Amber’s POV I had no idea where I got the courage from but it was gone as soon as Alpha Dale rejected my proposal and stormed out of the room. The sound of the door slamming shut echoed through the room, ringing in my ears like a warning bell. I sank into the edge of the bed as my legs removed under my weight. What had I been thinking? What had given me the guts to make demands of the Lycan King? A nobody like me. I buried my face in my hands, my cheek burning with shame as I replayed the events of only a few minutes ago in my head. If I had thought my proposal was reasonable before, now I was totally rethinking it, especially with the look he had given me just before he stormed out. He had looked at me like I had given him a knife and asked him to stab himself in the heart with it. Was the idea of us mating that bad? Or was it the idea of me giving him a child that repulsed him that much? In the end I was an unattractive, naïve werewolf with no wolf and lots of scars. I wa
Amber’s POV I couldn’t get what Yeti had said out of my head; worst of all, I couldn’t stop thinking about Alpha Dale and the way things had gone south with us yesterday. The fact that he was yet to say anything to me today made my feelings even more complicated. Sweat dripped down my temples, and my knuckles burned beneath the boxing gloves I was wearing. It was just the second half of my training for the day, but I knew I was working myself up too much. I was beginning to feel a bit of pain around my injuries, and I had a feeling that if I checked, I would see blood. Alpha Dale may have noticed also—all werewolves could smell even the tiniest changes—but he said nothing. Maybe he was past the point of caring. Maybe this was his answer to my proposal. As if him storming out on me was not enough answer. I had no idea how far I was going or that I had begun crying until I felt his body press into mine from behind. His arms circled my waist, pulling me against his hard fra
Amber’s POV He knew I was lying when I said no. He knew I knew that he knows I was lying, yet he said nothing about it. He simply led me back to our room—I wasn’t sure it was still his room since he didn’t sleep here anymore. My heart would not stop thudding in my chest on the way there. Was he going to punish me as soon as we were alone? The moment the door clicked shut behind me, I was sure I was already dead. My hands trembled. My whole body trembled, and my feet began backing away. My eyes scoured the room for an escape route, refusing to believe that I was trapped here. “Calm down, Amber.” Alpha Dale, said finally, turning to face me. “I’m not going to punish you or whatever it is you are thinking. I can hear your heartbeat from here. ”This reminded me of Alpha Derrick and the days he would come to my house to punish me for nothing at all. He always started with two words: calm down, and it never ended well. A voice inside me was trying to tell me Alpha Dale was dif
Amber’s POV I didn’t sleep well at all. All through the night, I tossed and turned on the bed—the same one I was supposed to be sharing with Alpha Dale—unable to find a comfortable position to fall asleep in. Or maybe it wasn’t the bed. Maybe it was the raging thoughts in my mind. There was what happened with Mallory only a few hours ago. The way she had barged in here and slipped away with Alpha Dale as though she owned him was quite unsettling. Although I told myself that I shouldn’t be affected by it, I couldn’t keep my kind of it, and I couldn’t stop getting upset over it. The fact that Alpha Dale had not even tried to fight or tell her off. Then there was Yeti being held prisoner in the basement. Every fiber of my being longed to set her free, although we had not been friends before and she still wants a friend now; I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. And there was also the man claiming to be related to me. His bruised face and eyes haunted me night and day. Wh
Amber’s POV We were attacked. The words hung in the air above me, along with all the others I couldn’t force down my lungs. I couldn’t breathe; neither could I move. Although I could hardly recall the attack at Moonstone pack, the thought of being attacked again shook something inside me. For a brief minute, I understood why Alpha Dale was drilling me so hard with training and exercises, but when I thought of him and Mallory, my understanding disappeared. “Alpha Dale asked me to assign guards to you, Amber.” Beta Trent continued. Of course, I was the weakest among them. I had no wolf and no strength. My training was going well but not fast enough. I was still making mistakes and getting killed so many times. “You can’t leave the pack house without the guards. And in whatever situation, either Alpha Dale or I will be with you at all times. We have no idea where the attack came from, but we have an idea who it was for. The prisoner was just a casualty. ”I rushed forward befo
Dale’s POV She was gone before I had any chance to explain. I had no idea what she was thinking but I could feel her anxiety even from miles away. I closed my eyes shut, combing my fingers through my hair which had grown at least an inch since the last time I had a haircut. I needed a haircut, I needed a shave and I needed a fucking good sleep. “Well, wasn’t that dramatic?” Mallory said, leaning against the edge of my desk with a sly and annoying smirk playing across her face. I gritted my teeth, clenching my hands into fists on the desk. Did she not have the decency and common knowledge to read the room? I was not someone who liked to blame people for things that happened, but all of this was her fault. I heard her draw a sharp intake of breath before she stumbled backward, her hands gripping her chest. I was barely using it, but I knew what my dominance did to lesser werewolves like herself. A low grumble escaped my throat, and a whine escaped hers. Satisfied with her r
