AMBER POV
I stumble as tears fill my eyes, making it hard to see the ground. The feeling of not being good enough swallows my heart as the yearning in my chest for me to return to Lucian grows stronger.
I never thought he would consider mating someone else. Not after all this time anyway. Back when we first met, and he was an absolute monster down to his very core, sure, but not now, not after countless nights of cuddling and gentle words. It hurts so bad knowing he considered it! He considered throwing me away so that he could mate a wolf.
Blinding pain rips across my chest, and I lose my footing as a sob escapes my throat. I let the tears fall while punching the moist earth. After all, he did to me. I am the one wanting him more than he wants me. How pathetic!
"Amber," a gravelly voice says, and I jump a foot in the air while
AMBER POV "Malcolm, where are we," I ask after my kidnapper finally sets me down and shifts back to human. The other pups immediately head off into the brush, and Malcolm begins to gather massive pieces of moss-covered logs. "Deep in the forest. We have to reach the spot she spoke of before tomorrow," he mumbles as he stacks the logs with ease, even though they look extremely heavy. An uneasy wave of fear passes over my skin as I try to piece together what he is talking about. Ever since I woke up, we have done nothing but run. I have no idea how long I was asleep or how far from Lucian I am, but I know I need to get back. Lucian will go crazy when he finds me missing, and he won't be able to reign himself in when he catches up with us. He will kill all the pups. He won't care about their parents' feelings or mine. I won't
AMBER POV "We are close, Amber, just a little farther. I know you are tired, but we are almost there," Malcolm coaxes as I fake fall again. I have done everything humanly possible to slow our progress since the wee hours of this morning, but it hasn't helped. Malcolm has coddled me every step of the way. He has pushed me to keep moving and has even carried me at times. I can't stall much longer. But I don't know what else to do. Lucian has yet to show up and all my cards were riding on him. "I'm sorry, Malcolm. I just can't keep my footing in all this brush," I explain for the fiftieth time. The other pups pace and growl at me to show their displeasure with my clumsiness, but Malcolm only shoots them a look. "I can carry you, Amber. I will be gentler," Malcolm pleads softly,
AMBER POV "Get in," the big ugly fairy dragging me orders before tossing me into a small pitch-black hole. Before I can even gasp, my body drops about two feet, and my butt comes in contact with hard ground. Heavy metal slams closed from somewhere above me, and my brain immediately panics a little. I frantically look around, but I can't make out a single thing. It's as if there is zero light present for my eyes to adjust to. I reach out my hands and instantly touch earth on both sides of me. I sigh a little as my panic dims. At least I am alone. No monsters in the dark here. "When she said pit, I guess she really meant pit," I whisper as my hands drop back down and my panic subsides completely. I can deal with dark solitude. This will keep me away from the horrors outside. As I b
AMBER POV "How will it work? If I go back without knowing what I did wrong, won't the same things happen," I ask, getting excited, and the Goddess shushes me? "Shh. They can hear you when you speak up, and if they know I am here, they will stop my plan. They are powerful beings. I'm lucky they don't fully understand my plan. If they did, she would have just killed you. She plans on using you somehow. I think she wants to barter you life," Selene whispers, and I clamp my mouth shut. I glance up at the hatch like she has been doing this whole time. I didn't even think about the fact that they might be listening to us. I mean, they tossed me down here to rot. Why listen? Maybe they just have heightened senses like the wolves do. "What is the moment you believe altered everything," Selene asks in a hushed voice, and I drop my e
AMBER POV The excitement begins to fill me as I start to recognize the scenery along the road. We are getting closer and closer to the old packhouse, and the thought is truly a happy one. I never thought I would see this house again. Let along go inside. I am so happy to see it again. But not only will I be returning to our packhouse, but I will also be meeting my mate for the second time. How many people can say that? "Amber, what are we going to do," Other-Amber whispers frantically as Lucifer tries not to look at her in the rearview mirror. "The only thing we can do. We are going to trust him to keep his word. He said no harm would come to us. He even killed the guy who kidnapped us and hurt you. Give him a chance. Maybe we are safe," I whisper back while shooting Lucifer fake timid glances. He smiles and nods in the mirror, happy
AMBER POV Lucian doesn't take his eyes off of me as he moves to sit down in his chair, and the caution covering his features makes me smile. It's so strange to see my big scary mate acting afraid of me, but at the same time, it's adorable. "Okay, well, now that everyone is here, I will start by saying I already know all of you except for Lucifer. In the time I just left, Lucifer wasn't someone I ever had a chance of knowing. And Other-Amber, you were murdered shortly after we met in the trafficker's basement by Lucian. But everyone else...I have known you for almost three years. I care about all of you, and you care about me," I announce, and the males all look at Lucian with wide eyes. "Continue," Lucian orders, and I nod. "You caught my scent at my father's building, and when you approached him, he refused to hand me over. That is the s
AMBER POV "After you made me eat, my friend, I wasn't able to eat anything, so I got real weak. I guess I freaked you and Kohn out because you actually called a human doctor here to check on me...The next part is a little rough, but it was the turning point in our relationship," I say softly as I meet Lucian's eyes again. His deep brown eyes lose a little bit of their hardness, and I sigh before continuing. "I don't know if it was Kohn or you, Lucian, but after the doctor came, you decided I needed to see the house and learn about werewolves. You wanted me to meet the pups to properly understand where you come from also. So Kohn explained how Selene cursed her ex-lover, Lupin. And then he took me on a tour of the house. During the tour, I met Jolene and Tabitha. Your little bed partners...they growled at me, and you attacked Jolene. I begged you not to kill
LUCIAN POV How could I have ever harmed her? She looks so fragile. She can't weigh more than one hundred and fifteen pounds. All it took was an hour in her presence for me to come to my senses. This little female is mine. She was made to be mine. No matter if she is a human or leopard. Yesterday I was cursing the Goddess for giving me such a young human for a mate, but now none of that matters. I only had to be around her for an hour for me to feel nothing but compassion for this tiny creature. How could I have possibly hurt her? How did I stand to make her cry? Even if I lost Lucifer, I shouldn't have been able to stand it. It must have been because I met her while I was already grieving. But that doesn't matter now. She is mine. Her timeline doesn't exist. Her timeline has vanished, along with my lust for anyone but her. I can't even imagine touching another female now that I have