Chapter 16 Elijah was bent over his desk, deep in the pack's archives, his face lit softly by the computer screen. Aside from the old machine's soft hum and the sporadic rustle of paper as he compared digital records with old books, the room was silent.He had told Bruce the truth about Amelia's Hybrid’s ancestry three days prior. Three days of secret research, moments snatched in between his Beta responsibilities, and restless nights full of unanswered questions and growing fear.Elijah looked at the clock and rubbed his tired eyes. 2:17 A.M. He ought to have gone to bed hours ago, but he continued because he had questions. They were still missing so many pieces of the puzzle and did not know so much.Returning his attention to the screen, he slid through a database containing genealogies of packs. He was looking through a file that contained the history of the Oregon hybrid clan that Amelia's parents had been a part of. The clan was small, reclusive, and fiercely protective of thei
No!! Elijah concluded. He would have to keep this a secret from everyone else. A burden he would shoulder to keep those closest to him safe. Elijah started painstakingly destroying his findings with a sorrowful heart but determined determination. He meticulously replaced the old journals precisely where he would find them, shredded documents, and erased files. When he was finished, there was no evidence of his discovery. Elijah eventually stood, his body tense from hours of sitting, as the first rays of morning peeped through the tall windows of the archives. He took one last inspection to make sure everything was as it should be. "I apologize, Amelia," he muttered to the vacant space. "Hopefully, you will comprehend one day. For you, I am doing this." He then secured the archives door behind him and exited. Elijah readied himself for the approaching day as he wandered through the quiet hallways of the pack house. He would carry out his responsibilities as usual, look Amelia in
The pack lands were shrouded in an ethereal glow as the full moon hovered low in the sky. Bruce was standing on the balcony of his private apartment, peering off into the distance at the tree line, but his thoughts were elsewhere. The last week's disclosures affected him severely, affecting his image of his partner and their relationship. Amelia was a hybrid. Every time he thought about it, the idea still gave him a shock. A Wolf and a Vampire that is unaware of her true identity. Despite the seeming absurdity, Elijah's discoveries were indisputable. Bruce closed his eyes and let his mind travel to the first time he would meet Amelia, feeling the cool night air caress his skin. Her strength, her compassion, and her unflinching gaze that seemed to see right through his carefully built defenses had struck him right immediately. However, there was one additional aspect, that he was unable to fully identify at that moment. A link. An unexplainable attraction that overcame his initial
He was still torn between telling her and not telling her. Bruce retreated to the balcony and observed the pack lands come to life as the sun began to rise. He could see the peaceful ebb and flow of a community as pack members started their daily routines.Amelia had grown to be a vital component of that balance. Even without the full strength of being a Hybrid her work as Luna had improved things within the pack. She had created programs that improved their community and guaranteed their future, bridging the gap between wolves and humans.How would that change if people knew the real her? Would it provide her more power and enable her to further assist the pack? Or would it destroy the self-assurance she had acquired, making her doubt every choice she had made and every connection she had made?And there was the issue of security. Should rumors spread that their Luna was a werewolf in hibernation with an uncommon and potent bloodline, their pack might become a target. Some people in
Bruce sprinted through the forest ferociously and in his powerful shape of a wolf he seemed more like a machine, unmoved by the thickets surrounding trees and shrubs, and the environment around him was only green and brown. The man’s nose extended in an attempt to identify the scent of the intruder he would have noticed at the edges of the pack territory. The odor was utterly unfamiliar to him; it was even more intense than semen, being earthy, mossy, like the forest that had grown around the cabin, and something, that appeared to irritate the beast within and cause the hair on the back of the neck to stand up. It was cunning and appeared to be toying with him by the wind, might be powerful one minute and weak the next. Bruce tried as hard as he could and encouraged himself to go deep into the jungle where there was no feeling of the ground beneath his paws. This young man was left in the pack house, simply being advised to remain continually in Amelia’s company and to ensure her sa
Evening had come and Amelia was simply fed up with the situation by the time she got home. She was anxious about getting an explanation and so stormed into Bruce’s study area. But the door opened and in front of her was exhausted and quite filthy Bruce raised her hand to knock. “Amelia,” he continued, his tone slightly somber yet relieved at the same time. ”Well, I just came to look for you,” Amelia peered at him seriously noting somehow he appeared messy: his clothing was creased his shirt untucked and there were stains on his shirt, notably on his cheek there were even bits of leaves tangled in his hair. Bruce and I were laughing so hard at that joke Suddenly, Bruce: “Bruce, what happened?” “Am okay,” Finally, Bruce peered down the corridor, took her by the shoulder tenderly, walked her into the study then closed the door. He had a powerful voice as he tried to speak those words, “I am fine.” However, Amelia, we have to discuss. I need to share something with you. " Gut-wrenchin
Feeling her heartbeat so intense, Ema leaned herself against the cool stone wall outside Bruce's study, trying to hear every word of the conversation going on within.It wasn't in her goal to meddle between Bruce and Amelia’s chat. In an attempt to mend their dead friendship, she had come to the pack house hunting for her old best friend Amelia. She stopped dead in her tracks when she heard the urgency in Bruce's voice as he hauled her into his study. Now that the surprising facts were coming to light, Ema could not shake the feeling as though everything around was altering tremendously. Amelia, a Hybrid? It did not seem feasible. Ema had been Amelia's friend since childhood and had known her for many years. They had exchanged everything: secrets, dreams, and hopes. Or so she had believed. As Ema listened intently to Bruce spells out the conditions for Amelia, a nasty taste entered her mouth. Amelia had been unusual all along. Different. Strong. She was oblivious to it. Ema
Ema warmed in excitement at Caroline’s sentiments. A real Luna. Yes, that was her lifetime ambition, was it not? What she would give all the brightness of her intellect to? But it was Amelia at issue here. She had seemed so innocent when she had come as a bride to the Alpha. But now that her true color was exposed, there had to be a way to tackle her and everything she stood for. But there was a quiet, persistent voice in her thoughts urging ‘Be careful’. They were referring to this Amelia. Caroline loosed a controlled smile at Ema but the keen glimmer in her eyes remained discernibly antagonistic. “Oh, Ema. Shut up, don’t you realize that Amelia is not the buddy you have known for such time now, she has been telling lies – to you, to us, maybe even subconsciously, she is not like us, she is an abomination!’ A brief look at the face rendered Ema feel uneasy by the phrases that were just used; all along she had been feeling as though she was left out, or rather replaced by Amelia. Be