AMELIA “Stop! The two of you!” Lucius and Ryden were about to throw punches at each other. It wasn’t enough that they fought like kids who would get to play with the new toy first. They ignored me, not faltering for a moment. They exchanged punches. Lucius’ left cheek was red and started to bruise. Ryden’s lip was split and bleeding. I breathed deeply and clapped my hands as hard as I could. Energy released blasting them off a few yards away. “Kids!” Their feet left marks on the ground and their fists froze in the air, glaring at me that pissed me off further. “So you were indeed kids in adult bodies. Shame on both of you!” Their eyes both blazed, fiercely intense staring at me, still panting. “Listen to me. I only say this once. When this is over, I’m leaving. You’ve just shown me what kind of man you were. Stupid possessive alphas, and I can’t deal with men like you. Are you not ashamed of what you just did, in front of these people who respect you and believe in you? And I’
AMELIA Lucius calling me his wife while Ryden was listening was disturbing. I instantly sensed Ryden’s infliction, and it broke my soul that he had to deal with it. At least until we were done taking the director down. We went home later in the morning. I wanted to have alone time with Ryden. I wanted him to feel safe and assured him I was his, and that he didn’t have to worry about me and Lucius. Still, I felt the heaviness in each breath he took. Guilt settled in my chest and twisted a knot in my belly. He didn’t want to show me he was affected, but we shared thoughts, and I could still feel he was struggling to adjust to the presence of Lucius in our lives. As we ready for bed, I hugged him from behind, making him chuckle. “I love you. You know that, right?” “I know, Amelia. I love you more.” Even the way he said it, I couldn’t feel the joy anymore. It was killing me that I made this happen, that I made him feel less loved. I held his arms and forced him to face me. “Baby, ca
AMELIA “Alpha, let’s talk about this. We still have a fight to finish, please?” My strength faltered momentarily. This was one of the moments I wished I could return back to the time so something like this would not happen, but even magic had its limits. “That is not my fight anymore. Pack your things, Amelia.” He looked right straight into my eyes with zero emotion. For a loving mate and a thoughtful husband, I almost didn’t recognize the man standing before me. He did a bang-up job shutting his feelings off in an instant. “I want you to leave tonight.” “I can’t, Ryden.” My voice broke. My chin trembled. “It’s Alpha Ryden to you now.” Fury hardened his expression. “Alpha Ryden. Yes, you’re right. I brought this chaos into your pack, and I’m sorry. but I’m not leaving until I’m done.” “No. You ended that right to decide the moment you lied to me. I want you gone or I will drag you out of my territory, myself.” I knew he was steadfast. He had made his final decision. He would no
AMELIA “Why the fuck is this man has my father’s face?” I shoved the screen of my phone onto Lucius’ face. “Amelia, I didn’t know you were coming.” He looked surprised and smiled. This son of a bitch was hard to track down. Maybe that was how he survived while the director and the entire Council and SEO had been hunting him for years. But I found him in one of the apartment he Rented in Paris. “Why do you sound so surprised? Maybe the SEO didn’t try so hard to find you. Answer me, Lucius?” He took the phone from me and looked at it. “Your friends have been looking for you and they blamed me for what happened to you and Ryden. Why are you doing this to yourself, sweetheart?” “Fuck you. Save the pep-talk. I don’t need it.” I helped myself to the wet bar and grabbed the bourbon decanter. I drank from it and let him watch that I didn’t give a crap about my life anymore. “Amelia—” “Answer. Now!” He shook his head in disappointment. “Go shower. As much as I love your smell, you loo
RYDEN I was caught in a moment where I didn’t know what to do with my fear, my jealousy, my misery, and the thought of losing her and seeing her with someone else filled me with such outrage until it exploded in my chest. I regretted it. I regretted everything I said and wished I could take it back, but it was said and done, and I had to live with it. Since the day she left, I hadn’t gone to the pack house. I stayed home until I emptied the last bottle of alcohol. Zeph was pissed off at me again for letting his sister go. We argued and fought. I let his anger out until he grew exhausted punching me. The third day was the worst. I left alone. I woke up alone naked in the forest without recollection of what happened. Nora found me during her run and took me home. She, Ren, and Theia didn’t ask why. They knew the moment Amelia was not around in the house. Despite Theia being known to have no filter with words, she kept it to herself. On the fourth day, they stayed with me and comfo
AMELIA “So you didn’t forget us or your way home.” Theia was grinning as she came outside. “I missed you, guys.” I hugged her tight. “How’s Ren?” “He’s fine. And you?” I shrugged. “I’ll live.” I walked towards Nora still standing in the doorway. “I’m sorry for—” “It’s fine. Glad you’re okay. I’m just worried about you.” I was surprised by her actions. She hugged me, too. I saw Ryden’s car and his bike, I supposed he was in the house, but didn’t want to see me. I swallowed, wanting my heart to stop beating so hard as I stepped inside the house. I instantly smelled his scent as I got closer to the living room. He was there all this time, listening to me and Nora. He wasn’t just eager to see me as I was to him. Nora and Theia were nowhere to be found, including Ren. They bailed out, leaving me to deal with Ryden. Ryden was resting on the couch. He had a five o’clock shadow and looked like hadn’t been touched by a razor. His hair was disheveled. His shirt was crumpled like he had
