AMBER. By the time I finished my morning shower, Zach was already downstairs. I didn’t waste time, as I also had many things to do today. I was starting my day by visiting Dr. Grace. As much as Zach wanted to go with me, he also had things to do, and we didn’t want Estelle to see us together. “So what will happen if you find your fated mate?” I heard Mindy ask, and it made me stop entering the main kitchen, wanting to hear the response. I was sure she was speaking to Estelle. “Hmmm. I don’t know. I really like Zach,” Estelle replied.“What if it’s also another Alpha? Will you reconsider?” Mindy asked again.“Are you trying to convince me to let go of Zach?” She chuckled, and I wanted to roll my eyes. A pang of jealousy hit my chest as I listened to their private conversation. What if Mindy ended up truly liking her? “No…” Mindy chuckled softly. “All I’m saying is, the mate bond pull is so strong that it’s difficult to ignore it. So I’m not sure how you can fight it off.”“Hmmm… Di
ZACH.I was still trying to take in everything Amber told me. I felt my heart was being ripped apart. One of the reasons I stayed away from her was so that they would not pay attention to her, but that was exactly what happened. My chest heaved as I closed my eyes to keep them from dilating. I was upset, and so was Apollo. It was harder to restrain us both. “Zach… Breathe in, breathe out.” Amber’s soft voice and the way her hand was caressing my chest were helping my breathing to slow down, but I was still in a rage. “I’m okay. They were not able to harm me.” She added. “And your wolf? That could be the reason why you’re still wolfless.”“Cassidy is also wolfless. So it might be just like that. We would joke that our wolves went on an adventure and got lost on their way back to us.” She was smiling beautifully, but I could see the sadness in her eyes, no matter how she tried to hide it. “Cassidy’s mom is a pure human. Yours is not.” “Maybe I’m just weak.”“No. I never thought of
ZACH.“Without John helping to point out Grant in manipulating the blood contract, our only gem now is Estelle.”“What do you mean?” I asked, my forehead creasing. “If you mean Estelle being here, I don’t think that’s a valid case against them, as she’s only here to fulfill their end of the contract.”“No. Not that one.” She swallowed. “I mean, that they also use Estelle to manipulate how the contract will end.”“I don’t think I understand…” I paused. “Is this why you want her here?”She nodded and bit her bottom lip.“Are there things you were not telling me?”“You said no more lies and no more secrets. Please know that I only kept this from you because I don’t want you to feel guilty that you caused this, and I also don’t want to point fingers until everything is proven. But you’re right. Even the tiniest doubt, I should tell you about it.”“Should I be terrified?” My heart began picking up its pace. The only time I would feel guilty about something was if it were something that caus
ZACH.“Like I said, I won’t ask you to change that. I need that love and forgiveness around me, but I want you to trust me to do my duty as an Alpha.”“I’ll do better…”“I know you will…”“Are you disappointed in me?”“I don’t think I will ever be disappointed in you. But yes, that affected my mood.”“Thank you for not entertaining Estelle.” I smiled at her and patted my lap as I spoke. “Twenty-three years, and I never entertained anyone except you. That’s a hard habit to beat.”She sat on my lap and snaked her arms around me, hugging me tightly. And like always, the heat of her body calmed my senses and made the tiredness fly away. “Thank you. For a moment, I was terrified that I had pushed you towards her.” She murmured.“Never…” “Tell me about John.”“I will. But will you tell me why Estelle is here after I tell you about John?”She nodded. “The only reason I didn’t tell you is because I don’t want you to think I was slandering her. It’s different with John, because I have nothi
AMBER: With my hands curled into fists, I stepped out of my bedroom, ready to bolt there, but I hadn’t even taken three steps when the door opened and Zach came out, pushing himself until he was almost by the wall of the adjacent door. “I don’t let anyone inside my room. Please, step out.” “I just brought you dinner because you didn’t join us.” Estelle’s voice came from inside his room. “I appreciate that, but if I were hungry, I would have eaten there or asked someone to bring me food. Again, Lady Estelle, please step out of my room.”My lips quivered again as tears pooled in my eyes. I slowly stepped back until I was back in my room, still leaving the door open and resting my back against the wall, listening to their conversation.She tried talking him into letting her help him with food or if he needed assistance with anything, such as preparing his bath. And he simply turned her down until he shut her off completely by saying he was tired and he wanted alone time. Estelle fina
“So you think I just hit him because I want to? Because I can? You were not even there for five minutes, and you judge me already! You were not there when I calmly asked him to explain and spill everything he knew. You were not there when I told him I was giving him another chance to talk before I did it my way! And you were not there for the last two fucking years when I put my life in his hands! I gave that man everything—my trust, my soul, my insecurities, and my money—only for him to play with my life! And if you think he doesn’t deserve everything I gave him, then crucify me now!”“But what if he’s not guilty?”“In all the years you have known me, Amber. Except for the years I treated you badly, did I ever cross the line of being an abusive Alpha? Have I? Because I was sure that the only reason I grabbed that whip and cracked it on him was because I was one hundred percent sure he was guilty, that he knew what he was doing. That he knew who he was working for and who he was gettin