《Alpha's Remorse After Her Death》


 Main Flame 1

    <h1 id="12269212" ss="title" data-v-047e95b8="">Chapter 1</h1>


    ¡°Sorry, the Alpha is upstairs with hisdy. We don¡¯t take visitors without an appointment.¡±What? Hisdy? Then who am I¡­


    Three years of secret marriage, I was never allowed to step foot inside hispany building.


    Now I stood in front of the receptionist¡¯s desk at thepany headquarters clutching a gift box in my hands. Inside was a surprise that I knew Julian, the Alpha of Thorn Pack and my husband, would be overjoyed to receive. This could fix everything for us.


    But she¡¯d said Julian was with hisdy. That couldn¡¯t be right. If anybody was hisdy, it was me. I was his wife.


    My stomach sank with confusion and fear. Who was up there with him?


    We¡¯d met in medical school, where he¡¯d defended me from the other students¡¯ ruthless harassment. I was a human, and the other students were werewolves who didn¡¯t believe I belonged at the pack university.


    Back then, Julian¡¯s protective nature had been endearing. Little did I know that the patterns formed in medical school would follow me for the rest of my life.


    Because I¡¯m a human, Julian didn¡¯t allow me to be Luna when we wed. In fact, he kept our marriage secret. Out of worry for how I would be treated as the Alpha¡¯s human wife.


    Through all that, though, I still wore the diamond ne Julian had given me. The ne that marked me as his chosen mate.


    And now, I carried his child. The ultimate fulfillment of the promise he¡¯d made when he gifted me the ne all those years ago.


    I was flooded with happiness.


    Maybe I¡¯d been a little naive. I¡¯d never been to his office before. In fact, I¡¯d never been topany headquarters at all, as Julian thought it best that I keep mostly to the house and away from prying eyes.


    ¡°There must be some mistake,¡± I said, trying to keep my voice as steady as possible, even as my pulse beat wildly in my throat. ¡°I¡¯m Alpha Julian¡¯s wife.¡±


    The receptionist looked at me, confusion shing in her eyes before being reced by customer-service sheen. ¡°Alpha and his fated mate are together right now. I¡¯ve never heard anything about him having a wife, especially not a human who isn¡¯t even a wolf.¡±


    I could feel embarrassment and confusion creeping up my skin, turning my neck and face red. Instinctively, I clutched the box in my hands closer to my chest.


    ¡°Please, just let me go up and see Julian,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s important. He¡¯ll clear everything up for you, I promise.¡±


    The receptionist recoiled with my casual use of Julian¡¯s first name without his title. Her face hardened at the perceived disrespect, and I kicked myself for the slip up. I¡¯d used Julian¡¯s name the way we did at home, when we were just two people together, not a human and an alpha.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am, I¡¯m going to have to ask you to leave the premises,¡± the receptionist said, all pleasantness gone from her voice.


    Behind her, I could see the elevators. If I could just make it into one and get to Julian¡¯s floor, everything would work out. He¡¯d exin the misunderstanding. He¡¯d celebrate our baby with me.


    The elevator doors opened, and I booked it, cradling the gift box under my arm like a football.


    ¡°Ma¡¯am! Get back here!¡± the receptionist called after me.


    I didn¡¯t stop. I couldn¡¯t stop. I almost made it into the elevator.


    I ran into somethingrge and firm. Looking up, I realized it was a security guard. There were two of them. The receptionist must have notified them of my presence at some point during our conversation.


    The guards grabbed me under each arm, practically carrying me back past the receptionist¡¯s desk and out ofpany headquarters altogether. Once outside, they shoved me away, and the gift box I¡¯d barely managed to hang on to dropped to the ground, the liding off and the contents spilling everywhere.


    I knelt to the ground, scrambling to pick up the once purposefully organized baby onesies and bibs strewn all over the concrete. I picked up the pregnancy testst, looking at the two blue lines that formed a cross in the little stic window.


    Plus for positive. Plus for pregnant.


    I wanted to leave, to go home and hide under the covers and nevere out. I thought of the fetus that lived inside me now, and I thought about Julian standing up for me at Wolf University when I was being bullied. I found the courage to wait for him at thepany¡¯s entrance.


    I waited for what felt like hours in the cold wind. I called him, but he hung up without talking to me. The pulse in my throat quickened, my anxiety spreading. Eventually, he came out of the building, but he didn¡¯t even look at me.


    He was escorting a woman to the shiny ckpany car waiting on the curb.


    ¡°Julian!¡± I called.


    He nodded stoically at me, then helped the beautiful woman into the car. Finally, he turned to me.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    His face was in, showing no emotion. This was typical for Julian. He¡¯d always been hard to read, even for me, who knew him the best.


    I offered him the gift box.


    ¡°What are you doing, showing up here like this?¡± Julian demanded.


    ¡°Just take the box. Please,¡± I begged.


    He turned back to the car, apparently indifferent to my pleas. ¡°I thought you understood the position I¡¯m in, Amber. I can¡¯t be publicly linked to a human woman.¡±


    I¡¯d never heard Julian say the word ¡°human¡± with such purpose, such disdain. He¡¯d never made me feel bad about who I was before.


    I pulled the box back to my chest, cradling it like I hoped I would soon cradle my child. I still had no idea what was going on, but suddenly telling Julian about the pregnancy didn¡¯t seem like such a great idea.


    A group of reporters sporting microphones and cameras had appeared around us while Julian and I were talking. I imagined the receptionist picking up the phone and tipping off the media about the juicy drama happening atpany headquarters. Drama involving a human woman demanding to see Alpha Julian.


    But actually, they didn¡¯te for me.


    The woman Julian had ushered to the car emerged. As soon as she appeared, the reporters around us excitedly shed their cameras.


    ¡°This is Olivia!¡±


    ¡°Alpha¡¯s fated mate has returned!¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a politician from the Obsidian Pack, responsible for fostering economic cooperation with the Thorn Pack,¡± one reporter said, speaking to a camera on a live broadcast.


    The crowd rushed toward us, shoving me off bnce. I struggled to protect the already battered gift box, but Julian gently shielded the other woman instead.


    She was dressed in an elegant business suit, looking incredibly graceful and beautiful. ¡°Julian, is this one of your fans?¡± she asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Julian said, ¡°I don¡¯t know her.¡±


    Olivia scrutinized my in clothes with a disdainful look. ¡°What do you do?¡±


    How could I tell this woman, this elegant professional, that not only was I human, but I was also just a housewife? How could I bring myself that low?


    Julian told her to get back in the car. ¡°Be careful with the baby,¡± he murmured.


    The pulse that had been beating in my throat dropped down into my stomach. Olivia was pregnant? With my husband¡¯s baby?


    My heart cracked down the middle. Why wouldn¡¯t Julian stop and talk to me? Why wouldn¡¯t he tell me what was going on?


    Why the hell my husband got another woman pregnant?


    Olivia smiled shyly as she was escorted back into the car. She looked elegant, beautiful, yet humble. The fantasy woman.


    The car door shut and reporters swarmed around. The crowd shoved me aside, and I fell to the ground, the gift box once again hitting the cold concrete.


    Julian started the car and left without even a nce in my direction.


    Everything went ck.

 Main Flame 2

    <h1 id="12269213" ss="title" data-v-047e95b8="">Chapter 2</h1>


    I woke up in an unfamiliar, sterile room. Even before I opened my eyes, the smells and sounds told me that I was in the hospital.


