the humor evident in his voice. “I just know Brutus won’t interrupt us here.”
She laughed. “No, he won’t.”
Then Dex leaned closer and captured her lips in a sweet kiss. His lips danced across hers and she wanted more, but appreciated his restraint. When it ended, Emma was out of breath.
He put his hand on her face. “Emma. My Emma.”
She’d been his Emma all along and she’d let her parents and Lucien’s parents sway her. She’d let someone else make decisions in her life and that was ending now. “Once the Council is over, I’ll leave Lucien. If I did it now I’d bring his wrath down onto our pack.”
“I can handle Lucien.”
She put a hand on his chest. “I know, Dex. I trust you and I have faith in you. I need to do this my way and minimize the possibility of war.”
Dex snagged her hand and kissed it. “You will make a great Luna for me, Emma.”
She didn’t know that for sure, but she liked that he was confident in her abilities. It was a welcome change from Lucien.
“You better get to your meeting, Dex.”
He shrugged. “I’m a little weary of the posturing of some of these Alphas.”
“Lucien?”
“Yes, Lucien in particular. It’s all about wars and honor. I don’t get the need to kill innocent wolves. Some packs have been at war with each other for generations. They’ve probably forgotten why they went to war in the first place.”
“I don’t know how Lucien thinks or I’d give you some insight.”
“It’s okay, Emma. It’s for me to figure out. I know you ‘ve never been to one of these, but in a day or so the Lunas will join the meetings.”
“Really?”
“Lucien is alone in thinking his Luna has no contributions to make. Others would rather have their Lunas by their sides. Smart Alphas know how much stronger we are then.”
Would Lucien even invite her? Would he have no choice? “Thanks for the warning.”
“I don’t expect you to make your stand publicly, Emma. You can keep quiet. I know how you really feel.”
“I guess I’ll make that decision then.”
“Just know that you don’t have to worry about me. Do whatever keeps you safe until you can leave him.”
“Thanks, Dex.” She rose. “I better let you go.”
He stood also. “Give me your number and I’ll put it in my phone. I’ll text you so you have mine.”
She recited her phone number then headed for the door. Dex captured her and kissed her one more time, making her heart race. This was how it was supposed to be between an Alpha and his Luna. Why had she settled? She was settling no more.
When she got back to her hotel room, there was a text from Dex waiting for her. She smiled down at it. He’d sent her a heart emoji and she hugged the phone to her chest.
She just had to hold on for a few more days.