~ A M E L I A ~‘You hated me the second I arrived in this pack, you didn’t care for me at all. You made me train with you. You watched from afar as your dickhead friends tried to hurt and sexually abuse me. You wanted to and still want to hurt me, even now…’ I chuckled, realising how stupid I must be to allow myself to be so close to someone like this. ‘How are you saying that I have stolen your heart?’Stroking my cheek gently, Everett spoke slowly, ‘There’s a fine line between hatred and…’ he cleared his throat, avoiding the word, ‘Yeah… Sure, I didn’t like you when you first arrived, but you also drew me in. You know this already; I’ve told you about that before.’ He sighed, ‘The more I was around you, the more I got to really know you, the more time I craved being around you. For a long time, I was in denial about it; hell, even Betty noticed your hold on me before I had fully come to terms with it. That pissed me off so much I got so drunk that night, and the words just came out
~ A M E L I A ~The drive home was deathly silent. It wasn’t that we had nothing to say to each other, but that we had said too much to each other. What once was something casual and seemingly harmless that we shared was now something… Messy. It was all so messy. I was getting too tired of it all. As Everett parked his car, I stared into the forest where my cottage was hidden. My life didn’t seem real—living alone in a pack of werewolves, trying to find out more about my birth parents and who I am, and a curse preventing the pack from being who they truly are. So much…too much has happened these past few months. What a wild ride it’s been. Everett sighed. I couldn’t look at him. I knew why he was sighing; we both knew what was happening. ‘Thanks for the ride back,’ I sniffled and pushed myself out of the car, grabbing my bags and rushing to my home. ‘Amelia,’ Everett called out. I could sense he was close behind me. Squeezing my eyes shut, trying to stop the tears from formi
~ E V E R E T T ~Arriving back at the manor, there was a chill in the air surrounding me. It was like I had left a part of myself behind, and in a way, I had.Amelia… Of all the people, I never thought I’d desire her, crave her attention and her touch. I never thought I would admit everything to her—to lay down almost every single thing I had done for her as my feelings for her grew. The hold she had on me was too hard to resist. I felt like I would do absolutely anything for her if it meant she’d be happy. She was a drug, and I was a victim of addiction, and though I had no plan to get clean, I must. To protect my people, my pack… my home. Shutting the front door behind me, I sighed as I leaned against it. I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing—in and out, in and out.A buzz from my phone pulled me from my focus. Glimpsing down, I couldn’t help but smile at the message. AMELIA: I know we are werewolves and all, but do you have to take marking your territory so literally?F
~ A M E L I A ~School was such a mood killer after the weekend I had with Everett. Nothing could beat the perfection of that time we shared. Even finding out the truth about his feelings, and me confessing mine, I would not have changed anything about the entire weekend. It was like an ultimate high, and now we must come back down to Earth and back to reality. Shit, shit, stupid reality. All my friends were still being so distant, too. I hated it. It was now more than ever I needed them. I was about to lose Everett forever, just when I had finally come to terms with my feelings for him. As much as it conflicted with other feelings I had… If they would let me talk to them, let me explain myself and apologise, maybe—just maybe—we could go back to normal again. I missed them. They were my family here. I sighed, gazing at my reflection in the mirror. Though tiredness lingered within my eyes, there seemed to be extra flecks of golden shades within the amber. Brushing the neckline of m
~ A M E L I A ~I swallowed thickly, that fearful lump becoming too thick for me to conceal. There was no use lying anymore, but there was a chance I could still get around it all. ‘It… was an honest mistake.’‘Is that so?’ He asked, arching a brow. Keeping myself tall, though it didn’t matter with the Alpha’s great height towering over me, he was like a brick wall, I said, ‘She believed I was someone who posed a threat to the pack, but I assure you that I’m just here to learn about my origin and the ways of the wolf.’Alpha Draven circled me again. ‘And that is all?’‘Yes, sir.’‘Very well,’ he stopped beside me and smiled that dark and arrogant smile again. It was far worse than Everett’s, who had a charm within him, but the Alpha’s was dark, cold and terrifying, just like him. ‘I should go,’ I breathed, feeling hesitant in any move I made or words I said. ‘I don’t want to keep Everett waiting.’ I smiled faintly and bowed my head quickly before taking a step to walk off, but the A
~ A M E L I A ~Whispering.No, they were talking… maybe bickering. Ouch, my head is killing me.I could barely hear the words clearly as I returned to consciousness. Groaning, I wanted to rub my eyes, which felt weighed down with fogginess, but I couldn’t move my arms. My eyes flickered open; I kept my gaze low, with my chin against my chest, and instantly caught my wrists bound together by thick rope. Becoming aware of my surroundings, I was sitting on my heels, with what seemed like a guard on either side of me, holding me up whilst I was unconscious. Slowly, I tried to pry myself from the rope, but the slightest rub against my skin sent me hissing in pain. Wolfsbane.The reaction was rapid; my eyes opened wide, seeing the rawness and blisters fluster and heal seconds after. My healing was stronger than ever, but I couldn’t waste my withered strength on healing, trying to break out of these restraints. The tranquiliser had depleted my energy enough that I could barely think stra
