Semua Bab The lost packs: Bab 61 - Bab 70

*Amber* Kattie doesn’t hesitate as she swings open the door to the apartment, her resolve unwavering. She hasn't even bothered to draw a weapon; she exudes a confidence that is almost palpable. Clay remains slumped in the armchair, his expression unreadable. Zombie looms over the coffee table, while KC is sitting on the couch, bound and vulnerable a silver knife pressing against his throat. But despite his precarious situation, KC’s eyes blaze with a stubborn fury, refusing to show fear. “So it’s true,” Kattie says, her voice cold as ice, directed squarely at Clay. “Power means more to you than anything else. More than me?” “Just like I’m the least important to you,” Clay retorts, his voice laced with bitterness. “Don’t even try to convince me I’m paranoid. I’m a practical boyfriend, but you just can’t let Tjeck go, can you? What is it about him that makes you she-wolves lose your minds?” “Only because you stopped loving me,” Kattie shoots back, her words sharp and precise. “I

*Tjeck* I let Kattie leave and turn my attention to Amber. Kress has Clay under full control, and Thorn doesn’t need my help with KC. I’ll just have to repair Kattie’s feelings later. She caught me completely off guard, and I want to be sure that she truly means it and isn’t just angry and hurt over Clay. I am very worried by the fact that Amber doesn’t seem to feel anything. I don’t dare give her any painkillers because I need to know where it hurts and if she has any internal damage from where Zombie struck her. In the end, I manage to talk her into lying down on her bed and taking off her shirt so I can examine her thoroughly. She has several severe bruises starting to form, and her right arm is turning purple and blue. The cut on her left arm is luckily clean and even. There is no damage to the tendons, and the muscles will heal just fine. The fact that she hadn’t realized she was bleeding from her forehead is impressive. I have to wash off her entire face because she

*Amber* Adis takes me on a tour of Catrista's tourist area. My injured arm is in a sling, and my other hand rests safely in his. “It’s about time I tell you who you really are,” Adis says, stopping in front of a large hotel. The sign reads, “Hotel and Casino Noble.” “Your father had this built five years ago. It’s the best and most expensive in the entire city.” “I don’t need to know who I was,” I reply, turning to face him. “I am Amber; the truth won’t change that.” Hesitantly, I raise my sore arm and rest my hand against his cheek, feeling the warmth of his skin. “Your father also owns two amusement parks and a water park,” Adis continues, his voice steady. “He is the deputy mayor of Catrista and owns numerous stores and small hotels. Your father is the richest man in the city.” “I don’t care, Adis.” “Your uncle owns the marina. He makes his money sailing tourists out to watch whales that don’t exist. He also arranges diving trips and rents out boats and jet skis. He owns hote

*Amber* I remember the way to my room. I don’t even greet my mother as I walk past her. Instead, I go directly to my room and throw myself onto the bed. It hasn’t changed at all. It remains bland and devoid of any fantasy. In many ways, it feels even more depressing than the worn-down apartment, even though the walls are eggshell white and the curtains match the color of my eyes. My body aches painfully. No one cares about the injuries Zombie inflicts on me. There is a small, soft knock on my door, and my mother steps inside. “I thought you might want to talk.” She brings a cup of tea, and memories flood back of her coming to me in the evenings when my father was out at meetings. She would ask how I was. Those evenings are when we would break the rules, talk freely, and she read to me from the books she keeps hidden in her closet. “Is he at a meeting?” I ask. “He has to make the announcement that you have been found.” She smiles at me. “We have a couple of hours.” I nod, “And

*Amber* I must have fallen asleep, because I am undeniably in a dream… a very lifelike one. But I am no longer in pain, that is the biggest give away. I stand on the stony beach that belongs to the underworld. I wear my usual clothes, the kind that allows for easy movement in a fight, yet there is no one in sight… at least, not until she appears, walking toward me. The real Amber. My sister. She is dressed in a flowing white dress that billows behind her in the wind, making it seem as if she has wings. The tattoos… symbols of The Shadows and The Zombies… are visible on her arms, yet apart from that, there is no trace of the harsh life of the underworld upon her. Her long, dark hair cascades around her shoulders, and her eyes mirror mine… a clear, warm hazel. She is like a perfect version of me. “Amber?” I hear my own voice tremble, uncertainty creeping in. “Is this a dream or reality?” “Maybe it’s reality within a dream?” Her voice emerges from the wind, as if the waves carry