AMELIA “Son, what’s this rumor I heard that you and Nora have broken up?” I instantly recognized that voice. This couldn’t be. I stopped behind Ryden’s office’s door before I could knock. I was supposed to ask him if he had updates on Zarah’s research of a mystery burned page, but it seemed that I was the one who was getting updates on his relationship. “I don’t mean to be rude, but Nora and I had an understanding before we got into that brief relationship. We both knew we were not mates and what we had was going to end,” Ryden said calmly. I knew it was bad to eavesdrop, but I was curious about the man with Ryden, now that he mentioned Nora, it verified my initial hunch. Alec Webster, Nora’s father owned a big company in the city. “Look, son. I like you. I like you to be my future son-in-law, always has been before you even became an alpha. Nora loves you, Ryden. If you’re not ready to settle down, it’s fine. You can fool around with that girl who just returned, I don’t know her n
RYDEN “Amelia!” The line cut off. I looked down at Ren’s phone screen for a second trying to process what had just happened, who attacked her, and why. “Ryden, what did she say?” I stared at Ren, looking for the right word to say. I couldn’t find any. I gave his phone back. “Amelia is in trouble.” “I’ll go and find her. Where is she?” “She’s on her way back.” He left before I could stop him. Theia followed suit, and I felt so stupid and useless. “Zeph?” I scanned the living room where the guys watched football. “Hey, are you looking for me?” Zeph came quickly. “Yeah.” I went to the back of the staircase and pushed the lockdown button. Since I lost men in that black virus, I spent a huge amount of money on security, including CCTV around the parameters. I would find out who attacked Amelia. It was only a matter of time, and he would pay for it, severely. “What’s going on?” Zeph asked when everyone stopped what they were doing. When the entire house went silent, I went into a
AMELIA “What the hell is wrong with you? He offered you to join back his pack, why aren’t you jumping into it?” Theia was more excited than me to be back in the pack, but she didn’t know why I didn’t want to. I blew out a breath and sipped my water. “I have reasons.” “Wow. That must be more important than being with Ryden. I’m actually beginning to like that guy. He’s hot and cool. He may want to spread you and eat you for his dinner, but he’s patient for an alpha.” She smiled wickedly. “Geez, T.” I rolled my eyes as I continued jabbing against the pad. It may sound ridiculous, but I felt my heart just pumped hard. “I have eyes and ears and I put them to good use. You should do it sometimes. He’s definitely hard on you, Am. The mating bond must have been driving him insane. You’re a lucky gal that he hasn’t grabbed you, thrown you over his shoulder like a potato sack, and taken you home with him, and Goddess knows what he could do to you when it’s just the two of you.” “You’re i
RYDEN Amelia and I pulled apart. I didn’t even notice the portal appeared before us. We were caught up in our moment. For the first time, I got to kiss my mate, and here I was wishing, Zarah gave me at least a minute more before she walked in into my office with Sebastien. “Are we interrupting something?” Sebastien asked with a smile on his face. Amelia was clearly embarrassed. Her cheeks were red. She shifted uncomfortably and cleared her throat before she replied, “Um, nope. We’re just—” “Kissing? Making out?” Zarah cut in and checked her out. “Yet I still don’t see a mark on you, Amelia. Why is that?” “We’re busy with training, and I can’t just offer my neck so he can bite me. There’s more important things to do—” “Than marking you? Completing the mating process? That is also important, and I can sense that you’re not even a part of his pack.” Zarah shifted her gaze at me. “What have you been doing for a week, Ryden? I gave you that much time so you could sort things out.”
AMELIA “For fuck’s sake, coordinate your attack!” Ren commanded angrily. We stopped and stared at Ren. I barely heard him curse unless he was mad and frustrated over something. Right now, he felt both for me and Ryden. “You can’t win. You can’t defeat me if you don’t work together.” “We’re working together, Ren. There’s just no way to defeat you because you’ve been doing this your entire life.” I pointed at Ryden. “And this guy, he never held a real sword before.” “Do you think that’s the case?” He pointed his stick at me. His eyes slanted even further. “I could train for a week and still defeat you both. I’m alone here with one brain and two sticks in my hands.” He may have brought attention to the pack members. We trained in the backyard on the field this time so we didn’t have to walk far from the pack house if Ryden was needed. Ryden huffed out his frustration, too. “So this is my fault. I know it, but I’m trying hard. Maybe I’m just not good at this thing. I’ll just stick
RYDEN Theia was clearly worried and bothered as she joined us.“What’s the problem?” Amelia pulled her brows together and asked her friend. “Dead body,” she whispered. “And it’s weird.” “She’s right.” I checked my phone and found a message from Officer Hayes. “Your dad texted me the location ten minutes ago. Ren, Theia, stay here. Amelia and I will go check the site.” “Aren’t we supposed to be together?” Theia glanced up at me, seeking the go-ahead. “You and Ren can protect the pack house. We have to go.” “Go. We’ll be fine here,” Ren affirmed while Theia was still frowning. Amelia and I went to my car, and she said, “Oh, thank Goddess. We’re not riding on your bike.” “What’s wrong with my bike?” I chuckled. “Dangerous, especially in this weather.” I looked up at the sky. It was cloudy. “Right. Let’s go.” She was already in the passenger’s seat. “Coming or not?” I couldn’t help but smile as I got in. It took seven minutes for us to arrive at the site. We parked the car a fe
