~ E V E R E T T ~Save her. I had to save her. I had to get her out of there. Not just because these dickheads from the Shadow pack would do terrible things to her, not because my desire to hurt her was still tickling in my mind, but because… because I cared about her. She was part of my pack; she was my— calling her my friend didn’t seem like the right term, but whatever she is, she’s important enough to me. She was mine to deal with. Amelia’s body was frozen in my arms, her brows raised, eyes wide, and mouth slightly gaped, staring at the three men of the Shadow pack, scanning their attire. They were wearing summer fighting leathers. Short-sleeved tops, woven with a blend of the finest cotton, padded with a leather overlay protecting their shoulders and chests; leather trousers, loose but not too loose, tucked into leather combat boots— a modern touch to a traditional battle uniform. The combination allowed breathability for the skin and comfort to manoeuvre easily, essential for
~ A M E L I A ~Run. Run. RUN!Don’t stop. Can’t stop. Do not stop.I was already breathless, panting like crazy. My stupid anxiety was pulsing through me, slowing me down. I could still feel the touch of Alpha Adryan’s hands on me, the image of him licking his lips, looking like I was his next conquest because, for him, I was. He was hunting me.They were chasing after me, and I could feel it. If they weren’t yet, they would be. From how Everett behaved, he seemed reluctant to want to get into any conflict, which only tells me how much danger I would truly be in if Adryan got his hands on me. Tired. I’m so tired.No, I couldn’t stop, if I did— I couldn’t think about it. I had to focus. Focus. Focus on his words… Everett’s words.When you have a chance, you run… don’t look back. You just run. His ethereal voice echoed in my mind and kept my anxious belly at bay. Run, Amelia. Run. Sprinting with all my strength, as fast as I could. Damn it, why did I run so much before? The exh
~ A M E L I A ~When I said nothing, Adryan released my neck, moving hair from my face as he gave me a cruel smile, ‘Mmm…’ he dragged his lips across my neck, ‘Should I mark you?’ He licked my neck, groaning again after having a little taste of me. I shuddered at the sensation, my body was trembling hard even under his tight grip, ‘M-Mark me…?’He snickered as he brought his lips to my ear and whispered, ‘Then you’ll be mine forever, would you like that?’A cocktail of fear and rage broke free, lifting my head, I bit his ear as hard as I could. He yelled and pulled back, but not far enough, ‘You bitch!’ ‘I will never be yours, you disgusting bastard!’ I spat. Retaking hold of my neck, he squeezed tightly and growled a growl so deep it rattled to my core. My body froze. He sounded just like the wolf in my nightmare. How the hell was that possible? I couldn’t move. I couldn’t breathe. Help me, please!Squeaking in pain, gasping for air as Adryan’s grip held strong against my neck
~ A M E L I A ~Every fibre of my body twinged and throbbed as I came back into consciousness. As my awareness drew to my heavy breathing, I realised how much it even hurt to breathe; it hurt to do anything. Where am I?I jolted to sit up as I gasped, trying not to wince at that aggressively pulsing movement. My eyes flashed open to scan my surroundings. I was… home, in my living room, on my sofa with a blanket over me. How did I get here?Throwing the blanket off my legs, I saw the harsh bruising around my ankles, a reminder of Adryan’s restrictive power over me, preventing me from running away from him. Scanning my body further, I saw more scrapes and bruises along my thighs, my waist and my arms. My throat felt dry and achy like I’d been screaming endlessly for days and days. Even just trying to swallow was enough to make me croak in pain. I grimaced, gripping my shoulder after trying to move my right arm to touch my bruises. Even though I could move it now, my wolf healing had
~ A M E L I A ~Everett crossed his arms with a slightly displeased expression. ‘You sound shocked.’ ‘No! I just mean, uh, I didn’t know that you could because…’ I bit my lip, not even knowing how to finish my sentence. He raised a brow, ‘Because I live in a huge manor with chefs and servants who do everything I ask?’ Shaking his head, he scoffed, ‘You do think so little of me, you think I’m just a spoilt heir to the throne.’My cheeks heated, ‘No, I didn’t mean—‘Taking a seat next to me, ‘I could’ve been,’ he said soothingly, moving my hair out of my face, ‘but I was always too curious growing up, I wanted to learn the roles for everyone in my life. I followed my mother around while she did her duties as the Luna, and obviously, I followed my father around, too, but I also loved spending time in the kitchen with our chef, the gardener, and all the other workers in my home. I found joy in learning every element in my life.’Hearing him talk so genuinely about himself, about the thi
~ A M E L I A ~Everett scoffed as I continued to clean his wound, ‘Yeah, well, that’s where fiction comes into play anyway.’Jerking my brow up, still focusing on the gashes in his arm, ‘Oh?’ ‘Love stories like that don’t happen in real life, especially for us werewolves.’I stopped and looked at him, ‘Do you really believe that?’A shrug, ‘I don’t know what I believe in when it comes to love. All I do know is that the Moon Goddess will pick the right mate for me.’‘What if she picks someone you hate?’ I asked, dipping the towel in the water and ringing it out before shuffling closer to wipe away the dried blood spread across his arm. ‘She won’t,’ he said steadily.‘You don’t know that!’ My hatred for the mate bond and the conflict it had caused me broke through, ‘What if you fall for someone before you find your mate? Would you still go for your mate even when you care for and love someone else?’ Tilting his head, Everett narrowed his eyes at me, ‘Are we talking about me or you?’
~ A M E L I A ~‘Aren’t you going to get that?’ Everett asked. I shook my head, ‘No, it’s okay, it’s just Hudson. We’re meant to be hanging out today, watching movies and stuff. He’s probably just calling to let me know he’s on his way.’Everett cleared his throat, ‘Oh, okay, well, I guess that’s my cue to go,’ he spoke quickly and stood up just as fast before walking towards the door. Confused, I stuttered, ‘Wait!’ Shooting up to my feet and wincing loudly at the pain in my ankles. In an instant, Everett was at my side, holding my waist, keeping me from falling. He shook his head, ‘You need to rest.’Feeling dizzy from standing up too quickly, I mumbled, ‘But… But I have more questions.’He huffed a soft scoff, ‘Maybe another day if I’m feeling generous,’ he helped me rest against the armrest of the sofa. He held my chin and scanned my face, ‘How are you feeling?’‘Better,’ I tried to smile, but I felt so weak that I doubted it even came through, ‘the food helped.’ I peered down a
~ E V E R E T T ~Shit. I had to get out of here. There was no doubt in me that Gabriel had told Hudson what I told him yesterday morning. The two of them were best friends, after all, and both were overly protective over Amelia. I hid out of Hudson’s line of vision as he spoke to Amelia, ‘You seem surprised to see me, am I early? We said 1 p.m., right?’Amelia’s cheeks were flushed with that rosy hue I enjoyed inflicting on her, but even though I was partially the reason for the warmth in her cheeks, I think her blushing was for another reason. A conflicting reason… or maybe that was me thinking there was more to the moment we almost shared. ‘No, no, we did!’ She said, her voice squeaked, echoing her essence of uneasiness, ‘I just didn’t realise the time,’ she turned her head to look at the clock in the kitchen, then locked eyes with me. I could hear her heartbeat flutter. Her eyes were glazed with… sorrow. Not for me, but for Hudson, because of what she was about to do with me.
~ 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