Chapter 66

***The next day***

**Emily POV**

I stood behind Nerissa as she was hugging Rhea, wishing her goodbye.
Sniffles sounded coming from both of them, making it even hard for me to just stand there and watch the touching scene.
I was glad that Nerissa and Rhea became friends at this time that she was here with us.
Rhea looked at me over Nerissa’s shoulder, extending her arm, saying, “Come here.”
Taking a step towards them, I was wrapped into a tight hug, making the three of us hug each other, trying to prevent the tears from spilling down from our teary eyes.
“Are you sure about this?” Nerissa asked Rhea the moment we all stepped out from our group hug.
Rhea looked at her with sadness, giving her a small smile. She said, “I’m sure, I need to do this for myself.”
Of course, Nerissa and I understood her well, but it didn’t make this less painful.
I looked over Rhea’s shoulder and saw Cole watching at her from afar, making it hard to see his features as he was half-hidden by the shadows of the trees that he was standing in between.
I noticed his fists clenching and unclenching, but he didn’t move except for the turn of his head, making me look the same way just to see Warit standing on the porch.
Rhea looked up at him but only for a second, doing the same as she turned around and looked straight towards Cole like she could feel their eyes as they were silently watching her.
I wished deep inside of me that either one of them said something or did something to make her stay, but they were just standing there, watching our exchange without any display of emotions on their faces.
The car parked a moment later, making this all suddenly feel so real.
“Well, this is it, I guess,” Rhea said, giving us one last hug before she turned around and said her goodbyes to Alexander and Allister.
The two, Alex and Allister, helped with her bags and soon enough the car drove off, while Nerissa and I stood next to each other, watching and waving after her.
Allister and Alex stood close to us, each one of them placing their hands on Nerissa’s shoulders.
With the corner of my eye is when I noticed a movement. Turning my head, I saw Ryder turning away as he slowly walked off to what seemed to be the training area.
“Well, duty calls. I have to go for a little. Will you be ok, love?” Alex asked Nerissa, looking at her with loving eyes that made my heart feel slight pain as I watched silently their exchange.
I was not jealous, but more lonely.
“Yes, I’m fine. You can go… oh, Allister?” Nerissa suddenly looked up at Allister, who was giving her the same look that Alex was, making me turn away and look at the spot where I last saw my mate.
“Yes, little one?” Allister asked.
“Could you also please give Emily and me a little privacy? I don’t wish to sound like I am chasing any of you away, but I really need to speak with her in private.” Nerissa explained.
Both of the males gave her a sweet, gentle smile as Allister said with his eyes glancing somewhere behind us.
“That is perfectly fine, little one. I will go find Warit. So I’ll find you a little later than.” Allister said, leaning down and kissing her forehead while Alex stood there and watched in silence.
I must have to admit, I was surprised to see such a reaction, especially from an Alpha who is supposed to be possessive and jealous, yet here Alex didn’t show he minded Allister kissing his or better said, their mate.
Allister moved away, giving Alex a chance to come closer to Nerissa, kissing her cheek, saying, “I’ll be at the training rings if you will need me, love.”
Nerissa smiled at the two males, silently watching them both walk away, leaving us two all alone.
Before I could realize what was happening, I felt Nerissa grab onto my hand and pull me towards the side.
Silently, I followed her, reaching the little tree that turned out to be our gathering place these days.
We sat down on the grass, under the tree, when she looked at me and said, “Ok, now what is going on with you?”
I looked at her in confusion for a moment with my eyebrows raised up, making her exhale a deep breath, saying, “With you and Ryder?”
“Oh…” I said, hearing her question.
She watched me in silence, giving me time to clear my mind and gather my thoughts as I was thinking of what to say.
Taking a deep breath, I looked at her and said, “I’m scared.”
She said nothing, silently waiting for me to continue, so I did. “I’m scared that if I give him a chance that every progress he has made so far now will be gone. I’m scared that he will again be the guy I meet and I can’t bear that thought.”
“Has he spoken lately with you?” Nerissa asked.
I gave her a nod, saying, “He is always sweet and gentle…” I stopped myself in the middle of my sentence, grunting while I moved my fingers through my hair, pulling it at the ends, feeling frustrated.
Nerissa looked at me in confusion so I said, “I can’t do this anymore.”
