15.

**Jonah**

Sitting on the river bank next to my brother, we watched on helplessly at Emma as she called out for her mate.

It’s been a week since he left. A week of waking up in the middle of the night to her screams from bad dreams. A week of comforting her and helping her eat, even getting her to smile again. With the absence of Michael, we lost our sister.

Every day was a struggle to keep her and Alia strong, the mate bond was taking a toll on them, meaning Michael too was suffering in sadness. His pain was now affecting her.

Angelo sent out warriors in search of his son but no luck. Maxwell and Madison stayed next to Emma 24/7, reassuring her of their brother's return even if they didn't believe he would.

We saw how they pitied her but was somewhat scared of her after she used her gift against Michael. I didn't understand why they will have that inkling of fear. She was still their friend.

Angelo acknowledged it as being a white wolf, of how he was wrong. Not even our dear sister knew of the real reason why she was gifted with those powers in such close timing.

"Emma. Let's go in. You need to rest," Noah said in a shaky voice bringing me out of my thoughts.

We both looked at he. She sat in her wolf form, howling at the moon as its light shone done on her. Within each howl, she will listen for his reply. Her callings became even more mournful when no answer came. It breaks our heart to see her like this.

“I need to know he's okay. I know he hurt me from the start but I need to know he's safe. I need to know,” she said crying. Tears ran down our faces as we listened to her calling once again for her mate.

After a moment of silence, her calls became angry and frantic. She began to pace, growling and calling for him. The winds started to pick up around us as her howls became angrier.

"Jonah. Something is wrong. Is she doing this?" Noah called out to me over the noise of the wind shaking the trees violently.

Emma's eyes were pitch black as she growled in the direction of the cluster of trees. We both turned to the direction where she was focused on but felt no strange wolf nor saw anyone.

A shower of rain began, the winds calm down as Emma lowered herself to the ground whimpering.

“My mate doesn't want me. What did I do? I thought just maybe finding him will make something go right. I have the power no other wolf has. My new friends are scared of me. Why are these things happening? Mother above, please tell me,” she cried to us.

Seeing her in this state was foreign to us. How to console a person with a broken heart?

"Beauty, it's going to be okay," I said to her.

“Is it?” she snapped at me as a crack of thunder was heard at the same time.

Both Noah and I stepped back from her.

"New power?" Noah asked knowing the answer. All I could have done was nod my head in response.

Emma can now manipulate the weather by her emotions. Our job in keeping her identity a secret just got ten times worse.

"Beauty?! Please calm down and let us talk to you. Please, Emma," I said calmly to her and sat on the wet ground.

“What can you possibly say that can remove this pain from my chest?” She asked angrily, causing another crack of thunder and flash of lightning.

“My soul mate given to me by the moon goddess herself left me. I'm a fricking white wolf with gifts I can't even control. Our family is back there and we don't know jack if they're alive or dead. I'm still yet to find out who my real folks are and I'm freaking out in worry over him. Now what can you possibly tell me to sum everything up,” she shouted incredulously.

Hearing her shout in a dominant voice in your head can be really painful. She literally had us covering our ears. Noah was on his knees, whimpering in submission and pain.

“YOU'RE THE LAST ROYAL,” we both shouted at her.

Silence.

The winds died down. The rain stopped. No thunder was heard. The night was still as calm before the storm.

She shifted back to human form and stood still, confusion in her eyes. We had to get her dressed back into her hoodie and sweats when she didn't respond to our calls. Her expressive eyes told us everything we needed to know. Shock, anger, love, sadness, and betrayal all flashed across her distinctive green eyes.

Looking at her hands, brows furrowed she whispered, "The story. It's real."

She made two steps then fell into a heap on the ground.

"Shit," we both exclaimed and ran to her.

"Not the way I expected it to go," Noah said cradling her in his arms.

"Yeah but you know what this means," I said running my hand through my wet hair.

"Yes, but one more week. Maybe Michael will come back. He can't be out there alone, not when they knew to attack Moon Dust," He said standing with her tightly in his arms.

We walked in silence, knowing what is to come when they find us.

