Thank you for waiting! Have a great February, lovelies! 💖
AMBER.Of all the people to bump into as I was moving out of my room, why did it have to be them? Sidney pushed his chair and stepped out of the elevator. My gaze eventually met hers, and she flashed me a small smile, which was too different from what she had given me earlier. Did Zach tell her about our past? Or did he stop her from being friendly with me?“Are you leaving? Who’s driving you home?” Zach’s voice drew my attention back to him. He looked at me with a face devoid of emotion, hands clasped together while his elbow rested on the armrest. He looked calm—totally not affected by me anymore. Of course, having Sidney beside him calmed him down. Why would the girls think Zach was faking their mate bond? And why on earth am I still here?I wanted to tell him I was leaving because that was what any decent female would do, but the words that came out were different from my thoughts.“No, not leaving.” I smiled despite the pain in my heart as I shook my head. I raised my coiled f
AMBER.I should move on. I should call Cyrus to pick me up.I had no idea how long I was seated on the floor until I finally decided to call my brother. I crawled to where my handbag was and pulled out my phone. But just when I was about to press his number, I remembered Cassidy’s words.“If Sidney appears with a mark on her neck tomorrow, you’ll go home. But if she’s not marked—call Mom.”I closed my eyes and contemplated what I should do next. My rational mind told me to call my brother. But, like always, I let my heart rule over me. The phone rang on the other side, and it didn’t take long before someone answered the phone. “Moon Stone Pack, this is Alpha Darvin.”“Uncle, good evening,” I answered timidly.“Who’s this?” He asked, and I couldn’t blame him. I rarely called his office, as I would usually contact Cassidy directly, and he might not be familiar with my number. “This is Amber, Uncle. Can I speak with Aunt Celeste?”“Yes, of course. She’s here. Is everything alright, swee
ZACH.“Then fuck them! Keep pushing her away. You’ll wake up one day, and she’ll be married to Drake, and you’ll get to see that every day of your life.” Sidney said, and it made me swallow hard. She was right. But it only meant I needed Amber away from here before Drake could make his move, and she fell for it. “I’m right. You want her.” She added.I remained in silence. She entered the room, her hand holding onto the wall. “But hey, you promised I’d get my money no matter the outcome, right? My mother needs that for her operation…” She let out a sigh before she continued. “I promise, no matter what I say to you in private, I will never divulge anything or sabotage you. I’ll do exactly what you want.”“Even if you sabotage me, I will still pay for her operation,” I told her, taking my gaze off her and continuing to massage my leg. I asked her why she needed the money, and she told me her mother was sick and needed a bypass operation. She’d been working part-time on Xander’s farm
ZACH.“Give me the phone!” My voice was louder this time, and I was about to growl again when Amber’s scent hit me, and I heard small footsteps approaching.My chest heaved as I tried to breathe in more, wanting to smell if I could scent Edmond. Because if I did, heaven forbid, I had no idea what would happen next.“What’s going on?” Amber asked as she stopped in the entryway before her eyes turned to me while Mindy continued walking and sat back in her seat. “Why are you shouting so early in the morning?” Amber asked me.“Where have you been?” Ara asked her before a soft chuckle escaped her throat. I tore my eyes off her. She looked so fucking beautiful in her jeans shorts and off-shoulder blouse. She looked like she just got out of the shower. “In my room.” She then smiled apologetically before she sat on the chair beside Drake. “I’m sorry I’m late. I enjoyed my bubble bath. I forgot the time.”Nikka sat back in her chair as well, and I didn’t even hear what happened to her conver
ZACH.The hours moved slowly. I hadn’t seen Amber and Sidney for the rest of the day. I had no idea where Amber was, but Sidney was here in the packhouse because, aside from the first day, I didn’t allow her to go out.Drake told me the warriors were asking about her. It was nothing unusual because she was someone they hadn’t seen before. But I didn’t want to tell anyone she was my mate, so I told Drake he could tell them she was a family friend visiting us. I was sure the rest of the Omegas in the house, as well as Arlo and Mindy, would never try to defy me. My only problems were my sisters and Amber. These females could not be told, especially if they were upset, and with me not knowing what they were up to, I knew sooner or later I would have to face more inquiries about Sidney. I had to devise a plan if my mother heard of it. I was sure I could ignore Dad but not Mom. Maybe I should tell the border patrol not to allow entrance to my parents. Honestly, I had no idea what the n
ZACH.What the fuck is Nadine doing here?My heart thundered as I rolled my chair, heading for the main hallway while I mindlinked Arlo. ‘Where is Sidney?’I was aware Sidney had met Nadine, and if they recognized each other, there would be more questions. ‘I don’t know, Alpha. She’s probably at home.’ Arlo answered. ‘Where are you?’‘Training building. Is there something wrong?’ ‘And Mindy? Where is she? Can you mindlink her to find Sidney? She needs to tell her not to go out of her room.’ ‘Mindy is here with me.’ Arlo replied. Fuck! I internally growled and mind-linked with an Omega, ordering her to find Sidney while I ignored Arlo when he asked more questions as to what was wrong. I met the Omega I mindlinked along the corridor. She bobbed her head in respect before hurrying up the stairs while I continued to the front door. I was right—Nadine was there, and with her was a man I could only assume was Xander. They were talking to one of our Omegas, who Nadine had been close wi