Her eyebrows raised up, “Do what?”
“I can’t pretend like I don’t feel the pull towards him. Hell… when he is not watching me, I’m the one looking stalkerish because I always tend to have my eyes on him. I hate when I notice the other females ogling him, making me wish to shout out and claim he is mine, and yes, he is changed for the better just am not sure, am I trying to play myself with the thoughts of what if he is just pretending and will be a mate I want him to be for a day or two and then back to an asshole he was before? I feel it, Nerissa…” I looked her in the eyes as I fully opened up, “I feel the bond between us growing stronger every single day and it’s getting more and more hard for me to keep my distance. It is even worse when he said a few days ago that he is not going to bother me anymore or plead to take him back. He said he wants to be a mate I deserve and is ready to wait until I feel comfortable and trust him enough to give us another chance and since then he is sweet and kind, yes but he is really giving me space and… ughhh… what am I supposed to do, Nerissa?”
She smiled at me, taking my hand, saying, “I think you know what you wish to do, so why are you prolonging it still? Go to him and see what happens.”
Blinking, I looked at her, and then it hit me.
She was right. All this time I was torturing myself and him when he has proven to me over and over that he is serious, that he has changed.
My heart started to beat faster, making the adrenaline rush inside of me, making me jump to my feet, while Nerissa laughed.
“Go… I’ll wait for you here.” Smiling, she said to me.
I gave her a smile and in the next moment, I found myself running over the clearing, straight to the training grounds.
As I rushed through the rings, frantically searching for him, I saw warriors looking at me in confusion, but I didn’t care as I continued my search.
I noticed Alex further ahead, standing next to a training ring, talking with some other male.
I ran towards him, hoping he might know where Ryder is. Noticing me approaching, Alex looked at me in confusion, eyes growing wide as I could see panic appearing in his eyes.
He met me halfway, asking, “What happened? Where is Nerissa?”
Trying to catch my breath, I said, “N-nothing happened and Nerissa is fine. She is waiting for me in our gathering spot.”
I could see Alex visibly relaxed at my words, so I asked him, “Do you know where Ryder is?”
He looked at me confused for a moment until I could see his eyes sparkle as a smile appeared on his face. His mouth opened to speak, when suddenly he looked up, making his smile widened at what he was looking at.
That is when I felt him.
I turned around and saw Ryder standing in the training ring next to two warriors, giving some water to one of the warriors that was sitting down on the ground.
His eyes landed on me, looking confused, and I heard Alex chuckled as he said, “I believe you have just found him. Go to him and good luck.”
For the first time I know Alex, I looked at him feeling grateful, giving him a smile as I said, “Thank you.”
He looked at me, still smiling at me, nodding his head, and in the next moment, I was rushing to where Ryder was.
He gave the second bottle to the other warrior, wiping off his hands at his pants, asking, “Emily? What’s wrong? What are you doing here?”
I walked straight to him, saying, “I-I was looking for you.”
His eyes widened hearing my answer. He asked, “What happened?”
I looked him directly into his eyes, saying, “I was talking to Nerissa and she made me realize something.”
“What?” The confusion was clear in his eyes as he asked.
“I realized that I cannot fight against this bond that connects us together,” I said slowly as he was silently listening to my words. Continuing I said, “I can see how hard you’re trying, and yes that you changed, and it pains me to be away from you, so I realized that all along I knew what my heart wanted. I trust you will be a good mate from now on and if you still want me, us, I would love to give us another chance. D-do you still want us to try?”
I stood there watching him as he was silently listening. Panic slowly creeping inside of me, making my mind doubt that maybe I was too late.
Suddenly, he took the last step that created little space in between us, searching my eyes with his. He said, “I’ll always and forever want you, Em. Your my world, my life, my only source to exist in this world and I promise you I will never, ever again hurt you and treat you anything less but my equal, my mate. I love you and I have loved you since the first time I landed my eyes on you.”
Tears welled up in my eyes, making my throat close from all the emotions when I felt his arms wrap around my waist, pulling me into him as he slowly leaned down his face, not stopping until finally, I could feel his lips on mine.