    I opened my eyes to see my best friend, Anna, sitting beside me. That¡¯s when all the memories came crashing back in.


    The baby. The gift box. Julian.


    That woman ¨C Olivia.


    My smile faltered. ¡°Hi,¡± I said, my voiceing out in a rasp.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Anna said, hurrying over to the sink to fill a little paper cup with water for me. ¡°I¡¯m so happy you¡¯re awake.¡±


    ¡°At least someone is,¡± I muttered under my breath.


    Anna sat down in the vinyl armchair that she¡¯d scooted up against my bed. I could feel her energy shift. She wanted to talk about something serious.


    ¡°So, I saw you on the news,¡± she started. ¡°I mean, I saw Julian on the news, and I thought I caught you in the background of the shot. I decided to drive over topany headquarters.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know what to say, so I stayed quiet.


    ¡°When I got there, everyone was gone but you. You were lying on the asphalt, alone.¡± Anna sucked in a sharp breath, her eyes igniting with fierce protectiveness. ¡°They left you there by yourself. Anything could have happened to you.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand this blind loyalty you have toward him, Amber. He forgot your birthday. Some nights he just doesn¡¯te home. He says he¡¯s at the office, but you have no way to know for sure because you aren¡¯t allowed to go there. He¡¯s not good for you. He doesn¡¯t care about you. He¡¯s using you.¡±


    Her voice gradually grew more intense. Clearly, as my friend, she had seen too many instances where Julian didn¡¯t pay attention to me.


    This conversation had happened more than once. I could only steer the topic away.


    ¡°You brought me here?¡± I asked, even though I already knew the answer. Part of me had hoped that Julian had been the one to call for help, to check me in, to handle the paperwork.


    Wasn¡¯t that what husbands were supposed to do for their wives?


    Anna nodded. ¡°Something really bad could¡¯ve happened if I didn¡¯t show up, Amber.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I replied, my voice almost a whisper. Embarrassment flushed through my body.


    Anna fidgeted in her seat, like she wanted to say something else. I watched her, wondering what my normally opinionated friend could possibly be hesitant to bring up.


    A nurse came in, carrying Jello on a tray. I picked one small, clear stic cup of red gtin and thanked her. I dug in with my little stic spoon.


    ¡°Why haven¡¯t you told me?¡± Anna asked.


    My heart sunk for what felt like the hundredth time that day. The gift box. Where was it?


    ¡°You found the pregnancy test?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Of course I did. It was lying on the sidewalk, next to your lifeless body.¡± Anna shook her head. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me?¡±


    What could I say? How could I exin how much I wished this could be a normal pregnancy, between a normal husband and wife? I could only smile bitterly.


    Anna looked at me, then shook her head. ¡°The news isn¡¯t even pretending to be unbiased; they¡¯re all shipping Julian and that woman, Olivia.¡±


    I set down my spoon, my appetite suddenly too small, even for Jello.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just the news, either. When I was checking you into the hospital, the staff was fangirling over the new ¡®power couple.¡¯ The rumor is that Julian booked Olivia¡¯s prenatal checkups here.¡±


    While everyone was so excited about Julian and Olivia, none of them cared about me. None of them realized that their beloved Alpha was already married. None of them knew that secret wife was pregnant as well.


    Is she here, in this hospital, too? I thought.


    ¡°Look,¡± Anna said, ¡°I know you wish things were different, but Julian is moving on with his life. That has never been more apparent than today.¡±


    I didn¡¯t like where she was going with this. I considered pushing the button to call the nurse, but I didn¡¯t know what I would tell her when she arrived.


    Sorry, my best friend wants to have a conversation that I¡¯m not ready to hear yet. Hope you didn¡¯t have anything serious to do right now.


    Anna took my hand, careful not to disturb the skin where the IV needle connected to my veins.


    ¡°Amber, I think you should consider giving up the baby. Julian left you, passed out, in the parking lot today. Does he really seem like ¡®father of the year¡¯ material?¡± she asked.


    I stayed silent.


    ¡°Julian is not going to be present in this child¡¯s life, Amber. He¡¯s hardly present in yours,¡± Anna continued. ¡°If you decide to keep this baby, you are going to have to do this all on your own.¡±


    I shook my head, clutching my stomach at the same time. Julian or not, I already loved this child. The baby was innocent. In that moment, I knew I would keep the child.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Anna said, sensing my resolve. ¡°Then at least divorce Julian. Leave him, have the baby, and raise them on your own.¡±


    I stayed silent. Even after everything, I¡¯d never considered divorcing Julian.


    ¡°Amber, you gave up medicine, a career you loved, for Julian. You gave up your social life just to marry him in secret and be his hidden housewife.¡± She sneered. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you two had time to make a baby, considering he¡¯s hardly ever even home.¡±


    Of course, Anna didn¡¯t know everything. The time Julian and I were the closest was when we were in bed.


    I can¡¯t confess to my friend either, that I still had feelings for Julian.


    I can still remember when we first met in a bar. We were both students at Wolf University, and the bar was frequented by our cohorts after ss. I¡¯d never been much for drinking, but as one of the few humans at the school, I grabbed on to any opportunity to socialize and feel like I fit in with the rest of the ss.


    I spotted Julian across the room at the bar a couple minutes before he saw me. Everyone knew that the Thorn Pack Alpha attended our school, but this was the first time I¡¯d seen him in the flesh. I¡¯d noticed his dark ck hair that curled slightly at the nape of his neck, his piercing blue eyes, and his lithe, athletic frame, but I¡¯d looked away quickly.


    Julian had done so much for me at school, defending me from the bullies in our ss who couldn¡¯t stand that a human had gotten into the same medical program as them. I doubted the gorgeous Alpha would want to socialize with me outside of ss, though. Why would he want to burden himself with defending me outside of school hours?


    Then, he¡¯d approached me. Although he walked with confidence, I could tell he¡¯d had a lot to drink, his feet wavering a little with every step. I was shocked when he¡¯d stopped at my table, sure he¡¯d been intending to woo one of my she-wolf ssmates at the table next to mine.


    ¡°You¡¯re beautiful.¡± The words came out in a drunken growl. I blushed. I couldn¡¯t deny that I¡¯d had a crush on Julian ever since he¡¯d stood up for me the first time at school.


    ¡°You¡¯re drunk,¡± I said, trying to be cool, taking a sip of the beer in front of me.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± he¡¯d said, ¡°but that doesn¡¯t make your beauty any less real.¡±


    I¡¯dughed and asked him to take a seat.


    A few beerster, I stood up to leave. Julian stood up, too, wobbling on his feet. He grabbed my hand.


    ¡°I mean it,¡± he¡¯d said. ¡°You¡¯re gorgeous.¡±


    Before I could reply, Julian¡¯s hands were on my face, and then his lips were on mine. I raised my hands to feel his strong sides, his muscles rippling under my touch.


    He¡¯s so drunk, I thought. He¡¯ll never remember this. He won¡¯t even remember who I am.


    In that moment, though, I didn¡¯t care. I was too enveloped in his soft, insistent lips on mine, his tongue flicking into my mouth. I was too distracted by the damp heat spreading inside my panties.


    When Julian pulled away from me, taking my hand and pulling me towards the bar door, I didn¡¯t resist. When Julian opened the door to the car waiting outside and ushered me inside, I didn¡¯t tell him I had to go home. When Julian undressed me in his room, I didn¡¯t tell him to stop.


