Amber’s POV Ink smudged beneath my fingertips, bleeding into white paper. I inhaled sharply, dragging my sleeve over the mess, but it only made it worse. I thought I could practice my writing to get rid of the boredom I felt, but my crooked and jagged letters only mocked me. Sighing, I tore off the page, crumbling it into a ball, and tried to throw it into the wastebasket that sat way too far—not far enough—from my bed. But just like my fifty-something failed attempts, this one stopped short of the basket, rolling on the ground next to its friends. I sighed, shutting the book with a thud. Even from here, I could hear the commotion of activities going on outside. Everyone was busy doing something—except me, of course. If this was the Moonstone pack. I was sure no one would have cut me any slack, no matter how sick I was. I closed my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose as something stirred inside me. Hopefully, it wasn’t what I was thinking it was. The priestess had assured
Amber’s POV The room Janine brought us to was large. No matter how much I stretched my eyes, I couldn’t see the other end of the room. That could be because of the fact that the room was packed with people doing decorations and now, we were about to be one of them. Janine marched ahead of us, her arms filled with fabrics, lines and what nots which she threw unceremoniously on one of the table before turning to Yeti and me. “Alright, girls,” she said, clapping her hands together. “Let’s get to work. ”Yeti and I exchanged glances before glancing at the towering pile of fabric and garland we were supposed to be helping with. I sighed dramatically, shuffling forward lazily. “So…” I picked up a roll of ribbon and turned to Janine. “Is there a plan? I get we are supposed to finish putting all these up before morning? ”Janine scoffed. “There’s always a plan. I have a plan. And you both are only here to follow orders.” “Seems fair, although I feel like I’ve been tricked.” I glanced at
Amber’s POV By the time we were tying off the last banner, the smell of meat was thick in the air. Why the hell did someone decide it was okay for the event hall to be this close to the kitchen? My stomach rumbled, reminding me of how long it's been since breakfast. I clapped the dust off my hands, barely listening as Janine thanked the boys and motioned us to the door. We had worked all afternoon—skipping through lunch—busying ourselves with last-minute preparations. Tomorrow’s blood moon was going to be a blast, and I was kind of happy with the work I’d done. Back at Moonstone, I’d have been scurrying around, struggling to finish tasks that I’d never get a thank you for. Maybe a punishment or two. Events and celebrations were always things I dreaded. Maybe it was time that changed too. “Finally, we can eat.” Janine laughed. “Goddess, the food smells so good.”She closed her eyes, inhaling a lungful of the scented air before opening them again. I was so engrossed with watc
Dale’s POV I shouldn’t have kissed her. The last time I had realized that too late was when she was bleeding from injuries that were supposed to be healing. This time, I had almost made the same mistake again—or was it not a mistake? Maybe it was the fact that I could feel our bond growing stronger with each day that passed. That I felt it pulling me closer to her the harder I fought, even now, all I wanted to do was turn back and run into her arms, but it was too late for that. I had fled out of there like I was running from her, and it wasn’t the first time. I exhaled sharply, forcing the memory of her from my mind as I walked into my office, where Beta Trent was already waiting. His brow shot to his hairline as he watched me, pursing his lips in a comic attempt to hold back the words, which I could see dancing from the edge of his tongue. “You look like hell.” He said finally. “Are you doing alright?” “I’m fine,” I lied. “How are preparations going?” “Security is in place,
Dale’s POV Everything faded away. The voices, the music, the stares, and the murmurs. Nothing registered in my brain. All that existed was Amber and the thunderous pounding of my heartbeat. She was breathtaking. Literally. The red gown clung to her body like paint, swishing when she began to walk slowly towards me. My wolf growled, eager to sink our fangs into her neck and claim her. Mine. That was what everyone needed to know. She glowed like the sun, but it was her scent—the sweet smell of honey, moonflowers, and cinnamon—that shattered the last of my restraints. I reached for her without thinking, one hand gripping her waist and pulling her into my body and the other, tilting her chin up so I could look into those eyes. Amber. Beautiful, just like her name. Everything about her was so perfect it drove me crazy. The way her body was a perfect fit in mine, the way her lips parted slightly as if she was breathless, the way her eyes flickered between a glowing gold and warm
Amber’s POV“What the hell do you think you are doing?” Lydia shrieked, startling me. The cleaning basket I carried in one hand fell to the ground, and that gained me a cheek-numbing slap. Red flashed in my vision, and for a moment, I thought I saw blood. “You wench!” she spat. “Do you even realise what you’ve done?” I shook my head, trying to keep the tears at the back of my eyes from rolling down. It was not the worst I've been made to endure, but I was beginning to get tired of it. “I’m sorry, ma’am.” My voice came out a little lower than a whisper, but with her sharp wolf hearing, I was sure she heard me loud and clear. Her nose turned up in disgust, and her eyes immediately went to the table I had been cleaning before she marched in. “Do you know what it means that we are hosting the culling?” As she spoke, she drew a finger along the table andbrought it up to her face. Shaking her mass of brown curls, she glared at me. “I’m sure you don’t realise how big this is and how impor
