Emily's POV
As I entered my room, I wondered why Dathan acted the way he did.
I was gonna have to see him, talk to him.
In truth, things had begun to get a little webby between us, but it didn't take away the fact that I was indeed Damon's.
Nervously, I changed out of my work clothes and rang the kitchen for my food to be served in my room. If I'd thought about it quickly, I'd just have gone to sit with Damon at the dining, cause dining alone in my room was going to raise eyebrows.
"Where are you off to?" Damon's voice broke into my thoughts. I snapped out of my reverie and looked back into the mirror I'd been staring at for minutes, before I blanked out. I could see Damon through it, one hand on the door handle, and the other akimbo. "You look dressed for something else." He added.
"I just thought I could, you know.." I stalled a bit, considering the pros and cons of telling him the truth, "I thought I could check on Dathan."
"But you've had a busy day." He smiled and banged the door gently behind him.
"Some things just can't wait." I replied without thinking.
"And I'm sure you mean Dathan." He asked, kinda.
"Yes." I replied.
"Well, that means I've gotta wait. You know, one's gotta wait for the other." He said. Even though we were looking at each other through the mirror, I could still feel the intensity of his stare, and all the unspoken words in his eyes.
"Damon, I'm sorry, but I'm a freak for being on good terms with everyone I know. He's been the nicest to me in this whole palace." I tried to explain.
"I'm not going to stop you, Emily." He said, putting a hand on my shoulder. "Matter of fact, I'll wait for you right here. Run along, but don't keep me waiting too long." He said.
I was happy that he wasn't angry, at least he pretended not to be. But him waiting for me was quite a tricky situation. I wouldn't get to spend as long as I wanted to with Dathan, and I'd have to tell him how things went when I got back.
"What if I come to meet you, you know, in your room?" I asked instead.
"I want to be where you're most comfortable, which is here." He smiled, unmoving.
"Fine." I said to him, Shoot!
I got out as soon as I could, not just because the space was beginning to feel cramped, but also because I didn't want him to change his mind. There were a thousand places in the palace where Dathan could be.
I did a mental run of the most likely ones, the rooftop was off it, as it would be a lot breezy at that time of the day. I decided to go round to the back. It had a lot of secluded spaces, just the right places for anyone who wanted to get away from everyone.
I'd been there only once, but I remember making a mental registry of it, just in case I ever need to be on my own.
I had not even fully gone round before I saw him.
"Hey pookie." I said, announcing my presence.
"I want to be alone." Dathan's grave voice answered after a minute or two.
"Dathan, it is I, Emily." I said, lifting his bent head up to mine.
"I'd love to be alone, Vynara!" He yelled again. This time, he almost threw me off my feet.
I hadn't ever been that close to someone so angry. It felt like he would snap me in two.
He looked up, and his eyeballs appeared to have a slit through them, and a golden hue.
Terrified, I took my hands back.
"Dathan, is it something I did?" I asked him pleadingly.
"I hate you so much, can you get out of my life?!" He yelled.
He closed his eyes, in a failed attempt to steady his breath, he heaved so heavily scaring the guts out of me. His hands were very tightly clenched and I saw two canines, from either side of his mouth protrude, tearing his lips as they did.
He was transforming! His first transformation! Right in the evening! I threw my silver awarding away, and buried my face in my lap.
The last time I saw male wolves transform, it ended up being the scariest night of my entire life.
I was willing to wait as long as possible, not even the knowledge of Damon sitting expectantly in my room could rush me.
"I'm sorry" I heard finally, a voice not mine.
I looked up to see Dathan, or maybe it was his shadow. He looked so fragile, so weak.
Next, he collapsed to the ground.
His lips were bloodied, his hands purple, and there were signs of strangulation around his neck.
I put his head on my thighs, paying no mind to the white silk gown I had on, then he passed out.
I considered screaming for help, taking him in, but I knew better than that. I'd been in the palace for just over four months, but that's enough time to know that Dathan had no more allies in the whole of it, and not one of them, even his brother, would fail to jeopardise his life if they had the chance.
I closed my eyes and fervently prayed that She would restore him back to life, back to me.
I didn't have to lose him to realise how important he was. Bringing Damon back to life had drained all the energy of my wolf which I hadn't even met yet.
Through my sobs and sweat breaking out from all over my body, I felt his stir, but every form of life in him was gone as soon as he came.
I tapped him again, slapped him hard, twice, across the cheek.
CPR could work.
I placed his head on a platform I made out of my thin scarf and put my mouth to his, doing it the way I'd done for the girls back at the orphanage whenever they collapsed from exhaustion.
I pulled out to catch my breath.
"I want that more often." Dathans said weakly.
Very incriminating, but it's the most relieving thing I'd heard all day.
I took a deep breath, thanking the Moon Goddess, but another voice interrupted.
"Hey Emily." Dathan and I looked immediately at who it came from.
"Zyna!" We chorused.
Dathan looked at me and I at him.
"You knew she was coming?" I asked him, my voice reduced.
"I invited her." He replied, looking away.
I felt almost a hundred different emotions, the most prominent of it all being like a thousand little pins had been driven into my heart.