Amber’s POV
It 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 that she’ll become the Alpha’s mate.” She taunted, clearly enjoying herself. “Then show her that will forever remain beneath our feet where she belongs,” one of her guard dogs shouts, and the rest holler. I had no idea what their names were. I never bothered to learn their names because, well, I was not meant to address them directly, and I never needed to. Besides, I was too busy working and serving punishments to care about that. Celia laughed, a harsh bark that grated against the walls of my ears. “No, guys. I will show her that she is less than the dirt under our feet. After all, she is never going to be Luna. Alpha Derrick is only mating her out of pity because after so many years, she is yet to find her true mate. I will be his mate and slave here, and I will be an outsider. Forever.” She stopped and growled. I cringed. I could almost feel her wolf, and it hated me just as she did. “You should be grateful. Alpha Derrick decided to do you a favour, you wolfish pig. If I were him, I would throw you back to whatever hell you crawled out of.” I sunk my nails into flesh, pressing hard until I felt the warm comfort of blood trickle out of my vein. It would be over soon. I reminded myself. Celia, her mother, and everyone in this pack would not have the privilege of terrorising me anymore. I will be free. “Rella!” she called. “The whip.” Rella, a girl whose skin was as black as her hair, stepped out of the line and began walking towards us. My skin shivered, then crawled. No, no, no, no. Not this again. Almost immediately, I fell to my knees, pinning my head to the ground. The injuries from a flogging three days ago werestill fresh on my back and not healing properly. I hated to think of the state my body would be in if I was flogged again. Imight miss the red moon and then the Culling... Sobbing, I clutched Celia’s feet, wishing she would just be merciful for once. But no, Celia had the heart of stone. A heart as black as her truemate’s eyes. Rella handed her the whip with a smile onher face.If I could, I would have spat on it, but the thought of the punishments that would follow stayed me. Before I could take the next breath, I heard the swish of the whip as it sliced through the air. I felt the pain before the whip touched my broken flesh. The pain reverberated through me, but no words left my mouth. Celia’s hand went up again, perhaps to deliver the blow that would kill me—it was a shame that no matter how much my body broke, it never took my life—but someone came in. I had no wolf, but I could tell who it was by their scents. It was one ability I had that made me not question if I was really a werewolf and not human. I could always tell scents apart, not that it ever saved me from my ill-fated existence. “Noah,” Celia said sharply, clearly annoyed that someone was disturbing her fun moment. “Why are you here?” “Your mother wants you. The Lycan King’s entourage is here,” he answered softly. Whistling, Celia let the whip fall to the ground, and I heaved a huge sigh of relief. “I guess we’ll finish this later. Get towork, slave.” I jumped to my feet immediately, grateful her command did not come with another stroke of the whip. Once she was out of the room, I breathed another sigh of relief and then stiffened when I recalled that I still was not alone. “You can relax, and here, take this. You are bleeding.” Noah said softly, stretching forward a small piece of clothing. “You can take it; no one is here to see.” Hesitantly, I accepted it, pressing the cloth to my hand where the blood was coming from. Noah was one of the few people who never touched me, but he never intervened either when I was being bullied. Once, when I was seventeen, I had the stupid fantasy that he would be my mate. My savior. Until we both turned eighteen and he found his mate. They were a good match. And I learnt the lesson of never fantasising again. “You should probably get that looked at,” he said, leaning on the countertop. I offered him a small smile before turning back to what I had been doing. “I’m fine.” I answered, but it was a lie. We both knew that. Still, it was better than enumerating that I could not go to the infirmary because I would never be attended to. I had learnt from a young age how to take care of my injuries no matter how bad they were since I could not heal quickly like the rest of the other werewolves. Noah shrugged, pushing himself off the countertop and dusting his shirt. “Whatever you say, slave.” He walked to the door, then stopped. “I hope to see you at the Culling.” Without waiting for my reply, he eased himself out of the door. The red moon finally came, and it was beautiful. In a few minutes, it would be at the centre of the sky in its full glory. The hall was almost quiet, save for sounds of chairs scraping the tiles. If I paid more attention, I could almost feel the pull of the moon as it called my wolf to come out for the night. Alpha Derrick was giving a speech, but I could not pay attention. Something was going on in my