CHAPTER 2

Amelia 

Logan doesn’t bother to check if I’m following him before he storms out of the house. I can hear his heavy breathing even as he stomps down the stairs and gets in the car, slamming the door closed. 

My knees wobble, heart hammers as I force myself out of the house, just in time to watch his car screech down the driveway. Of course, what did I expect - he wouldn’t wait for me, wouldn’t bother to drive me to the hospital. He never does. 

So, the same as I’ve done what feels like a million times before, I start running. 

By the time I reach the hospital, I feel like my heart is about to leap out of my body and I’m barely managing to catch my breath, leaning against the hallway door. 

My father and Logan are already here, obviously, both of them stand at a half open door of one of the hospital rooms, glaring at me like I don’t belong here. And maybe, I really don’t. 

Before I can catch my breath fully, my father stomps towards me. His large hand grabs my upper arm and squeezes it so painfully, tears well up in my eyes and I barely hold back the cry of pain that threatens to escape me. 

“You,” he snarls in my face, tightening his grip and for a split second, I wonder if he’d be gentle, if he knew I’m pregnant. “It’s all your damn fault,” he hisses, pulling me out of my thoughts as he shakes me slightly to emphasize his words. “You neglected her, your own mother! She’s suffering because of you!”

I try to speak, but no words leave me, and even if they would, they’d be useless because that’s the moment when Logan decides to speak up. He doesn’t sound like a man, only an Alpha and a leader who’s trying to reason with his warrior. “She didn’t know, Ronan. Elenor didn’t want her to know.” 

The words should soothe me, calm me down a little, but Logan’s mechanical tone does nothing of sorts. 

“Even if she never told you how bad it got,” my father snarls low, “it’s still your fault. If it wasn’t for you, Katherine wouldn’t have left the pack and your own mother wouldn’t be dying of heartbreak in this hospital. Just fuckin’ look at you - Luna of the pack, the defective daughter stands in the place of the real Luna. Bet you’re enjoying this game of power, aren’t you?”

Cold dread washes over me as he finally releases his hold on me and spits in my face. My hand shakes as I wipe the saliva off my cheek, trying to convince myself that he’s not right. Ronan is lying, my own father is lying to my face just to see me suffer. 

“She wants to see you,” Logan growls, his tone a warning.

I want to see her more than anything, but also, my legs don’t listen. Deep down, I know that the moment mom sees me, it’ll remind her of the daughter she cares about and lost because of me - Katherine. 

Every time, it’s the same scenario. I go to see her, she’s happy for a split second because my sister and I are so similar, and then, mom remembers I’m Amelia and her gaze hardens with nothing but raw, pure hatred. 

Since I married Logan, I’d been nothing but a disgrace to my family - the thief who stole my sister’s mate.

When this mess with mom’s health started, the Doctor said that her illness came from missing Katherine and ever since, I’ve lived with the weight of guilt that never faded, not even for a second. 

Seeing that I don’t make a move to enter mom’s hospital room, Logan grabs my arm in the same area my father did, squeezes just as painfully and drags me inside. 

My mom, Elenor Bennett, lies pale and still on the hospital bed. Each shallow breath sounds like a countdown. Guilt rises in my throat, thick and suffocating. I force my shaking legs forward, take her cold hand in mine, and whisper, “Mom… I’m here.”

Her eyelids flutter. A faint smile trembles on her lips.“Katherine… you’re finally back.”

Her fingers twitch, reaching for my face, but they fall away before they can touch me. Her eyes drift shut. Her head tilts to the side.

Panic surges through me and I frantically scream for doctors, begging for someone to help my mom. My father scolds me for being dramatic, while Logan steps behind me, and hisses in my ear, “calm down, you have an image to uphold, I’ll be damned if your childish tantrum wastes more of the doctor’s time than it already has.” 

I attempt to reason with Logan and my father, but Logan only drags me out of the room and angrily growls at me in the hospital hall. 

I lean against the wall, sobbing, waiting for the moment when the doctors will let us back in the room. After what feels like hours, one of the medics steps out and nods at Logan. “Alpha.” 

Logan doesn’t bother to ask questions, he drags me back inside the room. I know she’s gone the moment I see my father on his knees, his body wrecking with sobs. 

I drop to my own knees as the doctor clears his throat. “I’m sorry, Luna, your mother has left us.”

Now, I’ve truly lost the last thread of hope I still harbored in my heart. Mom is dead, which means Katherine will have to come back and there’s nothing I can do. I’m standing on the edge, about to lose everything I have.