Amber’s POVIt was as though electricity ran through my body. From my head, it shook me, running through my spine and going down my legs. I had to grip the washbasins sitting on the table before me for support. The feeling was gone as soon as it came. I turned around, casting a quick glance at the girls to see if they had felt it too, but they did not appear like they felt anything. Celia, the leader of the gang, had her hands folded across her chest and was walking slowly towards me. Her team formed a half circle in front of the door in case I tried to run. I ran through various scenarios in my head that could get me out of this, but there were none. Celia was just as vicious as her mother. If I managed to escape her here, she would just corner me elsewhere, and my punishment would be worse. Taking a deep breath in, I prepared myself for whatever hell she was about to unleash on me when she came to a stop in front of me. “Someone thinks she’s big enough to talk back at us now tha
Amber’s POVJumping to my feet, I whirled around, making sure I kept my eyeballs glued to my feet. Who was it that found me, and what punishment would I face this time for being caught out here? That was the thought that ran through my mind until I heard the most angelic voice that could ever exist. “What are you doing out here, Lady, when everyone else is celebrating a successful red moon? Or do you have no intention of finding your mate?” The man said, causing my heart to stir. If his voice had a taste, then it would be vanilla and cinnamon, which complemented his cedarwood scent perfectly. “I asked you a question, lady. Common courtesy demands that you answer.” His voice was too sweet for my weak heart; still, I could not bring myself to look at his face. I had never heard or smelled anyone so... so glorious in the pack. Was he an outsider? A peek would give me an answer to my questions, but I could not risk it.An involuntary whimper escaped my throat, my lower lip quivering pat
Dale’s POV Everything faded away. The voices, the music, the stares, and the murmurs. Nothing registered in my brain. All that existed was Amber and the thunderous pounding of my heartbeat. She was breathtaking. Literally. The red gown clung to her body like paint, swishing when she began to walk slowly towards me. My wolf growled, eager to sink our fangs into her neck and claim her. Mine. That was what everyone needed to know. She glowed like the sun, but it was her scent—the sweet smell of honey, moonflowers, and cinnamon—that shattered the last of my restraints. I reached for her without thinking, one hand gripping her waist and pulling her into my body and the other, tilting her chin up so I could look into those eyes. Amber. Beautiful, just like her name. Everything about her was so perfect it drove me crazy. The way her body was a perfect fit in mine, the way her lips parted slightly as if she was breathless, the way her eyes flickered between a glowing gold and warm
Dale’s POV I shouldn’t have kissed her. The last time I had realized that too late was when she was bleeding from injuries that were supposed to be healing. This time, I had almost made the same mistake again—or was it not a mistake? Maybe it was the fact that I could feel our bond growing stronger with each day that passed. That I felt it pulling me closer to her the harder I fought, even now, all I wanted to do was turn back and run into her arms, but it was too late for that. I had fled out of there like I was running from her, and it wasn’t the first time. I exhaled sharply, forcing the memory of her from my mind as I walked into my office, where Beta Trent was already waiting. His brow shot to his hairline as he watched me, pursing his lips in a comic attempt to hold back the words, which I could see dancing from the edge of his tongue. “You look like hell.” He said finally. “Are you doing alright?” “I’m fine,” I lied. “How are preparations going?” “Security is in place,
Amber’s POV By the time we were tying off the last banner, the smell of meat was thick in the air. Why the hell did someone decide it was okay for the event hall to be this close to the kitchen? My stomach rumbled, reminding me of how long it's been since breakfast. I clapped the dust off my hands, barely listening as Janine thanked the boys and motioned us to the door. We had worked all afternoon—skipping through lunch—busying ourselves with last-minute preparations. Tomorrow’s blood moon was going to be a blast, and I was kind of happy with the work I’d done. Back at Moonstone, I’d have been scurrying around, struggling to finish tasks that I’d never get a thank you for. Maybe a punishment or two. Events and celebrations were always things I dreaded. Maybe it was time that changed too. “Finally, we can eat.” Janine laughed. “Goddess, the food smells so good.”She closed her eyes, inhaling a lungful of the scented air before opening them again. I was so engrossed with watc
