AMELIAMy eyes widen, and a gasp escapes my lips as surprise etch itself across my face. Her confession leaves me speechless, as I stare at her. "What?""I can hear, I have been pretending all along," she admits her voice shaking. My heart stops for a moment as Ethel's words sink in. She can hear? She's not deaf? How is that possible? And why would she keep it a secret?"I...I don't understand," I stammer, my mind racing trying to process this new information. "Why did you pretend to be deaf?"Ethel lets out a choked sigh, her voice barely audible. "It's complicated, Luna. But I had my reasons. I didn't want anyone to know."I reach out and gently wipe away her tears, feeling a mix of confusion and concern. "Please, Ethel. Tell me the truth. I want to help you.""Does Atlas know about this?" I continue speaking my mind foggy with the new piece of information and forgetting that she just told me not to tell anyone. "Is that what he is threatening you with?" I ask.'Let her be for no
AMELIAHe places his hand on the bathtub resting his back properly on both sides of the tub, "And why will I need to spy on you, wildcat?" He asks.He leans his head backward looking at the ceiling as I bite my bottom lips staring at his chiseled jawline, his plum lips, and the way his neck moves as he swallows in. "Except you are hiding something from me," he says. He tilts his head downward touching my chin. He suddenly leans closer, my breath heightens at how close his face is to mine. His nose nearly touches mine, while his eyes remain on mine boring deep into my soul like he is searching for something. I swallow at the intense gaze. "Are you hiding something from me, Amelia?" He finally asks. I take a deep breath, feeling his warm breath on my lips. "No, Atlas," I whisper, my voice barely audible. "I'm not hiding anything."His hand falls from my chin as he leans back, studying my face intently. I can sense his uncertainty, the hesitation in his eyes. It's as if he wants to
AMELIAHe pulls me closer to him, his hand holding my waist with care. He lowers his head resting it on my shoulder, I feel his warm breath on my neck while he speaks, "It isn't new for the moon goddess to bless one with a mate who is not a werewolf. Not common but not new."I lean my head backward into his touch, my face still etched with confusion trying to understand the current situation better. "I have heard stories of people being mates to humans but a witch? Are you sure he is her mate?" He raises his head slowly from my shoulder and lets go of me, "I am certain, I wasn't at first but after how he acted I am. If she is not his mate then he is in love with her."A chuckle escapes my lips before I can stop it. In love? Cane in love? It isn't possible that such a vile man will be in love with anybody but himself. Much less a maid who is a witch. Atlas turns me around, his hand on my shoulder. I look up to meet his gaze, "Why? Do you think it is impossible? Because it isn't. A ma
ATLASI awake to the gentle rays of morning sunlight filtering through the curtains, casting a warm glow across the room. Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, my gaze fell upon the peaceful figure of Amelia, still lost in dreams.She lay there, her tousled hair cascading across the pillow, her delicate face flush as my lips curled up into a smile. It amazes me how her presence can evoke such strong emotions within me, even in the simplest of moments. I find myself mesmerized by the rise and fall of her chest, her nipples revealing themselves halfway underneath the duvet and her lips parting slightly with each breath.Unable to tear my eyes away, my hands reach out to touch her face caressing it softly. I reach for the strand of her blocking me from seeing her beautiful face and tuck it behind her ear. Her head suddenly moves to the side and my hands stiffen, wondering if she is waking up but she turns on her stomach adjusting her hands, and drifting deeper in sleep. Realizing that I mig
ATLASEnzo continues, "The Coven of Crescent Moon is a highly secretive and powerful group of witches. They are known for their exceptional abilities in elemental magic and divination. They keep a low profile and rarely interact with other supernatural beings."My brows furrow in confusion. "Why would he be associated with Amelia?" I question, trying to connect the dots.The Midnight Crescent pack hates witches, Amelia will not have been opportune to mingle with one. I look at the picture of the man on the phone, I don't recognize him. I lean back into my chair and stare at Enzo as his lips curl into a frown."According to my sources, Griffin had been assigned to protect Amelia since she was a child. It seems that her family has long-standing ties to the coven, and they believed she would play a crucial role in some upcoming events." He pauses, studying my reaction.I lean forward in my chair, feeling both intrigued and concerned. "Upcoming events? What events are they referring to?"
