The cloying smell of freshly baked cookies, hamburgers, and fries wrapped around Emma like a warm hug, filling her nostrils as she and Melvina stepped into the eatery. Her stomach rumbled in approval, and she breathed in the rich, mouthwatering aroma with delight. She couldn’t wait to eat.

“Let’s go,” Melvina said, taking her hand and leading her toward one of the tables.

“Here—sit,” she added when they reached the first table by the window.

Emma sat eagerly, rubbing her palms together. The cafeteria’s cool air brushed against her skin, an odd contrast to the sweltering heat outside.

“What will you have?” Melvina asked with a kind smile.

Emma looked up, ready to list everything her stomach desired—but froze when she caught the stares again. This time, they were sharper, heavier, and crawling beneath her skin. 

Irritation flared. She wasn’t a freak, for fudge’s sake.

“What the hell is wrong with your county, Miss?” she blurted, her voice edged with frustration.

Melvina blinked, taken aback. For a moment, she didn’t understand the human’s outburst—until she heard the murmurs around them.

“What’s a human doing with our Luna?”
“Why is she in our territory?”
“Is she a slave or…”

Melvina cursed inwardly and mind-linked them all.
“Stop the staring and muttering this instant!” 

The quick shuffle of feet and sudden silence that followed told her they’d received the message loud and clear.

Emma noticed how the atmosphere shifted—how eyes turned away as if nothing had happened. She huffed quietly, wondering what could have caused it. 

When she glanced back at Melvina, she felt something—an aura. Regal. Powerful. Queenly. And she found herself wondering again who exactly these people were.

“Scott, what’s going on here? Why’s our Luna with a human?”

Melvina’s patience snapped. She had already mind-linked the pack to behave, but clearly, someone hadn’t gotten the memo. Twirling around, her gaze landed on Claire who quickly looked away.

She scoffed silently. Claire—the beta’s daughter. The one who was shamelessly obsessed with her son.

Peter, her husband and the pack’s Alpha, liked the girl. He thought her strength and discipline made her perfect for Derek. But Melvina had always been uneasy around Claire—and, truth be told, around the entire beta family. There was something about them she couldn’t name.

Still, she thought with a small inward smirk, I’d rather have Emma for my son than Claire.

The thought amused her, though the notion of pairing her son with a human was absurd. Yet Emma had a warmth to her—a calm familiarity Melvina hadn’t felt since… Sheila.

The name made her chest tighten. Her fingers brushed the back of the chair as she lowered herself opposite Emma, lost momentarily in thought.

Could she be her daughter? she wondered, biting her lower lip.

“Uhmm, Melvina…” Emma’s soft voice broke through her reverie.

“Yes, dear,” Melvina replied quickly, forcing a smile. She’d think about that later.

“Aren’t we going to order?” Emma asked, rubbing her stomach, hunger clear in her tone.

“Oh, right. Wait here,” Melvina said, rising and walking briskly toward the counter.

Emma nodded, barely containing her excitement. Then she realized that she hadn’t told Melvina what she wanted. She smacked her forehead and turned to call her back.

“Melvina!” 

And then—everything froze.

The air thickened. Conversations died mid-sentence. Forks hung suspended halfway to mouths. 

Emma’s eyes widened as she looked around. What the hell did I just do?

It was as if time itself had paused. She hunched slightly, cursing under her breath.

“Yes? What is it?” Melvina’s calm voice cut through the stillness.

Emma looked up and gave a sheepish smile. “Sorry for shouting your name like that… it seems…”

Before she could finish, the world snapped back into motion. People moved again, chatting as if nothing strange had happened.

Emma blinked, startled. Are they robots? 

“No problem, dear. Sit tight, I’m coming,” Melvina said briskly before turning away again. She knew Emma had noticed the unnatural freeze—and that thought unsettled her more than she cared to admit.

“Wait—” Emma began, then sighed and gave up. She’d just have to trust Melvina to choose something she liked.

She turned toward the counter, watching Melvina speak to the attendant. The woman didn’t even stand in line; the crowd seemed to part for her instinctively. A few people even bowed.

Hmm, Emma mused, tapping her chin. She must be a queen or someone important.

“Hello…”

The voice was light, but carried a sharp edge of contempt. 

Emma turned to see a stunning blonde—gorgeous, really. Her skin glowed, her hair gleamed like spun gold. 

Maybe I’ll ask Melvina for their skincare secret, Emma thought absently.

But then she saw the girl’s smirk—arrogant, mocking—and immediately dismissed her.

“Yeah, hello,” she said flatly, picking at invisible specks on the red plastic table.

“What’s your name? How did you get here? How did you meet her? Where…”

“Wait, wait… put a cello on your lips,” Emma interrupted, irritation sharpening her tone. “Is that how you run your questions?”

The girl flushed crimson, humiliated as soft laughter rippled around the room.

Emma clicked her tongue and looked away, silently begging Melvina to return with the food already.

“Hey!” the blonde snapped suddenly, grabbing Emma by the hair.

Emma yelped and shoved her back with a burst of strength she didn’t know she had.

“What the hell is wrong with you? Are you a psycho?!” she yelled.

“Me? A psycho?” the girl repeated with a hollow laugh, eyes blazing. “A human calling me a psycho? Oh, what could possibly go wrong?”

Emma froze at that word. Human?

Her brows furrowed. “Are you… an animal?” she asked—curious more than mocking.

The girl’s laughter deepened, growing feral. Her eyes gleamed. “Oh, I’m a—”

“Claire! What the hell is going on here?”