Dale’s POV “What the hell will she be doing in a human city?” Trent spouted, his eyes darting from me to Gregg. “Are you sure about this?” Gregg nodded. “Quite. She’s in a human city alright; you can find out what she’s doing once you find her. ”He was looking at me while he spoke. “Right.” I answered. “Prepare a car, some of the men, and two of our best trackers. We leave right away. Also, provide Gregg with whatever he may need. I need to check on Amber before we leave. ”Without waiting for Trent’s voice of reason, which I was sure I was going to hear one way or the other, I dashed away from the clearing, taking my steps two at a time till I was in front of the mansion, then inside it. ‘I still feel the bond.’ My wolf said, speaking up for the first time in a while. I exhaled sharply, relieved to hear his voice. ‘Don’t panic.’I closed my eyes shut, trying to slow down my breathing and take control of my emotions, which were a mess. When I opened my eyes again, m
Amber’s POV Darkness. Not the peaceful kind that soothes you into slumber, nor the gentle quiet that welcomed your body to rest. This darkness was something else—thick, painful, suffocating, and pressing in on me from all sides. The pain tugged me out of unconsciousness, pulling me back into my body with a dull, throbbing awareness. My limbs felt heavy, my skin felt raw, and there was an uncomfortable weight in my chest that seemed both familiar and foreign. I groaned, shifting slightly as though that would help unload the weight, but instead I felt a sharp sting in my side that made me wince. My body protested any movement, reminding me exactly why I felt as though I had been run over by a train. Maybe because I had been. Well, not literally—but if I counted everything that had happened, it was close to that. My body wasn’t healing as fast as it should, and Alpha Dale…Alpha Dale. My eyes flew open. The room was dim, warm, and oddly familiar—but my heart raced as my thoughts
Amber’s POV I could still hear the growl long after Mallory was gone. The animalistic warning sound rang in my ears like a bell, reminding me over and over again of the beast I was. How dangerous I could be if they let me. It did not matter that Mallory was choking someone I cared about. My mind blanked for a second. When did I start thinking about Yeti as someone I cared about? Both Yeti and Janine were staring at me. Something inside me had snapped because of Yeti, and I hated to think what I would have done if it were Janine in those shoes. I felt… different. I had no idea what had happened, but I knew something was changing within me. Not in a dramatic, world-shattering way, but still it unsettled me. It was as if someone had unlocked a door inside me that I had no idea was bottled shut. And something dangerous was slipping out. A slow, gnawing horror crept up my chest. My ears rang. My fingers curled into the sheets. An awful pressure built inside me, filling my insid
Amber’s POV Fire. Red. Hot. Everywhere. It slithered up the walls, eating through homes and people alike. Heat pulsed around me, mimicking my heartbeat. The air was thick and suffocating. Smoke wrapped around my throat like a noose. The screams were heart-wrenching. The hands appeared first, reaching for me. The screams became louder, more taunting. Someone was screaming someone’s name. My name? I glanced around, searching for the source of the screams and also for anything that was not fire. That was when I saw the little girl. I recognized her instantly. She had my golden eyes, and they were boring into me. Wisps of her hair—the same fiery red as mine—clung to her damp forehead. Why was she here? I needed to get her out of here. But before I could move, hands clamped down on my wrist. A jolt shot up my arm, and then I was falling—I woke with a scream, bolting upright in my bed. My breath came out in loud puffs, and despite the cold, frigid air, sweat clung to my skin. My
Amber’s POV The library was quiet when we entered. It was the second time I was here, but I couldn’t get over the heavy silence that seemed to settle up on everything like a blanket. Yeti, on the other hand, looked more at ease than I felt. She bounced confidently through the towering and imposing shelves, looking at home in the books. She hummed thoughtfully, scanning the shelves before turning to flash me a grin. “I’ll look around for something easy. Don’t stray too far. ”I nodded absently, my gaze flickering over the row of books around me. I watched her move fluidly, scanning the books and moving on. I followed her example, glancing through the row of books until one of them caught my attention. It was a dark, slightly crooked, ancient book with years of wear and tear. I reached for the book; it was heavier than expected, and I frowned at the words that I couldn’t read. Flipping open the book randomly, my eyes skimmed over words that made no meaning to me. I turned aroun
Dale’s POV Gregg was convinced the witch was hiding in the motel. We had been sitting for what felt like ages—only a few hours—and we saw no signs of life. The motel stank of cheap cigarettes, fear, and regrets. I wondered why she chose a place like this to hide—if she was even in there. From where i sat in the rental car Silas has gotten us after ditching our cars, I watched the windows. Checking for signs of life, of which ours seemed like the only ones out here. “She’s still in there,” Gregg murmured, hunching forward to peer over my shoulders. He glanced at me. “You know I’m right.” “Shut up.” Trent grumbled, eyes locked on the windows as well. I pressed my hands on my temple, heaving a sigh. “Have you been able to reach Janine?” I asked, glancing at Trent. He shook his head. “I think she blocked us out. All her numbers are taking me to voicemail. Have you tried Amber? ”My jaw tightened. “The same thing. The mate bond would have come in handy right now.
