Worthy Mate

It was raining again in Edinburgh, nothing unusual, but for me, the smell and the sound always took me back to memories that caused me the most pain.

I cuddled into my blanket more closely turning away from the window trying to rid my mind of the painful memories, trying to go back to sleep so I had enough energy to do my double shift at the restaurant later today.

I groaned as the rain batted down more heavily against my apartment window making me know that it could not be ignored, my mind flashed with images of the fire, and blood.

I could still remember their screams and the stench of burning flesh as I quickly worked to save and released the countless supernatural creatures, some even children, that were being held and tortured in cells for God Knows how long.

I sat up pressing my hands to my eyes as tears ran down my cheeks, it was killed or be killed, I remind myself. I had to save them, I had to save my own, I had to save Emanuel and Noah.

I hear my phone vibrate beneath my pillow, bringing me out of my thoughts, I scramble to pick up the flip phone, quickly wiping my face and flipping it open answering the call knowing it could only be one person.

"Alpha." I greet professionally trying not to sound like a teary-eyed teenager but the strong girl that took down the largest hunter organization in the world in less than four months.

"Little Moon..." the deep voice greets warmly.

I smile at the nickname, the twins, his sons, started calling me that after he accepted my dad and me into His pack at the behest of his mate and son even though we were not wolves

"I have news." He says getting down to business, "Judge Tony is sitting Infront of me along with Rachel and the boys. You are on the speaker."

"Hi." I say lamely making everyone chuckle and Alpha clears his throat in irritation "let's get on with it." He says impatiently

"Emi, we wanted to ask you before we signed anything if you wanted to be part of our family..." Rachel says gently

"Legally." Judge Tony adds and I furrow my brow in confusion.

"Sorry-" I start but get cut off by Alpha Ian

"We want to adopt you. you will keep your father's last name, but you will be under my guardianship, and protection, and be our daughter." Alpha snaps

"Dad, do you know how to be even a little subtle. Even your namesake knows how to deliver news better than that." Thomas says cheekily but I ignored the comment as my mind raced.

I was shocked that he was even considering this, considering adopting me after all the trouble I caused in Glasgow and him having to take care of it and then having to hide me in hybrid territory after making arrangements with Collen, a friend of my fathers who I met at his funeral, and by extension his Alpha.

"You want to adopt me after everything I did... after all " I choke out not able to complete the sentence choking on my emotions.

"Emi. Pull yourself together. No child of mine will have an emotional breakdown for doing the right thing. I am proud of you; we are proud of you and you have brought Moon Cloaks Honour. Now, do you want us to adopt you or not?" He says proudly then snaps impatiently

"DAD..." Ian and Thomas groan "Ian-" Rachel scolds but I cut through them "Yes.." and there's a pause and the Alpha's voice floats in my ear again.

"Good. We will call you later with an update. you are coming home soon Little Moon." He says more gently and with promise before disconnecting the call.

I flip the phone closed with a small smile settled on my lips. I felt the hollowness in my chest being replaced with a small glow of happiness.

I lay back down staring up at the plain white ceiling as my mind drifts to thoughts of my dad, remembering how he saved me when I was ten from The Elites, a hunter organization after they tortured me for having the abomination gene, which caused my heightened sense of smell and quick healing rate.

My mind drifts to us moving to Denmark and bumping into Rachel and the twins after the divorce was finalized and dad lost his job for being too liberal with his lectures at the university and causing a drop in numbers for hunter recruitment.

I smile remembering Thomas's bright green eyes, freckled face, ginger curly hair, and wide bright smile and Ian's deep brown hair and brown eyes with a more medium-defined small smile. I remember how I announced they were twins after getting their common sea breeze smell with Ian smelling more wood and Thomas smelling more like moss and salt.

I sigh deeply as think about my dad's death, how Emanuel drained his blood, and made me watch him kill my dad while we were on vacation. I didn't blame Emanuel, I felt only sympathy for him.

My father killed his entire coven, his sister and brothers while making him watch, the worse part Emanuel considered Dad his friend, he didn't realize my dad was a brainwashed hunter and he was ordered to.

