AMBER. “Marry me, Amber.” He said out of nowhere, and my mouth hung open. My eyes welled with tears, and so did his as we stared at each other. “Whatever happens after the 48 days, marry me.”I nodded my head as my tears fell. I felt his chair move forward, and his hand reached behind me, opening his desk drawer. I clung closer to him and turned my head to look at what he was doing. He pulled out a small box, and I already knew what it was—our engagement ring. I sent it back to him months after the accident in the hope it would stir emotion in him and that he would call me. He didn’t, and I regretted that move as I lost the last precious gift he gave me. “You kept it,” I mumbled as he slowly opened the box, and we both looked at the amber ring that I was only able to wear for a month. “I did, like all the other things that remind me of you.” He said as he tilted his head to meet my gaze. “I always looked at it when I was alone. Some days, I wanted to call you and get back with you
BETA FEMALE MINDY. Lately, I haven’t been able to get enough of my mate and the kisses he has given me. I wanted more of them until we remembered we had things to do. We were laughing as we ran down the stairs to meet our new guest.‘She’s here, Lady Amber.’ I mindlinked my future Luna when we were already by the stairs and almost on the ground floor. ‘Don’t worry, I will be with her until she’s in her room. I also made Arlo promise not to leave the Alpha alone until you’re back to accompany him.’I was glad to do this for her. We both trusted our males but not the females around them, and since Lady Amber had been building my confidence to face those females who flirted with Arlo, I wanted to do the same thing for her. I would keep an eye on the Alpha with Arlo’s help when she couldn’t. ‘Thank you. I appreciate this.’ I replied. ‘I’ll be there soon.’ After we ended our conversation, I prepared myself to face the half-sibling of the man who had done me wrong. I only had a few hour
6 months after Amber turned 18Amber - 18 years oldZach - 21 years oldZACH.Amber and I. It has always been us. I couldn’t remember exactly when I fell in love with her. She had been around me since I was a pup, and I just woke up one day, and my whole world was already revolving around her. Amber was my ray of sunshine. On my bad days, all I needed to do was look at or talk to her, and she would easily calm the chaos within me. “Jace was an asshole, yet she still loves him,” I told her. We were talking about one of our friends who did something terrible in the past. “She believes in him.” She mumbled. I just shrugged my shoulders.“You can be my asshole, Zach. I will still love you just the same.” Her eyes softened, and her words warmed my entire being.“I can be an asshole to everyone but not to you, Amber. Never to you.” I meant it. I could be cold and blunt to anyone, but never to her. Even when we were younger, she was always the exception. I had appointed myself as her bes
10 DAYS AFTER THE ACCIDENT. AMBER.My head was throbbing, so I remained lying down with my eyes closed. My head pain was getting manageable compared to how I felt when I woke up two days ago. I was told it had been a week since the accident, and before I woke up, I kept drifting in and out of consciousness after I had blood transfusions. I lost too much blood, and without a wolf, my body was as frail as a human.It had been a week, but it felt like it was just a moment ago when I was cramped up in the crashed car and Zach passed out in front of me. I was hysterical while talking to Dad on the phone. He tried to pacify me while getting information. He eventually passed the phone to my twin brother, Cyrus, so he could call people to help us out of here. I was terrified. I kept begging them to save Zach.There was blood everywhere. I could also smell smoke and gas—the idea of the car blowing up was terrifying, like waiting for death to happen. Eventually, I was able to push my car do
AMBER.“Take me to him!” I said as my chest heaved.“That’s my plan, but I need to find out how to attach this dextrose to the stand…” She was not able to finish her words, and her eyes grew bigger when I clutched the tube attached to me and peeled it off my skin. I felt a tinge of pain, but it was nothing compared to the pain in my heart.I couldn’t understand anything. My head refused to think why Zach would not visit me or why I was not allowed to visit him.Was Dad or Mom upset with him? Are they blaming him for the accident? I have to tell them it was an accident and no one wanted it.“Are you sure you’ll be okay? I don’t have shoes for you…”“Just take me there,” I replied as Eva helped me get into the wheelchair.“We need to be careful, as you’re not allowed to leave the room,” Eva said, and I nodded in response. I was grateful she was the exact opposite of me.While I followed all the rules to a T, Eva was more adventurous. She broke curfews and rules but never complained when
A YEAR AFTER THE ACCIDENT.AMBER.That day never came. It had been exactly a year since the accident, and I had rarely encountered Zach. I tried visiting him multiple times, but I was not allowed to pass through their borders. I tried reaching out to his parents, and they let me in one time, only for me to leave feeling more heartbroken than I was.Zach was no longer the man I fell in love with. It was replaced with a monster who had no regard for anyone around him, even for me. I tried to understand him. He lost his capability to walk in that accident, while I was able to come out without any damage except for a small portion of my earlobe that was cut. And we both knew it was my fault. He made sure I remembered that. “If you weren’t a fucking whore and tried to get laid that night, I could have seen what was going on on the road.” He said those words to me many moons ago, but I still hear it as if he just said it earlier.I knew after that we could never have what we used to hav