    That was the first night we slept together. That was the first night I slept with anyone. Julian was so kind, insistent on my pleasure and myfort, demonstrating what I could do to feel good and to make him feel good.


    After that, we became friends with benefits. It wasn¡¯t what I wanted from him. I couldn¡¯t deny that I was in love with him, the crush I¡¯d developed on him only strengthened by our physical chemistry.


    Despite the temptation I felt to continue sleeping with him, knowing that Julian didn¡¯t return my feelings was too painful. I decided that I would break up with him, for both of our best interests.


    When I asked to end our situation, though, Julian surprised me. He asked me to marry him instead. Or rather, he asked me to sign a marriage contract, with the condition that our rtionship would be kept secret. And he would give me ie by month.


    I understood the logistics of our secrecy, and some part of me realized that, despite our history, Julian still didn¡¯t see me as a legitimate partner. I was ecstatic anyway, hopeful that in marriage Julian would realize my value. After all, marriage tied us together permanently.


    I decided not to pursue my medical career to be his housewife, and for a long time, that life was enough for me. We still had a vibrant sex life that stoked the mes of my love for him, and the day-to-day responsibilities of caring for him fulfilled me for a while.


    I loved preparing dinner from him, always anticipating the look of bliss when he raised a forkful of his favorite meal to his lips. At night, when thoughts of what my life could have been threatened to upy my mind, I would look at him sleeping next to me, and the thoughts would disappear. He looked so innocent at night, the muscles in his face rxing, softening his features.


    And at night, when he¡¯d peruse his documents on the sofa, sitting on the covers I¡¯d carefully woven for him, I would sit in the armchair near him, reading a book, and sometimes he would reach over and pat my hand.


    Even though I was an afterthoughtpared to the rest of Julian¡¯s busy life, he treated me well. And I got to be with him.


    I thought of the gift box, then pushed the thought away. I just needed to talk to Julian.


    I pushed myself out of bed, wanting to go find a nurse to ask if the baby was okay after my fall.


    When I stepped outside, though, I ran into Olivia. I guessed the rumors were true. She was here for her prenatal check-up.


    He¡¯d found out I fainted. He¡¯de here to check on me. I was surprised, but my heart soared with hope that the whole day had been one strange misunderstanding.


    Then he shielded Olivia behind him, as though I were a threat to her. He frowned. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

 Main Flame 3

    <h1 id="12269214" ss="title" data-v-047e95b8="">Chapter 3</h1>


    Olivia frowned at me. ¡°Are you stalking us?¡±


    Julian looked at me with disgust. ¡°You¡¯d go to that length to stop me from this?¡±


    He motioned for the Beta toe over and take me away. I hadn¡¯t even gotten to the nurse¡¯s stand to initiate my prenatal checkup yet, and I struggled the best I could to break away from the Beta¡¯s grasp.


    ¡°Stop dragging her like that.¡± I looked up to see Oliviamanding the Beta to let me go.


    She has the power to do that? I thought.


    The Beta released me, and for a second, despite myself, I felt a wave of gratitude for Olivia.


    Then she moved to stand in front of me. While her demeanor was gentle, portraying adylike innocence to the others upying the hospital hallway, there was a dangerous glint in her eyes.


    Olivia leaned toward me, acting as though she simply wanted to help dust me off after my altercation with the Beta. Instead, she whispered, ¡°I know who you are, you low-born, gold-digging whore. You have no status. You aren¡¯t good enough for him.¡±


    My mouth dropped open in surprise at her utter audacity. Despite my social status, I was still Julian¡¯swful wife, a fact she indicated she was aware of. I stiffened at the disrespect, but knew that as a human I held no ground to make my feelings known.


    ¡°How much do you want to him alone? For good?¡± Olivia asked, tugging on the arm of my shirt. ¡°I¡¯ll pay you.¡±


    This was too much. ¡°Are you serious? You think you can buy your way out of this? You think you can pay me and take over my life?¡±


    Olivia only smirked. She dug her hand into her purse, then held it out towards me, like a violent dog¡¯s owner offers them a treat. Like a temptation.


    Like a bribe.


    Without thinking, Ished out, hitting the card out of her hand. How dare she act as though I could be bought? It was one thing to call me a low-born whore, but another entirely to assume my morals could be bought.


    The card spun through the air, the force of my hand sending it through the air in such a way that it hit Olivia¡¯s stomach.


    She cried out in pain.


    Julian rushed over, ring at me. ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    Julian went Olivia¡¯s side, rushing to steady her.


    ¡°Amber. Leave.¡± His tone was stern, severe. Julian had never talked to me this way before.


    I stood there, stunned, as I watched himfort and care for Olivia. I watched my husband treat this other woman as though she were some fragile and precious thing, while I was treated like a viin. Like less than a viin, even; like a whore.


    I could bear coldness, his neglect, even his contempt. But I can¡¯t stand feeling like I¡¯m the other woman. This is our marriage, isn¡¯t it? No matter how small or hidden, it¡¯s still a marriage. But he broke that with his betrayal. I just can¡¯t take that.


    ¡°I want a divorce.¡± I couldn¡¯t hold back the pressure building inside me anymore.


    Julian¡¯s POV


    Divorce?


    My wolf refused. NO, Rory growled.


    ¡°Calm down, Rory,¡± I reminded him.


    She can¡¯t leave, Rory said. She¡¯s so much better than that awful woman.


    ¡°Olivia?¡± I asked him.


    Whatever, he returned.


    ¡°Look what she¡¯s done, Rory,¡± I said. ¡°As soon as Olivia showed up, she started causing trouble at the office. She¡¯s never even been to the office before.¡±


    Rory was silent, indignant.


    ¡°Amber even followed Olivia to the hospital,¡± I continued. ¡°She intends to sell the news of Olivia¡¯s pregnancy to the tabloids. It¡¯s all for money.¡±


    I don¡¯t trust Olivia, Rory replied. I feel she¡¯s pretending. Lying.


    ¡°But greed is in Amber¡¯s nature. Remember how we got into this mess in the first ce?¡± I reasoned.


    Rory grunted. We both clearly remembered. The first time we¡¯d slept together, I¡¯d paid Amber what I thought was a fair wage. However, she¡¯d asked for more, the hefty sum not enough to satisfy her.


    The morning after Olivia had broken up with me, I woke up with a headache and a beautiful woman lying next to me. All I could remember was drinking at the bar the night before, but I had no recollection of leaving, ofing home, of this woman.


    She looked at me, her eyes wide with surprise and wonder, but I didn¡¯t know her. I couldn¡¯t say it wasn¡¯t a look I¡¯d experienced before at the hand of a star-struck lover. I was the Alpha of Thorn Pack, after all.


    I got up to shower, and when I returned, she was still there, waiting with an expectant look. I had no idea what she could be waiting for. Usually, the women I slept with were all to eager to sneak out in the night, at the most leaving their numbers in my phone with a note to call them if I wanted to do it again.


    I¡¯d been so distraught, though. Had I? It wasn¡¯t out of the question.


    I pulled a pre-loaded card out of my pocket and handed it to her.


    ¡°This is for you, ¡± I said.


    Her eyes shifted from anticipation to shock, then to sadness. I found this strange. If she really was a prostitute, she¡¯d be used to this exchange by now. My mind raced, scrambling to put together an eptable apology.


