My Cheating Mate (Emma and Jeremy) novel Chapter 60

My Cheating Mate

Emma pov

Three weeks since Vanessa’s execution, and I’d barely seen Jeremy outside of our therapy sessions.

He was hunting. That’s what my father called it when Lasked where Jeremy had been disappearing to for days at a time. Tracking down every lead on Vanessa’s rogue contacts, investigating rumors of contracts on my life, working with intelligence wolves from allied packs to map out the network she’d built.

“He’s obsessed,” my father said over breakfast, his concern evident. “Working himself to exhaustion again. Richard is worried he’s going to burn out or get himself killed.”

I pushed my eggs around my plate, appetite gone. “Has he found anything?”

“Three contracts so far. All neutralized before they could be carried out.” My father studied my face. “Emma, he’s doing this for you. To keep you safe.”

“I know. That’s what worries me.” I set down my fork. “Dad, what if this is just another form of self–destruction? What if he’s throwing himself into danger because he still thinks he deserves to die?”

“Have you asked him?”

“He’s never around to ask! He shows up for therapy on Thursday, looks like hell, barely stays conscious through the session, then disappears again.” My voice rose with frustration. “Dr. Chen is worried too. She says he’s using this hunt as another way to avoid actually dealing with his trauma.”

My father reached across the table to take my hand. “Then you need to talk to him. Really talk to him. Not in therapy, not with Dr. Chen mediating. Just the two of you.”

“What if he won’t listen?”

“He’ll listen. Because Emma, whether you two work out or not, he loves you. And love means accepting help even when you don’t think you need it.”

I thought about that as I drove to the pack house later that morning. Jeremy was supposed to be meeting with his father about the latest intelligence reports. Maybe I could catch him before he disappeared again.

I found him in Alpha Richard’s office, looking exactly as bad as I’d feared. His clothes hung loose on his frame–he’d lost even

r more weight. Dark circles under his eyes suggested he wasn’t sleeping. Fresh bruises on his knuckles indicated recent fighting.

“Emma.” He stood when he saw me, surprise flickering across his exhausted face. “Is everything okay?”

“That’s what I came to ask you.” I looked pointedly at Alpha Richard. “Can we have the room?”

“Of course.” Richard gathered his papers. “Jeremy, we’ll finish this later. And son? Actually sleep before the next briefing That’s an order from your Alpha, not a suggestion from your father.”

After he left, I closed the door and turned to face Jeremy. He stood awkwardly, clearly unsure what this was about.

“Sit down before you fall down,” I said.

He obeyed, sinking into a chair with a weariness that made my chest ache.

“When did you last eat a full meal?” I asked.

“I don’t–yesterday? Maybe the day before.”

“Sleep?”

“I sleep.”

+20 Bonus

“How many hours in the Tast three days?

He was quiet. “Ten? Total.”

“Jeremy.” I moved closer, studying his face. “You’re killing yourself. Again.”

“I’m protecting you,” he countered. “There are still three active contracts we haven’t neutralized. At least four rogue packs Vanessa paid that we haven’t located yet. Emma, every day I’m not hunting them down is another day you’re in danger.”

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