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“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
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
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 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
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 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,
Dale’s POV Amber looked almost lifeless by the time I returned to the room. Where less than a few moments ago she had been burning hot, her body was now as cold as ice. A shiver reverberated down my spine as I lowered myself into the bed beside her. Her skin looked paler than before, almost translucent in the dim light. I glanced at Janine, who was still hunched over Amber, her hands working fervently to close wounds only for another one to reopen. She cursed under her breath, wiping her forehead with the back of her palm as if it was too hot in here. It wasn’t. I ground my teeth, squeezing Amber’s hand gently. “What is going on, Janine? Why is she so cold?”Janine shook her head, her fingers trembling as she tried not to meet my gaze. Probably because she did not want me to see the tears she was trying very hard to hold back. I thought I had gone past the point where I was blaming myself, but I couldn’t help it when the thought sneaked into my head. I did this! I lost cont
Trent’s POV (Bonus Chapter) Dale was losing his mind, and it was all the witch’s fault. And maybe Amber’s. But I couldn’t bring myself to fault her for anything given everything she’s been through. I never could have managed being apart from my wolf my entire life, thinking I never had one, and when I‘m finally told I have one, I have no access to it. She’s been through far worse than all of us in this room combined, and that was without counting all the memories she didn’t have. Besides, she wasn’t the one filling Dale’s head with ideas like sacrificing himself. That was all the witch, whom I still couldn’t bring myself to trust. Not after Gregg. The thought of him put a sour taste in my mouth. I glanced at the witch from the corner of my eye. From her aura and the way she carried herself—poised, confident, and stupidly proud for someone with her background—one could tell she was powerful. And with all that power, she still allowed herself to be used by Derrick? How was that
Dale’s POV ‘You should have marked her!’ My wolf was furious and had every right to be. I had regained control at the last minute, preventing what I supposed was going to be a disaster. I glanced at Amber sleeping peacefully beside me for a minute, and a part of me was thankful I had resisted the urge to sink my teeth into that succulent skin on her neck, placing my claim on her. Even now, after the whole intimacy was over, there was still that underlying fear that the worst moment was not here. I knew I should have held back—the last two times we had kissed, it always ended badly. And now, we even went as far as… I shook my head. Maybe I was overthinking things. It’s been hours, and nothing has happened—yet. Just as the thought slipped through my mind, Amber’s body tensed beside me. I felt the shift in the air before I saw her body move. I was up on my feet before I took my next breath. Her breathing became uneven, and her lips parted as if she was struggling to pull air into h
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,