ZACH.I was about to roll my chair when I heard running steps from the outside, and I smelled my sister.Shit!“Let’s go!” I cocked my head in the direction of my office, hoping they would fucking move faster. “Nadine!” Nikka shrieked, and I grimaced. She acted as if they hadn’t seen each other in a year when they had just come from her territory a few days back.“Hello there, sweet pea!” Nadine swiftly moved to approach and hug her. “Enough of that. We have a business to deal with. Let’s go.”“Business, ew.” Nikka scrunched her nose and let her go. I thought I was off the hook until her eyes landed on Sidney. “Oh, so you met Zach’s mate.”“Excuse me?” Nadine stopped in her tracks a few feet away from Xander. “Zach’s mate?”Nikka wriggled her eyebrows before pointing her finger at Sidney. She had a wide smile on her lips, so I had no idea if the smile was because she liked Sidney or if she knew something else. “Yes, Sidney.” Nadine’s head turned to look at Sidney while Xander looked
AMBER.I felt like I was just floating, waiting for the waves to take me where they wanted me to go. My mind told me to leave this place, but my heart kept betraying me. I had been staring at my packed luggage for many hours, but I couldn’t seem to have the strength to pick up the phone and call Cyrus.Zach had been rude to me from day one, and it had only been a few days, but he was already shaking what was left of my determination. The only thing I was holding on to was that Sidney was still unmarked. I wanted to ask the twins if they had asked why she wasn’t marked yet, but I didn’t want to pressure them as well. I knew it was already hard for them to balance their friendship with me and accept Sidney as their brother’s mate. Making them choose between us was never my goal. So, yes, I should leave. Any decent female would. I am not wanted here.But I promised Cassidy I would do what she suggested that I do before leaving everything behind. But I was still not one hundred percent
AMBER.“If there’s wolfsbane in it, it could only be traced within 24 hours in your bloodstream, but less time if it’s just a small dosage, so we cannot wait until tomorrow.” I tried to explain in one breath as I helped him into his clothes. “John would never…” He began, but he didn’t finish his words.“That’s why I’m asking you if you really know him well enough to trust him.”He said nothing this time, but I could feel his Alpha aura rising. Of course, if I were right, then he was betrayed by the man he trusted for the last two years. “I mindlinked Drake to drive us. I’m not letting you drive.” He said after a while.I nodded my head while I walked toward his desk and picked up all the cream canisters that I could grab.-----ZACH.“There’s a faint trace of wolfsbane in your bloodstream. It’s too faint that I cannot determine when it was absorbed by your body.” Paris explained as we sat in her office. We had been in this hospital for the last two hours. Nadine and Xander, together
AMBER.“I fucking love you, little rose.” Zach murmured between our kisses.“I love you too...” I tried to reply, but his aggressive mouth was drowning my voice. He then pulled away, but he kept holding my face. His eyes were twinkling, and it made my chest swell with pride. “You will sit on my face tonight, okay?”My pussy tingled at his words, and I felt my face burning. I was bold with my actions, but the thought of the position he suggested made me blush. “I might suffocate you.”“Being suffocated by your pussy is not a bad way to die...” He replied, his fingers wiping the wetness on my lips. “But I won’t die yet. I want to fuck you while I’m standing. I want to fuck you with my hips moving…” He spoke again, and this time, his eyes softened, revealing a hint of pain. I nodded my head and cupped his face. “And that will happen!” I said with conviction. Even if this were the only reason why he wanted to stand, I would hold to that and make sure he could walk. So, I knew I needed t
AMBER.After I had spoken with Sidney, we went down together, and I was able to talk with Nadine. I told her everything I knew but made her promise not to tell anyone, as we didn’t want John to be alerted if he was really up to something. After our conversation, I planned to check on Zach, but Mindy cornered me and asked me if I wanted to check the menu she made for the packhouse this week. She wanted to make sure everything was okay on my end and said I was free to make any changes. She didn’t say anything more than that, but I was overwhelmed. She was discreetly giving me back what the accident stole from me two years ago. Yes, even when I wasn’t residing here, whenever I was around, I was the one checking the meals for the house just to make sure it was according to Zach’s taste. And I always took pleasure in that. So I spent ample time with her and the main Omega of the kitchen deciding the meals and what needed to be ordered to make sure we had what we needed.After we were don