Dad changed after killing those innocent creatures made him retire from being a hunter and becoming a history lecturer instead, but it was too late his death set in stone by Emanuel who wanted revenge

Emanuel held me as we both wept, me for him killing my dad and him for finally getting the justice he wanted, and from experiencing the memories that flashed in his mind as he drained my father, memories of my dad finding me tied outside to a pole bleeding and shivering.

I sigh bringing my mind to the present and turning back towards the window remembering Ivy, who I saved from her own father after he tried to kill her for being a hybrid and what his narrowed-minded pack considered an abomination. I remember how she helped when I went through my mate's rejection then my mind drifts to my feisty best friends Lzzy and Octavia who cursed and shouted angrily over the phone as I fought through the pain Noah, my then mate put me through.

I rise from bed knowing there was no point going back to sleep, my mind would just drift to my past, to things I could not change. I had to live with the blood on my hands, the blood of hunters, the blood of The Elites who tortured me for years that lead me to my brothers, who trained me, that took care of me, and who I saved during a rogue attack leading to one of the most powerful werewolf packs and their father, The Alpha, accepting and training me as his own.

The Elites thought they could Break but they didn't I wasn't Emi Larson the Freak tortured girl, no, I was Emi Larson, I protected my own, and I was far from done.

I smile at seat a customer and her child who smiled just as happily back. I hand them menus before heading to the kitchen area to pick up the order for a group of werewolf teenagers at the booth in the corner of the restaurant.

"five mega burgers, six medium fries, and two special subs. Ella will come over with your milkshakes in a bit." I smile at them and the one guy smelling like pine thanked me while the other two ignore me and the three girls rolled their eyes while the other growled at me.

"Missy calm yourself." the one guy kicks the girl under the table while her eyes shift to bright green and I narrow my eyes "Control yourself. We have human children here and I have no interest in your little mate in the damn corner." I snap walking away and they look at me wide-eyed as Ella comes over to place their super large milkshakes.

Ella snickers as we wait for John, the owner, and chef, to hand us our next orders. "They still staring..." she whispers and I pour myself a cup of coffee.

"They can hear you Ella, and Forest eyes thinks I want her mate." I laugh as the group turns to us with surprised looks and narrow eyes. "I'm going to help John, you good here?" I ask downing the last bit of my coffee and she nods.

The kitchen was my happy place, it blocked out people's scents and I could use my special gene to blend ingredients make unique treats, and make sure John doesn't burn anything.

John and I worked in harmony, I prepped ingredients and finished cooking a few pasta and dishes while he grilled and plated food. "My pack warriors have informed me that you left the restaurant at three a.m again," John comments as I chopped more onions for him. "Why were you here until three a.m again Emi? I told you Twelve was late enough." He says to me gently passing two plates to the kitchen window.

"A few people walked in before closing and I check the inventory because Elisa was coming by with new stock this morning and ... I redid the cheesecake.." I say confidently and mumble the last part and he chuckles.

"I thought as much something tasted different. What did I do wrong this time?" He asks in amusement and I blushed to move on to the tomatoes and peppers. "the ingredients separated... so I remade them." I shrug making him laugh as he plates a pizza and two subs and calls for Ella. "Thank you. What am I going to do when you leave?" he says amused waiting for Ella to appear

"I found an easier recipe already, I will make you mini versions at clean up and I asked Elisa to come by so you can finally ask her out on that date," I say pulling out the clean up the dish as Ella appears at the kitchen window taking the pizza and sub, "Emi you have a new table and Can you take the next walk, I have three tables ready to pay." "On my way..." I say putting down and heading out of the kitchen.

I smile entering the dining area with my notepad and pen and walk over to the table where a couple sat, my nasal passage was blocked with the smell of onions but I knew their werewolves from the slight scent of puppy that whiffed around them.

I could get the full picture of the girl that looked like a porcelain doll with her black short-haired, white skin a round shaped face, large hazel eyes, small pink lips, and a button nose but the man that was with her back was too me and head bent reading the menu. I put on my brightest smile walking over to them.

"Hi, welcome to John's, I'm Emi-" I start and stiffen coming face to face with Noah who was the man that was seated with the porcelain doll.