AMELIAI wake up panting and gasping for breath, my hand clinging to my beating chest while my eyes scan the room, fear etched on my face. I had a dream like I always do every night but this time I wasn't running away or trying to save him. I was in a building and we were having a conversation and then he said I was his now that I have come of age.He leaned forward and was about to kiss me when I woke up frightened by the idea of cheating on Atlas in my dream. I look down at my trembling hand pulling the duvet to cover my nakedness, why did the dream feel so real this time? Why can I still feel his touch on my hands?I inhale and exhale deeply trying to control my beating heart, my eyes fall to my side realizing Atlas has left already. I run my fingers through my hair feeling a bead of sweat forming on my forehead despite the cold, "What is wrong with me?" I mutter to myself. 'You should tell Atlas,' Lycia's voice comes into my head. 'He deserves to know what is going on with you
ATLASThe drive to the border is quiet, I have instructed Easton to keep Amelia occupied until I get back. He and Enzo weren't pleased with the whole Russia roulette idea but they know their opinions don't matter to me. My mind is set on what I need to do and I know it is this or accept them being a part of our territory and having them here is going to get the packs killed. Zayn is hellbent on killing me and getting rid of my pack will be nothing for him, Ethel was a warning. A warning that he could get into my mansion right under my nose and harm one of my people, he had picked Ethel knowing how weak she was, or how weak he assumed her to be.He better have prayed to the moon goddess to keep him alive because today he will certainly die."Welcome to my humble abode," Zayn smirks as we highlight from the car. He motions us into the house he has taken from the witches and now claims as his, I barely throw him a glance. Anger seething through me at the idea of just killing him with
ATLASI glare at him, my eyes blazing with fury. "She is not just a random woman, she is my mate and the Luna of my pack," I say through gritted teeth. "And I will not allow her to be used as a pawn in your sick games."Cane's smirk widens, clearly enjoying my frustration. "Well, well, Alpha. Looks like you've grown soft. Love does that to you, doesn't it? It makes you weak."I resist the urge to lunge across the table and rip his throat out. Instead, I take a deep breath, trying to maintain control. "Let's get this over with based on our agreement."Cane shakes his head, "I think it will be fun to have the women this time."My nose flares up as I grind the back of my teeth staring at him with the stupid smile on his face, Amelia was right about watching out for Ethel. Even though they are mate, I don't trust that he won't hurt her with how twisted his mind works. Zayn chuckles, seemingly entertained by the situation. "Oh, come on, Atlas. Where's your sense of adventure? Aren't you t
AMELIA My heart swells with pride and joy as I hug Atlas tightly. I can't believe that he was chosen as the Alpha King. In a way, I dreamt of him being the Alpha King but I was also accepting if he came home otherwise. It all didn't matter to me but this is a testament to his strength, courage, and leadership qualities. He is a good leader who always puts his pack first and I know he will do well to protect his pack and other packs at large. "I'm so proud of you," I whisper this time, my voice thick with emotion. "You're going to do great." He smiles down at me, his eyes filled with love and admiration. "Thank you, my love," he says. "I couldn't have done it without you, so 'We' are going to do great." He gently cups my face in his hands and leans in to kiss me. The kiss is slow yet passionate and filled with all the love and longing we have been feeling for each other during our time apart. When we finally pull away, I can't help but smile. "I love you, Atlas." "I love you," h
_TWO WEEKS LATER_AMELIAI roll over in bed, waking up to the sunlight streaming through the window and casting a warm glow across the room. I stretch and yawn, then roll over to check my phone on the bedside table. There is a message from Atlas.[Good morning, beautiful. Miss you tons here. Another day closer to seeing you. :)]My heart skips a beat as I read his words. It has been two weeks since he left for the Alpha King Chosen Games, and I miss him more than anything. We have been communicating constantly over the phone, but it isn't the same as being with him in person.To think he just got back after being away and now we have to talk over the phone again, I just hope this doesn't become a constant thing. I get out of bed and walk over to the window, looking out at the forest below. The trees are still bare, but I can see the first hints of spring in the air. I wonder what Atlas is doing at that moment. Is he training? Is he competing in one of the challenges? Is he thinking a
~ONE WEEKS LATER ~ATLASIt has been one week since Amelia's mother died, by rites we had to conduct the burial two days later but the burial was shifted to today because Amelia wanted her mother to be cremated.In her words, she doesn't want anyone to be able to use her mother's body ever again. I know her mother's death took a toll on her, so I made sure to keep the burial within the mansion.We stand by her mother's body watching it burn into ashes, Amelia sobs silently in my embrace. She has barely said a full sentence over the past few days, as long as she eats and allows me to comfort her I do not bother her about talking. I understand the pain she must be going through, to lose someone yet again, and this time right before your own eyes knowing you could have saved them if you knew sooner. In a way, she blames Griffin. I saw it in her eyes when we left the room as she cried out in my arms. She blames him for keeping her out of their plans for years and she blames herself more
AMELIA"Don't be, my child," my mother whispers, her voice barely above a whisper. "It's not your fault."I shake my head, tears streaming down my face. "But it is," I sob. "I should have been there for you, I should have protected you."If I had not been so naive, if I had been more observant then maybe I would have seen that her death wasn't real. Maybe I would have picked up on her closeness with Griffin and why? I squeeze her hand tightly not wanting to let go of her, tears streaming down my eyes uncontrollably."You couldn't have known," she says softly. "This was meant to happen.""No, it wasn't," I argue. "You didn't deserve this." The Alpha King did this to her, and I am grateful he is dead now but I can't lose her, I can't lose her again. She needs to fight this and stay with me."I know, my sweet," she says. "But it's too late now and we must accept our fate."I grip her hand tightly, refusing to let go. "No, it's not too late," I say fiercely. "I'll find a way to save you.