~ A M E L I A ~Pain. So much pain.A tingling heat spread across my entire body. It moved up my neck, prickling my face as it came into contact with my eyes. It stung like acid; it felt hot and almost like it was scratching me, trying to claw my eyes open. When I opened my eyes, I didn’t see the door. I couldn’t see anything but a bright light and flashing images of things I didn’t quite understand. A man and a woman, the image of them flashed by too fast for me to register their faces. A third-quarter moon. A group of angry werewolves. Male werewolves. A fire.Pain.Releasing my hold on the handle, I couldn’t handle the burning sensation on my body any longer. I collapsed onto my knees, curling my trembling hands to my chest, and whimpered as the soreness slowly faded from my flesh. My eyes adjusted back to reality, and I gazed at my arms. There were no burns, though I could feel the fire against my skin. I hadn’t been burned or consumed by the flames like in my dream. What di
~ A M E L I A ~The sedation hadn’t put me out cold like it did before. Drowsiness was an aura I could feel prickling across my face, my eyelids were weighed down, and the strength of the tranquiliser trying to pull me under, but there was a part of me that felt like it was still fighting as if I still had a chance. Don’t give up just yet. That strength in me tried to break through, but I was too weak and too willing to submit to the darkness consuming me. At first, I was in the hallway of the rune-encrusted door. My eyes shut, unable to fight any further, only to peel open a second later, revealing me being dragged across the hallway. I tried to lift my head to see where the guards were taking me, but the slightest movement made my head throb. Eyes shut. Eyes open. Eyes shut. I was losing track of what I saw in reality and what I was dreaming as I slipped in and out of consciousness, seeing false realities of past moments I had shared with my family and friends, especially the ne
~ E V E R E T T ~‘What the hell is going on?’ I asked in a panic as the candle flame began to burn more aggressively, melting the wax representing Amelia’s life force that much faster.Sybil watched the candle in amazement. ‘Her journey through the spirit world has been far too impactful on her body. She’s too weak.’‘No,’ I cooed as I looked back at the small amount of wax that remained of the candle. Squeezing Amelia’s hand, I looked at her and hoped she could hear me in her state of unconsciousness, ‘Listen to me. You are not dying, do you hear me? It’s not your time. It’s not your—‘The room became eerily chilled as the candle flame was snuffed out. I refused to turn around to confirm, hearing Sybil’s saddened sigh was confirmation enough. ‘No… Amelia,’ I cupped a hand on her cheek, ‘wake up. Wake up!’‘Alpha-son, she’s gone.’ Sybil stood and lowered her head, staring at the ground. She also looked heartbroken by this loss. Stepping away from Amelia and towards Sybil, I snapped,
~ A M E L I A ~Panic surged through me. My father’s demise… it was at the hands of his best friend? The Moon Goddess brought us to the time of the battle. As she did, all the magic it took to travel through time was taking a huge toll on my spiritual body. I collapsed to the ground and whimpered, ‘What’s happening to me?’Kneeling beside me, the Moon Goddess helped me up, ‘You don’t have much time, we need to send you back very soon.’I groaned, feeling myself lose the connection and hold I had still back in the land of the living, I couldn’t feel warmth… I couldn’t feel anything. ‘How much longer do I have?’‘Enough time to see this last glimpse into the past.’Holding myself up with all my remaining strength, I watched as the events played out. My father and his best friend were standing head to head under the starry night sky. Many members of the pack, especially the council members, were bearing witness to the fight, awaiting to see who would triumph. ‘Are you sure you want to
~ A M E L I A ~‘What happened after that? How did Draven become Alpha?’The Moon Goddess had brought me back to her moonflower garden, her hand on my back rubbing back and forth soothing me, ‘My dear, you’ve witnessed a lot, are you sure you don’t want to take a break?’I shook my head, ‘I don’t have time for a break! You said yourself that I’ve got a limited amount of time left back in the human world, I can’t waste it.’She nodded, ‘I know, but I can sense your pain and suffering, and things only get darker from here…’Swallowing thickly, I stood tall, ‘Show me.’‘Very well.’~ ~ ~ Following the events of the hospital fire, the next day was sombre. It wasn’t just the families who were directly involved in the fire who were grieving, it was the entire pack. They were all traumatised and scared for what was to come. The funerals for the newborns were held all together, the Alpha and Luna ensured that they were all treated with equal respect and care during the entire process, as we