I immediately divert my eyes from his widens ones and look down at my notepad then look at the girl with a tightened smile.

"What can I get you?" I say clearing my throat and trying to act cool while the mate that rejected me sat there with who I assumed was his chosen mate Charlotte.

She smiled at me and then turns to Noah "Babe What would you like?" She asks sweetly and I shift from foot to foot as he clears his throat awkwardly "Anything you want is Fine Char..." he says to her.

I stiffen looking at the perfect untarnished mate that replaced me. I couldn't bring myself to hate her, she seemed sweet, kind, and innocent unlike me who had hunters' blood, tarnished blood as Noah called it when he rejected me.

"Call when you are ready to order," I say stiffly backing away from the table and from the love-struck girl that blushed at the man sitting there arrogantly eyeing me and her.

I sigh deeply going behind the counter collecting a few orders and carrying them over to their respective tables while watching a bright-eyed Charlotte who giggled at something Noah said and entwined her fingers with his.

I go back behind the counter leaning on it and looking down at my inner hand which held a scar from a deep gash I received from the night I saved Noah from The Elite's cell. I can't help my mind drifting to the day Noah found out that Genie was my mother, and stumbling away from me screaming that my mother killed Henry, his beloved cousin, screaming that my blood was tarnished with hunter blood, that I was an unsuitable to be Luna of the Blood Moon pack then the rejecting me in front of a whole restaurant of onlookers and his Marcus, Henry's Father, who smirked at me as Noah snapped the bond.

That was not the worse part, the worse part afterward was when I refused to accept the rejection. Noah grabbed me by my neck lifting me up from the floor squeezing it and shaking me from my throat screaming at me to accept it as some of his pack members watched along with a few onlookers at the restaurant.

Marcus made him drop me saying he was making a scene which he listened to dropping me on the floor like I was nothing. I coughed on all fours as he crouched down and whispered I was going to regret and boy did I.

Noah used the mate bond against me. He used it as a personal torture device on me. It started small at first, kissing girls in front of me causing a pin and needles to erupt on my lips and neck, then escalated quickly when he realized it was causing me physical pain. He started sleeping around and having me fight the crippling stabbing pain that erupted all over my body.

I remember the scream that erupted from my throat that brought me to my knees and lie on the floor curling into a ball until he was done.

It became round the clock, happening in school, at work, and at home, luckily Ivy, a friend who was a hybrid helped me through it every single time.

I clenched my jaw circling the scar remembering how Noah treated Ivy as an abomination because she was half-witch and half-werewolf, yet when The Elites captured him it was Ivy and I still went and saved him not his precious pack members and Uncle.

I am immediately brought back to the present by Charlotte's voice and I snap my head up to see the "happy couple" staring at me with bright smiles.

"Excuse me... Emi? right." Charlotte says and I nod with a smile "We ready to order..."

I took down their order and told them it would take fifteen minutes and I will get them their coffees while they wait. I turn away to go put their order in, smiling at John who was at the counter when Charlotte touches my elbow. I quickly shrugged her off turning back towards her with my jaws clenched.

I hated being touched especially by people I didn't know or wasn't comfortable with. Rachel said it was a coping mechanism I developed from the physical and emotional abuse The Elites and specifically Genie and Sheni put me through when I was younger.

"Yes." I snapped at her and Noah growled loudly at me not liking the tone I used on his mate.

"I don't appreciate you growling at my staff boy," John snapped from the counter noticing my stiffened form from where he stood.

Noah didn't like that, he did not like being spoken down to by someone he considered lower than him, after all, he was an Alpha and John was just some hybrid.

I rolled my eyes as Noah stood up towering over me and turned towards John who looked unimpressed at him. "You speak to me with respect filth, I am the Alpha Of-" Noah starts in his Alpha voice before being cut off by John, who the voice had no effect on even though he was half-werewolf.

"Boy, You are no Alpha here. I suggest you and your company leave. This is hybrid territory. We protect our own. Now get." John says in a gruff voice and nods towards the door

I step back as Charlotte gets up and touches Noah shaking angry form and he shrugs off her touch angrily while not taking his eyes off John "You savage lot have No respect. I am an Alpha, you are nothing but a lowly servant." Noah Fumes.