body that I did not understand. It was a foreign feeling, an energy that was exciting and at the same time perplexing. I stood when everyone did and went outside, where the moon was now at the centre of the sky. It was golden now, almost the same colour as my eyes. In a few minutes, it would be red—a blood moon—and the transformations would begin. I glanced around me. Everyone had their eyes on the moon, and most of them were beginning to take off their clothes. The transformations from man to wolf usually ripped through clothes. I guess people wanted to keep their clothes for when they changed back. Following their example, I began to take my clothes off one by one until there was not a piece of clothing on my body. Then, I waited. The first transformation began with an ear-piercing shriek, then the crunching sound of breaking bones. It was an exciting and horrifying one-minute transformation that actually felt like hours. Once it was over, the girl transformed into a brown wolf, which was neither big nor small. Applause rang out from various directions. After that, a handful of others transformed, then more. I glanced at the moon, hoping and praying for a miracle, but the more time ran by, the more reality began to dawn on me. Another year was going to pass without me getting my wolf. There were only a few people left who had not turned, but I knew they would get their wolves before the red moon passed, and then it would be left with just me. The outcast. Not waiting to see what scorn awaited me when everyone realised I was the only one left out, I ran out of the gathering and into the confines of the forest. My heart ached, but this time the ache was different. It went deeper. Maybe it was because this time I knew what fate awaited a wolf-less and mateless werewolf such as myself. The tears ran down freely from my eyes. I did not try to stop them this time. My existence was meaningless, and after this, it was going to be worse. There was no need for me to hide anymore. Or so I thought until I heard the snapping of a twig behind me.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
Amber’s POVWhat?What did he mean by forbidding Alpha Derrick from taking me as his mate? I had no idea what this was about or how to feel about it. And I guess Alpha Derrick felt the same way, because he immediately jumped to his feet. “What do you mean by I cannot mate Amber? She is a slave in my settlement, and as such, I have every right...”The words died in Alpha Derrick’s mouth when the Lycan King also stood to his feet. His power and aura dominating the room, even Alpha Derrick deflated under its weight. My chest tightened, and I could hardly breathe. I felt like a mouse trapped in the middle of two elephants. It was not a good feeling. “From what I recall, Alpha Derrick, you have a true mate. Do you not? What was her name again?” The Lycan King made an exaggerated gesture of scratching his stubble. “Celia, was it? If you mated Amber, what would she be? Will you break your bond with Celia?”For the first time in my life, I saw Alpha Derrick stumble with his words. “I...” h
Amber’s POV The pack members provide for her, of course, but she always emphasizes that she does not need much.” Lydia inputted in an attempt to salvage things, but there was not any need for that. Alpha Dale was already getting a clear picture of what they were painting. “Is everything okay?” I stiffened when I heard the voice. Focusing my attention on the people in the room, I had not noticed when Celia came in; neither had I noticed that it was time for Alpha Derrick’s morning tea.She balanced the tray in her hand on Alpha Derrick’s desk before turning to glare at me. “Why are you here, slave, when it is clear that the Lycan king is in a meeting with my MATE? Should you be here? Do you not know your place? ”My body tensed up, and I lowered my head even more. I opened my mouth to apologize, but Alpha Dale beat me to it.“You don’t speak to her like that!” he said with a glare. His voice was strong and confident, and it rang across the room, demanding everyone’s attention
Dale’s POV I snapped my head up. He was mentioning that word again, but for some reason, I could not bring myself to ask him anything about it. Like before, his finger went under my chin, and he pushed my face up till I was staring into his pool of blue eyes. “Tell me, are you okay? ”I nodded. “Yes,” I added almost immediately. “I am fine.”His arm around my waist tightened. It took every shred of strength within me to keep my face straight and a scream from escaping my throat. A knock sounded on the door, and an auburn-haired lady waltzed in.I breathed a sigh of relief when his arm around me relaxed and he stepped away. I lowered my head again, digging my nails into my skin to keep myself from feeling the biting pain in my side. “This is Gwen, the omega I told you about. She will help you with settling in. If there is anything you need and I am not available, let her know. She will make sure you get it.” He turned to the lady who had just arrived, nodding curtly at her. “Gwen.
