AMELIATears stream down my face as I cry myself to sleep, Atlas's words and actions replaying over and over in my mind. I can't believe he left me all alone in the room, the anger in his eyes is still vivid in my memory. I have never seen him so furious, and I can't blame him entirely. I haven't been able to hide my feelings for Griffin and it had hurt Atlas deeply.I could see it in his eyes.I wake up to the gentle touch of someone caressing my cheek. "Atlas," I murmur, relief washing over me at the thought of him being by my side. He must have needed time to cool off last night after our conversation. But as I open my eyes, my heart sinks as I realize it is Griffin hovering over me."Axel?" I gasp, his presence startling me. I am yet to get used to calling him Griffin. How long has he been there, watching me sleep?His eyes hold a mixture of concern and something I can't quite decipher. "I'm sorry, Amelia. I didn't mean to wake you."I sit up, pulling the covers up to my chest k
AMELIA"Atlas," I call out to him as they leave my room with Griffin, who is barely able to stand on his own two feet from the blows Atlas has swung at him.I dash out of bed once they are out of my room and grab my clothes on the floor from last night, wearing them as quickly as I can. Shit! I cause under my breath when my trouser gets stuck on my leg, I pull it up quickly, my mind racing with what they plan to do with Griffin. If I hadn't intervened in time Atlas would have killed Griffin, I could see it from the look in his eyes but it seems intervening has worsened the situation. Atlas did warn me not to see him and if I did I should reach out to him but I didn't listen to his words and worse he walked in on me kissing Griffin with Easton, Ophelia, and Enzo who doesn't like me. This is all so messed up. As I make my way to the door, I find Ophelia standing outside like she was waiting for me or sensed I would come out. She turns to look at me, her eyes sizing me up and from
ATLASThere are a lot of things I can overlook when it comes to pack affairs but sharing my woman isn't one of them, not only had she disobeyed my orders, but she sat there and allowed him to touch her hand and kiss her. The sight of them so close angered me and those tears in her eyes, they weren't for me but for this bastard, I cursed under my breath as I sat down opposite him. Enzo and Easton had dragged him to the dungeon, they wasted no time in sitting him down and tying him to the chair securely with a red rope one of the witches bounded with spells to keep the bastard from escaping by disappearing. Despite the anguish on Griffin's face from the blows, he manages to grin baring his bloody teeth, and leans back into the chair like this is nothing. His eyes scan the room with just a table in sight containing tools for torture. Tools I will enjoy using on him if he doesn't tell me what I need to know without causing a fuss."You do know this won't hold me in place?" He chuckles
ATLASI take hold of his finger with the pliers, ready to twist and break it if necessary. "Tell me everything. The truth. No more games," I growl, squeezing the pliers tightly around his finger.Griffin winces in pain, his eyes darting back and forth as he weighs his options. "Alright, alright," he finally relents. "Just fucking let go of my hand."I release my grip slightly, enough to give him a reprieve from the excruciating pain but enough for me to snap it if he fails to give me the answers I desire. "Speak," I command, my tone stern and unwavering.He takes a shaky breath, choosing his words carefully. He swallows slowly before speaking, "Amelia is my mate, she was supposed to be mated to me but being the daughter of an Alpha my father knew how dangerous that would be for our bloodline, so the old selfish bastard ordered me to kill my mate."My heart pounds in my chest at his words, anger washing over me. Is he here to kill Amelia? "What are you talking about? Who the fuck is yo
AMELIA"Fuck, Amelia are you alright?" Griffin asks between gritted teeth trying to get out of his chair despite the restraint.I hear Lycia wailing inside of me, I had pushed her too far. She did warn me to listen to Atlas but my stubbornness got in the way, I can feel Lycia crawling into the back of my head. She is one with me but if she wasn't, I can swear she is probably cursing down at me for hurting myself, hurting her.I feel the heat burning down as I rest my head on the wall staring at Griffin, his worried look still evident on his face. His jaw flexes, "Are you alright, Amelia? Say something please," he pleads worried by my silence. I nod swallowing slowly before speaking, "Yes, I am." The worried look on Griffin's face softens as he leans back into the chair, "That prick, I am so sorry he got you chained up," Griffin curses under his breath. I can't still believe Atlas had ordered Enzo to chain me up to whatever this is, some kind of spell. I can't believe he didn't eve
AMELIAI stare at Griffin, "So, you want me to leave my mate for you because of some mate bond ritual?" I question.I don't know why Atlas had acted this way but following Griffin will only solidify his doubts about me that I don't care about him when truly I do. Regardless of this chain tied to my hand, my feelings for him are still genuine.Even my wolf doesn't feel as connected to Griffin as she does to Atlas.Coming to this territory had not been easy for me, especially having dreams filled with Griffin. I thought I wouldn't be able to move on, to love someone else but Atlas made me see things differently.Slowly I began to fall for him and see him in a new light. And even though he hasn't shared all parts of him with me, he isn't like Griffin. He has never told a lie to hurt me, he has never done anything that would harm me in any way.Griffin furrows his brows, "Your mother's life is in danger, don't you want to rescue her?" I shake my head, "Even if I want to, we can ask Atlas
AMELIAMy heart pounds in my chest as I approach her. I can't believe my eyes, is this really her? Am I standing before her or is this an illusion? My mother. She is alive and not dead. She looks thinner, her skin is pale and the smell of blood lingers on her. Tears well up in my eyes as I take in the sight of her frail and broken form. Her hair is disheveled, her clothes torn and bloodied. Her eyes are sunken and lifeless."Mother," I whisper, my voice trembling as I crouch down in front of her still in disbelief.The figure slowly lifts her head, her eyes widening in surprise. "Amelia?" she gasps. "Is it really you?"I nod, unable to speak as the tears fall down my cheeks, I take her hands in mine to be sure she is not a fragment of my imagination. I feel her hand on mine, cold and clammy, and it only makes my heart ache at her current situation. "How did you find me?" She asks, her voice weak."Griffin brought me here," I answer. "He said you were in danger."She nods before sli
AMELIAAs darkness envelopes the room, silence reigns supreme, broken only by the gentle sounds of someone talking in the background. "Do you think she will wake up soon?""She should, the wizard reassured us she will except he wants his head ripped off."I lay motionless on what seems to be a bed, my chest rising and falling rhythmically as I open my eyes slowly to see Ethel and Easton discussing in a hushed tone.My eyes scan the room briefly and I realize I am back in my room, where is Griffin? How did I get back here? Did he bring me back here and run off?"I am worried about her," Ethel whispers. her voice trembling slightly. "Should we call a doctor instead?"Easton shakes his head. "Not yet," he replies. "Atlas said to trust the wizard's word.""I can't believe all this happened in just a short period," Ethel says.Easton reaches out and takes her hand, offering what comfort he can. "She's strong, Ethel," he says. "She'll get through this." He reassures her as they finally tur
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