2. The Plan

Never hold on to anything. Life is fickle and everything, every little thing-

Disappears!

-

(Amelia)

Amelia came out from the bathroom, feeling a little bit better as the plan began to grow in her head. It was finally becoming something she could get behind.

Yes. It was only half a plan, but for now, that was all she needed. For now, she wanted Colton not to recognize her. And then she would go from there. 

Amelia had to hide her wolf’s pheromones from Colton, so that Colton’s wolf couldn’t scent her as his mate, so that they would stay unnoticed. 

It almost calmed her agitated nerve.

If Colton didn’t find that she was his mate, he wouldn’t start the first phase of his plan with Meganne to conquer her pack and add the pack land to strengthen his pack.

And Amelia would have time to finesse her own plan. Destroying Colten Rivers and Meganne Foster and everything dear to them. She would leave him in the ashes of his past life.. and he would beg her. 

Yes, Colton might not exactly understand or remember why Amelia was doing all this, but Amelia knew… given a second chance, Colton would choose to do the exact thing as he had done the first time. 

Colton was just as cruel, just as selfish to never regret his decision, to follow up on his sadistic plan without even a twitch of guilt or remorse. He was a monster and there was no way Amelia would let him get away with what he had done to her family, herself. 

'There is no absolution for your sin, Colton. None! Even a monster would have shown a bit of mercy. You have shown me none.' Amelia thought with a vicious growl. Freya growled along softly, inside her head.  

This time… she was going to be the wily one. This time, she would be the one who would manipulate him, trick him, destroy him.

This time, she was not a damn fool, with stars in her eyes. This time, her eyes were full of fire and she would give him the taste of hell and he would burn, for the whole world to see. 

She picked up the white blouse—this was the one she was wearing the morning of the ball the first time around—and then she changed her mind. She didn’t feel like white. She didn’t feel like herself, not anymore. A part of her felt so cold, so dead. Half of her was gone. Half of her that made her who she was.

She picked up a black T-shirt and a black leather pants. She liked the look of it, the look of danger. This was how she felt today. Dark and raging like a violent storm.  

Amelia’s smile was dark, sinister and dangerous as she looked at herself in the mirror. She shook her head as her shiny blonde hair fell down in waves down her shoulder. She dried her hair and put it up on the bun.

The first time—first time, she had to get accustomed to that, as well. It was strange, but she was slowly realizing that this was really happening—this had happened, by this time Amelia was singing and whistling and eating breakfast with her parents.

But this time, Amelia had one more thing to do before the breakfast.

She grabbed her phone and dialled Samara’s number. Samara owed her one for helping her get her niece away from her abusive father.

The man was a villainous monster, and he was an Alpha, too.

Samara’s sister, Seraphina had fallen in love with the man, and they had become the chosen mates. It was kind of unseen, the mating between witches and wolves, but it happened here and there.

Everything was going well until Alpha Dameon found his true mate. Now, he could have easily broken the bond with Seraphina and let her go on her merry way, but Dameon was possessive, and he wanted Seraphine as much as he wanted his own mate. So he had kept Seraphina a prisoner in his house.

Seraphina got pregnant and she died in the childbirth. Samara fought with Dameon to get away her niece, but Alpha Dameon was hellbent on not giving up his daughter, even though he had no love left for the little one.

Amelia had begged her father to help Samara and Alpha Rolland had talked with Dameon. Dameon was one of the weakest Alpha and his pack was very small, so when threatened by Alpha Rolland, Dameon had given up on his daughter easily over to Samara.

“Amelia, darling.” Samara’s voice was mellow as she picked up her phone. “Are you getting ready for the mating ball?”

“Samara, hey. How are you and Adelaide?” Amelia asked and for that the witch had replied they were fine. “Yes, about the ball, I need a favour from you, Samara.”

“Always, Amelia, always.” Samara said, her voice tender.

Samara was only a few years older than Amelia, and she had become such a good friend when they had met during Samara’s sister’s mating ceremony with Alpha Dameon. They had bonded over their shared dislike for Samara’s brother-in-law.