AMELIA Colin Dane left right after. Ryden made me stay and promised me a home-cooked meal. “We didn’t get to eat the pizza.” I helped him cut some veggies for a salad while he braised steak on the skillet. I felt normal suddenly, forgetting about my power and the threat for a while. Somehow, I also felt close to him, and there was this feeling that I could trust him with my life and my heart. I began to feel comfortable around him, too, like how it used to be when he came over to the house with my brother and played cards. I was done with the salad. The steak and the potatoes weren’t nearly done, but they were seasoned. He was about to put them in the oven when I stopped him. “How would you like your steak, Mr. Braxton?” He smiled. “Medium rare, and you know that. Why?” I showed him my palm and closed it. Then I opened it with already a ball of fire. “Holy shit!” He took a step back with wide eyes. “Are you going to cook our food with that?” “It’s a fire, Ryden, and it would
RYDEN She only grabbed her phone and we were already leaving. We barely got out of the house, I saw a small twister above us. “Shit! That’s Ren, sending us a signal. Hurry up, Ryden.” I drove the car like a lunatic. The shortcut road towards the pack house was slippery. At this moment, I trusted her judgment as I received an SOS from Zeph, and the alarm just went off, notifying my phone. “What the fuck is going on there?” “Just drive and make sure to get us there alive and in one piece. We should have been there. We shouldn’t have—” She let out a roar of frustration. Her chest was heaving. “Damn it!”“Hey.” I gripped her hand. It was cold. She looked so worried, and so did I. “It’s gonna be okay.” “Yeah.” She breathed deeply. “I hope so, but I have a bad feeling about it.” The pack house came to view a few yards away in less than five minutes. “I’ll park and we’ll walk from here.” Discreetly, we walked towards the backyard. I sniffed the air. I smelled blood right away, maki
RYDEN I cracked my eyes open to an unfamiliar room, yet I knew where I was as the smell of sage and spices assaulted my nostrils. “Well, welcome back to the world of living.” I tried to clear my throat but I was so parched. “Zarah.” “You’re alive. You should thank the goddess and your annoying stubborn mate.” I turned my head at her. She looked stubborn as well. Her arms crossed over her chest. “How long I’ve been out?” “It doesn’t matter.” “How’s everyone?” I propped my elbows so I could get up She shook her head in annoyance and pressed the button. “You’re not going anywhere, Ryden. The next time you get injured, I won’t be coming to heal your sorry ass.” “Thank you.” I accepted the glass of water she offered and took a sip from it. “Where’s Amelia?” “Sleeping. Resting. She’d been up for more than a day since they brought you here. If I didn’t let her sleep, she would still be here watching you until you wake up.” “You mean you put her to sleep.” I chuckled. I knew how Am
AMELIA “Why he hasn’t woken up? It’s been eighteen hours, Zarah.” I watched Ryden still unconscious in bed. The portal took us to Italy, where there was an infirmary, and where Zarah had a den and conducted her magic. “You should rest and get some sleep. He needs you when he wakes up, Amelia. I will take care of him. You have my word.” I shook my head stubbornly. “I can’t sleep. I can’t rest. I can’t breathe until I know he’s okay and will wake up soon.” “Now you sound like a wife and a luna. He’s recuperating right now. He has internal bleeding. A lobe of his left lung is punctured. He should be dead by now if he wasn’t strong enough that he still chose to find you instead of getting treatment. You owe him that much, Amelia. Now go and rest.” I blew a breath. I was beyond exhausted. I was even surprised I hadn’t fallen to the ground, and I had barely eaten since we got here. “Maybe I should call my mom.” I pressed my lips on his forehead. He was warm which was a good sign. “N
RYDEN I wasn’t healing fast. I was losing my strength quickly. I knew I had broken bones, and something wrong inside me that made me difficult to breathe. I was even surprised I was still able to shift earlier. I could barely stand but Amelia was still out there, waiting for my help. The moment my pack managed to escape into the woods, I felt relieved. I knew they could make it out even if they scattered everywhere. We could regroup later once Amelia was safe. “Ryden!” I was still in wolf form when someone called my name. Zeph jumped off the tree and dropped some clothes for me. “Thank Goddess, you’re okay.” I quickly shifted back. My bones were cracking, and I instantly felt a couple of broken bones. “I’m not okay, Zeph. They have your sister. Goddess, why did she have to be—? Fuck!” I couldn’t even breathe without struggling. “What’s wrong?” He looked at my chest. The bruises were getting worse, turning purple quickly. “Oh, shit.” “Yup.” I tried to move my shoulder back, but
