Chapter 5 Sharp

Dianthe was held steady on the unsteady ground by strong hands. As she stabilized herself, twigs crackled beneath her feet. She murmured, "Ouch, Embry," touching the region on her forehead where his pecks had just rebounded.

Her heart was thumping at his half-smile and narrowed eyes.

Little Fae, were you following me?

With a seductive smile, Dianthe peered out from under her extended arm. Certainly, I was. "Why did you flee?"

Do you mean to suggest that you want to see me naked? He kept grinning, and Dianthe laughed.

"And what if I did?"

Embry scoffed and set out to rejoin the group. I doubt that I'll ever get used to the fae's candor.

Dianthe asked, jogging to catch up, "What else do you know about my kind?" She raised an inquisitive gaze at his olive-colored eyes. Despite the fact that it was unusual, she didn't mind learning about herself from him.

"Well." Embry took a long breath and considered how to phrase the next sentence. "Fae are notoriously curious, mischievous, honest to a fault, confident, and beautiful."

That appears to be about accurate. When a full chuckle rang in her ears, Dianthe almost jumped out of her skin as she gave a completely sincere nod. She blushed, feeling a little ashamed.

Doesn't that pretty much sum up who you are? As they came out of the trees, his hooded gaze lingered on her face before hardening. "Everyone goes home. Tomorrow morning at precisely seven, training will begin, so get some rest.

Before their bodies retreated into their dwellings, a large number of interested eyes stared between Embry and Dianthe. Prim approached Embry while dragging Ianthe's hands as she hurried over with Eve in behind. The question is, "Can we take her to her room, Alpha?"

He hadn't even finished his sentence when Prim pulled her through the front doors of the house while speaking loudly.

"This is the pack house of the leader. Alpha is at the highest rank. Located on the lower floor are Liam and Jed. The first door on the left is where Orion and I share a room, and the door farther down is where Eve has a room. You will stay in the spare room on Alpha's floor, as I believe Alpha mentioned.

She was thoroughly intrigued. When everyone else has their own home, why do you all live together in one?

Again, Prim spoke. Although you normally get your own house when you find your soul mate, I preferred to be close to Eve because it makes things simpler when we need to schedule meetings and such.

And we're all close, Eve continued.

"We've been friends since we were little, and we trained together. We keep together because we put a lot of effort into getting to where we are. We live as a unit.

Even though she didn't fully understand the sentiment, Dianthe found it to be sweet. Except for a few fleeting glimpses of her mother's voice, she had no memory of her family. I need to consult Embry for help locating her. She didn't know if there were any additional family members.

The two women exchanged glances when she let out an audible sigh, as if sensing her attitude shift.

Dianthe, how are you doing? As they moved inside the kitchen, Prim questioned her with a worrisome look on her face.

The area was clean and open-plan, and the aroma of stew persisted from a pot on the stove. Ianthe turned to face the redhead as her mouth began to water.

Can I observe your practice tomorrow?

Prim didn't seem to notice the change in topic of conversation, despite Eve's twitching mouth and narrowed eyes.

Yes, without a doubt. Do you want to eat anything?

As they approached the counter, Ianthe's stomach grumbled in response to Prim, and a flush warmed her cheeks.

"Feel free to take anything at all. I'll return soon. Eve was at the breakfast bar with some strawberries when Prim dashed out the door.

Raiding their refrigerator and pantry felt strange, especially when a pair of unsettling eyes peered suspiciously into her back. She eventually gathered a bowl of various foods for herself, walked away from the stew, and sat down next to Eve.

The woman's eyes were still filled with suspicion despite having numerous tattoos.

Just inquire. The woman sighed.

What were you contemplating earlier?

She doesn't need to be asked twice, for sure.

Initially unsure of what to say, Dianthe ultimately concluded that the best course of action was to be honest.

She claimed that my mother would suffer as a result of my absence when Janna went. That suggests to me that they are tormenting her. This implies that she is still alive today. So perhaps if I can find her, she will be able to fill me in on my past.

Eve seemed taken aback by her candor. "Alpha might be able to assist you with this, but you must be certain of her whereabouts. Although our pack witch isn't the friendliest, she could cast a location spell. We'll be putting a target on our backs even if we attempt to rescue her while she is in Mystic Shadow.

The women chewed on their assortment of fruits during a protracted pause. Dianthe sensed Eve didn't want to get involved in her issues, and she didn't hold it against her. If her memories came back, she would be able to make decisions on her own. But Fae was having no luck at the moment.

Dianthe caught Eve's glance through her black bangs as she sighed. "Listen, I want to help you, sure, but the Council disapproves of meddling in other packs' affairs. Alpha Zaire is a monster, on top of that. Even then, he only cares about his own pack, and even then, he would murder his wolves if they disobeyed him.

Dianthe bit her lower lip while gazing into her bowl.

"And you would have to stay behind if we left. Then, since he seems to be desperate to have you and we don't know why, our pack would be divided between trying to protect you and rescue your mother. Simply put, it's a mess.

Then Dianthe made the choice to look Eve in the eyes. If I wasn't there, how would you know she was there?

What's her appearance like?

Hands in the air, Dianthe exclaimed. "I'm not sure! But if I saw her, I'm certain I'd know who she was.

"If, and it's a big if,"

When spice and soil touched her nostrils, Fae moaned before eating the food in her bowl. She automatically straightened her slouched shoulders as she searched for the source of the aroma. Liam entered first, followed closely by Embry. She grinned widely when his gaze landed on hers.

Do you want to join us?

To Liam's amazement, he reciprocated her smile. He gave them both a bewildered glance before settling next to Eve, his brows fluttering. Move aside; E. Daddy is over here.

Dianthe laughed as Eve sputtered. A few strawberries from Eve's bowl were taken by him, and he grinned as Embry sat down next to Dianthe. Feeling his body heat beckoning her to get closer, she longed to lean into him. The Fae took a long breath and savored the flavor before exhaling loudly.

Where do I sleep once more?

She was glancing towards Eve, but Eve was fooled by the vagueness of the query. I'll demonstrate.

Dianthe had to yank her eyelids open with willpower. Why do I have such strong feelings for this man? Strangely, the Alpha gave off a safe vibe throughout. Around him, she didn't feel butterflies in her stomach; rather, a warm, comforting sensation caressed her mind, body, and soul. She would have assumed they were acquainted if she hadn't known any better.

As Dianthe followed Embry up countless flights of stairs to a white door, she scratched her temples in exhaustion. "This is your bedroom."

Dianthe noticed a dark door at the end of the hallway as she peered behind him. I'm in that room. He gave a silent response to her query.

She grinned at the furnishings as she cracked open the white one. It wasn't much. To the left of the bed was a tall cupboard with storage space underneath. He said, "Prim has ordered you some more clothes to fill those," over her shoulder. A sizable window seat with a view of the woodland was located opposite the bed. From that perspective, everything was breathtaking. She let out a dreamy sigh.

"Knock if you ever need anything."

Ianthe raised her eyebrows as she turned to look at Embry, their gazes attracting one another.

She choked back a laugh as they both simultaneously cleaned their throats. "You are very generous. I'll make sure to accept your offer.

He took the bottom lip between his teeth and then slightly separated his lips. When he looked back, she was still grinning. He then turned and walked out the door. She was delighted by the small blush on his cheekbones as he closed the door behind him.