Amber’s POV There was fire everywhere. The flames were eating the roof away; it was like liquid, flowing with a ferocious force that wanted to swallow everything. I knew where I was. I was seeing another memory, but this time, I was inside a building, and the little girl was with two people. A man and a woman. Her parents? The woman had flaming red hair, the same color as mine and the smaller version of me. The man is coughing through the smoke, trying to hold the building up to give the woman enough time to scoop the girl up and dash to where the door used to be. Their voices were lost in the roaring flames, but I could see their mouths moving. The man was speaking frantically, shouting something at them. Then the woman left, running through fire with a smaller version of me in her arms. I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but I could tell the girl did not want to leave. She was crying out, reaching for her father. Then it was as if time stopped. I heard a deafening growl,
Ambers POV He freed her? What did he mean by he freed her? I frowned, trying to grasp at any fragments of memory that would help me understand what he was saying, but nothing. ‘Hello, Amber?’ A soft voice slithered into the back of my mind, causing me to almost jump out of my skin. I glanced at Alpha Dale with wide eyes, trying to steady my trembling hands. There was no way that sweet, feminine voice belonged to him. But then there was no one else present in the room with us. What in all of nine hells was that?A shudder rolled down my spine, and I gripped the sheets under me. I JUST HEARD A VOICE IN MY HEAD! Was that my wolf? That thought was even more disturbing than the idea that the voice could belong to another personality inside me. I took a deep breath in, arming myself with a response when something slammed into me. It was a weight of emotions, and it was crushing against the walls of my chest and sank deep into my bones. For a minute, I simply froze, my body
Amber’s POV I was nothing but a monster. A monster who had brought the end of an entire pack, including her own parents. Tears poured from my eyes as memories from my most recent dream flashed in my vision. My father, holding up burning wood so my mother could save me. Save the monster. My mother,going back for my father. She never came back. I should have stopped her, kept her with me, but… ‘You didn’t kill them.’ Athena said. Her voice was cold and detached, and it made my heart boil with anger. “No,” I growled. “You did! ”Why did I have a wolf at such a young age? Why did I allow her to cause so much destruction? This thing inside me… I would rather have no wolf than live with something like this… With my nails, I tore at my chest as if somehow I could dig enough to reach the wolf and pull her out. “You killed my parents!” I cried. “You slaughtered the entire pack. And now you’ve struggled your way out, again. Why?”I glanced at my reflection in the mirror. The injuries
Amber’s POV All I wanted was to breathe without the crushing weight of anger, regret, and guilt that was weighing heavily on my shoulders. I stormed through the hallways like a maniac, only pausing when I had to open doors. The footsteps behind me made me know that Fabian and Izzy were hot on my heels, their disapproving faces clear in my mind. Janine and Yeti were still far behind, and I was sure that once they caught up with me, they'd do everything within their powers to stop me. I turned a corner too quickly and stumbled on my feet, suddenly feeling dizzy. Finally, I was in the hallway where the meeting room was, and I was beginning to feel queasy, I wasn’t sure if it was because of how fast I was walking. Still, I took a moment to catch my breath before pressing on. “Amber, wait! ”I pressed harder as Janine’s voice filtered into my ears. Janine and Yeti were catching up, and from here, I could hear their panting breaths as it filled the spaces between us. “What the hell
Amber’s POV Their eyes followed us all the way to the table. Their tight expressions barely concealed their irritation and disgust at me. I should waver as I used to before when Alpha Derrick or Celia gave me that look, but for some reason, I felt different. Stronger. Like all their stares couldn’t get to me. Once we were seated, Janine leaned in and pointed to a man. “That’s Dale’s uncle.” She snorted. ‘Very bitter man. It’s best to avoid him.” She added. Alpha Dale’s uncle looked a lot like you would imagine a man who should have been Lycan King looked like. I had never seen him before, but he had almost the same eyes as Alpha Dale. Only his had more grey in them than blue. And right now, they were looking down at me with disdain, disapproval, and hostility. Maybe that was why Alpha Dale had insisted on wedging himself between us. One look at his uncle told me he would definitely use any weaknesses to remove me from Alpha Dale’s life, and I wasn’t about to show him any. “This
Amber’s POV I tried to catch Beta Trent’s attention as we filed out of the meeting room, but he stalked ahead of us, hurrying off to goddess knows where. He even seemed busier than the Lycan King himself. Alpha Dale’s uncle was going to be staying for a few days, though I’d rather not see anything related to him. I hoped our paths never crossed during his time here, but I knew how impossible that request was. Alpha Dale was with me, and that was enough. But I could see that he was in a bad mood after everything that happened in the meeting; still, he stayed by my side, putting up a smile when he needed to and growling at anyone that so much as looked at me. Janine and Yeti followed behind us slowly, ready to bundle me to the kitchen or the infirmary so we could finally have some quality girls time, but Alpha Dale waved them on. “I need to speak with my mate; you guys go on ahead.”It was such a firm, no-argument sort of command that neither of them bothered to question or comp
Amber’s POV There was a flutter of nervousness in my belly as I flung my clothes from my body. The heat in Alpha Dale’s eyes was almost physical, like a hunger that caused an itch on his skin he couldn’t stop scratching. He looked at me like I was dinner just served. The moment I shimmied out of my lingerie, Alpha Dale groaned, catching my bra mid-air as he started towards me. His hand caught me easily, holding onto my waist firmly as he spun me up into his arms with a casual ease. Ducking down, he caught my lips in a blisteringly hot kiss, his naked body—when did he get naked?—plastered against my own, and his hands clutched me in hot demand. I wrapped my legs around his waist, hitching myself more securely to him. His lips moved around mine in another scorching kiss that made my body burn with flames of desire and need. His mouth still taking mine hungrily, he directed us to the bed, tugging my legs open so he could crawl in between them. I moaned into his lips, moaning again
Dale’s POV We found one of them. That was why Trent woke me up so early when he knew I’d rather sleep in with my mate. Her heat period was quite close, and now that she had her wolf, it was going to be intense. I would rather have stayed in bed with Amber, savoring the warmth of her skin against mine. But this was just as important as that. Keeping Amber safe was a part of my duty and one that I took very seriously. Trent knew I shouldn’t be staying away from her too long at a time, but he had good reason for bringing me out of bed. He was convinced the woman they found was the same one we had seen in the CCTV recording several months ago—the one who lured Amber out of the mansion. Mallory, of course, was still MIA, but this woman was going to serve as a good scapegoat for those who thought they could double-cross me and harm my mate for any reason at all. Most importantly, she could lead us to Mallory’s hideout as an added bonus. When I arrived at the interrogatio
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