Dale’s POV Amber’s body was a map of wounds, bruises, and scars. The horrified expression on Janine’s face confirmed just how bad I thought it was. The scars did not look like they had been treated by a professional, and so they did not heal correctly. I glanced at Janine, whose eyes were settled on me. She knew I was struggling to hold my wolf together, and I could see her readying herself to hold me back if it came to it. “Who did this to you?” I growled, unable to keep the pain my wolf felt out of my voice. “Tell me who did this to you!”‘And let me tear them apart, limb by limb.’ my wolf added. Amber fumbled with her dress, pulling it tightly against her lean frame. She was looking everywhere but at me and Janine. Even Janine looked short of words, and I did not blame her. Neither of us had seen something so terrible before. “Amber!” I demanded. “Speak, or I will pry the words from you myself. Was it Derrick? Lydia? Who exactly did this to you?My fist came down hard, st
Amber’s POV Although he said we now shared a room, Alpha Dale did not return to the room that night, nor did I see him at the dining area the next day after that. For three long days—unlike me—I was left to wonder where he was and what he might be doing. If he was okay or if he needed something. Janine checked on me from time to time, and we were becoming fast friends. I don’t know if that was the word to use, but she did seem to me like a decent and genuinely honest person that I was beginning to take a liking to. “Do you believe him?” I started slowly watching Janine for a reaction. We were in her office at the infirmary, and as always, Janine was busy sorting out her stuff. She glanced up at me, her brows knotting as she tried to make sense of my question. “What do you mean? Believe who?” “Alpha Dale.” I answered, careful to keep my eyes lowered and avoid eye contact now that she was looking directly at me. “He thinks I have a wolf.” Janine smiled. “He doesn’t ‘think’ you hav
Amber’s POV “There was no one there! “”What?”“ Alpha Derrick is gone!” he repeated. He combed his unruly hair back and paced to the window. “He gave up the Alpha title and left, just like that.”I opened my mouth to speak when he glanced at me. “Why? Why would he leave just like that and at a time like this? ”My eyes dropped to the ground. First of all, I was relieved that he was fine, and for some reason, I wanted to keep him with me forever. Secondly, Alpha Derrick gave up his Alpha title and was gone. “Your return to the moonstone pack?” I shook my head, confused as to why he would do that. “Do you have any idea why he would leave? Did you ever hear anything?” he gestured to me. “Celia and Lydia are gone as well. I’m surprised that I heard nothing of this until I arrived there myself. ”I shook my head, closing my eyes to clear out my thoughts. Where would he go and why? “Amber!” Alpha Dale’s cold fingers slipped under my chin, lifting my face up. Slowly, I opened my ey
Dale’s POV My fingers paused over her stomach, and she held her breath. Amber was beautiful. Despite the fact that she was malnourished and her skin was broken to the point that it was almost beyond repair, one could still see the beauty in her. Once she filled out, she was going to be one of the most beautiful women I ever met, and that was a fact. “Breathe, Amber, I whispered. “Breathe.”I could hear her heart as it hammered against the cages of her ribs, and I could almost feel the tears as they rolled down her face. Gently, I wiped it away. Her eyes flashed open, locking onto mine before she lowered them again.I felt the aching need to reach under her chin and tilt her head up till I was looking into those golden irises, but I held myself back; for some reason, she was in pain, and I could tell that it was not from her injuries. ‘Mate,’ my wolf growled. ‘Mate.’I paused, wondering why he was sensing the mate bond. It was supposed to be impossible to feel our bond considering