AMELIAAfter Atlas leaves, I close my eyes hoping to fall asleep but my eyes open at the sound of a knock on the door. I tilt my head slightly to find Griffin by the door with a grin on his face, he steps in and closes the door behind him."Hey," he says walking towards the bed. "I thought to come and check on you after what I heard happened to you."I straighten up on the bed pulling the duvet over my chest, "Atlas told you?" I ask wondering how he knew I was in Atlas room. He shakes his head in a sign of No, "I have my ways Amelia, the only issue I am having currently is getting into your head," he replies grabbing a chair in the corner of the room and placing it next to the bed. His eyes fall on the table broken into pieces by the side of the room as he takes his seat, he smirks at the sight of it and turns his gaze to me. "What have your beloved mate been up to?" He asks. "I thought he would have died by now but turns out he has been able to hold on for a little longer."My eye
ATLAS I get up from the bed reluctantly, my mind filled with worry and uncertainty. As I walk down the corridors of the packhouse towards the living room, I mind-link one of the guards to get me Ophelia but I find her in the living room discussing with one of the guards. "Alpha," she turns around sensing my presence, and bows her head. "I was discussing with the guard to watch over our Luna, I suspected that you might be tired from the journey," she says a hint of concern in her voice."I need to talk to you about something," I reply, my voice filled with urgency as I raise my hand in the air waving the guard off. The guard bows his head and excuses us."Something is happening to me, something strange," I admit to her going to sit down on one of the couches, she follows behind and takes a seat opposite me. Ophelia's eyes narrow as she studies me, sensing the gravity of my words. "What is it?" she asks.Taking a deep breath, I begin to explain everything that has been happening. The
ATLASShe responds eagerly, her arms wrapping around my neck. It is a kiss filled with passion and longing. As we break apart, I gaze into her eyes, seeing the love and trust reflecting on me.She sits up and leans closer to me wrapping her hand around my waist and pulling me closer to her, a smirk falls on my face watching what she is doing. She places her head on my chest snuggling in, "You feel so warm," she mutters.I place my hand to her shoulder pushing her off slowly away from me. She raises an eyebrow at me with a questioning look but her eyes soon soften when she sees me getting in bed with her. Pulling her closer to me she snuggles in closer to me again resting her head on my chest as I wrap my hand around her.My hand suddenly trembles on her, I raise it to look at my hand feeling the darkness consuming me again, she raises her head to look at me wondering what's wrong. As her eyes meet mine, her lips part, "your eyes," she says sitting up straight. "It's red." I nod agr
ATLASI stare at her neck yanking her hair further back as she swallows in, her eyes flickering with fear at what I am about to do to her.Placing the silver blade to her neck, a knock suddenly falls on the door. I stare at Easton, and he nods going to check who dared to interrupt us. Easton opens the door slightly making me unable to see who is on the other side but I don't miss the words of the woman behind the door. "Ophelia asked me to inform the Alpha that our Luna is awake."My hardened gaze softens at the realization that Ophelia was able to keep her alive. I let go of Nicole's hair, she breathes out relief washing over her face. "Take care of them," I instruct Easton, gesturing the silver blades toward Zayn and Nicole. "A slow death."Easton nods, "Yes, Alpha."I rush out of the cell following the woman back to my room, my heart pounding with a mix of anticipation and fear. As I enter, I see Ophelia and the other witches by her bedside. "She is better now but will take awhi
ATLASEaston quickly nods and rushes out of the room to carry out my orders. I can sense the fear emanating from him, knowing that he has let me down in the worst possible way. I turn my attention back to Amelia, my heart aching with every passing second. Her breathing is shallow, and I can see the struggle on her face. It's as if time has slowed down, and the weight of the world rests on my shoulders.I lean closer to her, "I am right here, Wildcat," I say aloud hoping she can hear me.I can feel the connection between us vibrating with energy as if begging her to hold on, to fight. I pour every ounce of love and strength I have into the bond, hoping that it will somehow reach her and ignite a spark of hope within her.Minutes turn into hours, and I refuse to leave her side. I whisper words of encouragement, recounting the moments we've shared, reminding her of the love that we shared. But still, there is no response.I decide to freshen up, I reek of blood and sweat and if she wake