RYDEN “What the fuck!” My eyes grew wide as I watched Ren’s body pinned to the wall with the sword stuck to his chest. My body had already begun to heat up as my power surged. I growled. “You’re dead, Lucius.” He didn’t even react to my threat, even if he saw the fire on my palm. His man, Drak was too shocked to react. “You killed my friend!” Amelia screamed at him, waves of energy flooding the room. “Why did you do that? I will kill you!” The kitchen began to shake. Nora gained more control of her power, and the pipes and water sources in the house would be ready to explode. “Really, Amelia?” He glared at her. “You can’t recognize your friend over a glamour? That’s not your friend.” “What? That’s Ren, you asshole! You killed him!” Her body vibrated with fury. “No. Whoever is that is not Ren. The question is, where’s your friend? Is he still alive?” “Oh, Goddess.” Theia began to shake to cry as Amelia went close to Ren’s body. Lucius pulled out the sword from fake Ren’s chest
AMELIA “That’s insane. How’s it even possible?” Ryden shook his head. “Don’t answer that. There’s a lot of things we don’t know.” “Like how Amelia is alive after she died twenty years ago,” Theia said as she hopped down the truck. “Exactly. And now she has two mates.” Nora scoffed. “I heard that.” Ryden turned to her. “That guy is her past. End of story.” “Really?” Nora smiled meaningfully as she stole a glance at Lucius coming to us. “Does he look like her past? He’s alive, kicking, and strong.” “Stop it, Nora, Don’t encourage him to do something stupid.” I grabbed her by her wrist away from Ryden. Lucius came to Theia. “Is this the place?” “Yes, big guy.” She patted him on the chest before joining us. “The alpha testosterone in this place is making me dizzy. How do you manage to stay sane, best friend?” I frowned at her. “What do you mean?” “I mean, being sandwiched in two big bad hunk alphas.” I rolled my eyes. “You’re insane.” “I guess, I am. If I have men like them.”
AMELIAThree years laterEnochian Institute “Okay, bud. Are you ready?” Ryden towered at his son as he tried to prepare him for his first day of school. “No, Dad. Please, don’t call me buddy or bud anymore. I’m six years old. Alex is fine.” I looked at them and tried hard not to grin. When Ryden saw my smile, I looked away. “You will always be my boy, so I can call you bud or buddy until you get a girlfriend or have kids on your own.” “Mom, I need help here. I want to be like every kid at the institute.” When he gave me this puppy-eyes look, the same look he gave me when he wanted to be with his Uncle Ren or Uncle Drak. I knelt before him as I fixed his coat. Alex was carrying a blue backpack. I looked right into his blue-green eyes. Every time I looked at him, he always reminded me of his father. “My love, listen to me. You grow up so fast. Me and your dad still see you like our two-year-old boy. That’s why Dad still calls you buddy, and it’s actually cool that you and Dad ar
AMELIA I still cried whenever I felt alone. I still cried to sleep knowing he was gone because he wanted me to live. The feeling of losing someone I loved hit differently. It felt like I lost a part of me, a part of my soul. I woke up to the blinding light streaming from the opened window. Or at least I felt like I just woke up when the image of my father appeared before me. “Dad?” I sat up on the bed. I was still sleeping in the same bed I shared with Lucius. “Why did you let it happen? Why did you accept his deal? Now I’m all alone.” “You’re not alone, Amelia.” I wiped the first tear that fell on my cheek. “I died twice. You should have let me die. I can’t. I can’t take it anymore. Lucius was a good man. He had a lot of things to live for.” “And you don’t?” he asked me calmly. “I know life isn’t fair, but I don’t deserve another chance. I would have swapped places with him. These people need their alpha.” “Amelia.” He stood before me. “He accomplished his mission in life. H
RYDEN The moment I received a call from Drak, I knew something terrible had happened. He couldn’t hide the sadness in his voice. I quickly asked help from Zarah to send me to the Blood Moon Pack. Every last member of Lucius’ pack was around. His compound was crowded with the people who loved him, who believed in his cause, and the people he saved and had given a second chance. As I entered the house, a howl of mourning echoed from the forest. It was heart-wrenching. I didn’t only feel extremely sad about losing a great alpha, but he was also a savior and a hero, and I was proud to call him a friend. “This is so unfair.” Amelia ran into me. She looked like she’d been crying. She really looked like a mess, with wet cheeks, and red eyes and nose. “This can’t be happening.” “I’m so sorry, my love.” I took her in my arms. I knew my presence wouldn’t help the fact that Lucius was gone, but I was hoping I could somehow help ease the pain in her chest. “He’s gone, Ryden. He’s gone.” She