~ A M E L I A ~It began to rain. First a trickle, then a complete downpour. The Alpha and Luna looked out to the rain, a perfect resemblance of their sorrow, and knew that they had no more time to waste. They had to say their final goodbyes to their daughter and commence with their plan before people became aware. When they had finally said their goodbyes, Kali had come to terms that she would not be the one to venture out to take their daughter to the person they’d hope would be the one and only person they could entrust to take her outside of the pack and to her new human family. In her state of only recently giving birth, her werewolf healing was depleting her energy, plus her sudden disappearance from the fire would raise suspicions. They had to take their next steps carefully and mindfully.Enzo sent Kali back to the hospital, where she would have to act as though she had lost her baby in that fire, along with all the other mothers who lost their babies. Such a foul and disgus
~ A M E L I A ~They arrived back at Rieka Manor, successfully unseen by anyone else. Enzo placed Kali gently on their bed and began to pace up and down the room, muttering to himself. ‘Enzo,’ she was almost hyperventilating, ‘my love, please talk to me! What is going on?’ Kali spoke quietly, trying not to awaken their baby, who had finally fallen asleep soundly, but concern was laced throughout her voice.Yet he didn’t stop pacing, deep in his thoughts, ‘It can’t be them… They wouldn’t… They couldn’t betray us like that!’‘Who?’He shook his head, ’No, no, no!’ He slammed his fist against the wall, shaking the entire room, ‘These bastards,’ he muttered through gritted teeth before sitting next to his mate and wrapping his arms around her, embracing the love of his life and their newborn daughter.‘My love, my Alpha,’ Kali continued to cry silently, ‘Please. Talk to me.’Enzo looked at his mate, holding her face softly as he wiped away her tears with his thumb, ‘My radiant Luna…’ he
~ A M E L I A ~Devastated was an understatement for how I felt, but I was not surprised at all. Those men had been stuck in traditions for so long they were blind to the facts that were right in front of them. That women wanted to show their strength and power, to prove that they are equally as powerful as they are. Yet these men just have to prove themselves to be the best. The Moon Goddess took me later in the day. The sun was slowly going down, dimming the light sky and introducing us to the upcoming night. We walked down the long hallways of the hospital, and the sterile aroma of my surroundings was hard to ignore. We finally made it to the private room that was dedicated to my birth mother, Kali. She was in her hospital bed, sitting up while holding her baby girl, me. With one finger, she bounced my small hand up and down until I clasped my tiny fist around her finger. ‘I can already sense that you’re a strong one, aren’t you, little wolf?’ Kali smiled. Even after giving bir
~ A M E L I A ~My expression faded. That was not going to be easy to get used to, but I nodded and followed her towards my birth parents’ manor. ‘Most of the pack is slumbering away, nursing their hangovers or resting in whichever ways they seem fit,’ the Moon Goddess informed me as we walked through the manor grounds and phased through the door to enter the home. ‘However, Alpha Enzo knew the importance of caring for the pack, and always prioritised his duties before anything else. So, as his mate rested in the hospital and was learning to nurse you, he was back to his duties. They were still recovering from a recent conflict they encountered with another enemy pack. I believe you’re already aware of some people of the Shadow pack?’I nodded as we phased through another set of doors. Inside the room was a grand table. Sitting around it were men, mostly middle-aged but some older and some younger, but a handful of them I recognised from the present day in the Silver Moon pack. It wa
~ A M E L I A ~A wave of dizziness hit me as I reopened my eyes and took in my surroundings. The Moon Goddess and I were no longer in her garden of moon flowers, but deep within a forest. It was so familiar, yet different all at once. In the distance was a gentle glow emitting from lanterns.‘Where are we?’ I asked.The Moon Goddess linked her arm with mine, holding me close to her, ‘We’re in the village of the Silver Moon pack…’ she began walking me towards the lights, where noise and music began to tickle my ears, ‘…18 years ago.’I froze in place and looked at her, ‘Before I was born?’She nodded, ‘In fact, the day I brought you back to is your birthday.’Drawing my gaze back towards where the noise grew, it sounded like there was a huge celebration going on. This was it, this was finally the time I was going to learn everything. I was going to learn the truth and finally be able to understand who I am. But, for some reason, I could not move.‘Are you sure you want to do this?’ T
~ A M E L I A ~It was so cold and dark…Where am I? What is going on?My eyes slowly peeled open, feeling the weight of my drowsiness, meeting the night sky above me. There was not a star to be seen, which was unusual for the Silver Moon pack. No matter where you are, you’d always be able to see stars at night. It was one of my favourite things about the pack. Scanning my surroundings briefly without moving my head, there were trees all around me. How did I end up in the forest? Where was I last? Pushing myself to sit up slowly, my head felt heavy as I tried to recall what happened. Everett had told me to come see him… The Alpha ambushed me… pain… so much pain…My lip quivered as I examined and patted down my entire body, but there wasn’t a cut to be seen.Am I dreaming? What the hell is going on?A rustle behind me caught my attention. Twirling onto all fours and pushing myself to stand, I felt too alert and concerned for what was out there. ‘Who’s there?’ I said sharply. No re