Emma

Two weeks.

Two agonizing weeks since I escaped from the castle

Two long weeks since I saved my Organization from the attack.

Two weeks since my wolf has reacted to me.

Two weeks since I last saw my mate.

Two long ass weeks where I've been working to forget. Everyone knows something is up with me. They don't know what, but they assume it is something to do with my escape from the Alpha King or something. They weren't far off. 

To avoid thinking of him, I threw myself into my work. We have had rumors that the Alpha King is going crazy. Some claim his mate died, others say his mate ran away. The ones that worry me are the ones that say that the Alpha King is focusing all his attention on destroying me. I wouldn't but it past him.

Laurine entered my messy office, "Emma, we have new intel."

I sigh, "Lay it on me."

She reads her report, "The Alpha King has been attempting to capture our operatives to get information on our new location and how we escaped him the first time. According to Operative Wolf, he has captured someone with inside information. We need someone to go in the castle and free them or kill them."

My heart leaps into my throat. This is a chance for me to be close to my mate, to Alec. I shouldn't. The closer I get the harder it will be to leave. But I want to so badly. My wolf stirs once again and fights me for control. Go to mate is the one instinct driving me.

I stand up and walk over to Laurine, "How will someone get in?"

She leafs through the papers, "There is an opening for a maid."

I shake my head, "We would have to ask a witch for a potion to change their appearance and scent. We cannot take the risk they will be caught. Who do you think should go?"

Every fiber of my being wants me to yell ME, ME, pick ME. But I don't want to go to sleep, lose control of my wolf and end up in bed with my mate. 

Laurine stares at me, "We have no one ready. This is a time sensitive assignement and we literally have no one."

I shrug, "Then why are you here?"

She looks away, "We have you."

"No," I basically yell. I was proud of myself for not yelling yes.

Laurine practically pleads with me, "You have too. Glinda has a sister in that prison. There is a chance you can free all of his prisoners."

I wince. Her last argument hit home. I know that if one of my brothers were the one captured, I would do anything to free them. Glinda is technically my family now through Alec. We got closer these last two weeks. I guess I have to do it.

I give in, "Fine, I'll do it. Get Moira to do her thing to give my a new look and scent, make sure the scent part cannot be broken even by my mate."

Laurine gives me a sharp look, "It will have to be extra-power because your scent can almost always be scented by your mate. Talk to Moira about it. She is the best, but she will have to know the details."

I sigh, "Maybe Glinda can do it."

She shakes her head, "No, she is still recovering from the Alpha King's torture. I get shudders just thinking about the state she was in when she escaped. Go talk to Moira. She can keep a secret. It isn't good to keep everything to yourself."

I give her a sad smile, "That's my job, isn't it?"

With no further words, I take off in search for Moira. If I am to take this mission, I cannot in any case be scented by Alec. If he catches me, his wolf will force him to mark me immediately or lock me in his room. I am not ready to deal with a super possessive Alpha King wolf, not today and not tomorrow.

I soon reach my destination, Moira's room. I have known Moira for as long as I remembered. She was the first witch to join the Smith Organization under my Mom's rule. Her specialization was potions and spells. Moira was one of the witches who helped us get Mom back from the Hunters. She was like a grandmother to me.

I knock on her door and she calls out, "Come in, the door is unlocked."

I do as she says, "You really should lock your door. I could have been an axe murderer for all you know."

Moira turns around to face me, "Emma, it's been too long."

I hug her, "Yes, it has."

"How has life been treating you?" she asks, "I heard about your capture and miraculous escape."

I grimace, "That is part of my current problem."

Moira pats the seat next to her on the couch as she sits down, "Do tell."

I follow her instructions and sit down, "I am going undercover at the castle as a maid. Intel has informed us that the Alpha King has potentially captured someone who has some information on us. I am going to be sent in as a maid. Especially, Glinda's sister is in that prison. But due to my recent run in, I need my appearance to be changed and my scent too."

She tuts as she hands me a glass of water, "That's easy. What is the real problem?"

I frown, "Well, since I had to take the job, I need the potion of yours to block my scent from a potential mate."

Moira stands up and walks around, "How powerful would be this potential mate?"

I defend myself, "It's not like I found him or anything."

She gives me a look, "Sweetie, I've known you since you were three. I can tell that you met your mate at the castle. It's the reason you have been acting so strange lately."

I choke the water I was drinking, "What?"

Moira playfully hits my shoulder, "I'm not blind you know. I'm not that old!"

