The Black Forest's Beta

Chapter 20

....Emmaline....

I came to my senses to find myself in Raphael's bedroom, he held me here, leading me to believe he actually could care. "Emmaline." I felt his hand caress my cheek, I had to fight myself in order not to nuzzle into him. I forced my eyes to not my emotions show as I looked at his incredibly gorgeous face. I had to hand it to him, Raphael was a damn good actor. Had I not known the truth I would have believed his eyes held sincerity, but I knew he was playing, trying to find a place to drive the knife into my heart. 

"What's wrong?" I could have sworn I heard his voice waver, but it must have been my imagination. "Please tell me." There was a stir in the back of my mind, somehow the voices had driven Cassie back to where she had been living, she was whimpering and pacing around trying to speak to me. 

(Don't let them win.) I heard her command me. I turned my attention back to Raphael who looked to be in a sort of daze, only his face was contorted in pain and fear. 

"Please don't leave me." It was a full on whine that left his lips, my heart skipped a beat as I realized the voices and my own insecurities had played me for a fool. I shifted so I could lean down to Raphael without losing my dinner, but that only made things worse. His breathing became uneven and I could hear his heart racing, his face became pale and his eyes unfocused. It looked like his body lost all of it's strength, and I was terrified and pissed with myself for doing this to him. "Please Emmaline, I love you." Cassie yelped, her cries matching mine as Raphael's eyes rolled back and his body went completely limp. I jumped off the bed he had set me on and pulled his face into my chest. 

I felt tears roll down my face as I held him and whimpered. "I'm so sorry." The words kept spilling as I bawled over his unconscious form. I tried getting him off the floor, which wasn't working seeing as I had no muscle mass at all. It felt like hours when I heard Ozzy thundering up the stairs. He burst into the room and came right to my side, he tried asking what was wrong, but I was too busy crying to answer him. The both of us were able to hoist him onto the bed where I crawled on top of his chest. 

"Emma?" Ozzy whined as he sat beside Raphael and myself. 

"The voices got inside my head...." He ran his hand through my hair in an effort to calm me, but it did nothing. All I wanted was to go back in time and tell the voices to shove it. "I listened to them..I believed what they were saying." Cassie was reaching out trying to make contact with Raphael's wolf, which seemed to be working, by the way she was relaxing. 

"Raph?" Alpha Gunter walked into the room not knowing what had transpired, when he looked at his beta, his eyes showed a bit of panic. 

He walked over to us and reached out toward us. "Don't touch him." Cassie snarled protectively, taking over for a moment. Alpha Gunter retracted his hand without hesitation. Cassie retreated and gave me back control, Alpha Gunter had his hands at his sides while he scanned Raphael for any visible injury. 

"What happened?" I had never heard Alpha Gunter's voice so soft, then again I really didn't pay attention anyway. 

"I listened to what the voices said." I told him without taking my head off of Raphael's chest. Alpha Gunter looked confused at my words, as he tilted his head. 

"The voices?" I nodded as Ozzy sighed sadly. 

"Our old pack, they might be dead, but their voices still haunt my sister." Alpha Gunter's eyes filled with understanding as he nodded slightly. 

"Why did you listen to them? Hasn't Raphael proved himself?" I felt myself get angry with his words. I lifted my head slightly and glared at him while growling lightly. 

"I didn't want to listen to them Alpha. I never wanted to listen, but when enough people tell you the same thing over and over, you start to believe it." I noticed Ozzy flinched as I was speaking, I rarely ever got angry and when I did, he was never around. Alpha Gunter looked taken aback as well. "You could never understand, if you had lived like myself, you would know someone like Raphael doesn't just come along. Especially with how understanding he is, when he refused to talk about pups the voices broke out of the place I tried to lock them in. I was hurt, and I feared that this was a sick game everyone was playing, using Ozzy and I as pawns. They fed on my doubts and insecurities, and I let them, because that was how I kept myself safe in Cold-stone, if you prepare for the worst, your mind and heart can't get too broken."

Alpha Gunter sighed sadly, his eyes were filled with pity, while Ozzy looked at the floor tearfully. I layed back down on Raphael's chest and turned my face away from them while letting more tears roll down my face. There was a sigh before two sets of feet left the room, only one set thumped down the stairs. "I'm sorry." I whimpered to my mate again. 

"Shh."I stilled as his hand reached up and rubbed my back, the other wrapped around my waist held me tight against his torso. I moved my head so I could look up at him, he seemed exhausted, his tinged red eyes met mine and lips moved to my forehead. "It's alright miele." I shook my head as my vision blurred slightly again. "I heard what you said to Gunter." I felt my eyebrows crease as he spoke. 