AMELIA They’d been fighting for half an hour now. They were both bloody, and breathing hard, but none of them wanted to give up. There was something weird going on with Alec. He came prepared. For a man in his fifties, probably twice in human age, he was strong, like he was on steroids. “This is taking too long.” Zeph became more anxious, constantly sighing when Ryden received another kick in the chest. Our pack just gasped, hearing that crack, surely he just got another broken bone. “That’s not good.” My heart bled, and couldn’t compensate for pumping so hard as Ryden fell to the ground. “He’s taking a lot of punches and kicks, why isn’t he even trying hard to fight back, Amelia?” I narrowed my eyes at Theia. “I don’t know, but Alec seems on magic steroids.” “Yes. He has something going on in him,” Ren agreed. I hadn’t told him the sword was gone. I stared at Walker with my jaw clenched as he watched the fight. That son of a bitch. He seemed to grind his jaw hard every time R
AMELIA “Can we talk?” “Nope. I’m done talking, and we have nothing to talk about. You made it pretty clear. The only decisions matter are yours, and you chose not to involve me. I respect an alpha’s decision.” “Amelia, that’s not—” “That’s not what, Ryden?” I glared at him. “I came here only to help heal my brother, but I put my plans, my life on hold for you because you’re my mate, and I would do everything in a heartbeat for you, but right now, after what you did? I don’t think I will risk my life for you again. You’re not the mate I risked my life for, the man I married, and the alpha I swore my loyalty to.” I didn’t want to say some shits that I would regret later. I went into his closet and grabbed my backpack. “What are you doing?” I heard the panic in his voice behind me. “I can’t watch you get yourself killed. I don’t want to lie about my feelings for you.” I felt his grip on my arm, forcing me to face him. “You’re leaving me?” “I’m leaving, yes.” I met his gaze, makin
RYDEN “If you’re so suicidal to fight Alec tomorrow why didn’t you just slash their throats when you got the chance?” she said harshly. Her gaze grew serious. I groaned in exasperation. “I have plans, Amelia. Don’t worry, it will work.” “And what is it?” She glared at me before getting into the passenger’s seat. “You’re acting out of anger. You’re illogical.” “I can’t tell you right now.” I joined her back in the car. She shook her head in disappointment. “Because you don’t trust me enough to share your plan with me. You don’t see me as the Luna of the pack. You don’t see me as your equal. Why am I wasting my time here with you if I can’t be useful?” “That’s not true.” My voice was low and urgent, eyes still blazing with fury. “That’s the truth, Ryden!” She wiped her face and looked outside the window. “Don’t talk to me.” Amelia was fuming in her seat. She hadn’t said a word, but working in her truckload of anger not to light this car to flames. She had no idea what betrayals
RYDEN “I’m sure you know what’s taste of vengeance is like, Alec. And I’m not here to threaten you. I want that man before sunset today or I will find a way to cut his head off and give it to you as a present.” He snorted, shaking his head. “You think you’re so brave and smart, Ryden, but you’re not.” “I know I’m neither of those, but when people come to me and hurt the people I care about, I don’t need to be smart or to be brave. I do what’s necessary.” “Yet, you haven’t found the people responsible for the attack on your pack house. You’re too busy finding the, what do you call it, wraiths? Yes, I know every plan you make. I know everything about you, especially that woman you call mate. I know her secret, too.” I didn’t have to listen or react. He’d already anticipated I would be pissed off. I stayed calm as if he wasn’t trying to intimidate us both. “Then you should be very careful.” “You should be, Ryden. If I wanted to kill you, I could have done it already, and you would
AMELIA “Where the hell do you think you’re going?” “To see the man who came to kill us,” he said through gritted teeth, eyes screamed revenge. “In your condition?” I looked at everyone in the room to help me get some sense into him, but nobody wanted to stop their alpha. “You’re getting yourself killed. I almost lost you last night, Ryden. Give it a day. Rest, then I will help you kill that son of a bitch.” “We might not find him.” He put his clothes on, and that was it. I couldn’t stop him, and he wouldn’t even listen to me anymore. “I don’t wanna lose you.” My words had stopped him, but he just turned around and smiled tightly. “I’ll be back. I promise.” “I hope not dead and cold, but I’m coming with you.” “No, you’re not.” His eyes narrowed. “You said it yourself, you’re exposed now. You’re maybe stronger, but you can be killed. I can’t risk you, too.” “So you can risk yourself but not me? How is it even fair? I can help you not get killed, Ryden. Suck it up because you ca
LUCIUS“He has a huge territory and depends on the human security system?” Eann complained as he watched the unguarded ground. “Is he nuts?”“Don’t say the obvious.” I groaned as I studied the weak spots of Ryden Braxton’s land on the map in my hand.“Maybe we should just let him get killed then we take Amelia with us.”I narrowed at him and growled. “What in the words I said this needs to happen you didn’t fucking understand? Do you know how she would feel losing a mate?”Drak sighed deeply beside me.I turned my head at him, throwing him the same glare. “Is there something you wanna fucking say to my face?”He shook his head. “We’ve been tracking this asshole for days, and he’s always got away. He’s more slippery than the legions. We have no clue what he’s planning next. How about we go and talk to his boss?”“And then do what?” Eann asked him.“He will deny any connections to his fucking guy and clean his hands like every rich asshole does. Then Douglas will know we’re after him.”