My Cheating Mate (Emma and Jeremy) novel Chapter 68

+15 Bonus

Chapter 68

“I know. I’m done making that mistake.” I paused. “Dad, I slept for twenty hours yesterday. My body literally shut down. That’s not going to happen again

“How can I be sure?”

“Because Emma will kill me if it does,” I said, only half–joking. “She made it very clear–if I go back to those patterns, if I start destroying myself again, she’s done trying.”

“Smart woman.”

“Very smart.” I looked at the map again. “What about the other two factions? Bloodmoon and Ash Creek?”

“Bloodmoon is operating out of disputed territory to the east. They’re being cautious, staying clear of our borders. Probably waiting to see how Black River’s operations play out before committing.” He tapped another cluster of marks. “Ash Creek is the wild card. They’re constantly moving, never staying in one place more than a few days. We’ve lost track of them entirely.”

“So Black River is the immediate threat.”

“Yes. They’re well–funded, well–organized, and actively stalking Emma. If we can neutralize them, it might convince the other factions to cut their losses and walk away.”

“Or it might make them more desperate,” I countered. “More willing to take risks for the payout.”

“Also possible.” My father rubbed his face, looking every one of his sixty years. “That’s why we need strategy. Can’t just react to threats–we need to control the battlefield. Dictate the terms of engagement.”

“A trap,” I said slowly. “We use Emma as bait.”

“Absolutely not.” His response was immediate and firm. “We are not using your mate as bait, no matter how well–planned.”

“Then a fake Emma. A decoy that draws them out.”

“Better. But they’re smart–they’ll have ways to verify it’s really her before committing.” He pointed to the surveillance reports. “They’ve been watching her for weeks. They know her scent, her routines, probably even her wolf’s coloring.”

“So we need someone who can pass those tests. Someone who-“I stopped. “We’d need another she–wolf. Similar build, similar coloring in wolf form. And willing to take the risk.”

“Even then, scent would be the problem. Can’t fake that.”

I thought for a moment. “What if we don’t try to fake it? What if we use the real Emma but stack everything in our favor? Controlled environment, overwhelming force, guaranteed extraction plan?”

“No.” My father’s voice was steel. “I will not risk the future Luna’s life on a tactical operation. End of discussion.”

He was right. The idea of Emma in danger, even controlled danger, made my wolf snarl with protective fury.

“Then we wait them out,” I said. “Make Emma’s security so tight that any attempt would be suicide. Eventually they’ll either give up or make a mistake we can exploit.”

“That’s the current plan. But Jeremy, these are professional mercenaries. Patient, disciplined. They could watch and wait for months until the perfect opportunity presents itself.”

“Then we make sure that opportunity never comes.‘

B

We spent the next hour going over security details. Emma’s regular routes, the weak points in our current coverage, potential ambush locations. My father had already done thorough work, but I found a few gaps–places where coordination between different security teams could be tighter, times when Emma was briefly exposed during transitions.

+15 Bonus

“I’ll present these recommendations to Marcus,” my father said, making notes. “He’s in charge of implementation, but your tactical input is valuable.”

“I want to be involved in the execution too. Not leading every operation, but present enough to adapt if situations change.”

“Agreed. But Jeremy-” He fixed me with a serious look. “You check in daily. You eat meals with the pack instead of working through them. You sleep minimum six hours a night. And if I catch you running yourself into the ground again, I’m pulling you off this operation. Understood?”

“Understood.” I paused. “Thank you. For trusting me with this. After everything I’ve done, all the ways I’ve screwed up—”

“You’re still my son. Still the future Alpha. And despite your many, many mistakes” a slight smile, “–you’re one of the best tactical minds in this pack. We need you. I need you. But I need you healthy.”

“I’ll be healthy. I promise.”

“Good.” He stood, signaling the meeting was over. “Now go find Emma. She’s at training grounds. Make sure she knows about the increased threat level. And Jeremy? Maybe don’t tell her about Black River specifically. She doesn’t need to know there are fifty mercenary wolves actively hunting her.”

“She’ll find out eventually.”

“Eventually, yes. But let’s give her a few more days of relative peace first.”

I left his office feeling both determined and overwhelmed. The rogue situation was worse than I’d realized. Half a million dollars worth of contracts, professional mercenary factions, coordinated surveillance.

Vanessa had really tried to guarantee Emma’s death. Even from the grave, her hatred was still trying to destroy us.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify