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
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 “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
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
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,
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
Amber’s POV It’s been three days since we were thrown in this cell. Three long, crawling, stinking days. None of us were saying it out loud, but today was the day. The day of the execution. On the first day of our imprisonment, Janine had nearly bitten the bars off. She had banged, screamed, cursed, clawed, threatened, and kicked until her voice was hoarse and her knuckles bled. I stopped her when she started yanking at the meat with her teeth. Usually, she was the most controlled of all of us, but the more the days went by, the more she lost a little of that control. Yeti looked like she was faring better than the rest of us. She said nothing and ate very little when they finally brought our rations, giving up her food for Janine, who only knocked her plates away. After hearing the things Yeti kept from us about her mother, she had decided she couldn’t trust the girl. As for me, I had no idea what to do or think. I had tried several times to reach Alpha Dale through our bond, b
Amber’s POV Izzy and Fabian threw me unceremoniously into the damp cell. I was fast enough to catch myself as I stumbled onto the stone floors, but I couldn’t say the same for Janine, whose sharp cry echoed through the cell as her knees scraped the ground. She muttered under her breath, cursing at the guards and whoever may have offended her. Yeti rushed to her side, trying to help her up, but she brushed Yeti away, breezing to the bars only to catch the guards back as they left. “A bunch of ungrateful fools.” She cussed out. “I can’t believe they’ll betray Alpha Dale like this. What did that old man promise them? What could be more expensive than their loyalty to their Alpha? ”I glanced at Yeti, who had settled herself in the corner with her back pressed to the wall. It was obvious that this was not her first time experiencing something like this. I bit my bottom lip, wondering just what this girl went through in that godforsaken pack. Janine paced like a caged animal; each sto