Amber’s POV By the time I returned to the bedroom, I was exhausted. Mentally and emotionally. My emotions crashed over me like a tidal wave. I was feeling everything in ways I hadn’t felt before, and why was I feeling so bad about Alpha Dale with another woman? I blamed it on the mate bond. “Stupid!” I exclaimed, smacking myself in the face as if that was going to help me come to my senses. “Stupid, stupid, stupid.”He did not want me; it was obvious, yet why did I still feel so betrayed? I shouldn’t be expecting anything from him, yet I still did. He was the fucking Lycan King, and I was what? A wolf-less werewolf? A burden. Someone whom he pitied. I should leave, but this place was likely the only place to give me the answers I was searching for. Who the hell was I? A knock on the door silenced my thoughts, pulling me back to reality. “Dinner is served, Miss Amber. Janine wanted me to inform you.” A voice said from outside the door. I breathed a sigh. More like heartbreak
Dale’s POV When Amber said she felt better now compared to when she first came here, she was not lying. She looked better—healthier, stronger, more alive. Her cheeks were filled out, and her color was much brighter compared to the pale and haunted girl I had brought here months ago. Seeing her now, wide-eyed, glancing at Janine from across the seat, I could hardly reconcile her with the scared, jumpy girl with low self-esteem who was starved to the point where all that was left was skin and bones. Amber was no longer that girl, and my desire to keep her safe and out of harm’s way had caused me to ignore that. Ignore her growth. When I glanced at Amber again, her eyes were on me, and in them I saw all the questions she wanted to ask me. ‘Why did I release Yeti?’‘Was I thinking about giving her proposal a chance?’My wolf shot up at that thought. She wasn’t the only one eager to know what the response to that question was going to be. “Amber, my office when you are done wit
Amber’s POV I stared at her. For too long than was considered appropriate. Celia. Saying her name in my head stroked chords of fear and anger. I still dreamt of her, and I hated to admit that a part of me still felt that tremor of fear. I dreamt of all the punishments she made me endure. The strikes of whip that tore my flesh. For a minute, I forgot to breathe. My lungs were frozen and no matter how much I tried, my nose just wouldn’t take in any air. She was here. In front of me and I was the weak, vulnerable and frightened girl that was left for dead in a well. Once again, I was trapped in that suffocating cell and starving because they refused to feed a prisoner like me. I heard her laugh and it felt as though a knife was scraping down the inside of my skull. Rage bubbled through me. My hands began to tremble and my vision became blurry. Athena surged to the surface and her fury seeped into my bones. I squeezed my eyes shut, desperate to regain control and push the memorie
Amber’s POV As Yeti predicted, her glamour was sloppy but the bad work wasn’t that noticeable. Except someone was standing too close and then they’d definitely see the glitches. So, including rule number one which Yeti had spent at least fifteen minutes drumming into me, I now had to add a second rule. Don’t go too close to anyone. We left the hotel an hour later. The anxiety that I was feeling kept me from noticing how beautiful Free City had become with all the decorations for the Culling. Although, I didn’t fail to notice that the city was packed with people three times the usual. “Free City is hosting the Culling this year,” Eric supplied. “It’s been almost seven years since we hosted the Culling. Too bad it had to be this way.” I glanced out the window, thinking about Derrick and the fact that he might be here. Alpha Dale and I were supposed to be enjoying this day, instead, we were being forced to fight to be together. “The pack house is only a mile away,” Eric said, glan
Amber’s POV Days and nights blurred together and before I knew it, a week went by. Beta Trent and Eric spent the one week before the Culling training me even harder than Alpha Dale used to train me. and not just physically, my abilities were tested as well – as best as they could which wasn’t even scratch the surface deep, but at least I got to know that my abilities had something to do with manipulating emotions and elements. While Beta Trent and Eric spent the day sharpening my senses and helping me be more in tune with my wolf, I spent the night trying to suppress the growing ache in my chest whenever I thought of Alpha Dale – which was always. I found little consolation in talking to Athena – who I was getting to know more and more – and talking to the life forming inside me. On the seventh day, I didn’t feel the least ready but I still dressed in a black hoodie – Eric was sure would hide my face and Janine had gotten me a cream which would mask my scent – I pulled my long,
