The One He Reclaimed

Amelia

I can’t get past my gut feeling that something is going to happen while I’m away. Calvin could not have woken up at a more inconvenient time. Why now? Why right this minute? It’s like he’s purposefully waking up at the worst possible times. First, it was during Koden’s attack where he forced his mark on me, sending Calvin back into a coma. Now, he woke up right as I was leaving for the weekend to oversee the viewing of Zahn’s old pack. Honestly, if this wasn’t Jocelyn’s old pack, the place where I know all her nightmares stem from, I would have cancelled and had her represent our pack.

But this is her old pack. This is the place Zahn brought her after he captured her, forced his mark on her, and raped her in front of his ranked members. I have to be there for her.

‘Tell me, Amelia, when would have been a good time for Calvin to wake up without all of his memories?’ Reika, my wolf, asks.

It’s a good question and the answer is never. So much has changed in the last year and a half and if Calvin doesn’t ever regain his memories of that time, I’ll be starting all over again with a man who doesn’t recognize me as the Alpha I’ve become. That’s a gap I don’t know if we could ever bridge.

I saw the look of shock on his face when he tried to force me to let him come this weekend and I told him no. Knowing the Calvin of old, he probably thinks my aura feels strong because he’s so weak. He’ll learn soon enough that that isn’t the case. I’ve become a much stronger woman since I left him.

‘You were always strong, Amelia. You just held yourself back because it was expected of you. You are not the same woman you were when you turned eighteen,’ Reika says.

No, I am definitely not the same woman. I’m much more independent now and I don’t take crap from anyone, that includes my mate.

As I drive past her pack lands, I think of my sister, Sophie. She started a revolution because she refused to be claimed in the old way. Without her, none of this change would have happened. A part of me feels like it should have been me who fought for this change. Why did I so casually accept that women would be publicly claimed? Why didn’t I start a revolution?

‘You may not have started the revolution, Amelia, but you’re a huge part of it now. Sophie may be the legend, and she’ll be remembered in history because of what she started, I have no doubt, but you took your place as your parents’ heir after they died. You are the first ever female Alpha. Don’t downplay the importance of your role in this revolution. You’re opening the door for other women to take over their packs in the future. You’re changing the conversation so that first born children, regardless of gender, can become the heirs of their packs. You will go down in history just as much as Sophie, Amelia. The Meyers women are quite the powerful trendsetters and law changers. I’m just the lucky wolf who gets to call myself yours.’

I smile. Goddess, I love my wolf.

It takes most of the day to get from my pack to Zahn’s old pack. When I get there, I realize that I’m the last of the Alphas to arrive.

I’m just getting my daughter, Athena, out of the car seat when I hear Nikki.

“Amelia, you made it!”

“Sorry I’m late,” I say, standing up and turning to see all of the Lunas and their Alphas walking over to greet me. “Calvin woke up right as I was leaving. Hey, everyone.”

“How is he?” my brother-in-law, Hunter, asks.

“He has more memory than he did the last time he woke up, but he didn’t remember that my parents were murdered or that I’d given birth to Athena.”

“So, over a year with no memory,” Sophie says, coming over to hug me.

“About a year and a half,” I say, hugging her back.

“Jocelyn is doing very well. We haven’t asked, but it looks like she burned some things that were in the packhouse before we arrived,” she says softly.

“Hopefully she burned that horrid bed that he made her sleep in with him,” I say, before stepping back. “Where should I take my things? I could really use a bathroom.”

“Why don’t you give me my niece, and Hunter can show you where your room is,” she says.

“Thanks, Soapy,” I say, using my childhood name for her.

She smiles and takes Athena. Hunter takes the majority of my bags. I get the rest and follow him, looking at the area around us as the potential contestants walk around, waiting for Jocelyn to give them the tour of the packhouse.

“When is the tour?” I ask.

“Not until tomorrow morning. We knew people were coming from farther distances, so we’re having everyone get settled, have dinner, and if they want to tour the pack lands on their own, they can,” he says, as we enter the packhouse.

I look around at the gloomy space.

“Whoever wins this place has their work cut out for them,” I say.

“You should have seen it before the omegas cleaned it. The dust was so thick you could have mistaken it for snow,” he says, making me chuckle.

When we get to the room, he opens the door and steps back. When I step in, he follows, bringing my things into the room.

“Get settled and when you’re ready, I’ll be waiting for you out in the hall. Then we can go find Jocelyn.”

“Thanks, Hunter,” I say.

The room has the chemical smell of a room that has been recently cleaned. I look around quickly before using the bathroom, then meet Hunter in the hallway.

“I’m going to call Charity while we walk to let her know I’m here and check on Calvin.”

“No problem.”

When she doesn’t answer, I leave a message letting her know I’ve arrived and to call me if she has any problems with Calvin or if she just needs to talk.

“How is Charity doing?” he asks as we walk out of the packhouse.

“She’s still having nightmares every night. I don’t always hear her, but I see the dark circles under her eyes in the morning.”

“It takes time,” he says. He would know. All of us have taken in our share of women on the run.

Hunter leads us to a place around a fire where the Alphas and Lunas are already sitting down to eat.

“Jocelyn!” I say.

“Alpha!” she says, getting up and coming over to hug me. “How was your trip?”

“Uneventful, thank the goddess. How are you?” I ask.

“I’m okay. Remington has been amazing,” she says, smiling at the man who has patiently waited for her to be ready to accept him as her mate.

From where I’m standing, she’s getting closer to that point. When that happens, I fully expect to lose my Beta so she can become a full-time Luna for the Watch Tower. It’s needed, I know it is, but I’ll miss my friend. Jocelyn and I have gotten very close since she came to my pack and accepted the position as my Beta.

It’s another reason I’m glad to have Charity. She would make a good replacement for Jocelyn if I end up losing her. I know Jocelyn thinks she could continue to do both jobs, but once she accepts Remington and they mark each other, she won’t want to be apart from him.

It was hard enough for me staying away from Calvin, and our mate bond wasn’t as strong as the ones I see around me. Jocelyn and Remington have been building a bond for a while now. When she finally accepts him and they mark each other, she won’t want to be away from him.

When my phone rings, I step away and answer Charity’s call.

“Hey, how is everything?” I ask.

“It’s good. I just left Alpha Calvin. He’s resting quietly, if not happily,” she says and I smile. Calvin is a typical Alpha. He hates being idle.

“How about you? How are you?” I ask.

“I’m … I could lie and say I’m okay, but I’m not. I’m going to do some work and hopefully exhaust myself enough to fall asleep,” she says.

“I meant what I said earlier, Charity. If you need me, no matter what time it is, please call me.”

“Thanks, Alpha.”

I hang up and rejoin the others, still unable to ignore the feeling that something bad is going to happen.