Amber’s POV Janine still wasn’t talking to me. Jonah, her assistant, insisted she was busy, but maybe that was just an excuse? It's been two days, and I’ve seen no sign of her anywhere. Every morning, I hoped I’d see her at the dining table, but every morning, I was disappointed. Mallory, on the other hand, made it a point to stay out of my way—which was a good thing. I was grateful for Yeti too. Although I still wasn’t quite sure I could fully trust her, the fact that she was growing on me still remained. I kept the card, coming up with different reasons each day why I should not call the number. Today—as I did every other day—I picked up the card, turning it over and over in my hand, trying to come up with good enough reasons why I shouldn’t pick up my phone and dial the good lady’s number. The same as every other day, I couldn’t find any good reason, but I still returned the card to my nightstand and left the room. I was supposed to be meeting Yeti for our daily sessions
Amber’s POV Calling Emily was not a mistake. That was what I kept on telling myself as I slipped into the dimly lit hallway. My pulse hammered in my ears, and I kept glancing around, checking to see if someone was coming. No one was—at least, not anyone that will recognize me. But I couldn’t be too careful. The mansion was always busy. There were always people everywhere, but this night, it seemed like they multiplied. I couldn’t turn any corner without bumping into one or two people, or even a group. I kept my hood low and my body as close to the wall as I could get without looking suspicious. Once I was out of here, I would be safe and maybe, I’d be able to breathe. But as long as I was still in the mansion, I ran the risk of running into either Janine, Yeti, or one of my designated guards. Forcing my shoulders to relax, I took a sharp turn. A group of people was huddled close to the kitchen, their conversations bleeding into the corridors, easy and careless. I envied
Amber’s POV Even after we return to Free City and stop in front of Alpha Dale’s pack house, I still couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched. Alpha Dale helped me out of the car, wrapping his arms around me to help with the travel sickness and once he felt I was getting better, he moved away from me. I glanced around the garage where we were packed hoping I could spot something out of place, but the only thing I saw was Beta Trent, staring directly at me. The way he was looking at me made me want to climb out of my skin and run far away. Although, just a few weeks ago, we had been working together and even after that, he had quietly acknowledged me, being around him still gave me the jee-bees. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that deep inside me, I knew he agreed with the Council that I wasn’t good enough for the Lycan King. A girl like me with no background, even if my wolf was the strongest and rarest. I swallowed roughly and just stared back at him like an idiot
Amber’s POV With my ability, I could somehow tell that there was just two people in the house. If there was someone else. Alpha Dale and Silas would sniff them out. The lake house was luxurious and it was very clear that Alpha Dale’s family weren’t just rich, they had a sort of wealth that encompassed the entire werewolf community. Everything was perfectly designed, and even though there wasn’t anything particularly flashy or extravagant, it still oozed money. Beta Trent moved through the house with a type of precision that only came from knowing the layout intimately. It made me wonder how often they spent time in any other properties. It couldn’t be that often since for the one year I was with them, we never went anywhere. In under a minute, we were staring Donn and Celia down in one of the many parlor rooms on the first floor. It hadn’t been that long since I last saw Donn, but he was unrecognizable now. His skin looked tight over his bones and he lost so much weight that he
Amber’s POV I was tired and sleepy as hell. While Alpha Dale had been busy walking from one councilmember to the other and interrogating Yeti’s mother, I had been busy with tracing who the actual spy was so we could finally clear Yeti’s name. If the charge weren’t dropped. We had worked till the early hours of the morning and just when I had begun dozing off, the computer geek guy announced that there was a lead! And he didn’t just pinpoint where we could find our spy, but where Derrick and Donn could be as well. It was a vacation lake house just outside of Free city. One of Alpha Dale’s properties which he didn’t use often. We left for the Lake house the next morning and I only got an hour of sleep. Our computer guy had enough intel to find the whereabouts of the security cameras and surveillance around the house Donn, Derrick and our spy was holed up in, so we already knew how far we had to travel to remain undetected. There was a long hike ahead of us, but with a deep brea
