My body shuddered all over as I stumbled out of the closet.
He looked at me and scowled.
“Lily! What the hell did you do to my mate?”
I lowered my head in disappointment. He thought something was wrong with me?
Lily walked into the room and looked at me then grinned.
“Thomas is on his way. And there is nothing wrong with your mate. She's perfect. Maybe a little drunk but perfect.”
“Drunk?”
“We were having a ladies day, so wine may have been involved.”
Wine? Is that what I had been drinking? I'd never had alcohol before. It wasn't exactly within my budget or a need.
Emmett groaned.
“Would you relax. She’s doing great. Until the kids burst in screaming and scaring the life out of all of us. Paige has even been in her skin most of the day.”
“She has?” he asked hopefully.
I nodded, but it made the room spin and I staggered a bit.
How much wine had they given me?
“Yup. Actually, Willow has really taken to her. I don't think I've ever seen her talk so much to anyone before. It was sweet. Paige is very good with her too.”
Emmett gave me an odd look and I wished I knew what he was thinking.
Lilah cried out for Lily, and she disappeared, leaving Emmett and I alone in the bedroom. This shouldn't have been a big deal. I'd spent most of my time here alone with him in this room, but this time it was different.
I knew I was still in heat but need flared within me stronger than I'd ever felt before. I whimpered because of it.
“What's wrong?” Emmett asked.
I shook my head, embarrassed. I was going to have to lock myself up in the closet and take care of this myself. As soon as I thought it, memories of Emmett standing over me watching filled my head, making my desire increase substantially.
The way he stared at me now, I couldn't help but wonder if he was remembering that moment too. He may not act on impulse like normal unmated males around me, but the same obsessive need was there. I could see it in his eyes.
A knock at the front door made us both jump.
“Thomas is here,” Kate yelled down the hall.
“Stay put. I need to go talk to him and check the area. If someone's out there, we'll find him.”
I shrank back into the closet as he left. Lily followed.
I didn’t feel safe shifting back, at least not until Emmett assured me it was okay to do so.
Hearing them leave, I tried to lay down, but I was so uncomfortable. There was a house full of women and children, so I knew I couldn't just shift and handle things, or at least take the edge off some. That was confirmed when the door openeda few minutes later and Willow crawled in, dragging her book behind her.
“Are you scared?” she asked.
I shook my head. I didn't want to frighten the child.
“Cammie and Audrey are. They won't admit it, but I can tell. Don't worry. Daddy and Uncle Emmett will find whoever it was. Want me to read some more of the story?”