Chapter 4

I was thinking back to her tear-filled eyes as I wolfed down the last pancake. Then, I remembered that we hadn’t seen her at dinner last night and that I’d been offended she didn’t come to serve us as her duties as an employee required... no, she wasn’t an employee... my parents used her like a slave. She had to do everything—laundry, cleaning, cooking, the works. The rest of the staff was mostly there to keep an eye on her, yet I’d often see them sitting around chatting and having a good time while Amelia had to work.

Alex: Where did she go? Does she have any friends?

Zach sighed sadly as he looked at me.

Zach: I don’t think so... she’s been living with us for ten years... have you ever seen her with friends?

He ran his hands over his face and sighed sadly.

Zach: Her father saved our lives, and this is how we repay him... her father gave his life to save us, and we mistreated his only daughter... no wonder she ran away... she has her wolf now... she could be anywhere...

Alex: Do you know if she enrolled in college?

Zach: Dad refused to sign the papers. He said she was too stupid to even hope to study. I got curious and checked her academic records... she has a perfect GPA... A+ in every subject.

Alex: Why do our parents hate her so much? I mean, her father was our dad’s Beta...

Zach: Do you remember when Dad brought her home? He forbade us from being kind to her… she was only eight… and we were eleven…

Alex: I remember she cried all the time… and it made me angry that she didn’t realize how lucky she was to come live with us… I was so selfish… she had just lost her father, her only family…

We ventured deeper into the forest, following her scent. She was heading further into the woods, drawing closer to our pack’s southern border, and I felt my heart clench with distress. The southern pack was bloodthirsty and showed no mercy to intruders. We quickened our pace, hoping to catch up to her before it was too late.

We arrived at a small cabin in the woods. The delicious scent of our mate was there, as if she had stopped running at that spot. We moved toward the door, and I felt my heart pounding wildly. The scent led into the house but didn't seem to lead back out. I opened the door and looked inside. There was no one there. I felt disappointment wash over me and looked at my brother sadly.

Alex: If I had known she was our mate, I never would have been cruel to her…

Zach sighed sadly in turn.

Zach: Neither would I…

Zach’s POV

I looked at my brother and saw that he was just as distressed as I was. The delicious scent of our mate was all around us, yet it didn't seem to extend beyond this small cabin.

Zach: She can’t be far, Alex... let’s circle the outside of the cabin; maybe we can pick up a trail.

We walked around the house, but the only trace of her scent was the one we had followed to get here.

Alex: She has to be here... her scent doesn't go anywhere else...

I sighed heavily.

Zach: She’s probably afraid of us...

I sat down on the ground, sighing sadly.

Zach: Amelia... I know you can hear me, and I know you have no reason to trust us... we just want to talk...

I waited, but she didn't answer.

Alex: Amelia, I know we were mean to you; we were awful, arrogant... we don't deserve your forgiveness, but please—you are our mate, and we want you...

Zach: We were cruel to you, and it wasn't justified... you didn't deserve to be treated the way we—and our family—treated you... please, give us a chance to make amends.

Alex: For as long as I can remember, we’ve wanted our soulmate, and that’s you... baby... please, come back to us...

Zach: My little Luna... please... I promise everything will change now... you won't be mistreated by us or by any member of the pack anymore...

My wolf was clawing at me from the inside, begging me to find our mate and set things right with her. But there was so much to be forgiven for.

Alex: I’m sorry I hit you a few days ago and tried to strangle you yesterday… I’m sorry I banished you from the pack… deprived you of food, insulted you… and for all those awful things I did to you…

Zach: I’m sorry I was one of the ones tormenting you, my Luna; I should have protected you. Please, baby…

I heard a stifled sob and looked up. That’s when I saw her. She was curled up on a large branch, clutching her knees to her chest. I pointed her out to my brother, and he sighed with relief at having found her.

Alex: Baby, can you come down, please? We just want to talk to you…

I saw her body tremble as she realized we had spotted her. She looked so fragile, so small. Her long red hair fell in soft waves around her slight frame, and I remembered how soft it felt when I had torn out her hair tie—her very last hair tie.

Amelia’s POV

I could hear their words, and my wolf was begging me to give them a chance, but I was so afraid.

Amelia: I know you want your mates, but remember how they treated us!

The truth was, my wolf spirit had emerged three years ago, on my fifteenth birthday. I couldn’t shift, and my scent hadn’t fully developed back then, so they hadn’t sensed that I was their mate—but we had suffered terribly because of how they treated us.

Elza: I know… but they didn’t know about us…

Amelia: Is that a good enough reason to mistreat someone? Remember the Winter Ball? How happy we were that they invited us… do you remember what happened? They humiliated us in front of the whole pack!

Elza let out a plaintive whimper in my mind at the memory.

Elza: I know… but I can feel that their wolves are sincere this time… and they didn’t know about us… I know that’s no excuse, but please… for my sake, give them a chance…