    The woman looked down at the card for a moment, hesitating, then taking it from my hand.


    So my assumptions had been correct.


    She looked up at me, her eyes so wide. ¡°Could you . . . ¡° she trailed off, then continued, ¡°Could you spare some more?¡±


    Although it turned out that Amber was not actually a prostitute, she did borrow money from me several more times. She always asked for a substantial amount.


    Maybe she was with me just for the money, but I was obsessed with her body. Rory was obsessed with her scent.


    One day, Amber began refusing my money. When I asked why, she said she wanted to be with me. I was sure she wanted a more stable rtionship in order to extract more benefits from me. Despite myself, I desired her body, and her presence had be familiar.


    Rory¡¯s insistence also couldn¡¯t be ignored, and I¡¯d always considered him a good judge of character.


    I gave her a marriage contract. Admittedly, the conditions were harsh. Our marriage was to be a secret, and no one could know. She epted my offer without hesitation.


    Rory grumbled, ¡°Don¡¯t divorce her. You¡¯ll regret it.¡±


    Amber was being unreasonable. She¡¯d never brought up divorce before. This was impulse, a tantrum brought on by the threat Olivia posed as another woman in my life.


    A suitable woman, who I could marry in public. Who could be Thorn Pack¡¯s Luna.


    ¡°Go home, Amber,¡± Imanded. ¡°From now on, you aren¡¯t to leave the house without my permission.¡±


    ¡°Did you ever really love me? Even just a little bit?¡± Amber cried.


    I wanted to say no. Our rtionship had never been predicated on romance, but convenience. She got to exploit the resources my position as Alpha granted her. I got to use her body, and a live-in housekeeper.


    However, Rory roared in protest. I told myself it was just the familiarity of having her take care of me. Love had never been involved.


    ¡°We¡¯re just about sex. And money,¡± I spat, clutching to Olivia¡¯s side.


    As soon as the words left my mouth, my chest tightened in pain.

 Main Flame 4

    <h1 id="12269215" ss="title" data-v-047e95b8="">Chapter 4</h1>


    Amber¡¯s POV


    My heart broke as Julian turned away from me, his arm still around Olivia, his words ringing through my mind. I turned and left. I could almost hear the wail in my heart, a voice constantly calling my name.


    I started packing as soon as I got home. The house ¨C our house ¨C was filled with so many memories. There were the flowers and nts I had arranged myself, along with the vases, paintings, and even the color of the sofa and the cushions.


    Some of my favorite objects in the house were the furniture covers I had learned how to weave myself. The precise movements of weaving often reminded me of medical school, learning to sew stitches into skin with depth and skill. I told myself that both the acts of weaving furniture covers and sewing up human bodies were beautiful, in their own, distinct ways.


    Julian never said it out loud that he liked the furniture covers, but he often sat on that sofa and went through his documents. He would lean back, casually leafing through important documents and new proposals, looking more rxed than he did at practically any other time.


    I warned myself not to think about him anymore. He¡¯d shattered everything. Like the covers, I¡¯d manufactured this life for myself. This prison I found myself trapped in had been built by my own hands.


    Julian had never truly appreciated me, or this manufactured cage, and now he wanted to push me further into it, to tighten my chains even more than they already were. What did he think I was? His toy?


    Someone who just stayed at home, ready to spread her legs for him whenever he wanted?


    My luggage was strewn about the house as I decided what to bring with me and what to leave behind. I stood behind the couch, running my fingers over the woven texture of the sofa cover. I¡¯d spent so long on the project, it was tempting to bring them with me.


    But I didn¡¯t think I would ever be able to look at them without thinking of Julian, of his dark ck hair and blue eyes, of his long limbs resting against the soft fibers.


    I decided to leave them. At the very least, they would be proof that I¡¯d been here, even if no one else decided to acknowledge therge role I¡¯d yed in Julian¡¯s life.


    I finished packing in the bedroom. When I finished, finally zipping up myst suitcase and sealing thest box with strong, clear tape, Iy down on the bed. I tried to rest, but I was unable to sleep through the night.


    Julian didn¡¯te home. Not that this was entirely unusual, but the context was different now, and usually he¡¯d send word when he wouldn¡¯t be home so I wouldn¡¯t have dinner ready for him to heat and eat when he returned.


    I turned on the news, and the image of Julian and Olivia entering a fancy restaurant upied the TV screen. Immediately, I turned off the TV. I didn¡¯t want her, even the image of her, to scar this bedroom Julian and I had shared.


    Not while I was here, at least.


    The next morning, as soon as it was a reasonable hour to make a phone call, I consulted awyer. He told me what I already knew: if I divorced him, I would have to leave Thorn Pack.


    I made up my mind.


    I bought a ticket to leave.


    Third Person POV


    Olivia sighed with relief. Julian had finally left for work, finally left her alone. She could breathe, not stifled by Julian¡¯s overbearing chivalry and her own web of lies.


    ¡°Are you sure it¡¯s alright if I leave?¡± Julian asked her. ¡°I can tell the office I can¡¯te in today.¡±


    ¡°Oh, sweetie,¡± Olivia had purred in her best impression of a demure, wifely woman. ¡°Of course I¡¯ll be alright. After all, I have my own security here. They won¡¯t let anything happen to me.¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± Julian had finally acquiesced, ¡°but if Amber shows up, I want you to contact my office immediately. I¡¯ll be home as soon as possible.¡±


    ¡°Of course, darling,¡± Olivia replied.


    As soon as Julian left the house and Olivia saw his car leave her driveway, she rose, going into action.


    ¡°Contact my office immediately,¡± Olivia repeated, mocking Julian¡¯s concern. ¡°Right. Like I need an Alpha to protect me.¡±


    Olivia was very familiar with Alphas, along with what she perceived as their hubris. After all, she was the daughter of Obsidian Pack¡¯s own Alpha.


    She tried not to think about that too much. Her father¡¯s ipetence was the reason she was here, merging the two packs herself. Nothing would get done if she didn¡¯t take the reins.


    Olivia shirked off her frilly house robe, gliding confidently down the stairs to her study. She sat behind the magnificently carved desk, flicking on themp and opening her little ck book.


    Now, who would be best to recruit to her scheme? She had no draught of criminals or bad boys to recruit to her cause. After all, seducing men to her side was one of Olivia¡¯s more practiced skills.


    But who could she trust to do what she needed? Who would be most suited to murdering Amber without turning Olivia into Julian? Who would be unconditionally loyal, choosing Olivia over the temptations of reward money and heroic fame?


    Olivia flipped through the pages of her book. She had sections divided by upation, every namebelled by what the man could do for her. She stopped at the pagebelled ¡°Thorn Pack Airport.¡±


    Finding the number she wanted, Olivia dialed her phone. After a quick conversation, her suspicions were confirmed. Amber Wood had booked a flight out of Thorn Pack for that afternoon.


    Olivia needed to work fast.


    She skimmed the rest of the page. Her next call would require some more skill to convince.


    ¡°Olivia?¡± She could hear the loud sounds of ne engines and mechanics in the background of the call. Perfect. He was at work.


    ¡°Hello, darling,¡± she purred. ¡°I have a favor to ask of you.¡±


    There was a pause on the other end of the line. ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I need you to sabotage the engines for a flight after the pilots do their safety checks.¡± Olivia waited to see what her contact would respond.