Amber’s POV My heart pounded in my chest and my lungs constricted as I waited for Eric’s answer. There was a frown on his face as he pondered the question, then the frown deepened, and his lips pursed. “Who is Derrick?” he asked. “Am I supposed to know him?” I let out a breath I hadn’t even realized I was holding. But then, I realized if Yeti’s mother was now actively working with Donn, then it only meant Alpha Derrick was somewhere in the picture. Perhaps, behind the scenes, pulling the string and my airways constricted once more. “Derrick is the former Alpha of Moonstone pack and the man who raised Amber,” Beta Trent explained. “He’s Alpha Dale’s number one enemy.” Eric looked lost but he didn’t ask any further questions. Meanwhile, my mind was going through a lot of scenarios. What if Derrick had been working with Donn from the very beginning? What if he was the reason Donn came to Free City and brought the council with him? It was plausible and fit right into the puzzle. I
Amber’s POV For the next three days, it was as though we were in denial. None of us wanted to talk about what had happened, nor even think about it, although it was my waking thought and the last thing I thought about before sleeping. We all wanted to forget about it. But I couldn’t forget Alpha Dale’s expressionless face as he stood beside Mallory with her hand in his. I couldn’t forget him chasing me through the woods and I sure as hell couldn’t stop thinking about the what ifs. What would have happened if he had caught me? Janine couldn’t forget about what role Yeti’s mother played in all of this, and although, I saw her trying to act indifferent, I knew how hard it was for her, seeing as Yeti was once a friend. Yeti… I had no idea what Yeti was thinking. She was quiet and closed off and never left her room except when it was time to eat. Beta Trent couldn’t forget about the fact that Alpha Dale’s uncle was now in control of Free city. Although, we didn’t say it out loud, o
Amber’s POV I shifted back to my human form without even realizing it. “Janine?” I gasped, tears pouring from my eyes. Yeti and Beta Trent stood at a safe distance behind her and both heaved a sigh of relief. “How are you guys here? Beta Trent?” Taking off her jacket, Janine stepped forward and draped it on my naked form. Although the day was dark, I could still make out her pale face, hollow cheeks and bandaged hand. Yeti didn’t look any better. She had cuts and bruises everywhere, but her eyes were still filled with concern as she stared at me. “What the hell happened?” I whispered. “I saw the video. I thought you were –” Janine touched my arm lightly, as if trying to remind me that they were here and they were fine. “We’ll explain everything later,” she said, gently pushing me forward. ‘For now, let’s get out of here.” My eyes darted between all three of them and I felt as if a weight has been lifted off my chest. But my mind went back to Alpha Dale or the man I saw who was
Amber’s POV When I snapped back to reality, it wasn’t slow or gentle. My lungs ached with a burning sensation and my throat was raw. My limbs trembled with exertion and I was no longer on my knees. Instead, I was standing in the middle of what looked like a fucking war zone. Blood and carnage were everywhere – splattered across the concrete walls, soaking the ground, even dripping from a dangling broken light overhead that swung on its last thread. Coppery scent of blood filled the air, nearly suffocating. I staggered back, clutching my stomach as bile rose up in my throat. My entire body felt like it was on fire and my skin crawled. Did – did I do this? I glanced around the bloodied room, gasping when my eyes landed on Alpha Dale’s uncle. He laid a few feet away from me, crumpled and bleeding from… everywhere. His chest rose and fell in slow, shallow breaths. One arm was twisted at an unnatural angle, and a deep gash marred the side of his face. I looked down at my own hands
Amber POV The hum of the car vibrated through my bones as we sped through the woods. I stopped counting the trees or time a long time ago. I was sure we were out of Free City and maybe in another Alpha’s territory, but we were still going. I did not said any words. Not even given the driver directions to where we could find Mallory, but he was still driving. I stopped thinking about everything as well. As long as this man was far from Janine and Yeti, it was enough for me. Alpha Dale’s uncle sat beside me and I could feel his unblinking gaze burning in the side of my face but I had made myself numb to that as well. “You’ve not spoken a word since,” he said suddenly. “Offering to lead me to a place which might not exist is very brave of you.” I raised a brow at him. There was something chilling about the way he observed me. it wasn’t like the look predators gave their preys, but like I was a puzzle he already solved. My heart hammered in my chest. Did he finally figure out my bl
Amber’s POV Alpha Dale’s uncle smirked at the stunned silence that followed his words. “Runaways.” He repeated with a mocking jest, rolling the word around on his tongue. “That’s the story. Alpha Dale’s precious mate ran away because she couldn’t stand her dangerous power. She couldn’t stand being a danger to him or anyone else. Of course, her friends went with her.” Janine lunged forward, but the guards held her back. “You sick, lying piece of—!” “Careful now,” he warned, his voice dangerously calm. “You don’t want to make your last hours more painful.” “Are you really going to kill us?” Yeti’s voice broke as she spoke. “You’ll kill Anber? Alpha Dale won’t let you get away with that. You should know— ”He glanced at Yeti impatiently. “Did I not mention Alpha Dale will never know? To him, you all ran away. But don’t worry, Amber here won’t be executed, if that’s what you’re worried about. ”He waved a dismissive hand, and the guards shoved us forward towards a black transport t