AMELIAIf this was the last day we had together, then I would make the best of it. I couldn’t fathom a life without him, my hero, who sacrificed everything so I could live another day. He was the true savior, not me. He was the true leader, the greatest alpha I’d ever met. He deserved that recognition, yet, here he was, waiting until he let go of his last breath and succumbed to death.It was unfair. Life was so fucked up and unfair. “Maybe you should give me an heir. I wanna have a mini you, please?” I wiped my tears away. “For that, I might be able to forgive myself. Then I’m going to tell him the story of how amazing and brave his father was, his sacrifices for this world, and how much we love each other, and show him our photos together.” “I will give you everything, my love. If we have a son, I want you to teach him to be a good man and respect and treat Ryden as his father. If we have a girl, tell her, that her father will always be watching her. Tell them their father loves t
AMELIA Lucius pulled away, looking right into my eyes. “We’re not doing it again, Amelia. I’ve accepted my fate.” “Well, I’m not! You should have told me. I could have done something other than keeping me in the dark. I have every right to know, Lucius. Have you forgotten that?” “I know that, my love, and I’m so sorry.” “Save it,” I said as I faced Ryden and pointed a finger at his face. “You, I trusted you. Are you happy now? Lucius had sacrificed his life twice for me so I could be with you. And I only asked one thing. Just one thing from you, and you couldn’t do it. You can’t be honest with me. Why should I stay with you if you don’t value honesty?” Ryden looked away as pain and agony laced in his eyes. “Amelia, don’t say that,” Lucius said. “Oh, so now you’re his best friend because you’re peas in a pod?” “Amelia, I know this is hard, but Lucius made his decision. You would have been dead by now and the rest of the werewolves who had fallen that day.” Shit. Zarah was right
AMELIA It had been three months since that war against The Director ended, and our lives had finally returned back to normal. The pack was going strong. No more sightings of demons and wraiths. No more threats other than rogues on occasion. The mother and son Ryden took in, and some werewolves had become the new pack members. Theia and Bryan were still like cat and mouse, but I could feel how much their relationship had developed, especially when it was built with trust. The two elemental werewolves had begun their training at Elysian. We still talked over the phone, especially with Ryden, since he was one of them. Margaret finally woke up a few days after I went back home. Zarah, Samarah, and her had never been closer, and that made me happy. My Relationship with Ryden had never been strong. I told him everything, and he forgave me. He and Lucius seemed to have formed a friendship, which was weird. Since the day I left the hotel room, I stayed close to Lucius, not as a mate or
AMELIA I joined him in bed and kissed him on the lips, and he scooped me so I could rest on top of him. I curled into a fetal position as he wrapped his arms around me, his fingers tracing my spine. I felt tiny and fragile when I was with him, but powerful at the same time. He sighed again as if something was bothering him. “How did you find me?” “Your mate gave me your letter. I supposed you went back from where you started. Did you mean what you said?” He was talking about the letter. “All of it.” “Hmm.” He kissed the top of my head. “He came to me. He’s worried about you, sweetheart. You should go back.” “What about you?” I lifted my head and looked him in the eye. “I always trust what you do that you know what’s best for you. Like always, I won’t control you.” He smiled as he tucked my hair behind my ear. “But of course, I get worried all the time even though I know you can take care of yourself.” “How’s everyone?” “I’m not telling you anything, Amelia. It’s about time y
AMELIA “I want you right now, Alexander.” The moment those words left my mouth, he carried me to the bed in my hotel room. He ripped my clothes from my body until I was naked and exposed. Then he spread my legs wide, and one thing led to another. My ovary was throwing a party as he dipped his head between my legs. A gasp escaped my lips as he pressed the softest kisses on my foot, my leg, and my inner thighs, nipping my skin. Then captured my entire pussy with his hot mouth. “Ah!” My hips bucked, hand came to his head to grab a handful of his hair, shamelessly pushing his mouth to my sex. Then he dragged his tongue from my folds upward to my clit, making my head spin. Tingles ran down my spine as I shuddered in delight. “Goddess!” I panted, rocking into his talented tongue, stroking my clit. Every muscle in my body clenched, and my legs trembled. Then he glided it in my entrance, thrusting in and out, alternately sucking my sensitive hard nub. Tension instantly coiled in my lowe
AMELIA “So where are you going?” Gaia asked. She’d been spending some time with Ren and Theia while Nora was trying to fix the broken relationship she had with her father. With Victor in the council jail, there was no threat to Alec anymore. “I don’t know yet.” I looked at the three of them. “Please, take care of each other. The greater demon might be gone, but there are still a lot of bad people out there. Maybe the good citizens could use your help.” “I’m gonna miss you.” Theia hugged me. “Don’t be gone too long, okay?” “I won’t, but you should go and be with the Caltech dropout.” “I will. Ren doesn’t need a driver anymore. He’s the monkey king after all.” She got a groan from Ren. “Gaia and he will start a new adventure anyway.” “I have to go.” I hugged Ren tight. “Thanks for not giving up on me. You always have a place in the pack. I love you, Ren. I’ll see you soon.” “I love you, too, Amelia. Don’t be a stranger. Visit the Raito house once in a while.” “Once I figure out