Dale’s POV Once I knew for sure that Amber was safely in Janine’s office, I let my beta know that I was heading out for the day. I wasn’t one to check-in and report where I was going to be but, thanks to the current circumstances, we were all at high alert. The fact that a witch had been able to infiltrate our minds, helping our enemy get what they want with us what something I was very much ashamed of. Finding my uncle and Derrick was not just a necessity now, it was what had to be done to prove to my subjects that I wasn’t weak and I could protect them. And now with the council hounding Yeti. It wasn’t just disrespecting me. it was a threat to my title and one that I wasn’t going to let go that easily. “Do you think going to see Graves is really a good idea?” Silas said, keeping his eyes glued to the phone in his hand as he questioned me as if he was nonchalant about the answer. But I knew that was far from the truth. As chief security officer, he shouldered plenty of responsi
Amber’s POV Yeti was the person who kept me going when everyone hated me even in Moonstone pack. I realized that a long time ago even though I hadn’t known her identity then. Although she had been going through a lot herself, she still tried to help me with medical supplies not caring about what would happen to her if she had been caught. If I lost her, I won’t be okay. The panicked flutter in my chest started up again, stealing my breath. It only took a minute for everything to fall apart and the little bit of peace I found gone with one swipe from the council. They were always the problem. Yeti was my goddamn best friend, and if she’d been a spy this whole time, I would have known. Besides, no spy would give their life to save the person they were spying on. All I wanted was hot shower and a bed to hide in for the rest of the day after the way I dealt with that councilman. After I put my powers under control – the best I could – we fell into an uncomfortable silence, but it’s
Amber’s POV My chest was on fire. My lungs screamed for air and my heart thumped inside my ribcage at a frenzied pace, but I couldn’t force myself to be calm as I stared across the room at Janine. I couldn’t bring myself to look Yeti in the eye, not with the sight of her being slammed and strangled by Derrick still fresh in my head. Janine’s eyes bored into mine, her own anger at Donn’s betrayal simmering just below the surface. I didn’t think things could escalate so freaking quickly. One minute I was happy my friend was out of danger and was no longer under the threat of losing her wolf and in the other, I was finding out her fated mate was one of the men who could have killed us had the order been given some nights ago. “It’s true…” Janine said, ducking her head to concentrate on the scrapes and bruises she was healing over Yeti’s skin. “Fabian is her Fated mate. I saw his wolf choose her during the Culling,” Although Fabian was highly trained with more skills than me, Yeti
Amber’s POV I woke up as early as 3:30am the next morning to take another shower and get ready for the day. I had a lot to do and one of them was seeing Yeti and finding a way to clear her name even if the issue hadn’t been raised yet. I didn’t want it to be raised at all. I was done dressing by the time Alpha Dale’s alarm sounded at four. He groaned like he was being murdered, shoved a pillow over his head and grumbled under his breath like he was plotting a murder for whoever it was that woke him up early. He reached out with one arm to find me once he was done grumbling and when he came up empty, he threw the pillow over his head away, sitting up with a scowl. I tried not to laugh because he looked like a child missing his mother. I smirked and waved at him because it was good seeing him off-kilter for once and not the usual composed and straight man that he was. “Stop that,” he growled. “Stop looking smug and get over here. Trent will be here any minute and I need another
Amber’s POV When I woke up, it was long after dark. Alpha Dale was right beside me and instead of distracting himself by getting busy with something, he was watching me sleep. Seeing him beside me, looking at me like I meant everything in the world to him was deliciously tempting. I sat up slowly. There was a nervous energy surrounding me now that I knew I was going to be a mother. I wasn’t worried about my wolf anymore; she had proven herself many times in the last few weeks that I was sure it was time to spare her the benefit of doubt. “You’re awake,” Alpha Dale said drowsily. Leaning forward, he placed a kiss on my lips. “You looked really peaceful, I didn’t have the mind to wake you up.” I smiled, thanking him silently for allowing me sleep. My body needed all the sleep it could get. Glancing around, I saw that I was still in Janine’s office where I had fallen asleep earlier and suddenly recalled why I was here. Yeti. “How is she?” I asked. “But first, how did the council m
Amber’s POV I paced the length of Janine’s small office space for what felt like the hundredth time and my arms wrapped tightly around myself. I shouldn’t be here. Alpha Dale was going to be furious – maybe – when he returned and didn’t find me. But I didn’t just want to seat and wait, like everyone was telling me. I wanted to see my friends. I needed to see for myself that Yeti was alive and well. But even after several hours of waiting in here, Janine still won’t let me see her. I tried not to think that she was punishing me for not looking after her well. Maybe she was punishing herself for ever doubting her… I ran a hand through my long hair which was now a scattered mess the same way Alpha Dale always did when he was frustrated with something that wasn’t going his way, and heaved a long sigh. Speaking of Alpha Dale, I felt him like a second person under my skin. Ever since the incident at the red moon when I tried to save him – I wasn’t even sure if that worked – I could fe