    ¡°Olivia, that¡¯s pretty serious,¡± the man said. ¡°What do I get if I do it?¡±


    ¡°Well, dear,¡± Olivia said. ¡°Anything your heart desires, I can makee true.¡±


    ¡°Anything?¡± The man was softening to her pleas, just as Olivia had anticipated.


    ¡°Anything,¡± she said.


    ¡°Alright. Consider it done.¡±


    Olivia sat back in her chair after hanging up the phone, satisfied with her n. Everything was in ce.


    Soon, Amber would be dead.

 Main Flame 5

    <h1 id="12269216" ss="title" data-v-047e95b8="">Chapter 5</h1>


    Amber¡¯s POV


    I stopped at the security booth at the entrance to the office parking lot on my way to the airport. The guard bristled at the sight of me, but I held up the mani envelope in my hand.


    Eventually, he epted that I wasn¡¯t trying to break back onto the premises and cause another scene. He agreed that the package would make its way to Julian, although he exined to me that they would have to check the package first and make sure I hadn¡¯t snuck in anthrax or a bomb.


    So someone would see the divorce papers, then, along with the diamond ne I would never be able to afford myself.


    Someone would know that I¡¯d been telling the truth. That I really had been Julian¡¯s legal wife, not just some crazy human woman who hadn¡¯t known her ce.


    The ne was once my prized possession. Julian had given it to me on our wedding day.


    I still remembered the feeling of his fingers on my neck as he¡¯d brushed my hair to the side, careful not to disturb the hair-do I¡¯d intricately pinned myself. Because it was a secret wedding, I didn¡¯t get the traditional white gown, or the beauty team to dote over me. This gift, though, had made the day feel real, legitimate even without the traditional to-do.


    I¡¯d cherished the ne, almost never taking it off. I carried it as proof that Julian had feelings for me, no matter how much he insisted our marriage was only born out of convenience.


    Now, the thought of keeping it felt like a bitter reminder of how much I¡¯d sacrificed for a man who never cared about me.


    I left, heading toward the airport. About fifteen minutester, Julian called me.


    ¡°What do you mean by this, Amber?¡± he asked. I could sense panic hovering underneath his stoic tone.


    ¡°I¡¯m done, Julian. You have Olivia now. Just let me leave.¡±


    ¡°This means you get half of my assets, right?¡± Julian replied, his voice hoarse. ¡°That¡¯s why you want the divorce.¡±


    Rage boiled inside me. Ever since we¡¯d met, Julian assumed I¡¯d attached myself to him for the money. Of course, at the beginning the funds had been a nice bonus, but they¡¯d never been my motivation for being with him.


    Then the pain washed in. I¡¯d known Julian so well, down to the way he took his tea. Meanwhile, he¡¯d never bother to learn anything about me or my heart.


    I hung up the phone.


    I decided that my new life began now. I reached into my back-pack, which contained my carry-on items for the flight. All of my most cherished possessions were stashed inside it.


    I pulled out a photo of Grandma, raising it to my lips and kissing it. Silently, I asked her to bless this new chapter of my life.


    Grandma had been my only family in the world. I¡¯d grown up an orphan, and Grandma had found me on the doorstep of Thorn Pack¡¯s orphanage one cold winter. She¡¯d advocated for me, and Julian¡¯s parents, the former Alpha and Luna, took me under their wings, allowing me to survive and attend school. Although they were rich, they were charitable, and though I¡¯d heard of their son, I¡¯d never met him, as he was always away at private school or some other important pack function.


    However, when I was a teenager, Grandma fell ill. She motivated my choice to attend Wolf University as a medical student, hopeful that I¡¯d be able to find a cure for her illness. Unfortunately, medical school is the most expensive kind, and even the schrship I¡¯d been granted by the Alpha and Luna wasn¡¯t enough to cover tuition and survive at the same time.


    When Julian and I had met, and he¡¯d handed me that credit card, I had no choice but to take it. It was the only way to help my grandmother, and though I knew Julian thought I was a whore, I had to ask for more.


    That didn¡¯t mean Julian¡¯s assumptions about me didn¡¯t hurt. That didn¡¯t mean I wasn¡¯t humiliated to trade sex for money.


    Tobat the humiliation, I would offer to pay Julian back for the money he lended me. However, everytime I offered, he would sneer at me.


    ¡°All you have to do is spread your pretty legs,¡± he would growl, and shame would spread through me even as heat grew in my groin.


    Grandma was long gone now, and Julian had proven our marriage to be a lost cause. There was nothing at all left for me in Thorn Pack.


    I boarded the ne, trying to settle into my window seat. I was grateful that I¡¯d been able to snag it.


    A couple of hours into the flight, the ne began to shake, tossing our bodies around carelessly in our seats.


    Put on your mask first, I remembered the flight attendant instructing us at the beginning of the flight.


    This was real. I might die.


    I pulled the oxygen mask onto my face as the ne began to rattle even more violently.


    I saw nothing but shades of blue. Baby blue sky. Vast, navy sea.


    Despair flooded through me.


    Julian¡¯s POV


    I¡¯d shoved the divorce papers into my bottom desk drawer, trying to pretend they didn¡¯t exist. Amber¡¯s ne, however, I couldn¡¯t bring to hide away. Instead, I¡¯d slipped it into my pants pocket, every once in a while slipping my hand in to finger the delicate gold chain.


    Amber just left to clear her mind, I told myself. She¡¯d be back soon. I was sure of it.


    Maybe I just didn¡¯t want to believe that Amber would truly leave for good.


    Despite myself, I stayed in my office at pack headquarters. I was practiced at pushing away my personal life in order to focus on what must be done for thepany, and for Thorn Pack. I tried to push past the pain, which usually wasn¡¯t a challenge.


    Finally, I fell into a flow, or so I thought, until my Beta cleared his throat.


    He was standing in front of my desk, concern on his face.


    ¡°Alpha, you seem off today,¡± he said.


    That¡¯s when I realized¡ªwithout her, breakfast didn¡¯t taste right. There would be no one to help me choose my suit, and no one to wish me ¡°Good Morning.¡±


    Without her, there would be no gentle goodbye kiss as I left each morning, a kiss that always seemed to hold more feeling than I allowed myself to acknowledge.


    I did my best to push these realizations to the back of my mind, the ce where I stored my feelings and my pain bing cramped. Olivia and I met with the Elders to discuss the economic trade agreements between our two packs.


    The Elders had insisted on meeting Olivia after learning that she carried my child. They suggested that I marry her. Olivia had always been gentle, poised, and noble. She was truly the perfect candidate for Luna.


    But I already had a wife. I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about Amber.


    Of course, Olivia and I had history. We¡¯d met in college at Wolf University and started dating when we realized we¡¯de from simr worlds, me as the incumbent Alpha as Thorn Pack and her as the Apha of Obsidian Pack¡¯s daughter. Politically, our partnership had made sense, and I couldn¡¯t deny that she was elegantly gorgeous in a way that any wolf would desire.


    However, Olivia had broken up with me. She¡¯d said her parents didn¡¯t approve of our rtionship. I¡¯d thought that Olivia was going to be my wife, and I¡¯d already started formting ns for our future together after school.


    I was heartbroken at the loss.


    Then, I went to that bar. I met Amber, and somehow, her tenderness stitched me back together.


