Chasing Emory: The Hidden Princess

Chapter 3: The Dreaded Meeting

EMORY'S POV

I stared at the glowing screen of my phone, rereading Dad’s text for what felt like the hundredth time.

Don’t forget about dinner tonight. It’s important.

My chest tightened. I desperately wanted to skip dinner. But Dad rarely sent texts like this: direct, commanding, and impossible to ignore. I sighed and tossed my phone back into my bag.

Geller was back.

The thought sent a shiver through me. I hadn’t seen him in years, but the memories were vivid. The way he used to look at me, like I was nothing but a nuisance. The way his words cut sharper than any blade when he said I’d stolen his dad. And how he’d tell me it was embarrassing to even be around me. As a child, I didn’t fully understand what he meant. I just knew it hurt.

For some inexplicable reason, when I was young, I wanted to be near him all the time. Maybe it was because he always seemed so lonely, sitting in his room surrounded by his comics and trophies, with no one to share them with. I thought I could fix that. I thought if I stayed close, maybe he wouldn’t feel so alone.

I smiled bitterly at the memory. I used to make puppets out of his socks, convinced it would make him laugh, or at least talk to me. Instead, he’d yell, call me a brat, and push me further away.

I don’t blame him anymore. In a way, I understand him now.

As I grew older, especially after Mom died, I began to see things differently. I realized how much of a brat I had been and how my presence had disrupted his life. My mom’s marriage to his dad had replaced the family he once knew. He had every right to hate me.

But dinner… I couldn’t escape that.

"It’s going to be alright, Red," Drake, my best friend, said, snapping me out of my thoughts. He’s the only one who calls me that nickname—because of my red hair.

"I hope so," I replied. "I’m running late for dinner. Great way to make an impression."

Of all the days I had to miss the bus, it had to be today. Especially now that Dad had specifically told me how important dinner tonight was for him.

By the time I reached the front door, my heart was racing. I stepped inside, hoping Nana Bertha wouldn’t notice me.

“You’re late,” she scolded, her voice as sharp as expected when I messed up like this. “Get in there. Dinner’s already being served.”

There was no avoiding it now. “Yes, Nana,” I mumbled, ducking my head as I walked toward the dining room.

I paused in the doorway, taking a steadying breath before stepping inside. Dad sat at the head of the table, and Geller was already there, seated at his right. I kept my eyes down as I pulled out the chair across from him and slid into my seat.

I snuck a glance as I sat down. He was scarier than I remembered. He’d grown a light beard, which contrasted sharply with his clean, short dark hair, and he had put on more muscle. As intimidating as he was, I couldn’t deny he had a striking, almost rugged handsomeness.

“Sorry I’m late, Dad,” I said quietly, placing my bag on the floor. Then, against my better judgment, I forced myself to acknowledge him. “Geller… welcome back.”

The words felt foreign on my tongue. I risked a glance at him, expecting the same look of disdain I remembered so well. And there it was, his familiar glare, etched in stone. But there was something else, too, something I couldn’t quite place.

He didn’t respond.

My cheeks burned, and I quickly looked away, staring down at the empty plate in front of me. Dad saved me from the awkward silence.

“How was school, princess?”

“Busy,” I replied curtly.

For the rest of the meal, I kept my head down, silently picking at my food. I couldn’t bring myself to speak. I knew my voice was the last thing he wanted to hear.

All I could do was listen to them chat, the sound of their voices filling the space between us as they caught up on each other’s lives. I couldn’t help but feel the stark contrast. Before, it was Geller who always seemed out of place—awkward, distant, like he didn’t belong in this house. But now, as I sat there listening to them, I realized that the world had shifted. Now, I was the one who felt out of place.

It was as though, with Mom gone, the house had become a strange, unfamiliar place. I had always relied on her for comfort, but now there was just this heavy emptiness. Dad had always treated me like his own, but I wasn’t his blood. Geller was.

And that fact hung over me, heavy and suffocating.

The conversation around me grew louder, and my discomfort deepened. I could feel Geller’s eyes on me, drilling into my skull like he was still trying to figure me out, trying to find the perfect way to remind me once again that I didn’t belong here, that I was just an intruder in his life.