AMBER.“You’ve been quiet,” Cassidy asked me as she handed me a cocktail drink. I didn’t even check what it was and just sipped the straw. The burn hit my throat at once, and I began coughing. “Hey! Are you trying to get drunk?” She chuckled and patted my back.“Zach is arriving with his family,” I told her. I was at a friend’s union, and I didn’t expect him to attend. He had never attended any functions since the accident. He would rather stay in his territory and isolate himself. Most of his Alpha friends kept visiting him at the beginning until they all just gave up. But I knew they would still extend invitations to him, like this one, but no one expected him to show up. So I couldn’t believe he would show up here.“Really?” She asked.I nodded and gave the glass to the server who passed by before taking a glass of water to soothe the burn in my throat. Cassidy was still talking but my attention was already elsewhere. My eyes swept around the ballroom, looking at everyone. I smi
AMBER.“I didn’t say you were not capable of going to that room on your own, but this is not your party to ruin! So stop snapping at anyone, and let’s get you out of here!” I didn’t even give him time to object, and my eyes avoided everyone as I was not sure if I could get away with snapping at an Alpha in a crowded room. I moved toward his back, and Beta Arlo stepped aside immediately. As soon as I grabbed the handles of his chair, I rolled him away from the ballroom, and I was glad no one had stopped me. Zach didn’t say a thing. I was not sure if he was surprised or if he felt ashamed of his actions. Everyone tiptoed around him like they were not allowed to reprimand him for being an ass, but I was so done with all this crap. There’s a place for coddling him, but definitely not here, not when we’re supposed to be celebrating Catherine and Tyler’s union. He remained quiet while we were inside the elevator, but I could see him looking at me through our reflections on the elevator
BETA FEMALE MINDY. Lately, I haven’t been able to get enough of my mate and the kisses he has given me. I wanted more of them until we remembered we had things to do. We were laughing as we ran down the stairs to meet our new guest.‘She’s here, Lady Amber.’ I mindlinked my future Luna when we were already by the stairs and almost on the ground floor. ‘Don’t worry, I will be with her until she’s in her room. I also made Arlo promise not to leave the Alpha alone until you’re back to accompany him.’I was glad to do this for her. We both trusted our males but not the females around them, and since Lady Amber had been building my confidence to face those females who flirted with Arlo, I wanted to do the same thing for her. I would keep an eye on the Alpha with Arlo’s help when she couldn’t. ‘Thank you. I appreciate this.’ I replied. ‘I’ll be there soon.’ After we ended our conversation, I prepared myself to face the half-sibling of the man who had done me wrong. I only had a few hour
AMBER. “Marry me, Amber.” He said out of nowhere, and my mouth hung open. My eyes welled with tears, and so did his as we stared at each other. “Whatever happens after the 48 days, marry me.”I nodded my head as my tears fell. I felt his chair move forward, and his hand reached behind me, opening his desk drawer. I clung closer to him and turned my head to look at what he was doing. He pulled out a small box, and I already knew what it was—our engagement ring. I sent it back to him months after the accident in the hope it would stir emotion in him and that he would call me. He didn’t, and I regretted that move as I lost the last precious gift he gave me. “You kept it,” I mumbled as he slowly opened the box, and we both looked at the amber ring that I was only able to wear for a month. “I did, like all the other things that remind me of you.” He said as he tilted his head to meet my gaze. “I always looked at it when I was alone. Some days, I wanted to call you and get back with you
AMBER.“I will convince Zach to let Estelle live with us inside this packhouse,” I said straight to the point.“Are you sure about this, Lady Amber?” Arlo asked me. I nodded. “I would rather keep an eye on her than for us to be surprised by whatever her next plan is.”“This will be hard with both of you here,” Drake said. “I’m not asking you to choose.” I smiled at them. “I’m not asking you to choose me. But I want you to respect whatever Zach’s decisions are. Right now, he is choosing me. I will remain here as long as that’s the case. If ever there comes a time that he decides to turn his back on me and choose… choose someone else. I will respect his decision this time.”I saw how Drake’s and Arlo’s shoulders dropped at my words while Mindy bit her bottom lip as she crossed her arms across her chest. Their reaction made me teary-eyed. These three had shown me nothing but support. “But until then… I will do my best to help Zach get out of this mess. I don’t want your Alpha to step
AMBER. Zach was still asleep when I rose from the bed and left the bedroom. There were many things to prepare and do before that cunning snake appeared today. We were not able to sleep early. We talked. A lot.We poured out all our emotions—our disappointment and fears. Despite the uncertainties, I was more confident that Zach was mine. He was more determined not to let Anna or Estelle get between us. He told me he had never been attracted to anyone except me, so he knew that the chaos she brought would not affect his feelings for me, only his future. And I believed him because I felt the same way. There was no one I had ever been attracted to aside from him. For some people, the attraction wanes as they grow older, but for me, it only grows stronger. I loved Zach when we were younger, loved him at his peak when he was my strength and protector, and loved him still at his lowest and most vulnerable state. My love for him keeps growing more in every stage of his life—of our lives.
