Chapter 113

Logan

The walk to the car is silent. Emily does not say much to me, not that I expect her to say anything in the first place, but we hold hands and I occasionally bring it up to my lips whenever we are away from the public eye impress a kiss to her skin. She smiles up at me every time I do it, but says nothing, forcing her eyes away from me as her face falls, a sick look overtaking her face.

Once we left the office, Emily’s demeanor change. She went from a confident and strong woman to somebody who looks visibly sick. Even as we hold hands, her hand feels clammy against mine, her skin running cold. It worries me to death to know that she must be going through something that I have no idea about.

We approach the car and I keep my keys in my hand, not passing them over quite yet. She reaches for them, but I draw my hand back, keeping them away from her. She glared at me and crosses her arms over her chest, leaning against the driver side door as a tower over her.

I lean down and reach her eye level, matching her narrowed gaze as I move. I tilt my head to the side, and she matches me, earning a laugh from the back of my throat. Straightening my posture, I looked down at her and tuck the keys back into my pocket.

“Why do you want to leave so badly?” I asked the question that I know she does not want to answer.

An exasperated sigh, leaves her lips, and she divert her gaze away from mine. I simply stepped to the side to meet again, not offering her away out of the conversation at hand. She rolls her eyes and straightens her back, tilting her chin upwards as she looks up at me.

“Why does it matter?” she throws the interrogation right back onto me, turning the tables. At least, she thinks she has. I hold back a smirk as she continues to speak. “You were the one who was so happy to see Delilah when she came into your office. I could only assume that you wanted to talk more with her!”

“Emily,” I let out a deep chuckle, shaking my head, amused by her antics, “you were the one who basically pond her off onto me. You hired her today. We didn't need her. You said, though, that you needed the help since you were bouncing between two packs.”

“That is true, yes,” Emily shifts in her spot.

I take a step towards her and place my hand on the top of the car, trapping her in between me and the vehicle. She gulps but doesn't look away for me, standing strong in her argument. I reach out with my free hand and push some of her hair behind her ear, feeling the way she shivers against my touch.

“What's wrong? Let me fix it for you,” I speak in a low tone, only one in the two of us to hear.

“I have pack business to attend to,” emily says, “it's urgent.”

“Bullshit,” I immediately say in response, “you look like you are about to throw up. Is everything okay with your pack? What happened that made you look so visibly sick?”

Emily lets out a quiet and tired sigh. She shakes her head and looks away, wiping a tear that slips free from her eye. I remove my hand from the car and gently grab her waist, pulling her into a gentle hug. She rests her head against my chest, and I rub circles into her back, trying to comfort her as much as I can.

“I just need a sick day before we go to dinner with Delilah,” she mumbles into my chest. She wrapped her arms around me and gives me a gentle squeeze, grabbing a fistful of my shirt, wrinkling the white material. “Is that okay?”

“Of course,” I nod in response, hoping that she knows that I mean every word that I say. "You never have to ask for permission to take a day off. You know that you can do whatever you want. I am simply here to help you no matter what. I want to give you the world, you know that, even if it is something as simple as a day off from work.”

Emily pulls away from my body and looks up at me with a small smile on her face. Her eyes are glossy, and I hope that the tears that form are ones from appreciation and not sadness. I gently cut her cheek and wipe away any of the tears that fall, wanting her to know that I love her without saying the words out loud.

“Thank you,” Emily breathes out.

I smile and nod, slipping the keys from my pocket. Before she can take them, I hold them away once again, one last question burning in the back of my mind. Something that I have to ask in order to get this weight off of my chest, to feel like a competent Alpha throughout the day.

“Emily, please tell me the truth when you answer this question I am about to ask,” I looked down at her, my tone turning serious. Her eyes slightly widen before relaxing, and she nods her head. “Are you hiding something from me? You have been acting so weird lately. I am worried about you…”

My voice trails off. She does not immediately respond. Her silence makes me feel uneasy, worried that something much bigger is going on that I do not know about.

I thought that we agreed to be open and transparent with one another, to not hide secrets. Hiding secrets is what ruined our relationship in the past and I am afraid that the same fate Lisa had for us if she continues down this path.

Before she can respond, I gently pull her away from the driver side door and walk her around to the passenger side, opening up the door for her to get inside. She opens her mouth to stop me from doing this, but I shake my head, pointing inside the car.

“get in,” I say, “I'm taking you home myself.”

“I am more than capable of driving home, logan,” she tries to argue back, but I gently push her into the passenger seat. “I don't need a babysitter.”

“As your husband, this is me wanting to take care of you. I made a vow to you on our wedding day that I will take care of you through all of the hardships that you were going through. In sickness and in health, remember? It doesn’t matter if we signed a contract with one another,” I speak as she slowly gets into the car.

I close the door and walk around the hood of the car, her eyes never leaving mine. She wears a worried expression on her face, hidden behind a fake look of an annoyance and irritation.

She is definitely hiding something from me. I just have to find out what it is. If it is anything to do with her pack, I want to help in anyway I can and ensure her that she has my pack’s support, no matter what.

I get into the driver's side and slip the key into the ignition, starting the car. Without another word, I begin to drive back home.