He moved the hand that was rubbing my back, so he could push hair out of my face. "I shouldn't have listened to them." My voice wavered as I brought my hand up and gently used it to trace his chest muscles. 

"I want to make something very clear to you." His voice was stern and serious, but his eyes held a playful spark as he pressed my waist into his. I could feel his c**k poking into my lower abdomen. "This is what happens to me every time I think of getting you pregnant. I can't wait for the day you are ready to bare my pups. There will be a few times I use you as a game, but you will enjoy it too, seeing as they will put babies in your belly." I felt my cheeks heat up and he chuckled while rubbing my back again. "When the thought of you with a swollen stomach even narrowly crosses my mind..." He blew out a large breath while his eyes darkened. "My self control wavers, and that can't happen, not until your strength is up. I know you aren't ready for everything yet Miele, and that is okay with me, but I can't speak about this, or else everyone will get a view of how hard I get, and that sight is for you alone Emmaline."

I felt a tingling sensation in my lower gut as Cassie purred in the back of my head. My lips were dry as I began to picture him and myself all tangled up in one another. Breathing while picturing what I was, was not easy. "Emmaline." I looked up at Raphael's black eyes, I knew he could smell my arousal, and for once I wasn't embarrassed about it. 

"I'm not apologizing this time." I told him while trying to calm myself, he chuckled and rolled us over so he was laying on top of me, his weight held off by his large arms. 

"Good." His lips held a lazy smirk before he leaned down and placed his warm lips on mine. I felt myself sigh as I placed my arms around his neck and returned the kiss. Raphael hummed against my lips before he pulled his lips from mine and set his forehead down so it touched my own. "Du schmeckst so verdammt gut." He growled after licking his lips, while staring down at me with a look of warmth on his face. 

"What does that mean?" I asked while using one of my hands to play with the hair on the back of his head. He smirked and placed a chaste kiss on my lips before speaking against them. 

"You taste so damn good." I felt myself blush as I giggled, he pulled himself up before rolling over so he was laying beside me on his back. I rolled myself so I was laying on the right side of his chest while placing my left hand on his abdomen. We fell into a comfortable silence as we both just took in the roller coaster our day had been. I looked back into my mind where Cassie was laying peacefully, her eyes closed in slumber. 

Feeling me looking upon her, Cassie opened her eyes and wolfishly grinned before falling back asleep. A feeling of peace and warmth surrounded me, lulling my soul into a dreamless slumber. 

I woke up the next morning to find Raphael still asleep. I smiled and kissed his chest softly before slipping from the bed and walking into the bathroom. After using the toilet and taking a quick shower I put on a dark red and black striped off the shoulder top and a pair of black leggings before heading from the closet to Ozzy's room. He was laying in bed with his eyes open as he stared numbly at the wall. 

I walked to his side and ran my hands through his dark hair. His eyes widened before he jumped up and pulled me into his arms. "Emma." He whimpered into my shoulder. "I was so scared last night."

"I'm okay, and so is Raphael." He sighed lightly and got out of his bed, he was wearing nothing but his briefs. He wandered into his bathroom, then a few minutes later the closet. When he reappeared he was dressed in a black t-shirt and faded grey skinny jeans. I gave him a warm smile before taking his hand and walking down to the kitchen where Rosina was standing in another silk robe drinking her coffee. 

"Good morning kiddos." Rosina said easily while smiling at us.

"Good morning Nonna!" Ozzy chirped while sitting on a stool. I walked around the counter and smiled at Rosina. 

"Can you teach me how to make Raphael's favorite breakfast?" She beamed while clapping lightly. She didn't use words to answer, she just began instructing on how to make chocolate chip and banana waffles. We made the first two batches together before she watched me do the third all on my own. 

"Very good Emma, Raphael is going to love them." I felt myself beaming at her before I carried the stack of homemade breakfast to my mate. He started sniffing in his sleep, and the scent eventually woke him up. I heard his stomach grumble as he looked at the waffles on the night stand. 

"Good morning Raphael." I said handing him the plate as he sat up. 

"It's a good morning indeed." He growled lightly before digging into his breakfast. Once he was done eating Raphael licked his lips and set the plate back on the night stand. I had sat down beside him as he ate and watched a few squirrels from the window. I felt myself squeak as my mate pulled me into his lap and gently brought his lips to mine. "Those were the best waffles I have ever had miele." He whispered against my mouth. 

"Rosina taught me how to make them." I said pulling back so I could look into his dark irises. 

"Nonna, she hates being called Rosina." I nodded slightly and put my head down on his shoulder as he held my body tight against his. 