AMBER.“It’s not white or transparent. It’s green. The darker the green, the stronger it is. It’s herbs—special herbs, thus the color.” Paris explained. My heart thundered as I looked at the white or clear gel in my hand. “It looks like Vaseline cream to me.”“No way. Send me a picture. Does it smell like anything?”“It doesn’t smell at all.”“It has a repulsive smell. Not because it’s disgusting but because the mint scent is too much, and I don’t like mint, so I find it repulsive.”“I don’t smell anything at all. Not even a trace of mint.” I replied, still trying to sniff something, but I didn’t let it get too near my nose, just in case it was a dangerous substance. “Then it might be Vaseline in your hands.” She laughed heartily while I remained silent. My hands shook at the many thoughts running in my head. If this were a fake one, was this just stopping him from improving, or was the effect worse, like lowering his aura? Oh, Goddess, I hope it was not killing his wolf. “I sho
ZACH.“Uhm, Amber. The cream?” John extended his hand, ready to take the cream away. Amber clutched the canister and smiled at him. “I’ll keep it for now. Zach doesn’t need it at the moment, also to make sure he won’t misplace it.”“Ah, okay. Is that okay with you, Alpha?” He asked me.I heard him, but my gaze was focused on Amber, who looked at me with beaming eyes. How could I say no to that? “Yes, that’s fine.”Amber winked at me before walking out of the room, and in no time, John proceeded to assist me with the next exercise. Sitting on a flat surface allowed me to lift my ass, but getting up from the wheelchair proved to be more challenging. John moved me to the corner where a beam was, where I could hold on as he helped me stand on my feet. Most of the force still came from him, and I could only stand for a few seconds before my legs would tremble. But it was an improvement. I started doing a standing exercise when I stabbed my leg with a pen in front of Amber, and I felt a
ZACH.“You only lost your ability to walk, but it’s unfair that we… that we had to lose a brother because of it. It’s not fair.” I was staring at my sisters, at a loss for words. I was too blinded by my own misery that I failed to see the lives around me and how I was affecting them. But they were right; I was a doting brother before the accident. A day never ended without me squeezing them for a hug—either with affection or just to irritate them. But when was the last time I did that?I swallowed as guilt washed over me. I did this to my sisters, but I could move forward and do better. “Come here, Ara, Nikka.” I opened my arms and was not even done with my words when they rushed toward me. I was lower than them, so they bent over and threw their arms around me. I embraced them both, hugging them tightly as I pressed kisses on their heads. “I’m sorry.” My voice croaked. “I didn’t know I was hurting you both.”They didn’t say anything but continued to sob in my arms, and I just close
ZACH.Amber helped me prepare breakfast that we could find in the cabin, which meant home-cooked oatmeal and coffee, as I only kept grains or non-perishable food here. I would bring more if I planned to stay, or I would just let Apollo hunt to keep us full.I thought last night was the best I’ve ever had, but everything just kept getting better. Having Amber around was like an antidote to my depression. Despite the gloomy weather outside, inside the cabin was full of sunshine. She’s definitely my sun—my whole universe revolves around her. Why did I ever think I could survive without her sunlight? As much as we wanted to cocoon ourselves in the cabin, we needed to face life. John, my therapist, will arrive soon, as I was not able to cancel our session today as I had planned. After Amber and I fixed our makeshift bed and washed the dishes, she asked me if we could come back here another time, and I told her we would come back soon. I just needed to let Arlo and Drake know I would be a
Back to the present.ZACH. Amber was already fast asleep beside me. Her head was resting against my chest. I was not even sure if this was a comfortable position, but one thing was evident—she didn’t want to let go of her hold on me. I did this to her. She was clinging to me with the hope I would still be here when she woke up. I had no plans of leaving, but I knew I was still not absolved of my sins to her. In fact, I added a new one. I didn’t tell her about Estelle. Not yet. She just got out of her agony caused by me, and I didn’t want her to go back to that misery. I would find a way. After I told her about Alpha Grant and the blood contract I signed—omitting the part where Estelle was involved—she sat up and asked me the exact day the contract would take effect. We have 55 days. Rather than sulking or blaming me for keeping it all to myself, she came up with numerous ideas of how we could beat the contract. I listened to her, mesmerized by the confidence she was showing.
Continuation of Flashback from the previous chapter.ZACH's POV.“Step down as an Alpha so we don’t need to have further discussion. I’m sure your father will be willing to take back his pack. Or give it to your Beta.”“Can you hear yourself, Alpha Grant?” I scoffed. “It’s my pack. It is not a toy that I can simply hand to anyone because I can no longer play with it.” “Did you forget what’s on the list of what makes a shifter eligible to be an Alpha?”“Of course I do! And nothing states in there that any physical disability would prohibit anyone from being an Alpha!”“Section Three, line twenty-three. An Alpha must be physically capable of protecting his pack or any shifters in times of danger, through but not limited to physical combat, transporting, and eliminating the enemy, and I could go on and on in this section.”“I can protect my pack!”They laughed, and I was starting to think I would lose my pack by the time they dismissed me. I had already lost my ability to walk, and Amber