    My life took a toll on me. I¡¯d be the first to admit that I spent most of my time working. I neglected my own feelings. How was I supposed to think about anyone else¡¯s?


    Then, two weeks ago, I was at a bar getting drunk after work. I¡¯d sent word home that I was staying at the office that night, and that Amber shouldn¡¯t expect me back until the next day.


    Then, I¡¯d run into Olivia while ordering drinks. I¡¯d already had too much, but nobody was going to cut off the Alpha of Thorn Pack.


    The next thing I remembered, it was morning, and I was lying in Olivia¡¯s bed. Naked.


    ¡°I have a chosen mate,¡± I said, panic invading my voice and making me cringe.


    ¡°That¡¯s okay,¡± Olivia said, curving her picture perfect lips into a soft smile. ¡°We¡¯ll pretend this never happened. After all, we know my parents don¡¯t approve.¡±


    I sighed, thankful for her consideration, pushing the panic and guilt I felt to the back of my mind.


    Then, just days ago, she¡¯d told me she was pregnant with my child. What choice did I have? I had to bring her back to the pack.


    Was I going to marry her and divorce Amber?


    Beta called me, the ringing of the phone breaking me out of my thoughts. Amber had bought a ne ticket¡ªshe really was nning to leave. Rory, my wolf, urged me to go find her. Instead, I told my Beta to bring her back.


    Amber was just ying more unreasonable games. If only she could soften to me, I could forgive her.


    ¡°Wait,¡± I said into the phone, a thought forming in my mind. ¡°Why was Amber at the hospital?¡±


    I waited for Beta to return with the information, grabbing the phone as soon as it rang.


    ¡°Alpha,¡± Beta said, ¡°the ne crashed. Amber is dead.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not all, Alpha.¡± Beta paused, then cleared his throat. ¡°She was at the hospital for a prenatal checkup. She was pregnant with your child. They both died.¡±


    The room began to swirl around me.

 Main Flame 6

    Amber¡¯s POV


    I gazed at the Thorn Pack hospital, thinking back to thest time I¡¯d stepped foot in its halls.


    Five years. It¡¯d been five years since I¡¯dst stepped foot in Thorn Pack, nevertheless the hospital where my marriage had ended.


    Five years ago, my ne had crashed into the ocean. Luckily, we weren¡¯t so far from the shore of Dawn Pack, the nearest pack, and a group of generous fishers hauled me onto their boat where I sat, shivering, amongst crates of lobsters.


    My backpack, where I¡¯d put all my documents and identification papers for safe keeping, was lost somewhere in water. I had no


    money, nor anywhere to go.


    Luckily, the Dawn Pack hospital extended the same unbelievable generosity of the fishermen, and they gave me a job as a nurse. It


    wasn¡¯t quite the doctor¡¯s position I¡¯d dreamt of in college, but it was just enough to earn a living. I was exhausted, and I was poor,


    but I was alive.


    Plus, I had Eve. My wolf.


    She¡¯d awakened during the ident. When I plunged into the cold water, my wolf was shocked awake, her voice appearing in my


    mind. It grew louder and louder as fell I deeper and deeper into the ocean.


    Swim, shemanded.


    I iled my arms.


    Turn around, she growled. You¡¯re going deeper.


    I did my best to flip myself around, then dug my arms through the cold.


    Good, she said. Keep going. Don¡¯t stop.


    When I broke the surface, Eve howled inside me in victory, the joy of survival coursing through my bones.


    You saved us, she said. All three of us.


    With the help of Eve¡¯s strength, I stayed afloat until the fishing boat appeared and the fishermen rescued me.


    I awoke in the moment between life and death, Eve told me once we were safe on the shore.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I told her. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you were there. I didn¡¯t know you were a part of me.¡¯


    While Eve¡¯s presence required some adjustment on my part, I adjusted quickly. I found myself more likely to take care of myself, as I was taking care of Eve as well. She was quicker to anger, but she was also quicker to feel joy. Herpanionship became a


    saving grace in my new life.


    I had always been a wolf, as it turned out, but Eve had been made to lie dormant for reasons unknown to either of us. Along with


    12:33 PM Tue 26 Aug


    50%


    Eve¡¯s arrival, I acquired the ability to heal others quickly. Combined with my medical degree, my powers leant to my work at Dawn


    Pack Hospital.


    The bigger adjustment, it turned out, was having my daughter.


    The process of childbirth was extremely dangerous. Alice was born half-werewolf, as the ident had caused her wolf to awaken early, just as it had caused Eve to awakente. She¡¯d been partially transformed as she exited my womb, wing her way through my flesh.


    As life went on, Alice¡¯s wolf proved to make life difficult. Although I was grateful that Alice would never be without protection,


    never without the ability to defend herself, her mind became overwhelmed easily. When this happened, she¡¯d transform into her


    wolf, often harming both herself and whoever happened to be around her.


    I had marks on my arms from Alice¡¯s ws, but I would never regret them. I would never hold it against her. Alice was only a child,


    too young to control her own emotions, not to mention her wolf¡¯s.


    However, that didn¡¯t mean that the process was easy. I ofteny awake at night, thinking of how much easier raising Alice would


    be with a partner.


    Eve would growl at me, reminding me that she was on my side.


    ¡°You know what I mean,¡± I would reply.


    I decided to dedicate myself to searching for a cure, which Dawn Pack Hospital graciously approved, as long as it didn¡¯t affect my


    nursing work. I wasn¡¯t trying to purposely rid Alice of her wolf, but to simply suppress Alice¡¯s wolf until she was old enough to


    control her. I would bring Alice to the hospital, hoping with every stay that it would be the one to heal her.


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 Main Flame 7

    ? 50%


    After the operation, I would fall asleep in the armchair next to Alice¡¯s bed,forted by the steady beating of the machines. Every time, Alice would awake violently, her wolf struggling to free her from the IV that stuck in her arm.


    Finally, I heard of an organization that could create nes to suppress wolf¡¯s abilities, but they were very expensive.


    I rededicated myself to my work. With the help of my powers, I rose from the lowest-ranking nurse at the hospital to a full-


    fledged healer. I took onmissions from nobles and wealthy merchants, grateful for the considerable amounts of money I


    earned.


    However, it still wasn¡¯t enough to pay for Alice¡¯s cure.


    My research led me to a contact at Thorn Pack Hospital. Instead of a cure, they offered me a position. We would have to go to


    Thorn Pack, but the sry would cover the exorbitant medical fees for my child.


    The whole way here, I¡¯d debated whether or not I was actually going forward with taking the job at Thorn Pack. I¡¯d debated while I


    dropped Alice off with the nanny, and while I¡¯d driven to the hospital. After all, the odds that I¡¯d run into my ex-husband at the


    hospital was fairly high, especially with my renown.


    I looked at Thorn Pack Hospital out of my car window. I made up my mind, slipping on my face mask. I tightly tied my hair up and


    opened the door.


    shes of cameras went off around me. ¡°It¡¯s Healer Amanda!¡± reporters and onlookers excitedly shouted.


    My powers had granted me a level of fame, although under the new name that I¡¯d chosen for myself. A symbol of my new life.


    Luxury cars filled the hospital parking lot, all carrying Thorn Pack¡¯s most privileged, all of them here to see me. The news of the


    Healer¡¯s arrival at Thorn Pack had spread across the inte. Nobles lined up to make appointments, all of them eager to meet me


    in person.