The walls were closing in on me, and I couldn’t take it anymore. I had to leave.

“Are you done, princess?” Dad’s voice cut through my thoughts, his tone laced with concern. “You’ve barely eaten anything.”

I forced a smile, but it didn’t reach my eyes. “I’m full, Dad. Drake and I grabbed something while we were waiting for the bus.”

I could see the hesitation in Dad's eyes, but he didn’t press the issue. I was grateful for that. I stood up quickly, making my way upstairs before either of them could say anything more.

I promised myself I would stay out of his way. And tonight, at least, I will stick to that promise.

I locked myself in my room. I picked up a book, trying to distract myself, but the words blurred before my eyes. Nothing registered. I hadn’t felt this lonely in years. It was like there was a hole inside me, one that couldn’t be filled. I could barely breathe.

I needed to get out, to escape the suffocating silence of the mansion. But going out at this hour would be impossible. Dad would never allow it. So I waited, counting the minutes, until the house was still, until I could hear the soft hum of the distant servants’ chatter fade into the background.

Then, when everything was quiet enough, I grabbed a cardigan, slipping out of my room as silently as possible, making my way toward the door.

The cool night air hit me like a wave as I stepped outside. My footsteps felt heavy, the loneliness in my chest only growing with every step I took. I didn’t have a destination, just a desperate need to be away from everything.

I let my feet guide me, drawn toward the back of the mansion. The trees and the wooded part of the property swallowed me whole as I walked, the shadows around me stretching long in the dim light of the moon.

I ducked behind some bushes when I heard footsteps. There are guards patrolling the grounds. They were coming from the pack house, a structure that sat quietly to the left of the mansion. I held my breath as they passed, my heart racing in the stillness.

When I finally stopped, I found myself standing in front of the family burial ground, a small, quiet place tucked away in the far corner of the property. The tombstones loomed around me, some familiar, others distant and forgotten.

It was there, in that silence, that I broke.

I didn’t expect answers, but I needed someone. Anyone. I turned toward the grave that was closest to me, the one I knew the best.

"Mom..." I whispered, my voice trembling in the night air. "I don’t know what to do. I miss you."

I sat there beside her grave, letting the tears flow freely. The weight of everything that had happened, everything that was still happening, crushed me, and I couldn’t hold it back anymore.

But then, I heard it. The sharp snap of twigs, the rustle of leaves underfoot.

Someone else was out here. My heart raced as I realized how vulnerable I was. I was far from the mansion, from anyone who could help. If something happened, no one would hear me.

I quickly wiped my face and stood up, making my way out of the burial grounds as fast as I could without drawing attention. My mind raced. I needed to get back to the safety of the mansion.

But as I moved through the dark woods, I collided with something—or rather, someone.

Fear flooded through me as I looked up, only to be met with a pair of gold eyes swirling with something wild and dangerous. His fangs were partially bared, and his claws were visible, sharp and ready. It was Geller. His wolf was fighting to take control.

I opened my mouth to speak, but my voice trembled. "Geller... what are you doing here?"

His growl sent a chill racing down my spine. “Not that I owe you any explanation,” he said, his voice low and edged with danger, “but I was out for a run.” His lips curled into a taunting smirk as his gaze pinned me in place. “What’s your excuse? Isn’t it way past your bedtime, princess?”

"I... I was just heading back," I stammered, trying to calm my breathing.

He grabbed my arm, his grip tight and unyielding. "That is not an answer," he growled, his voice dark, sending a wave of fear through me.

"I..." My words faltered as my heart hammered in my chest. "I was visiting Mom."

For a moment, his gaze softened just a little, but it was gone before I could process it. He let go of my arm with a bellow that made my knees tremble. "Go!"

Without another thought, I ran. I didn’t look back, not even once. I ran as fast as I could, my legs carrying me back to the mansion, away from Geller, away from the fear that gripped me.

Just when I thought I could avoid him, when I thought I could stay out of his way, I ended up crossing paths with him exactly when I didn’t want to.