ZACH. “I’m not going to kill her!” I snapped at Arlo. “Please…” Amber mumbled, and my head turned in her direction. “Let Beta Arlo stay.”She looked scared, and I didn’t like it. She was terrified of me. I let out a sigh before rolling my chair in front of my desk. I wanted to be able to see both of them.“Talk…” I began. “I’m sorry. I just wanted to know if you were mates or not. I still didn’t want to believe you found your mate.” Her lips quivered, and my heart crushed again at the pain in her face as her body continued to shake from her sobs. “Up to the last minute, I was holding on to the belief that you were lying. That she was not your mate. I still couldn’t accept that you just forgot about me when I still think about you every day.”My hands coiled into tight fists as I struggled for my eyes not to water. “I’m sorry, Zach. I kissed Sidney to see if you felt the pain. I could have kissed you, but I knew if I did, I would cry more because I would miss you afterward. I also
ARLO.“Zach…” Amber spoke in a low voice. “Can I see your wrist?”“No.” He answered coldly.“Do you need help rolling your sleeves?” She kept asking in a soft voice, ignoring the animosity in his tone. I just looked at the Alpha. Ever since Amber arrived here a few days ago, he had been wearing long-sleeve shirts and had never taken them off whenever he was in the quadrangle, even when the sun was scorching hot. “I don’t…”“Please… Just one last request.” Amber spoke again. Zach dropped his gaze and began rolling his sleeves on his right arm. There was no mark. “Nothing there. It must be on the other hand.” I said. But I was sure both my wrists showed the marks when it happened to me. “It must have been gone already,” Amber said, and I knew she was trying to keep a straight face. “It was just a split-second thing.”Mine was also a split-second pain, but the marks remained there for a long time. “The other arm, Alpha,” I said. I expected Zach to glare or mindlink me and throw all
ZACH.I was not able to finish my words because Cyrus was already approaching, and the next thing I knew, hard knuckles hit my jaw. My chair rolled backward, and it slammed on the sofa, almost making me fall from it. “Alpha!” Arlo was about to come to me, but I pointed a finger at him, ordering him without words to stay where he was. “Are you fucking done?” I asked as I rubbed my chin. That fucking hurt. “I would have given you more if you weren’t stuck in this chair!” Cyrus bellowed as his foot kicked the wheels of my seat. He trapped me between him and the sofa, causing my body to jolt with each kick.Arlo restrained and pulled him away from me as my chest rumbled with growls. I gripped my armchair tightly, jaw tightening as my eyes dilated. “How much more pain will you put her through?” He shouted. “Until she stops with this madness!”“You brought her into this madness!” He pointed at me. “She brought herself into this mess,” I scoffed. “But I shouldn’t be surprised. Her twin
ZACH.Apollo surged forward and landed in front of Cyrus, saliva dripping as he growled at him.Cyrus put Amber behind him before he gave me a sarcastic grin. “Don’t think that my wolf will fold on you, Apollo.” He said as his eyes dilated. His fangs protruded, and his claws emerged, but Amber went in front of him before he could fully transform. “Slayer… listen. Listen, relax. I’m fine. I’m fine.” She kept murmuring, tapping her brother’s cheek. Slayer, Cyrus’ wolf, was unhinged. Crazier than his father, Zion. It was the reason Cyrus barely let him out around other shifters. He could create real havoc, but I didn’t give a fuck. I didn’t like the way he was holding Amber.“I’m going home with you. Calm down, please.” Amber said.Hearing her words, I couldn’t help the growl that reverberated from my chest. It snapped Amber from talking to her brother’s wolf, and she immediately turned to face me, her face wet with tears. She smiled before she bent and ruffled my fur. “Hey, it’s nice
AMBER. “Is it a bad sign?”“Purity has never given me a bad sign so far,” she replied.I nodded even if she couldn’t see me because I knew she was right. Purity had told her when she finally smelled Lexi’s wolf, and she shifted a few days after. Because of that, Cassidy and I immediately visited her to see if she could smell our wolves, too. Unfortunately, she couldn’t.Purity also gave her a vision to go to the Dark Forest Pack despite the danger, and when she did, they were able to meet Thorn before he died and were able to save another life.“What did you dream about?”“Zach doesn’t want you to leave. Don’t leave him.”“How do you know I’m leaving?”“I don’t. I’m just telling you not to leave. Are you?”“Yes. I’m packing my bags.”“Oh, Goddess.” “I shouldn’t, right?”“As your friend, I would tell you to leave and heal somewhere. But Purity wants you to stay.”“I should believe Purity, not you.” I softly chuckled as tears trickled down my face. I couldn’t find any justification for