    Whispers caused a soft, collective roar as the members of the crowd noticed me.


    ¡°That¡¯s Healer Amanda,¡± I heard, ¡°the youngest and most talented healer of our generation.¡±


    Out of obligation and practice from time as a healer at Dawn Pack Hospital, I exchanged pleasantries with some of the nobles before entering the hospital.


    I walked through the halls, guided to the office that had been set up for my arrival. Two figures already sat inside, waiting for me.


    Alpha Julian and his Luna, Olivia.


    My stomach fluttered at the sight of Julian, even as I attempted to squash the feelings. Julian had aged in the five years since I¡¯d seen him, but age had only made him more handsome, sharpening the striking lines of his nose and jaw. His hair was still jet ck, with no signs of graying, and his blue eyes still pierced my soul.


    Then, all the waves of resentment and regret that Julian¡¯s betrayal had caused me washed over me. Like the butterflies, I shoved


    12:34 PM Tue 26 Aug


    them away.


    ? 50%


    I was a professional healer now. The best around. I would treat the Alpha with professionalism, just as I would treat any of the other nobles waiting for me outside.


    Somehow, Olivia¡¯s beauty was just as intact as it had been when Ist saw her five years ago. It had been here, on this floor of this


    very hospital where I now held more status than she could have ever imagined possible.


    Her arm was linked tightly through Julian¡¯s, gently caressing her stomach. ¡°Healer Amanda, please cure my infertility. You must


    help me.¡±


    I was shocked to hear her plead. She didn¡¯t recognize me yet.


    Julian looked at me in shock. His voice broke as he cried out.


    ¡°Amber?¡±


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    12:34 PM Tue 26 Aug

 Main Flame 8

    50%


    Amber¡¯s POV


    I didn¡¯t know what I could possibly have to say to Julian, here, in Thorn Pack Hospital. I pretended I didn¡¯t hear him call my name.


    I¡¯d changed a lot since Julianst saw me. My wolf, Eve, had awakened, and as a result both my scent and hair color had changed. It was now pure gold, a steep contrast to the dark brown strands I¡¯d had before Eve arrived.


    How had Julian recognized me so quickly? Not only had I relied on my new scent and hair color to disguise me, but I¡¯d taken extra


    measures as well. Not only was I wearing my face mask as medical protection, but also as identity protection. My face had tattoo


    sticker to appear scarred, which had worked so far to make it difficult to recognize me.


    Coldly, I said, ¡°I refuse.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± Julian asked, desperation creeping into his voice.


    ¡°Infertility can be caused by a congenital condition. This condition is not necessarily treatable. In the rare cases that it is, the


    treatment takes an extremely long time.¡± I looked at the couple as I spoke, keeping my space across the hall.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pay you double,¡± Julian replied, his tone respectful. He maintained eye contact with me as he continued his plea. ¡°Healer


    Amanda, this is only part of the payment you will receive if you sessfully treat Olivia. There is no expense I won¡¯t pay to ensure


    she¡¯s cured.¡±


    The people crowding the hall outside my office door gasped. Julian¡¯s original offer had already been very high. Now, it was


    outrageous. The Alpha was clearly very eager to have a child with Olivia.


    Despite myself, despite all the distance and the improvements they¡¯d allowed me to make to my life, I felt a pang in my heart. Did


    Julian really love Olivia that much?


    Thorn Pack Hospital¡¯s head healer stood by, as he was supervising my transition from Dawn Pack Hospital. At Julian¡¯s words, he


    cut in to the conversation, straightening the cor of his white coat as he addressed the Alpha and Luna.


    ¡°Alpha, are you sure this young healer should treat Luna?¡± he asked. ¡°She¡¯s still a beginner, especially at her age! I¡¯ve served this


    hospital longer than Healer Amanda has been practicing medicine, and I believe I¡¯d be a much safer choice for Luna¡¯s treatment.¡±


    Julian looked at me. His expression was hard to read. Was it a challenge I saw in his eyes, or an invitation? I wasn¡¯t sure.


    Either way, I turned towards the head healer.


    ¡°How do you n to treat Luna¡¯s condition, Healer Amanda?¡± There was a mocking tone in the head healer¡¯s voice as he spoke my


    name and title.


    I exined the route I would take if I were to treat Olivia. If Olivia¡¯s infertility is a stubborn congenital condition, such as underdeveloped uterus, I would consider other fertility methods, such as IVF or surrogacy, rather than focusing on treating the disease. However, if it¡¯s due to acquired damage, I would try using herbal remedies to boost her hormone levels and use my


    12:34 PM Tue 26 Aug


    healing abilities to treat her uterus. These are the methods with the least harm to her.


    50%


    From a healer¡¯s perspective, I was still hesitant. Although the resources that Julian¡¯s mary support would give us ess to would bring up the likeliness of a sessful treatment, the odds were still fairly slim.


    Still, I spoke my mind.


    ¡°No, no,¡± the head healer replied, ¡°this is what the Luna needs¡­¡±


    I listened to the head healer present his n, noting multiple ws. Eventually, he conceded to my point, then proposed a new


    path of treatment-He decided to use an aggressive surgical approach to treat her. Again, the n was off, seemingly designed to


    not only pose a danger to Olivia, but also use the most funds while guaranteeing the slimmest possible chance of sess.


    I became so entrenched in the debate that I almost forgot about the others upying the hallway around us, who were watching


    our discussion like a ping-pong match. I thought of the personal health information rights that we must be viting, but Olivia


    had chosen to ask for my help in front of the crowds.


    12:34 PM Tue 26 Aug

 Main Flame 9

    50%


    ¡°Face it, Head Healer,¡± I said, trying to maintain a level of respect, ¡°My proposed treatment nbined with my unique healing abilities is the most feasible to lead to sess for Luna. Yours is more like a fanciful thinking.¡±


    The head healer had turned red, his face and neck the color of a tomato.


    ¡°Alpha, are you really going to let this outsider healer, with no known background, treat Luna?¡± The head healer practically spat, trying to illustrate how ridiculous he found the idea, ¡°She could be a foreign spy.¡±


    I scoffed.


    I looked at Julian. He looked back at me. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t defend me.


    He wouldn¡¯t choose me. When had he ever trulymitted to me in any capacity?


    ¡°Alpha,¡± I said, using the professional tone I greeted all of my high-profile patients with, with slight sarcasm. ¡°If you find my


    treatment n unsuitable, feel free to select Head Healer to perform the treatment instead. I¡¯ll dly go.¡±


    I began busying myself with the pager in my pocket. I hoped I was conveying my intended appearance of carelessness.


    ¡°Healer Amanda,¡± Julian said, and I looked up from my pager. ¡°Your treatment n is by far the most likely to effectively treat


    Luna. Please, if you would reconsider, I would like you to treat her.¡±


    Despite all of my growth, despite everything I told myself about my feelings for Julian, my heart still broke a little at his words.


    Please? He¡¯d never plead for anything on my behalf, back when we were married.


    No, back when we were married, secretly, and I performed all my wifely duties as well as caring for his household, he would never


    have paraded me to the hospital in order to seek help. He would never have shown any weakness in rtion to me, nor any


    helplessness.


    But for Olivia, I guess, he could be the kind of man I¡¯d always known he could be.


