Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Amber’s pov

I can’t say exactly how long I lay on the floor, silently whimpering as a constant tremor went through me. But when I woke up, they were all gone. 

The maids had restored the living room, cleaning every trace of my betrayal. The packhouse was spotless once more. My injured hands, the only evidence that something horrible had truly happened.

“Miss Amber,” A maid appeared by the living room door, staring at me sadly. 

Slowly, I lifted my head and pushed myself to a sitting position. I was hollow. My wolf temporarily gone; she needed to heal her wounds.

“What do you want?” My voice sounded hoarse even to my ears.

“The Alpha requested you meet him in his office. He’s waiting for you.”

I gave a nod, my legs weak and unsteady as I slowly pushed to my feet.

My walk to Father’s office was slow. My mind spinning as I thought over the last time I met with Lucas.

Nothing seemed strange or amiss. He had hugged me the same way. Kissed me the same way. Even his whisper of love was the same. How could he fool me so horribly?

My hand knocked weakly on Father’s oak doors.

“Come in,”

I took in a deep breath to steady myself and pushed open the doors.

The office, like the rest of the house, was mostly the same. Warm, thick curtains blocking the windows, Father’s favorite cinnamon incense burning beside his table and on the work desk. Piles and piles of pack documents.

“Sit, Amber,” He waved a hand to the chair opposite him.

On a normal day, I would be elated. Happy at how rare it was to sit and receive his full attention.

But today was far from a normal day.

I remained standing, my gaze fixed on the pile of documents. “You knew, didn’t you?”

The question left my lips softly as I walked into the office.

Father’s frame seemed to tense up. This close, I could feel his Alpha power as he sighed deeply. “Amber please sit down,”

“Lucas had to submit the marriage form to you. He filled out the application and you saw the name. Don’t lie to me… You owe me that much.”

As I watched him, my heart broke all over again. Mother had always treated me coldly, but Father… He had at least sometimes tried to treat me and Maggie fairly.

He was never outrightly cruel but this. This was worse than all Mother had ever done.

“Why?”

I couldn’t wrap my head around it. He had known, they had all known and kept me in the dark.

I don’t understand why I needed to give my fated mate to Maggie… Why?

“She’s sick Amber,” Father at least had the grace to sound apologetic.

But I was past an apology. A humorless chuckle spilled from my lips as I finally took the sit he had been offering. 

“And what else is new under the sun? I know she’s sick. I have monthly poison marks to prove it!”

He flinched as I threw my words in his face. 

“No, Amber, she’s really sick this time…. She,” he paused, his own breath coming shakily. “She has one year left to live,”

His words slammed into me. What was he saying? 

One year left. My entire existence was formed around Maggie and now. One year left?

“I I don’t understand,”

“You have to,” he insisted. “Your sister has only one year left to live. She grew up in a hospital ward; Lucas was the only male friend around. It’s natural that they fell in love–”

“And me?” The question left my lips softly but I knew the answer before he whispered them.

“She’s sick, Amber. She’s weak while you’re strong. You’re healthy with your whole life in front of you,”

He continued to speak but mentally I had checked out. I felt like my head was underwater; I could hear sounds but not clearly.

Maggie was sick. I was healthy so this was my punishment. Only my family would punish their daughter for being healthy.

“She’s your sister. Are you going to let her die with regrets? Do you want her to never have her last heart's desire? Amber listen—” Father continued to speak but I was done hearing.

Done dealing with any of this. My legs shakily supported me as I stood to my feet.

Crimson stains from my hand smeared his usually pristine chair.

I vaguely registered his saying something about my blood on his chair but I was too numb to care.

As I walked out of his office and through the pack house, the maids stared at me.

I was a spectacle to them. The evil sister who didn’t want her sick sister’s happiness.

Of course I didn’t want Maggie to die. I had given her blood for twenty full years! I just didn’t want her marrying my mate. But it didn’t matter. To them, it was one and the same.

As I passed the pack kitchen, I could see the housekeeper and cook fawning over Maggie. 

Mother stood to the side smiling as they pushed different plates of cake at her. 

 “I think we should do French vanilla for the wedding, maybe with a raspberry filling?”

It had barely been a few hours since my mate rejected me and they were already planning a wedding?

Would I be forced to stand smiling as my sister got married to my mate?

The housekeeper seemed to notice me, clearing her throat as they all turned to stare at me.

A sob tore from my throat and I ran.

My feet carried me far. Far away from the packhouse. Far away from their pitying and judging glances. I raced into the woods.

My feet pounded against the uneven ground, the sharp scent of pine needles filling my lungs. Each breath was a ragged gasp that mirrored the tearing in my chest.

My sobs threatened to choke me. How could they all do this to me? Of course I didn’t want Maggie dead. Was I wrong to feel this way?

My insides were so cold. Without Vera's steady presence in my mind, the silence of the woods felt deafening. I was lonely and confused. 

I let out a scream, dragging a hand through my tangled hair. What do I do now?