My eyes bug out in shock at how disrespectfully he spoke to John, one of the kindest hybrids that always helped anyone in need.

"Don't speak to him like that Noah, You and Charlotte should leave immediately," I say in warning looking around and seeing the hybrid pack members eyeing Noah dangerously

"Did you not hear John and Emi. Leave unless you would like to be escorted to our Alpha, who I am sure would enjoy listening to your views on his pack members and members under his protection." a new voice says in a posh British accent. We all turn to a smirking Collen, the head warrior of the hybrid pack and according to John the younger brother of his Alpha.

"Come Char. We don't need to eat with these kinds of people. especially dirty tarnished ones." he snaps cupping Charlotte's hand and pulling her towards the exit and out of Johns leaving me feeling gut-punched and hurt again.

After Noah left everything went back to normal, John offered a cup of coffee and an English muffin, my usual customers, Tom and Patty walked for their daily lunch while they worked on sudoku and the rest of the customers went back to their meals as if nothing happened.

I found my mood dipping a bit remembering Noah's last comment and inwardly groaned at myself for even being affected by that jerk's comment. He was a horrible, vile being and I had a good mind going after him and kicking him in his balls.

"Emi... darling, Can you make me that scrambled eggs again with those sausages, I'm craving that cinnamon vanilla latte from yesterday. and make another to go." Collen asks bringing me out of my thoughts and Tom and Patty shout over each other to make that two.

"The Girl is only here for two months and she's taking over my kitchen."John laughs making me blush as I head into the kitchen and quickly start on the scrambled eggs adding a dash of milk, salt, pepper, a hint of green chill, and spring onion and whisk them while frying onions in a pan and frying beef sausages. Once pouring the egg into the caramelized onions and stirring it until it's perfectly cooked, I sever it up into four plates and another in a takeaway along with a bit of roasted tomatoes I made earlier.

"John... Collen, Tom, patty, and one for you" and take away." I say handing him plate after plate from the kitchen window and he smiles brightly at me "Thank you Emi, Take a break after you are done with the lattes."

I make 4 lattes placing them in front of each of them and tell John I was heading out for my break and will be back in fifteen. "You make sure you that you don't go wandering off, there are a few visitors around. Vampires, Pureblood." Collen warns

"Just going to pick up my book. Enjoy." I say and walk out.

I wander around a bit greeting a few hybrid pack members who recognized me from John's and from our flamingo pink uniform and frills that I hated but was John's favorite color.

I enter the second-hand bookstore and sigh happily greeting Eias the shopkeeper. "is it here?" I ask him hopefully and he chuckles at my eagerness and nods. "

It's at the back, I will be right back. Keep watch," he says walking off before I can reply and smiling after his thin form.

I sigh happily looking around and seeing Charlotte eye me from the aisle and my happy mood disappears as she comes forwards and I become cautious, I couldn't smell her mood or intention because my nasal passage was clogged with the smell from the kitchen.

"You Emi... Emi Larson." Charlotte says and I stiffen moving backward and she shakes her head holding her hand up. "I mean no harm... I know you were his mate and you both rejected each other... I know who you are because of Turner, Noah's Beta, he talked about you a lot. He said you saved Noah." She says and I still don't say anything

"Thank you for saving him." she says and Eias returns.

"Found. Everything alright here?" Eias asks carefully eyeing Charlotte with narrowed eyes.

I smile to myself knowing the hybrids pack members are very big on protecting their own. If someone was deemed unfriendly like Noah or Charlotte their pack shared the news like a viral video in the mindlink so everyone knew who they were and where they were.

I nod at him with a smile "She was just thanking me. How much do I owe you?" I ask Eias who waves his hand.

"You just keep replacing those cheesecakes that's all the payment I need." He laughs and I smile.

"Come by before closing and you may find one with your name on it." I laugh

He smiles brightly bagging the book and handing it to me. "See you at ten."

I nod accepting the bag before turning to Charlotte. "and you welcome, I wish you both the best." I say honestly walking out without a backward glance..