"I will send a message to the palace in two days. It will give her time to come to terms with what she just learned." I voiced out my idea softly as we broke through the forest into the alpha's backyard.

"Agreed," Noah said.

"Are you three alright? It looked like a small freak storm we had, considering its near summer. Weird." We heard the frantic call of Anna.

We nodded our answer as she came closer. "Emma. Is she okay?" She asked brushing the hair away from Emma's face.

“She fainted. The lack of sleep caught up to her," I said softly.

Anna sniffed and wiped the tears running down her cheek as she held our sister's hand. "I'm sorry that she has to suffer because of my son. He has been running from his own demons a while now. It seems like they are controlling him now," she said to us while looking at Emma.

She walked with us up to Emma's room and watched on sadly as we changed her into warmer clothes.

"I'm so amazed at how loving you three are. My two sons love their little sister but I'm sure they won't sit with her in the middle of the night as she calls for her lost mate," she said to us with admiration.

"It’s part of the job I guess," I said tucking in my sister. She smiled at my answer.

"Anna, I hate to ruin the quiet but can you think of anywhere Michael will run to, knowing no one can find him?" Noah asked sitting at the edge of the bed.

She sat in concentration for a few minutes. "How can I be so forgetful," she said biting her lips and frowning.

"What is it?" I asked, praying that she knew where her son is. We had to get Michael back under our watch.

"My father gave Michael a cabin when he was 17, east of here two towns away near a lake. We completely forgot about it because he stopped visiting it after his grandfather passed away," she said more to herself.

"Jonah, you need to go and check.'" Noah said.

"Do you believe he would be there?" she asked desperately.

"It's our only hope. We have no other choice. Emma is getting weaker without him. Can the alpha spare six wolves to accompany me?" I asked ready to leave.

"Of course. Anything for Emma," she said.

We both froze which caught Anna's attention.

She smiled warmly at us then looked at our sister, "Mate or not to my son. Emma is very special. Her presence here has brought a sense of happiness that we haven't had in a year. We would do anything for her and for you two also."

Anna surely made it clear to us that their allegiance stood strong without knowing that they are protecting their future queen.

We voiced our appreciation which she accepted with a smile and left in search of her mate. I looked back at my brother. "You will take care of our sister," I said as a statement more than a question.

"Of course. Just bring back her mate in one piece," he said with a smug smile.

I snorted, "I can't hold you to that, brother."

He rolled his eyes and came to me. "Just be safe. We both can't lose another person close to us," he said giving me a brotherly hug. Patting his back in reassurance, I sealed his promise with a nod.

"Call me if there's trouble," I said turning to leave.

"Sure thing bro," I heard him say as I made my way down to the alpha's office. I hope this trip will be fruitful.



****************************************

**Noah**

After 3 hours, Jonah and the warriors left in search of Michael. I sat there looking at Emma, trying to figure out how can she care so much about him when he did nothing but hurt her.

We have learned everything about wolf mates but seeing it first hand was torture. You just want to make everything right for that person who's hurting so bad. I even wish I had the power to change her mate. If Aiden was Emma's mate then she won't be hurting. She won't be in this dark place trapped and lost.

Thinking about Aiden's love for her brought a smile to my face. Back home she would constantly talk about the little things he did for her.

When I say little, I mean little things like buying her a silly T-shirt with her favorite band or cartoon character, watching movies, staying indoors with her while she reads, even simply go for a walk. Once he had her by his side, Aiden would have agreed to anything.

Yup, that's how simple she was. He knew that and it made him love her more. Hell, that's what made her so unique. Beautiful inside and out. That was on his side but since his return back to Moon Dust I realized how Emma held back her feelings for him. She was distancing herself away from him during those weeks.

Was she silently making a clean break and was ready for her mate back then? Did her wolf sense their future meeting of their mate? It was something to put into the dynamics that were happening now.

I let out a deep sigh and laid on the floor beside her bed.

"We may never have your kind and loving heart, beauty. But that's what makes you so special. I hope your mate comes to his senses. Soon," I muttered as my eyes drifted close with sleep.