AMBER.“Apollo!” I jerked from my seat as I blurted the last word, and my hands pressed against the window. I could see a black wolf running behind us through my side mirror, and I was sure it was him. “The fuck?” Cy grunted as he checked the rearview mirror. “Cy!”“No, Amber!” He snapped at me. “I don’t know what he’s playing at the moment. He wanted you away and… The fuck!” He growled at the last one as Apollo caught up with our car and ran alongside us. I had always known Zach could shift, but I hadn’t seen his wolf since the accident, and seeing him running beside us felt surreal. Despite the tears trickling down my face, I was smiling. “Stop the car!”“No. We’re done with this conversation.”“Please, Cyrus, it wouldn’t be safe for him if he ran outside his territory alone!”“Stop babying him! He has his wolf! He’s not useless!” “Why do you think he’s running after us?” I sniffed. “Do you think he just wants to make sure I will get off his land?”“Amber…” I could hear the pain
AMBER. My arms were strained from hugging his neck. He was too wide for me, and I didn’t want to loosen my grip as I might fall.Apollo was not running too fast or too slow—just enough to keep me steady and allow the night air to brush smoothly against my skin. At 20 years old, I still didn’t have my wolf. This was the closest I’d been to running on my paws, and even if they weren’t mine, I felt one with the Earth.The silence of the night was only marred by the sounds of rustling dried leaves and twigs snapping as Apollo ran through, his paws thudding against the moist ground of the forest. I had no idea where we were heading, but I honestly didn’t care. I was with Zach. We could end up at the end of the earth, and I wouldn’t feel any fear. Despite him showing animosity each time he encountered me, he was still my safest place.Pathetic, right? Yes, I am. I knew once he shifted, this wonderful moment could turn into another misery for me. But I would still take this. I wouldn’t re
AMBER. “I’m not okay, Amber.” His eyes watered, and he immediately dropped his gaze onto his hands on his lap, which were already coiling. “I didn’t like that someone was hurting you.”I pressed my back against the wooden wall, just staring at him. Is this all a dream? Can I not wake up anymore? I had no idea how to respond to his words. I was terrified that with one wrong word, he might snap back to his senses and be furious with me again.“It’s beautiful. This cabin is beautiful.” I blurted out.“It is,” he replied and tilted his head up, meeting my gaze. His face was devoid of emotion, but this time, it calmed my heart. “You have a wheelchair here. Do you often go here?”He nodded. “I do.”“Do you want me to help you sit in your chair?”He shook his head. “I’m fine sitting on the floor unless you don’t want to talk to me while I’m down here.”I forced a soft chuckle. I wanted to tell him that even if he were covered in dirt and shit, I would still talk to him, but I didn’t.“Whe
AMBER.“What are you both doing here? It’s late.” Zach questioned as soon as we entered the packhouse.Aunt Nadia and Uncle Riley knew we had arrived and were waiting by the main hall. Before they could answer, Winter came rushing to us out of nowhere. My eyes widened in surprise, but my hand moved on its own and locked his chair before gripping the handles tightly. I was sure she would jump at him, and I didn’t want all of us to tumble over.“Zach!” Her face was beaming with happiness as she locked eyes with her brother before throwing her whole weight onto him. I saw Aunt Nadia hold her breath as if she was terrified Zach would not take it positively. But with everything that happened in the last 24 hours, I was more than sure that Zach would not scold his sister. “Aren’t you too hyper, little chipmunk? It’s almost midnight.” Zach snickered as he hugged her tightly, burying her face into his chest. Winter said something, but it was barely audible because Zach’s hug was muffling h
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.