I did the only thing I could think to do that said 'innocent' and 'forgiven' all in one. I wrapped her in my arms and held her tightly. She started to cry again, harder this time. I just held her while she cried and soothed her with little strokes to her back.
"I'm so sorry. Please take my life; I don't deserve to live," she whispered in my ear.
"You will live and you will learn. We all make mistakes. You must get through this," I said back to her.
I felt her cling tighter to me and I looked up to see Joel's large hand stroking her back. "If you are hurt again, you will come to me first little wolf," he said. "I am responsible for protecting you, but I cannot do that if you are not honest with me."
"Yes, my Alphas, I will not let this happen again. I promise," she stepped back to her mother and wiped her nose with her hand. I had to grab Katrina to keep her from going with them.
The throng slowly departed down the hall, everyone soothing Emily. I was relieved to see that, part of me had feared they would all be angry at her.
Katrina stood with Joel and I for a moment then threw her arms around me. "Oh Elizabeth, she was so scared. She didn't care that I was there or that the healer was there, she told her mother everything. She begged to die, but you had told her no. They were all so ashamed, so happy, and I didn't know what to say. They asked me why you would forgive her and I said it was just you. I told them you forgave us to for not watching you well enough. I'm so sorry ..."
I shushed Katrina and had to stifle a smile. Even when she was exhausted she was like listening to a train wreck.
"Katrina," Joel interrupted, "you are forgiven. Go back to Saul, rest, and we'll see you in the morning. I'd like to spend a little time with the compassionate Madam Alpha."
"Of course, Alpha Latro," she said brightly, "you've probably really missed her and I've seen her every day. Have a good night!"
As she walked away I turned to Joel, "I think she's still talking."
"Probably," he answered closing our doors and turning to me. I couldn't miss the fiery glint in his eyes.
I tried to put off the inevitable by asking him, "How did you know what I thought about Emily's mental state and why is she coming to talk to me about it?"
"You haven't learned to filter your thoughts yet. When she told you in the forest she had been the one to put the poison in our rooms, you opened a connection to me. I heard it all, your internal argument and her admission. I didn't tell you I knew because I was curious to see how you would handle me."
"Dishonesty is not a very alluring trait, mate," I said poking him in the chest.
"Neither is not trusting me," he said reaching for an exposed pink nipple. I jumped out of his way. There was no way I would be talking to him if he started to touch me.
"Why is she coming to talk to me?" I asked instead as he stalked me toward our bedroom.
"You said yourself you've seen abused humans and Emily struck you as the same. We don't really have that problem here. No one else is going to know what to do with her."
He continued to speak and follow me as I coyly avoided him, "You don't have to worry about how the rest of the pack will treat her. Our forgiveness is absolute, the pack will accept she is innocent based purely on that. They have no reason to be angry at her if we are not."
"How come you let me decide what to do with all the rule breakers?" I asked skirting his hands and circling the bed.
"Do you remember Will and your protection detail?" he asked. "Didn't I let you decide their fates? You are my mate, we share in this task now."
"My wolf felt uncertain about my decision initially. Why did you agree with me so quickly?" I asked him.
"The wolves have a way of looking at the world, as you noted. There is only guilt or innocence. I agree with you that Emily was tricked in the human arena, she is both guilty and innocent. With our help she may be rehabilitated, but it will be a long road."
I thought about it a moment too long and he had me around the waist. Joel pulled me onto the bed and nuzzled into my hair. I pressed my nose into his neck and breathed him in. Of their own volition my hands were everywhere on him. His dress pants were in the way. I made to rip them off of him and he stopped me.
"I go through clothes much too quickly as it is," he said sliding out of them.
"Don't care about the clothes," I grumbled running my hands down his front, he still wore his boxers. I'd talk him out of those quickly. I licked his flat nipples and his breathing etched up a notch.
He seemed to remember something suddenly and stiffened.
"You still don't listen," he said irritably pulling away from me and rolling off the bed. I tried to grab him, but he avoided my hands.
He paced back and forth beside the bed running his fingers through his hair. "I told you to run. You had no idea how dangerous a situation that could have been. In an instant of bravado, I could have lost you. We could have lost this," he fumed.
