Emma's Pov

　　"I have a very rare medical condition. I suffer from blackouts. This sometimes causes me to have episodes that I don't remember. I don't recall going to a forest the day before yesterday, but if you found my necklace there, I probably did," Emily explains.

　　My eyes sweep the entire room as I listen to Emily's explanations. Matthew leads the conversation lightly but is investigative, explaining how I found the necklace and how we ended up here. He is charismatic, and Emily is too, in fact, she's exactly like Ava. The way she talks, smiles, and laughs. There's no way she's not Ava. But then who is Emily? Who is this girl in front of me?

　　"Well, it would be lovely if you came to the Night Howlers wolf pack," I invite after a few hours of talking with Emily. "Wouldn't it, Alpha Matthew Anderson?"

　　"Ah, of course, yes. We would definitely be delighted to have you with us any day," Matthew agrees hurriedly, raising an eyebrow at me, but I try to keep the conversation light.

　　"Tomorrow, visit us tomorrow. How about that?" I suggest more excitedly.

　　"Sure, tomorrow would be perfect! I've always wanted to visit other wolf packs; my mom is very strict," Emily explains mischievously. "But I don't think it will do any harm to visit you; you're so lovely. I hope someday I'll also get into a relationship like yours," Emily declares excitedly.

　　"We're not a couple!" I inform, surprised by Emily's declaration, which leaves her startled by my reaction. Even Matthew blinks at me uncomfortably. "We... we're just friends. Nothing more."

　　"Oh, I see. Sorry."

　　"And your mother, is she around at the moment?" I ask curiously, glancing around the room as if somehow, Milena Golden might suddenly appear out of nowhere.

　　"Mom went shopping, she should be back in a few hours. You can stay and wait for her if you want," Emily suggests with a gentle smile on her lips. I'm about to accept the invitation; I want to know more about Emily and Milena Golden, but Matthew is quicker than me.

　　"I don't think we'll be able to stay much longer. As an alpha, I can't stay too far away from my wolf pack. Especially since we'll soon have a celebration at the Night Howlers Pack, which you're obviously invited to," Matthew declares amiably and charmingly. I notice Emily blush, and I feel uncomfortable about it.

　　Why is he acting like this with her? The question comes with an irritated tone within me, leaving me feeling uneasy.

　　"What celebration?" I question a bit too sharply, and Matthew shoots me a playful glance.

　　"My birthday, I'll be turning twenty-five," Matthew declares with amusement in his voice, and Emily beams at him.

　　"Wow, twenty-five? Alpha Matthew, you don't look a day over twenty. You're very handsome, sorry to say," Emily compliments Matthew genuinely, and it makes me even more uncomfortable.

　　"Your words are very kind, Emily. If you keep it up like this, I'll make you my guest of honor," Matthew flirts with a smile on his lips and a wink at Emily, who seems almost swooned by the gesture.

　　I bite my lower lip. I can't be feeling jealous of this, it's totally insane and inappropriate. My eyes shift from Matthew to Emily, and the way they look at each other, I feel like I'm intruding on the chemistry between them.

　　"Um... well, shall we go then? Since there's a party to organize, I believe the Alpha's presence will be much needed," I declare with fake enthusiasm. Emily blinks in surprise and nods.

　　Matthew rises calmly and stands beside me; his hand comes to rest on my lower back, gently resting until it finds my waist. I hold my breath as I feel his touch, frozen in place for a few seconds. My heart races with his proximity to me. "Thank you very much for the hospitality, Emily. We look forward to seeing you tomorrow at the Night Howlers Pack; if you need, I can send a car to pick you up tomorrow early in the morning if you prefer," Matthew suggests elegantly, and Emily brightens at the possibility, agreeing enthusiastically. "Perfect then, see you tomorrow, Miss Emily. Emma, shall we?"

　　I stammer my response as he addresses me. "It was wonderful to meet Ava..., I mean, Emily, sorry. I'm looking forward to continuing our conversation tomorrow," I say with a sweeter tone.

　　"The pleasure was all mine, Emma. Thank you very much for returning my necklace," Emily responds happily, she's got him wrapped around her finger. I hesitated to hand it to her, but I did it anyway, so as not to make the situation even weirder.

　　"Can I help you put it on if you want, Emily? So you won't lose it again," Matthew suggests with a seductive tone, and I widen my eyes at the suggestion. Emily, on the other hand, quickly accepts the help.

　　Matthew steps away from me, and once again, I feel irritation with their closeness. Emily tilts her head, exposing her neck and nape even more. Matthew takes the necklace from her hand and positions it around the young woman's neck. The whole scene makes me jealous, and I'm furious about it. I turn my face to the window, trying to ignore Matthew being courteous and kind to Emily.

　　"There, I believe it's now in the most beautiful place in the world," Matthew compliments, and Emily lets out an exaggerated laugh. I control myself not to roll my eyes. I notice Emily brushing her fingers against her neck, where the pendant necklace now hangs, and she opens a satisfied smile.

　　"Thank you, Alpha Matthew," she thanks, and Matthew once again winks in her direction.

　　I hurry Matthew to get back on the road. "It's not good for us to linger too long; the traffic will be hell to get back home," I argue with a softer voice, and Matthew nods.