ZACH.In my rush to confront her and take Amber away from there, I didn’t consider that she might turn out to be my fated mate, but I was lucky that she wasn’t. Or this would be a bigger mess than it already was. Estelle left with a threat that she would come back. I was left baffled by the contract she showed me. I was sure I didn’t sign anything, but was it because, in my hurry to get out of that room, I signed it without noticing and thought it was part of the original contract?Did I fucking sign another blood contract without my knowing?A sudden movement snapped me back to the present. I found Amber bent over the bushes at the side of the steps, retching uncontrollably, but nothing was coming out. I slammed my coiled fist on the armrest of my chair. Moments like this were when I wished I could fucking walk. I could do nothing but watch her while Mindy rushed out of the packhouse and went to her.“Amber…” My voice came out so low as I rolled toward the edge, nearer. I pulled o
AMBER. ‘Are you fated mates?’ I asked Zach in our heads.‘No.’ He replied. I looked at her extended hand and shook my head as I stepped back. I knew I would stumble soon. It was taking too much of me to hold myself up, and then I felt hands grabbing my arms, supporting me. Arlo came, and he was standing behind me. He let go of me once I was able to gather myself.‘Don’t believe her. I never said I would claim her,’ Zach reached my head. It was all I needed to hear to bring my confidence back. I tilted my head up and scoffed at her. “This pack only has one Luna. And you’re standing in front of her.”“Really now? From what I can see, Zach is still not able to stand.” She spoke confidently. Too far from the meek female who needed me to help her with everything. Did she know who I was from the beginning? Was she lying the whole time? Was the friendship she showed me part of their show?“I’m only claiming Amber,” Zach said, and I smirked at her before I mirrored her stance, crossing m
AMBER.I showered in the locker room of the training building after my session. I could have easily showered at the packhouse, but I knew that if Zach saw me, he would never let me out of his sight. He had been asking, or should I say demanding, for my attention since lunch. Not that I didn’t want to spend time with him, but I had things to do that needed to be out of his earshot, or I would have to answer questions I didn’t have answers to yet.I was already in a hurry to meet him, but I was held up twice by some people who wanted to speak with me. Since I really wanted this pack, especially the females, to be comfortable around me, I entertained them.When I was finally able to get away, I rushed toward the packhouse, hoping Zach was still working, as I hated keeping him waiting.The streets were empty, but it was nothing extraordinary, as it was just a regular day. Usually, more vehicles would be on the road on Fridays, as people would get off work and go out to chill afterward.The
*FREE CHAPTER*ZACH.‘It’s already almost eight in the morning, Alpha. John called and said he couldn’t make it today because of an emergency.’ Arlo said. My eyes snapped fully open as my forehead creased. ‘Did he say if he could come to the next session?’‘Nothing about that. And he sounded in a hurry, so I let him go right away.’This was not good. It meant I had to wait a few more days before I got an answer from him. But what if he had no plans to return? What if he discovered that we had already caught him?‘Thanks. Is everything okay?’‘Yes, Alpha. You were supposed to call Alpha Jace at seven today, but I called him earlier and told him you were not to be disturbed.’ I could sense teasing in his voice.‘I didn’t say that.’‘I decided on that,’ he chuckled. ‘Is everything okay between you and the Luna?’I smiled at the title he used for Amber. ‘Yes, we’re good.’‘Do you want me to send someone with breakfast?’‘No. We’ll make do with what we have here.’ I replied. ‘How is Mindy?
ZACH.“Oh, Goddess! This is so good…” Amber whimpered seductively as she gripped my thighs tightly while bouncing on top of me. She was riding me in a reverse cowgirl style, her body bent slightly forward so that I had the arousing view of her round ass, as well as the full sight of my cock as it plunged in and out of her tight pussy. She was so wet that I could see her juices leaking out of her at every stroke. My upper body was half elevated, resting on the reclined bed of the cabin. Yes, we finally made it to the bed of this house. Although we didn’t have any plans to have sex, we couldn’t get our hands off each other. Especially me. Once I got my first taste of her, I couldn’t control my cravings for her anymore. Amber was an addiction that I didn’t want to stop. I removed my hand from her hips and smacked her already red ass, eliciting a gasp from her. She bent more forward and held my legs before grinding her hips against mine and clenching her pussy around my cock. Sweat form