Matthew pov

　　"Emma does not belong to your wolf pack, she belongs to mine. She remains a werewolf of the Moonshadow Pack," Alpha Tim Davis informs with a raised voice.

　　I slam my hand forcefully on the table before rising from my chair, a lupine growl from Fenrir, my wolf, emanates from the depths of my throat, "EMMA IS NOT A POSSESSION!" I growl angrily. Everyone in the room tenses, my alpha side emerging more and more. I try to keep calm and composed. I straighten my jacket and tie, Fenrir is ready to emerge and tear the face off Alpha Tim, who is also with his wolf ready, I notice by the change in the color of his eyes. "Alpha Tim Davis, this is just a courtesy meeting, after all, it's a birthday party. My birthday party. If you came here to insult me, to cause more intrigue, I suggest you mark another day on my schedule. This meeting is adjourned, gentlemen. I insist that you stay and enjoy yourselves." I inform with a hoarse and firm voice, not waiting for anyone's response, and I leave the conference room.

　　I feel suffocated with the tie around my neck and decide to loosen it a bit as I head to the party hall; I hear the other alphas leaving the conference room, ignoring them for a few seconds as I head for the drinks section set up outside the hall.

　　Most of the guests greeted me and congratulated me kindly and politely. I receive all the attention graciously. I order a double shot of whiskey at the outdoor bar and search among the guests outside for Emma. However, I don't find her easily.

　　I decide to go inside the hall; the decoration is lavish, and I know Charlotte must have loved it all. I'll have to talk to her at the end of the party to find out how much fun she had.

　　As I head towards the table reserved for me, I spot Emma. She's

　　 dancing with her back to me, with Daniel. With my eyes fixed on them, I go to the table and sit down; some honored guests, in this case, some alphas who were not at the meeting, are with me at the table. We exchange pleasantries, but I can only observe how Emma laughs beside Daniel, how she's dancing so close to him.

　　"She looks beautiful, Matthew Anderson," Fenrir, my wolf, growls in my mind. I agree with a nod before taking a sip of whiskey.

　　Emma's closeness to Daniel causes me great discomfort. There's an enviable intimacy between them, the way she dances beside him with lightness, the way she laughs. I've never seen Emma laugh so much as she has with Daniel.

　　"Go to her and ask her to dance, Matthew Anderson!" Fenrir orders authoritatively inside me. My wolf has a much more serious personality than I do. I excuse myself from the other guests at the table and head towards the dance floor, gracefully weaving through the people.

　　As I approach Emma, the music has already stopped, and I can hear a bit of the conversation between her and Daniel.

　　"This joke is the most ridiculous joke I've ever heard, Dan, where did you learn that?" Emma asks with a laughing voice.

　　"May I have the next dance with you, Emma?" I question near her, causing Emma to startle. Daniel gives me a firm look, but his wide smile remains on his face.

　　"Oh, Matthew. Of course, no problem. Thanks for the company, Dan," Emma thanks with a softer smile, and Daniel steps away a few steps from Emma.

　　"I thank you, star princess. Happy birthday, Alpha Matthew," Daniel declares with a serious voice, and I thank him with a nod.

　　The music that starts is slow, almost a waltz, and I extend my hand to Emma; her face is flushed from laughter, and I find it even more beautiful on her.

　　"You're not going to step on my foot, are you?" she jokes, and I let out a laugh as I position myself in front of her, holding her waist firmly. The sweet smell of Emma's perfume intoxicates me with desire. I lean my face close to hers, near the ear that has a star earring.

　　"I'm going to make you float, Emma," I purr in her ear, and I hear her heart rate increase with my words. "You look beautiful, by the way. I believe you're the second most beautiful woman in this territory," I declare with conviction, noticing Emma's eyebrow-raising, wondering who would be the first. "Charlotte takes first place, always."

　　And there it was, the laughter that Daniel was able to easily extract from Emma. She lets out a laugh and nods in agreement with my assessment.

　　"I agree with you on that. Charlotte is indeed the most beautiful person in this territory, not just in terms of femininity," Emma responds excitedly.