Chapter 5 - Amelia

I was not in the mood to do anything for Ignazio. I have already hated him since childhood. I don’t care that he’s supposed to be my Alpha. He’s a bastard, and I want his heart on a platter and his head on a spike.  

Then he murders my parents, starts this war, gets our packmates hurt and possibly killed, and even knowing I’m his mate, he cuts my tongue out with a silver blade. 

He’s a psychopath and needs to die. I’m only here because I have no choice. I can only hope that I find Ivan alive, and maybe we can run far away from Ignazio. 

Hell, I’d be willing to sell Ignazio out to the Incbi Alpha. I don’t know much, but I would help see him dead and my pack safe. 

I’d been terrified last night when we crossed the border, and the civilians were used as bait. Faith wailed in my head as I heard the growls of the Incubi wolves attacking them. 

‘Those are our people. We are supposed to be their Luna. We’re supposed to protect them from things like this.’ Faith sniffled as we followed the others.  

‘There is nothing we can do. We’re too weak right now to fight and protect our people. And we need to find Ivan.’ I frowned. 

‘If he’s alive.’ Faith frowned. 

‘Don’t say that. Ivan is alive! He has to be. I would have felt it if Ivan had died. He’s the last family we have left. The last person that cares about us. We need to find him. He’s strong. He can help us defeat Ignazio and save our people.’ I instantly dismissed the thought that my brother was dead.  

We were supposed to find the hospital, but of course, we got lost. None of us were given a map, not that Madonie would have a map of Incubi. 

We’d been wandering for hours, trying to evade the Incubi patrols. I was so tired when we stopped in the morning. I thought we’d get to rest, maybe take a nap at least. 

But a foreign wolf attacked us. I say foreign as he doesn’t smell like an Incubi wolf. I tried to fight back with the others. I was still so weak from having my tongue cut out, and whatever it was that caused me to crumble like that yesterday when I found Ignazio was my mate. 

We didn’t stand a chance, especially when an Alpha wolf showed up. I don’t remember what happened in the fight. The large black wolf with the blue streaks slammed into me, and the next thing I remember was that same deep burning agony. I couldn’t control myself as I tried to rip at where it hurt, which was everywhere. 

I could faintly hear voices and the blurred faces of people moving around me. Then I blacked out again from the pain. Faintly aware that we lost and were now prisoners. How long till they kill us? At least in death, I’ll escape this pain.  

I don’t know how long I had been out when I opened my eyes again. I grunted as I tried to move to realize I was secured to a hospital bed. “You’re awake. Here… it’s for the pain.” A warm voice to my right spoke. 

I furrowed my brow looking up at a square jaw covered with brown stubble, a soft encouraging smile on his lips, and worried cinnamon eyes. He’s handsome. He’s handsome? What the hell is wrong with me? 

I’m in enemy territory. I’m of ranked birth, and if they learn who my mate is, that’s all more reason to dispose of me. My death would weaken Ignazio. 

Actually, I’d be okay with dying if it kills him too and saves my pack. But I still shouldn’t be thinking an enemy male is attractive.

“Please just drink it. My Captain said this mixture of herbs is used to help the pain and recovery from the type of wounds you have.” the male sighed, holding the straw to me again.

I grunted and tried to knock it away but couldn’t due to the restraints. So I did the only thing I could. I know it’s not ladylike, and if my mother was alive, she’d tan my hide. 

I spat on him. I was expecting him to growl, get angry, and possibly raise a hand to me. I’m sure Ignazio wouldn’t even think to beat me for such a thing. But instead, he calmly set the smoothie down and wiped the spit from his cheek. 

“Very well. Have it your way. Suffer because some asshole out there doesn’t care or respect you enough. I’m not the one getting hurt.” The male shrugged but didn’t move away from my bedside. 

The pain I’ve felt is because of Ignazio? I didn’t have time to consider that when I felt the presence of an Alpha. 

I turned to see how had entered and glared at the two men like my fellow Madonie captives. I knew their scents. They are the ones that attacked us.

I was silent, not like I had a choice, as the Incubi wolves and the three foreigners… including the male next to me, spoke. So they already knew that Ignazio cut out our tongues. They had captured the other group.

As the foreign male who attacked us in the woods gave his speech, I was apprehensive. What could some Americans know about our plight? But then he explained about his past, about his birth pack. Maybe he really does know. 

That’s why I’m feeling this intense pain? I’m being published by the Goddess because the asshole she paired me with is fucking someone else!? How is that fair! What did I ever do to deserve this Goddess!!?

