Chapter 7: Rubies and Rage

"What will you do, Amelia?" Gabriel demanded, his words laced with a mix of disbelief and frustration. He couldn’t control the volume of his voice. He didn’t mean to yell, but anger was rising in him. "You were nothing but a lowly rogue before I took you in! You had no pack! No title! I made you LUNA! Remember your place, Amelia. If you dare cross that border, you will be banished. FOREVER! You will never set foot in this pack again."

Amelia met Gabriel's gaze head-on. She knew that she would never be allowed back, and she didn’t care. Why would she stay here, with a man that never loved her? With a pack that treated her like garbage? 

She had made her decision, and she was confident. She wanted to be back with her family, where she was revered and loved and cherished. Not here, where she was ridiculed and abused.    

"I’m ready to leave, Gabriel," Amelia replied, her voice steady and unwavering. "I understand. I’ll be banished from this pack, from your life. But it's time now. It’s time to say good-bye.”

“Amelia,” he said, interrupting her thoughts. And for the briefest of moments, she thought she saw a flicker of remorse on his face. Was there regret? Did he regret the way he’d treated her? Did he have any feelings for her, even fleeting ones? But just as quickly, the moment passed and his face hardened again. Of course not. He felt nothing for her. He never had. “Then go,” was all he said.

Amelia looked to Olivia, who gave her friend a look that said, ‘let’s get out of here’. Amelia nodded and the two she-wolves walked away.

Gabriel watched her back as she disappeared into the woods, away from him and his pack. She had literally just walked out of his life forever.  Garbiel's steely eyes followed her retreating figure, devoid of any visible emotion. Deep down, though, Gabriel was confused, as he grappled with the reality that Amelia had CHOSEN to leave. He felt a twinge of pity for her, since she was a rogue and had nowhere to go. But beyond that, he didn’t really feel anything else.

Or did he?

Sure, he’d become used to having her around. And she’d done her best to fulfill her role as Luna. But Gabriel had never really accepted her. Didn’t he deserve a Luna that he wanted? He was a strong Alpha. Didn’t he deserve a mate worthy of his status and power?

Once Amelia had disappeared, Vivienne, ever quick to seize an opportunity to voice her opinions, approached him with a smirk of satisfaction.

"Good riddance," she sneered. "I'm glad that bitch is gone. She was the most useless Luna I've ever seen. You were wasting your time with her, my son. She was-" 

But before Vivienne could continue her tirade, Gabriel raised his hand, a flash of fury in his eyes. His mother’s voice was annoying him; it felt like nails on a chalkboard right now. He wanted to be alone.

 "Leave," he growled, his voice filled with commanding authority. His mother obeyed.

Alone in the woods, Gabriel sought solace. He slouched against the bark of a tree, his head cradled in his hands. He thought about the past two years and all that he had given her. The lavish gifts, the expensive clothes, the stunning jewels.

"All she ever wanted was my love," Gabriel whispered, feeling sorry for her. “But that’s something I couldn’t give her.” He felt sorry for her. He always had, but he couldn’t show it because an Alpha cannot be weak. No one had respected her. Not ever. His mother had been very mean to her, a veritable bitch really, and if he was being honest with himself, he’d been really mean, too. In hindsight, he’d been meaner than he had to but it was only because he was annoyed. Why had the Moongoddess chosen a rogue for him? He’d gone along with the ritual and named Amelia Luna, but deep down, he’d never really wanted her. And it had shown. So no one else had accepted her as Luna, either.  It must have been hard for her. She had done everything he asked. 

He felt himself getting a bit defensive. It wasn’t his problem, though. It wasn’t his fault she’d been miserable. He hadn’t chosen her; the Moongoddess had.   

Just then, an urgent call from Sophia rang through the pack mindlink. Sophia informed him that someone had just seen Amelia cross the boundaries of their pack. So it was official now; she was gone.

“Will you return to the pack house, Gabriel? With me?” Sophia asked, seizing the opportunity. “We have your mother’s full support. She’s always believed that-“

Gabriel didn’t want to talk about it. Amelia had just left! And although he hadn’t really wanted her there, over the past two years, he’d become used to having her around. What would it be like now, without her? 

Gabriel sat up straight. What was this feeling? Was it sadness? Was he feeling sad that Amelia was gone? He shook his head. Why would he be sad? He never loved her. What did he care that she was gone? 

Vivienne interjected, her voice filled with an unapologetic satisfaction. "As I said, I'm happy she's gone. Now Sophia can take her place as the rightful Luna," she declared, her words further fueling Gabriel's growing fury.

The nerve of these two! They were so quick to push their own agendas. Amelia had barely left and they were already trying to force Sophia on him. He felt his wolf rising, beyond annoyed that they were bothering him like this.

"I refuse to talk about this any further today!" Gabriel bellowed, his voice thunderous. "Stop!"

Suddenly, Vivienne let out a blood-curdling scream. It echoed through the halls of the pack house, sending shivers down everyone's spines. Her panicked voice trembled as she expressed her fears. 

"Oh my moon!” Vivenne exclaimed. “I just thought of something. Amelia said she was here to 'pick up something.' What if? What if she stole it, Gabriel? The ruby? As Luna, it belonged to her so it was in her bedroom!"

Gabriel shook his head. There’s no way. Amelia was a rogue, yes, but she wasn’t a thief. In fact, she had been nothing but loyal the entire time she’d been with the pack.  But the urgency in Vivienne's voice prompted them to rush to Amelia's room. As Gabriel reached the threshold, a sense of shock washed over him.

"Nothing. She didn't take a single thing," Gabriel murmured. "Not one thing I gave her. Not one gift. It's all still here. She really didn't care about any of this? But why? She’s a rogue. She could have taken some of this stuff. It’s worth money in the human world."

His gaze fell upon the jewelry box, its contents untouched. In a haze, Gabriel's trembling hand reached inside and retrieved a delicate diamond tennis bracelet. The significance of the gift struck him, its weight on his heart unbearable. He had given it to her on their one-year mate bond anniversary. It had cost a small fortune. Why hadn’t she taken it with her?

Meanwhile, Vivienne rummaged through a large chest in the corner, her voice tinged with desperation. Then she stood up and placed her hand over her mouth, aghast. "The Ruby stone is gone!" she exclaimed, her words carrying a mix of shock and accusation. This ruby was the legacy of the pack. It was kept by the Luna until an heir was born, and then passed on to the next Alpha. “That bitch! She stole it. I told you,” Vivenne said, facing her son.

Gabriel's mind reeled, grappling with the realization that his worst fears might be true. He was torn between who he knew Amelia to be (an honest, trusting she-wolf) and the cold, hard facts laid bare before him.

The box was empty. The ruby, a symbol of their heritage, was missing.

"I can't believe it," Gabriel whispered, his voice heavy with disbelief. "It can’t be."

Vivienne responded with conviction. "It sure as hell is, Gabriel. I told you! She's a worthless rogue! She stole the ruby! She knows full well how important this jewel is to our pack. That's why she left so quickly. Because she had the ruby. You have to put out an APB on her immediately, Gabriel."

Gabriel stood there, his mind swirling with conflicting emotions. On the one hand, he couldn’t believe it! Amelia – she couldn’t have stolen the ruby.

But on the other hand – the box was empty. The ruby was gone.

He nodded swiftly at his mom. As Alpha, he had no choice. The evidence was there. Amelia had stolen the ruby. He set out to issue an APB.