The rest of the day runs smoothly I showed John the new recipe which just needed to be whipped together and dished into a large bake pan for setting. I made individual ones for him and Elias. "Emi, After clean up... Go home. Not at three a.m" He warns and I nod shooing him and Elias off.

Ella and I clean up the last bit of dishes and she tells me goodbye and I stay a little while longer, sweeping and wiping down the counter when the bell rang, I look up the which read one a.m and turn to the customer and tense.

"Noah, Please leave," I say and he looks around with a scoff tilting his head at me with a smirk.

"I am not sure why everyone in this damn town,-" He starts and I groan "City. It's not a town."

"Whatever. Listen Emi, I am mating and marking charlotte tonight." He starts and I narrow my eyes at him trying to figure out where he was going with this.

"You did the right thing by accepting the rejection. we had a good run-" He continues and I scoff cutting him off. "That's absolute bullshit." making him growl lowly.

"Charlotte is a better fit. She is not like you. She knows when to shut up and knows nobody is above the Alpha." he snaps and I sigh continuing my cleaning.

"You were not worth the Luna title, you are tarnished Emi, your blood is tainted by your mother. It would put my pack, my line, and my reputation at risk. Your blood and are too dirty Emi. You have so much blood on your hands..." He says and I stiffen looking up at him in disbelief.

I saved him, I dragged Genie, my mother, to his pack so his uncle could have his revenge and he has the audacity to say I have blood on my hands!

"I saved you, Noah... I even got Marcus his revenge yet you say my hands are dirty?"

"But what type of Luna would you be if you sent your own mother to her death, Emi? he says to me delicately and I frown as he continues "No matter how much I was attracted to you, a murder can't be a Luna and how can someone who killed their own mother know how to be a mother."

I feel my heart drop at his words, he was right how can could I know what a good mother should be when my own mother abused me.

"Charlotte is pure, I am going to mate her, pup her, and build a family. She is perfect Luna material, good breeding, and from good stock. Unlike... well you..." He says shrugging at me paled face "I suggest you stop playing around with these people, they will be just as disgusted by you once they learn who you really are and what they did. Just disappear... It will be for the best... Go back to your... oh right you burnt them alive." He mocks coming over tossing some cash at me with a smirk "For the trip." and he strides out proudly into the night.

I stood frozen staring blankly at the door, replaying the words over and over again in my head.

He was right. How could be a good mother, a good luna, my blood was so tainted. I was ruined, I had so much of blood on my hands.

I backed away from the counter as tears my tears begin to fall. I tremble taking the cash going over to the donation jar and pushing the cash into it, and shamefully heading into the kitchen.

I round up the trash and cry pitifully. I was like this dirt, this useless rubble, I think to myself. I drag out 3 bags of dirt to the back of the restaurant where the bins were kept. I hated this part of the evening because the stench always messed up my nasal passage muting my special scent abilities.

I head back inside rubbing my nose in annoyance and then washing my hands and mopping the floor and rewashing my hands before starting on the cheesecakes.

My mind wonders back to Noah's words as I bash up biscuits letting my anger out but soon after it's replaced by the crippling sorrow that I wasn't worthy... I was so unworthy of him, his pack, his life, my own life.

I cry at his last words coming crashing down on me and I cry ugly fat tears... I let my pain pour out of me as I pour the last bit of cheesecake mixture into the cake last pans freezing them for tomorrow.

I felt so lost, so lonely, and more than anything hurt which made me cry louder and sink into the kitchen floor crying into my palms like a soppy teenager, but my pity party was cut mid cry with a throat clearing and deep throat clearing at that.

I cut off mid cry and pick up my messy tear-streaked face and see a smudged imposing form standing near the kitchen entrance. I rub my eyes and blink rapidly trying to clear my eyes.

My eyes widen at the tall, rough, handsome man staring at me with an unimpressed look "Girl, If you done wailing away, I would appreciate a cup of coffee to go..." he says in a powerful husky deep voice that came straight from his chest that made goosebumps rise across my arms with delicious shiver run down my spine.

Oh, boy was I in trouble.....