I heard the growls last night. I know that some of their people attacked ours. My attention returned when the American tried to make it out like they weren’t hurting our people just as much. So without words, I expressed it the best I could.

After calling them out for hurting our people, I was told the civilians were safe. That they weren’t even imprisoned but being cared for somewhere safe. These people were showing more care to my people than our own Alpha.

Well fine. Fuck Ignazio. All I want is my people to be safe. So I gestured the best I could that I wanted something to write with. 

“You want a pen and paper, Miss?” Cinnamon eyes next to me questioned, starting to rifle through the side table. 

He’s certainly quick to please. What’s his angle? They probably just want to get as much information as they can and quickly.

“Here you are, Miss.” Cinnamon eyes offered a pad of paper and pen. 

He’s dense. Cute but dense. Ugh, stop thinking he’s attractive, Amelia. You have a mate. A mate who’s a giant piece of shit and not even close to being as cute as Cinnamon eyes. 

I gave him a deadpan look and tried to move my arm, still unable to move it very far. I can’t write if I can’t move my arm. Duh. Americans. 

“Oh…. um. Captain? Alpha André? May I remove one of her restraints?” He requested, turning to the Alpha and the one who’d spoken of his birth pack.

The Alpha gave cinnamon eyes… Stephen… permission to remove the restraint from one of my arms. 

I shook my arms out, able to move it again before I started to write. I don’t care that my fellow packmates in the room aren’t happy with me ‘talking.’

“I am Amelia Furlan, sister of Gamma Ivan Furlan.” Alpha André read my note to the room. 

Of course, they weren’t surprised by that. Ivan and I share our father’s features regarding our size, eyes, hair color, and nose. I got mom’s round well everything.

Of course, I had to ask about Ivan. The amount of relief I felt when they said he was alive couldn’t be measured. 

Knowing Ivan was safe, I didn’t see any issues selling Ignazio out. I don’t care that the others are mad at me. I told them that we were sent to blow up their hospital, and the other team was intended to attack their prison.

“Why did your Alpha have your tongues removed?” Stephen questioned.

Now that’s the painful part of all this. Having to tell these strangers why I had my tongue cut out. It wasn’t the same reason as the others. 

So I told them. I told them I was sent away but called back after my brother was captured. And then I told them the reason I lost my tongue, that I’m Ignazio’s mate.

Let them kill me. Set me free from this torment the Goddess has fated me to. Not that I want to die. No one really wants to die. So I’m in a catch twenty-two.

I explained to them just that. Rejecting Ignazio could kill me but waiting for him to die could kill me, and if he wins this, I’m still left with a life of suffering. 

The foreign wolves all seemed to be communicating through their pack link. I frowned, wondering what they were talking in secret about. But then the leader spoke. There’s a way to be free of Ignazio and not be hurt or killed as a result!?

As Darren said, I would need to take a chosen mate; all hope left me. No one would want to be my mate.

My own mate doesn’t want me. And back home, I may have been the only she-wolf of ranked blood, but boys didn’t want me. I’m too tall and too fat for boys to find attractive. 

Angrily I wrote my thoughts on the subject, letting André read it. 

“Yeah, let me just go find a chosen mate. The fuck kind of suggestion is that?! No male with a mate out there will want me. And no male who’s lost his mate would either. No male wants a mate without a tongue. No male wants a freak.” 

I was not even a little surprised that the two unmated males from my pack refused. They have mates out there, mates they hope to someday find. So not shocked they wouldn’t want me.

No, the shock was when Stephen spoke up, offering to be my chosen mate. He’s nuts. Of course, I called him out on being just that. Yet the response I got broke my heart. 

“Are you nuts?! You don’t even know me! And what about the mate you have waiting? I will not take someone’s mate.” I shook my head, dismissing the suggestion as André read my words.

“I don’t have one. Well, I don’t have one anymore. My mate died two years ago when rogues attacked our pack. We… hadn’t been marked or anything. We’d only met that day while I was visiting the capital city. Then the attack happened….” Stephen’s voice trailed off. 

“She was a civilian, not a warrior. His mate died while trying to get to a shelter, and he was fighting to stop the rogues.” Darren finished for him, walking over to place a hand on his shoulder. 

He lost his mate!? Oh, Goddess. Is that why he was being so kind to me? Because he felt pity for me? He feels the loss of a mate while I feel the pain of having one. I don’t know if I will accept his offer. But everyone seemed willing to let me think about it. 

And soon I was moved to a private room. I couldn’t vocalize why I think Stephen’s crazy for this. So I started to write furiously on the notepad, growling. As we were left alone in the hospital room.