"I have to get ready for rounds." Raphael said after about 10 minutes of silence and cuddles. 

"Okay." I said with a small sigh. I was so cozy and I really didn't want to move, but I couldn't keep Raphael from doing his beta duties. We got up and he went to the bathroom while I took his empty plate and and fork to the kitchen. Ozzy and Nonna were giggling in the living room as I washed my mates dishes. The rest had been done, I was guessing by Rosina.

"Good Morning Emma." I smiled at Gisela as she, Alpha Gunter and Keifer walked into the kitchen. 

"Good Morning, Alpha, Luna, and Keifer." I said while placing the plate in the drying rack. I noticed a small blush formed on Gisela's face when I called her Luna. Alpha Gunter however grinned with pride as he looked down at his mate. 

"How are you feeling today Emma?" Keifer asked as he sat on a stool, Nonna and Ozzy joined us, my brother walked over to me and grabbed my hand lending me the support I desperately needed whenever I thought about Cold-Stone pack. 

"I'm okay." I told him with a small smile before changing the subject. "What are we doing today?" Gisela perked up and beamed at the mention of the days activities. 

"Elias and I are going to be showing your wolves the pack boundaries formally." Keifer said with a smirk of his own. 

"Will Evangeline be accompanying us?" I asked him, to which he nodded. 

"She will." I looked at Ozzy who had a smile on his face, but I could see the sadness in his eyes, he wanted to go, but he wasn't going to ask to ride on someone.

"Ozzy, you can ride with me." He looked at me and his eyes lit up, making his smile seem real. 

"Thank you Emma." I just kissed his cheek before looking toward the stairs. Raphael was coming toward us with a light smile on his face in only a pair of gym shorts. He said hello to everyone before placing a small peck on my lips and ruffling Ozzy's hair. 

"Have fun today Miele." I nodded and he smirked before he and Gunter left the house. 

"Are you going to join us Nonna?" I asked looking at her, she shook her head and sighed. 

"Yelena and I can't keep up anymore child, but I wont be alone. Inasya is coming over with Robert." Her words made me feel better about leaving her at the house. 

"When we get back can you teach me how to make ravioli and pesto?" She smiled before shooing us out the door, because Betty White was about to come on the television. 

Keifer walked us into the forest where Elias and Evangeline were waiting along with two other wolves. The female was extremely fit and looked amazing with her all black uniform on. The male was even taller than Alpha Gunter with little baby muscles on his regular muscles. 

"Luna Gisela, Emma, Ozzy these two wolves are Tyler and Daphne." Elias introduced.

"Hello." Daphne said evenly while Tyler lifted one of his hands in a wave. 

"Hi." Gisela responded while I sent them a small smile.

"Hi!" I chuckled at Ozzy's enthusiasm. "I'm Ozzy, Emma's brother."

"We know who you are." Tyler announced. "Ozzy is not a common name." We all nodded in agreement to his statement. After a few minutes of a tense silence Keifer suggested we shift. Gisela and I walked behind separate trees that were close to one another before shifting into our wolves. Cassie yipped while trotting around in my mind. We walked back out to the clearing where Ozzy was standing with Keifer and the rest of the wolves. Tyler had a large brown wolf while Daphne's was a caramel color with tan paws. 

Ozzy walked up to me and was about to climb on my back when Tyler stopped him. Tyler's wolf also had bulging muscles, but he was shorter than Alpha Gunter's wolf and Silvio. He motioned for Ozzy to get on his back instead, Ozzy did as he was instructed, soon after all seven of us wolves were racing through the woods. 

Keifer and Evangeline's wolves stayed right next to one another while Luna Gisela and I ran side by side. Tyler and Ozzy were right behind us while Elias was leading the way. During our four or five hours of running we came across many pairs of sentinels at the borders of the pack's land. We were coming to the end of our trip at the north end of the territory when we happened across another pair of wolves patrolling. Cassie whimpered happily as our mate trotted up to us and brushed his body on ours. 

I licked his nose and nuzzled his neck before looking at Gisela's wolf who was panting, her tongue was hanging out as she layed down. I went to her and layed down so I was on her left, Ozzy climbed off of Tyler and sat by our faces. I gave him a small kiss on his nose before looking back at my mate. He was mind-linking the other wolves based on their cloudy eyes. Once their conversation was over Raphael padded over to us and gave Ozzy and myself wolf kisses. 

After a minute he lightly whimper/growled before continuing with his patrol. Gisela and I stood, Ozzy climbed back on Tyler and we all ran to the spot where we had begun our adventure. Gisela and I went to the trees where our clothes were and slipped them on our bodies. Once we were fully dressed we looked at one another and smiled before walking back out to everyone else.