I am still coughing. I had thought I was being more discreet. I mean it's not like I had been advertising it to the world. But even as a child, my brothers and I could never get anything past her. That thought made me feel slightly better.

Moira is still talking, "I need to know how powerful that potential mate is potentially."

I try to avoid answering the question, "Assume he is the most powerful out there." He is, but she doesn't need to know that.

Moira turns back towards me, "I need to know the specifics. I mean for example, if your mate is, God forbid, the Alpha King, it would be nearly impossible to hide your scent from him."

Her words hit it so much on point that it sent me into a coughing fit. I cannot do this job if he can detect me. Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit! This is not what I wanted to here from her.

Moira questions me, "Are you alright?"

I croaked, "Fine, fine. I'm just fine."

Clearly not believing me, she raised her eyebrows, "Are you sure?"

I waved my hand to dismiss her thoughts, "Fine. I just wanted to ask that in a hypothetical situation where my mate was very, very powerful, are you sure that it would be impossible?"

Moira sat next to me again, "I guess I could whip something up. It would take a lot of my power and you would have to take some every two hours rather than once a day. But if this hypothetical mate is as powerful as the Alpha King, it might not work. Sweetie, you have to tell me the truth. Is your mate like the Alpha King?"

Giving in, I mumble, "Or maybe he is the Alpha King."

CRASH!

Moira had dropped the glass of tea she was holding and was staring at me. I guess she heard me. I knew she hadn't fully guessed what my problem is. At least, I could keep some sort of a secret.

"Please tell me I misheard you," muttered Moira.

I turn away, "No."

"Oh sweetie," she hugged me again, "I'm so sorry."

I try to put a smile on my face, but I know I failed, "Doesn't matter. Can you or can you not hide my scent from the big, bad Alpha King?"

Moira seems to be lost in thought for a second before answering, "It should be doable. Instead of hiding your scent, we can replace your scent with another's. How about Laura's, your little sister?"

I nod, "Do what you have to do. I am going to see Glinda and Leo."

As I walked out, Moira called out, "And sweetie, whatever you want to do with that mate of yours know that you will have my full support."

With a smile, I finally left her room to head over to Glinda. Whenever I needed some advice, Glinda was there. She is one of the two, now three people who know my secret. Lost in thought, I didn't notice someone in front of me until I ran into them.

We crashed and I looked up from the floor, "I am sorry. I should have watched where I was going. Oh, hi Glinda!"

Glinda grinned at me, "We are always just running into each other."

I help myself up, "Or you are running into me?"

She shoves me playfully, "I am a witch. We are the epitome of grace and elegance."

I jib, "I thought witches were hunchbacks with a crooked nose."

Glinda gasp over exaggerating the movement, "I am offended, terribly offended."

I laugh, "You are a riot. I am actually just looking for you."

She flips her hair dramatically, "Okay. What's up, girl?"

I sigh, "Let's head to my office for privacy. It's complicated."

Glinda practically talks my ear off during our walk to my office. I am only making the appropriate noises in the right places, not listening. I am too lost in my thoughts to pay attention to her chatter. Once she had recovered from the torture the Alpha King, my mate, put her through she became a ball of sunshine.

Literally.

When she gets too happy, she glows. Her powers are involved with the sun and light. I remember one time where I called her my sister and she became brighter than the sun. I swear my eyes burned out. 

Once we get to my office, I shut the door, "Glinda, be quiet a second."

She shuts up quickly and I continue, "I have to go back to the castle."

Glinda who had been looking out the window, turned back towards me so fast I thought she got whiplash, "WHAT?"

I walk over to my cabinets, "Laurine said that we have no one else available and I have to do it."

She stuttered, "How? Why? SHIT!"

I take out my scotch and pour myself a big glass, "I don't want to either. But Moira will change my appearance and scent. I need to go in and even potentially free your sister."

Glinda looks ever so hopeful, "Really?"

I down my glass in one gulp, "Hopefully, I have to do this. No matter the price."

She walks over to me and takes an offered glass of scotch, "You are in deep shit."

I refill my glass and swirl the amber liquid, "Damned if I do and damned if I don't."

Glinda lets out a bitter laugh, "What doesn't kill you makes you wish you were dead."

I laugh along with her, "We can be messed up girls together."

"Good luck with your problem," Glinda wishes.

I smile, "I am going to need it."

Then, Laurine bursts into the room, "Emma, I was looking for you. We need to discuss the plan for your infiltration."

Time to become the head of the Smith Organization again.