"I am an Alpha. The rogues were weak and not a threat to me," I argued with him. "You've had me trained to protect myself for weeks. I'm just as capable as you are."
That was the wrong thing to say. Joel's eyes lit gold at the challenge.
"Do you really think so, mate?" he asked menacingly. "You are arrogant; being strong does not make you invincible. You and your wolf need to learn your place."
"I need to learn my place?!" I growled at him. I knew Joel was from a different era, but that kind of talk infuriated me. "Take me down to the gym and let me show you exactly where my place is," I threatened him. I stood up with my fists clenched, a little sparring would be fun.
"The circle is more suited the lesson I plan on teaching you, Elizabeth. Let's see who gets there first," he said ripping off his remaining clothing. Joel shifted into his wolf man form and disappeared off the balcony.
I stood fuming for a moment and then took off after him. I had hit the ground and was running for the circle before I noticed I'd done it. My whole being took his insult personally. I was not as weak as he thought I was. I gave myself over to my animal half and let her lead. My paws tore through the soil, easily outpacing Joel.
I streaked into the circle a body's length ahead of Joel. We paced around the center for a moment growling and sizing each other up.
'I've already bested you once wolf,' Joel boomed into my head as we stalked one another. I got flashes of myself with gold eyes pinned to the bed beneath him the night I first started to shift.
'You held down a hundred and fifty pound human with glowing eyes,' I shot back at him, 'hardly a feat of strength.'
Joel growled and lunged at me, but I artfully dodged him. Pacing casually behind him I gave off the air this was the most boring thing I'd done all day.
'So you do have enough sense to stay away from me,' he said humorlessly.
That pissed me off so I ran at him, snapping my jaws. Joel snapped back and it was real dog fight for a minute. I bit air wildly, but never did find purchase on his hide. We separated and watched one another, continuing to circle.
My wolf was uncomfortable with attacking her mate. The human part of me didn't really want to harm him, either. I loved him. This attitude was just too much to take.
'I don't want to hurt you,' I called to him hoping to end this show.
'You think you could harm me?' he laughed in my head. 'You don't know your strengths or your weaknesses. If you manage to scratch me by accident I'll be impressed,' he goaded.
I lunged at him and he nipped at my haunches as I missed.
'You should be glad I know my limits. I could play this game with you all night and never leave a mark unless I meant to,' he called pacing toward me with his teeth bared.
It was to be a battle. I gave my mind over to the wolf. I met the challenge head on and found his massive jaws around my neck a moment later. Releasing me he stalked away and then turned to come at me again.
We were gaining an audience. As I circled around him, I saw the pack coming down to watch us.
When he came at me the second time I avoided the feel of his jaws on my neck, but I was completely on the defensive. I was thinking and moving as quickly as she could, but it was barely enough. My moves were only in reaction to his; I never took the offensive. I was too busy blocking his plays to make any of my own.
Joel came at me repeatedly. He changed tactics, changed forms, and used whatever tools were at his disposal. I learned quickly from my mistakes, mainly because he exploited each one until I did. I moved faster than I ever thought I could, but despite my speed he managed to out maneuver me most of the time.
Using all my tools, I did get in a few successful bites or swipes. They surprised Joel I was happy to see, but my victories was short lived.
After a successful assault by me, Joel always came back harder and stronger. Those attacks usually ended with my neck between his jaws. He never held me like that for long. It was always just enough to make the point and then he moved away.
The stars and the moon were high and bright by the time I realized how wrong I was about my abilities. I was faster than him and very good at changing direction quickly, but that was it.
Compared to Joel I was weaker and less experienced. He was powerful, of course, but that wasn't his primary weapon. He plotted, exploited, and anticipated. He had seen every move I had, in any combination I tried to use them and his energy for this game was boundless.
'I'm not as good at this as you are,' I finally called out to him standing still for what seemed the first time in hours.
'If the renegade wolves,' he said walking in front of me as the large black wolf, 'were more in number or had paid attention to the training I offered, you could have been hurt. I teach the smaller weaker wolves to fight together and to fight dirty. Your instincts are good, you are fast, and you have good stamina; however, your moves lack sophistication. You haven't learned to anticipate your opponent's tactics or developed any sense of strategy.'