Dale’s POV I was exhausted. We all were after all the revelations. The answers did not really lead anywhere. I needed a drink to help calm my nerves, and thankfully, Moonstone Pack had a fully furnished bar. I could not recall how many bottles we had burned through, but I knew I needed to hit the bed. My wolf wanted to check on Amber one more time before we slept off, but I knew she would already be sleeping by now, and I was trying to keep my wolf away from her. Somehow, our bond was getting stronger even with her wolf bound, and it was affecting my senses. I did not want my wolf losing control one day while we were with her… “What are you thinking about?” My head snapped up to meet Beta Trent’s face, which was looking up at me in concern. With his eyes, he gestured to the hand, which was gripping the wine glass a little too tight. I shrugged., releasing my grip. “Do you believe him?” I asked. “The new Alpha, I mean. I don’t think he really knows anything, like he’s trying to
Amber’s POV I went straight to the room that was assigned after dinner. Although Moonstone pack house did not have lots of rooms—compared to the Lycan King’s mansion—they managed to assign each of us to a room. My room was sandwiched between Janine and Beta Trent, while Alpha Dale’s room was opposite ours, but I did not mind. I wasn’t going anywhere anyway, although I wanted with everything in me to be out of here. I lay on my bed, going over the events of the day in my head. Alpha Derrick had been sneaking into my home. Why? At first, it had been hard to believe—he always treated me like a plague, one he wouldn’t touch with a pole—and he was sneaking into my room? With the priestess nonetheless, was the deal with a witch?I had no idea what to make of it. What was he doing in my home without my knowledge? If Yeti was telling the truth, then I was usually home when he came, yet I still knew nothing. How clueless was I? How much of what was actually going on in this place was I
Amber’s POV Janine leaned into me, her shoulder grazing mine. I had no idea how she appeared at my side, and we all had no idea that there was another presence in the room with us. We had all been engrossed with getting answers out of the Alpha. “Who are you?” Alpha Dale growled, and the girl flinched. Her eyes shifted to my face before lowering to the floor in submission. “Isn’t that the girl who came to get us earlier?” Janine whispered into my ears. Her breath fanned my face, tickling me. “Do you know her?” “Yes.” I whispered back. “She’s one of Celia’s minions.” “Who’s Celia?” Before I could respond, the girl spoke up. “My— My name is Yeti. Yeti Albert.” “Why are you in here?” Alpha Marcus demanded, his eyes glowing with fury. If I were the one in her shoes, I would be anticipating my punishment. I’d have almost peed in my pants with fear of what would happen later, but I knew she did not have to fear that. At most, she would be admonished by the Alpha—verbally—and th
Amber’s POV My heart raced. Blood pounded in my ears, and I couldn’t stop glancing around and waiting for Alpha Dale to announce that this was a prank and he was actually here to return me. Although he had reassured me countless times that he would let nothing harm me, I still couldn’t help the thoughts that slipped into my head. While Alpha Dale and Beta Trent had gone inside the study with Alpha Marcus, Janine and I had to wait impatiently in the lobby. After about ten minutes, a girl whom I recognized as one of Celia’s friends came scurrying out of the study. Had she been in there all this time? Her eyes scanned the lobby—which wasn’t very big—dramatically before landing on Janine and me. “The Lycan King requests to see you.”Janine’s eyes flickered to me. “Let’s go?” Taking a deep breath in, I nodded and stood to my feet at the same time that Janine did. The girl led us back to the study, which was even smaller than I recalled it to be, before disappearing from the room a
Amber’s POV I sat on the edge of my bed, staring at nothing in particular. My mind was everywhere, although I had tried to assure myself and Alpha Dale had tried to assure me as well; I was not sure I was ready to face my former pack. Still, it was too late to take back my words. Why had I just blurted those words out without thinking? The soft knock on the door barely registered through the haze of my thoughts. Glancing out my window, I noted that it was almost sunset and we would be leaving soon. Alpha Derrick was gone, I reminded myself. He gave up his Alpha title and fled after I left. Lydia and Celia were gone as well. So, why the hell was I scared? The knock sounded again, followed by the sound of the door creaking open. Janine popped her head through the small space, followed by the rest of her body. “You good?” she asked, settling into the space beside me. I shrugged, lowering my head to stare at my hands.“I still think this is a bad idea, though,” she said, pulli