Amber’s POV The room Janine brought us to was large. No matter how much I stretched my eyes, I couldn’t see the other end of the room. That could be because of the fact that the room was packed with people doing decorations and now, we were about to be one of them. Janine marched ahead of us, her arms filled with fabrics, lines and what nots which she threw unceremoniously on one of the table before turning to Yeti and me. “Alright, girls,” she said, clapping her hands together. “Let’s get to work. ”Yeti and I exchanged glances before glancing at the towering pile of fabric and garland we were supposed to be helping with. I sighed dramatically, shuffling forward lazily. “So…” I picked up a roll of ribbon and turned to Janine. “Is there a plan? I get we are supposed to finish putting all these up before morning? ”Janine scoffed. “There’s always a plan. I have a plan. And you both are only here to follow orders.” “Seems fair, although I feel like I’ve been tricked.” I glanced at
Amber’s POV Ink smudged beneath my fingertips, bleeding into white paper. I inhaled sharply, dragging my sleeve over the mess, but it only made it worse. I thought I could practice my writing to get rid of the boredom I felt, but my crooked and jagged letters only mocked me. Sighing, I tore off the page, crumbling it into a ball, and tried to throw it into the wastebasket that sat way too far—not far enough—from my bed. But just like my fifty-something failed attempts, this one stopped short of the basket, rolling on the ground next to its friends. I sighed, shutting the book with a thud. Even from here, I could hear the commotion of activities going on outside. Everyone was busy doing something—except me, of course. If this was the Moonstone pack. I was sure no one would have cut me any slack, no matter how sick I was. I closed my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose as something stirred inside me. Hopefully, it wasn’t what I was thinking it was. The priestess had assured
Dale’s POV “It has to be a willing sacrifice.” One that the witch did not look willing to make. I mean, who in their right senses would give their life up for another? Even I could not ask her to do that. Amber’s life was important, and so was the life of others. I was beginning to understand why Derrick held onto Yeti even though she was useless to him—he intended to use her to threaten her mother when it came to this. ‘You can make her as well,’ my wolf pressed. ‘You’re Lycan King, and this is Amber we are talking about. Our mate. ’I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to breathe through the haze of emotions that pressed down on me. ‘I can’t make her give up her life for Amber if she’s not willing to do it. Did you not hear the part where she said, ‘a willing sacrifice?’ I shot back. ‘You have her daughter. You can use that to make her… more willing.’I tried not to roll my eyes. ‘I’m not Derrick.’ I answered simply, pushing him deeper so he could keep his thoughts to hims
Dale’s POV “It was Mallory.” What?! I could hardly react, hardly breathe as the words slammed into me. Unconsciously, I turned to my brother Eric, reading the horror and disbelief that appeared on his face as the words sank in. It couldn’t really be…“Are you sure about… Amber? You may have—” Amber shook her head. “I’m sure, Alpha Dale. It was her. She…” Her eyes darted to where Eric stood, and she hesitated. “She did what, Amber?” I prompted. “She planned this whole thing with Emily.” Her body trembled, probably as she relived the memories of that place. I clenched my fist—for a second, I felt everything at once. I wanted to scream and, at the same time, break something—preferably, Mallory’s nose. “Who the hell is Emily?” Trent asked, beating me to it. “The woman who lured me from here.” Amber answered, lowering her head. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have gone…” Janine shuffled closer to her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder to comfort her. I turned around to give orders to
Amber’s POV My eyes blinked open painfully. My head was heavy and unclear, and the light burned through my eyes. I shut my eyes again, waiting a second before blinking them open. I was in a room… Was this a dream? I was sure I was dead before. The room looked and smelled familiar and made me want to forget everything and sleep forever. Wait… what was it I wanted to forget? I had the gnawing feeling that there was something I was supposed to remember. A figure moved on the bed beside me, and I turned towards it. A man. An angel? He certainly looked like one. My guardian angel? I raised my hand to touch his face… my hand wouldn’t move. Everything felt so heavy…I closed my eyes, forgetting the world I just saw and allowing the darkness to swallow me up again. Rest. I needed to rest for as long as it took my body to recover… What was I recovering from? My eyes fluttered open, the world around me swimming in a haze of blinding light and aching exhaustion. My chest tightened, and
Dale’s POV Trent was convinced he had found something. My heart raced; my wolf was ridden with anxiety, and he did not hesitate to snap at anyone for any reason at all. It's been two whole days, and there was no sign of Amber or her captor and no clue as to where we could find her. Silas had his men comb the entire city, turning the place upside down, while the rest of us searched the place where the cameras caught her last. I left no stone unturned, but there was no evidence that she was ever here. No scent, no leftover fear or emotions to hold on to. Except for the camera recording, which pinpointed her location as this area, everything else showed nothing, and it was frustrating. So when Trent announced he found something, I ran. I met him crouching low on the ground, fingers grazing the earth. “Boot tracks,” he said simply. One of the trackers said they caught a faint scent around here. It might be nothing, but— ”I turned around, not waiting for him to take back the ho