“I need a charm to hide the scent of my wolf. It can be done, right?” Amelia asked, but she already knew it could be done.

Wolves who didn’t want to find their mate, or wolves who wanted to stay hidden from their cruel mates, often used the charm to hide the scent of pheremones. Usually, the witches would need a hefty price for the charm—that was one of the reason the witches were becoming rich.  

Samara paused for a moment and Amelia could almost hear the cogs in her head turning.

Finally, Samara let out a sigh. “It can be done, of course…” Samara trailed and then she asked hesitantly, “you don’t want to find your mate in the mating ball?” Her voice was curious.

Since, Samara’s niece was a hybrid witch wolf, Samara always knew what was going in the wolf world, as well, just to help her niece.  

Amelia sighed. “It is such a long story, and I might tell you one day. But yes, I don’t want to be found by my mate.” Amelia said with a scowl on her face.

“I won’t ask you too many questions. When you want to tell me, you will tell me. Now, meet me in two hours and I will get this charm ready for you.” Samara replied.

“Oh. Samara, thank you so much. You don’t know how much it means to me.” Amelia said with a smile on her face. Now, this wasn’t just an idea. Now this was becoming real. “Can I get it from you on my way to the mating ball?”

“Sure.”

“Is Adelaide going?” Amelia asked with a soft smile. Adelaide was now seven, and she was the most amazing little girl one could meet. 

“No. She is still too young, and I don’t want her around that monster father of hers. Not yet.” Samara said. They talked a few more minutes about how Adelaide was doing and then Amelia hung up.

Amelia walked down and was warmly greeted by the smell of buttery scones and sausages and eggs.

They had a personal cook, but mostly her mom would often help the cook with food preparation. Not everyone in the pack ate in pack house, not anymore. They each had their own home and mostly everyone ate in their own place, except on certain occasions and during celebrations. Her dad had made it so, so that it would be easier on the omegas.

Alpha Rolland was kind to every wolf under his care and he gave equal opportunities to everyone.

Omegas could study to become whatever they wanted. They weren’t just cleaners and cooks and maids anymore, because her father knew that was unfair of them. The omega wolves might not be strong, but some of them were brave, some of them, persistent, some of them, extremely intelligent. So, her father had made sure they realized their potential.

“Mom, dad.” She hugged them both tighter. She hadn’t hugged them the first time and she had regretted it the day she died. She decided she would take every chance now, treasure every little moments now, to cherish what she has. “I love you.”

“Oh, little Ame, are you nervous about the ball?” Her dad teased her. “Is that why we are getting this special treatment.” He asked and she poked her tongue out at him, enjoying his warm black eyes and his bearded face.

Her mother smiled at Amelia and Amelia engraved the smile in her mind as she sat down in the chair. Her heart pounded wildly when the image of Meganne standing over her mother flashed through her memory.

Ashton walked in next, a smirk on his lips. “Ame… Can I expect to meet my brother-in-law this time?” He asked her as he wrapped his arms around her neck and pecked her cheek. She ruffled his hair, her eyes filling with tears. She loved him so much. He was her baby brother and Colton- Colton had...

“I don’t know.” She lied.

'No, you won’t. Never. You will live and I will make sure of it even if it kills me.'

“Aw, why the sad face?” He gave her a smile as he sat down and filled his plate with everything, he could get his hands on.

“Don’t eat too much, Ash, or your pants won’t fit.” Amelia teased and he poked her tongue out at her with a smirk.

"You are just jealous that I am already getting bigger than you." 

"Ooh, massive." Amelia taunted as she pushed a finger to his cheek and he slapped her hand away with a wince. 

'I will never let anything happen to you, ever again.' She vowed to herself. This time, she was going to be Colton’s nightmare. This time Colton wasn’t her dream. He was the enemy, he was the one that had to be destroyed, and she would die before she let him harm anyone closer to her.

'Oh, wait for me, Colton. I will be the storm and I will destroy you.' Amelia thought with fury.

'We will be the storm,' Freya growled.

____