Amber’s POV The next days and weeks that followed were mostly uneventful, save for the bouts of pain that were becoming more and more severe and my constant run-ins with Mallory. I had no idea what she wanted from me or what her qualm was with me, but it was beginning to unnerve me. Alpha Dale was always busy running pack business that I barely got to see him, and when I did see him, I couldn’t shake the feeling that he was avoiding me. Did I do something wrong? Was this whole inaccessible mate thing beginning to piss him off?Janine mentioned on multiple occasions that he was trying to find a way to break the binding without hurting me, and he kept hitting walls. Was that why? Maybe he finally realized I was a lost cause and was trying to let me off. Crossing the foyer, I waited ten seconds before I began a slow walk through the hallway that led to Alpha Dale’s office. Since my arrival here, I could count how many times I had visited this wing of the mansion. I never came
Amber’s POV The scent of smoke overwhelmed my respiratory organs, suffocating me from the inside. A smaller version of me stood in the middle of a burning city. My tiny hands trembled at my sides. The sky was colored with red and orange, a mirror of the horror that was going on around me. Fear and tears closed my vision as I stared at the fire, which was destroying everything in its path. Bodies were scattered everywhere in the street. Someone was calling my name, but I couldn’t bring myself to move. I knew I needed to move, but I couldn’t look away from the horror I had caused. Yes, I knew this was my doing. Yes, I did this. I did this, and I was going to do more. I heard the woman’s voice before I saw her. Her screams pierced through my ears and heart, pulling my attention to the people who were running towards me. Somehow, I knew what would happen if they came any closer. My wolf—at that young age, I already had my wolf—recognized them as a threat.Slowly, I raised my hands
Dale’s POV Mallory leaned against the wall outside my room with a suggestive smirk on her face. One look at her and I could tell what she was thinking, but it was never going to happen. Her smile widened, and she tilted her head back. “Is this any way to treat an old fling, Alpha Dale? ”I scoffed. “You and I were a mistake. One I regret making. ”Her smile did not falter, but her stance did, and suddenly she was standing too close to me that was acceptable. My wolf growled his warning, pushing her back with a warning glare. “You seem awfully protective of that weak girl. She’s so weak; are you sure she really is your mate? ”I stiffened, clenching my fist to keep my wolf from breaking through my control. “If you know how close I am to losing control of my wolf, who isn’t fond of you, you will stay out of my business and keep my mate’s name out of your mouth. ”Mallory chuckled. It was not a reaction I was expecting, but this was Mallory, and I should not be surprised. “I mean
Dale’s POV Leaving our shared bedroom, I found Janine hovering just outside the door. Concern was etched on her face, and her eyes widened when she saw me. Beta Trent was with me, but as usual, he was relaxed and composed, only standing straight as he saw me come out. “How is she?” Janine demanded. “Asleep.” I answered. “If she keeps being in pain like this…” I trailed off, unable to make myself say the words. Amber’s health was quickly declining, and if something was not done about it soon, I hated to think what would happen.A puzzled expression crossed her face. “What is it, Alpha?”I took a deep breath in. “Amber’s health is deteriorating quickly.We have to find a way to unbind her wolf before it’s too late.”I scratched my quickly growing stubble. I knew I should shave soon, but I could just find the time to do it, not with all that was going on. I couldn’t sleep, and although we were still getting to know each other, being away from her while she slept felt odd.“What