Chapter 4 A PASSPORT

Emily then remembered where they had met and thought it would make sense to revisit the field. She felt a sense of urgency, even though she couldn't quite get the direction right. At that moment, she didn't care; she just wanted to be there again. Later that evening, Emily found herself in the same field, but everything felt different this time. Instead of sitting quietly, she moved around, trying to absorb the atmosphere. The full moon was nowhere to be found, and despite the field's beauty, everything felt bland and lifeless.

After what felt like an eternity of waiting, and with no sign of him, she stood up and left, feeling a heavy dullness settle over her. Back in her room, she locked the door tightly, climbed onto her bed, and pulled out the passport photograph she had kept hidden. She stared at it, trying to recall if she had ever seen his face before, but no matter how hard she looked, she was sure she hadn't. Exhausted, she contemplated throwing the photograph away and forgetting about the one-night stand she had just experienced, but the thought of letting go of the passport felt impossible.

What was she going to do now? She tucked the passport under her pillow and walked out of her room, heading to Sia's room. Sia was busy preparing for a trip to her farmland the next day to check on her crops when she heard a knock on her door. "Come in!" she called out without looking up, and Emily stepped inside.

"Dada was weird today, so I've stopped going to his place," Emily said as she plopped down on Sia's bed.

"Everything okay?" Sia asked, finally glancing up.

"Nothing is okay. I thought I took him as a friend, but all along, he only saw me as a woman," Emily replied, her voice tinged with frustration.

Sia burst into laughter. "Haha, of course, he always looked at you that way! You're clueless, Emily!"

"I guess I am," Emily admitted, her shoulders slumping. "But now that I know, I'm letting go of him."

"Why would you do that? He's a good man," Sia said, her brow furrowing in concern.

"I can't have anything with this good man," Emily replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Why do you look so worried? Is everything okay with you?" Sia asked, noticing the frown that had settled on Emily's face.

"I can't let go of what happened that night. I've been restless ever since. I went back to that field, but he didn't show up," Emily confessed, her heart racing at the memory.

"Excuse me? You went back to what field?" Sia asked, confusion etched on her face. She couldn't understand why Emily kept bringing up the one-night stand. Why was it called a one-night stand, anyway?

Emily understood Sia's confusion. She knew she shouldn't keep bringing it up, but she couldn't help it.

Sia looked at her friend, momentarily at a loss for words. "Okay, let's say you want to meet him. Do you know him from Adam?" she asked.

"No, I don't," Emily replied, her heart sinking.

"So how do I help you find him?" Sia asked, clearly exasperated.

"I have a passport," Emily said, her eyes lighting up with a glimmer of hope.

"A passport?" Sia echoed, puzzled.

"Yes! I think he forgot it. He also left a letter and some cash for me," Emily explained, her excitement bubbling over.

Sia froze, her eyes widening. "If he left you a letter and you found a photo, that's a good start," she said, her tone shifting to one of cautious optimism.

"I'll go get them!" Emily exclaimed, rushing out of the room to retrieve the items from her own space. When she returned, she climbed onto Sia's bed and laid everything out before her friend.

Sia picked up the letter and began to read it aloud. As she finished, she rubbed her forehead in disbelief. "He seems rude. I mean, didn't you read the letter? He obviously doesn't want to see you anymore. I guess the cash is some form of compensation," she said, glancing at Emily.

"I think so too, but I don't feel the same. I want to see him. I need to talk to him. We need to discuss what happened," Emily said helplessly, her voice thick with emotion.

Sia could see the desperation in Emily's eyes and felt sympathy for her friend. She understood the turmoil Emily was experiencing, but what could she do? "Can I see the passport photograph?" she asked gently.

Emily handed the photograph over, and Sia opened it, her eyes widening in shock. She felt a wave of disbelief wash over her as she stared at the image. "Selene, do you have any idea who this man is?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.

"No, I don't, but he told me his name," Emily replied, her brow furrowing in confusion.

"What did he say his name was?" Sia pressed, her heart racing.

"Ethan," Emily said, trying to recall the details of their brief encounter.

"Right!" Sia exclaimed, her expression shifting from shock to alarm. "What do you mean?"

"Selene, that's Alpha Ethan! The Alpha of this pack you found yourself in. He controls the life and death of everyone living here," Sia explained, her voice laced with fear as she moved closer to Emily, wrapping her arms around her in a protective embrace.

Emily's heart sank as she processed Sia's words. "Do you know you can get in trouble for that act alone?" Sia continued, her voice low and urgent. She glanced around the room, checking to see if anyone was eavesdropping.