    It didn¡¯t matter. I had my own girl to look after. The money he offered me was substantial, enough for me to afford treatment for my daughter Alice.


    I would finish this job, and then I¡¯d take Alice and leave Thorn Pack behind. I¡¯d leave its hospital with its salty head healer and its


    government with its sadistic Alpha and take my child somece where we could live out the rest of our lives in peace.


    I¡¯d only have to interact with Julian until then.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said, putting on my professional tone again. ¡°I would be honored to treat Thon Pack¡¯s Luna.¡¯


    Julian¡¯s face twitched, a hint of a smile ying on his face before he returned to his usual scowl.


    ¡°First, though, I must ask that Luna receives her checkup from her regr doctor. Make sure that everything is normal and it¡¯s safe for us to proceed, and then we can talk about the details and get started.¡± I hoped that my reluctance couldn¡¯t be read by the


    12:34 PM Tue 26 Aug


    onlookers and the head healer.


    ¡°We¡¯ll do that immediately,¡± Julian agreed.


    50%


    He helped Olivia up from her seat. She stood gracefully, ever the elegant beauty, and set off to another part of the hospital, where primary care healers held their offices.


    I turned and opened the door to my own office, ignoring Julian¡¯s lingering nces. As far as either of us were concerned, I was Healer Amanda now. The only care and attention Healer Amanda spent on people like Alpha Julian and his Luna was in the context


    of work.


    I was a known professional, and would never be relegated to the position of human housewife.


    I was not in love with him.


    GET IT N¡­


    X


    12:34 PM Tue 26 Aug

 Main Flame 10

    ? 50%


    Julian¡¯s POV


    I said her name before I could catch myself, and a storm of emotions swelled inside me. Looking more closely at Healer Amanda,


    her resemnce to myte ex-wife was less apparent than I¡¯d first thought.


    Whereas Amber¡¯s hair had been deep, dark brown, Healer Amanda¡¯s was like liquid gold. Healer Amanda¡¯s face was scarred, at


    least the part I could see. Her mask covered her chin.


    Yet these emotions, this jolt of recognition, had lit up my whole body. There was a familiar shifting inside me. Could it be? Was


    Rory, my wolf, ready toe out of his dormant slumber?


    Rory stirred, restless. I wanted to act, to jump up and ask Healer Amanda a million different questions. I had the strange urge to


    take her into my arms. With all of the publicity around Healer Amanda¡¯s arrival to Thorn Pack Hospital, though, the action would


    not be wise.


    I restrained myself, regretfully urging Rory to calm himself.


    I couldn¡¯t help but think of the ne crash, in which my former mate- my chosen mate ¨C had died. It had been a bad day already,


    as she had sent me divorce papers, ready to leave both me and Thorn Pack altogether. I never expected the news that her ne had


    crashed, and as soon as I heard, I had to take action.


    I left headquarters, abandoning Olivia, my fated mate, and the Elders. I hadn¡¯t even taken the time to call a driver. Although I hadn¡¯t driven myself in years, as it was unbing of someone as important as the Alpha as Thorn Pack to do such things


    himself, I still remembered where the keys to thepany cars were kept. I grabbed a set, running to the parking garage and


    pushing the rm button until I located the vehicle the keys in my hand belonged to.


    I drove to the shore, where I knew the pack¡¯s Coast Guard would be sending out rescue vehicles. As Alpha, no one blinked an eye


    when I demanded to be let on one of the vessels headed to the scene of the ident.


    I remember sea spray whipping my face as we rode out into the ocean, not minding the numb feeling the wind and cold water caused. I wasn¡¯t particrly interested in feeling, anyway. I remember the lead investigator informing me that the ne had sunk deep into the ocean already, leaving no survivors behind.


    I remember focusing on the numbness, hoping that it would save me from the deep despair filling my bones.


    ¡°Send down your best dive team. I need Amber Wood¡¯s remains to be located immediately, at any cost.¡± The investigator looked at me curiously, wondering what Alpha Julian could possibly want with some woman he¡¯d never heard of, but he acted


    professionally, not questioning my orders.


    I stayed on the boat as the dive was performed, pacing anxiously as the sky turned from sunny daylight to darkest midnight.


    They found nothing. The ne had sunk deep into the sea, the wreckage barely visible to even Thorn Pack¡¯s best divers.


    When Beta told me that Amber had been in the hospital for prenatal check-ups, I called her doctor immediately. I didn¡¯t think it


    12:34 PM Tue 26 Aug


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    could be possible, but the doctor¡¯s confirmation broke my heart even further. I hadn¡¯t just lost my wife, but our unborn child, as


    well.


    This never would have happened if it wasn¡¯t for you! Rory snapped at me.


    I could feel him raging inside me. I wanted him to stop, so that I could try to feel nothing at all, but he persisted, furious.


    You got Olivia pregnant. You chose her over your wife, Rory growled. And now Amber is dead, and your child is dead.


    She never would have gotten on that ne if you hadn¡¯t betrayed her.


    ¡°Stop!¡± I cried out in response. ¡°You heard her. Amber insisted on the separation. This isn¡¯t my fault.¡±


    Rory didn¡¯t believe me. I felt him scoff in disbelief, giving up on trying to convince me of my fault.


    It didn¡¯t matter. I knew my argument with Amber had driven her away. Regret consumed every part of me.


    I knew that I hadn¡¯t treated Amber the way I should have. I wished I could go back and be better for her, paying more attention to the woman who ran my house and fed me for years, doing special things for her the way she¡¯d done for me. Amber deserved that.


    But it was toote.


    The next best thing to giving Amber her due in life was giving it to her in death. I arranged, personally, for her funeral. Despite resistance from some of the elders, who sneered at the idea of a human woman buried in an Alpha family¡¯s graveyard, even


    symbolically, I had her buried in a plot next to mine.


    I ordered her tombstone to be inscribed with the following: ¡°His ex-wife and former mate.¡±


    Just as everyone else who¡¯d wondered at my rtion to Amber, the engraver had been shocked when I told him what the tombstone had read. I kicked myself again and again for hiding Amber away, for keeping her hidden. Nobody pressed me for


    details.

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    I think they could read my heartbreak on my face.


    Rory, though, couldn¡¯t forgive me. My closest friend, my only opponent, fell into a deep slumber. I couldn¡¯t wake him from his


    rest.


    He was heartbroken, too.


    I couldn¡¯t stand staying at the home Amber had made for us. All of the effort I¡¯d ignored when she was alive was amplified by her


    death. I couldn¡¯t stand looking at the sofa cover I¡¯d spent so many nights lounging on next to her, not appreciating her dedication


    to me and our home.


    I kept the house, of course, but I moved into a new one so I wouldn¡¯t have to face the pain of my mistakes every day. The house


    would be a memorial to Amber, untouched in order to preserve her memory.


    After the funeral and Rory¡¯s decision to go dormant, it became easier to bury myself in work and stifle the pain. I knew that the


    pain was still there, but it was buried underyers of obligation and duty to my pack.


    All of my sexual desire disappeared. I didn¡¯t even want Olivia, but I knew I had to stay with her. After all the publicity, what would


    it look like if I abandoned my pregnant fated mate?


    Then,ter, I simply stayed with her because it was easier than trying to leave.


    And now, here, was Healer Amanda, who even through her hair and scars reminded me of Amber.


    I wanted to approach her, to cup her face and feel her warmth, to run my fingers up each side of her face and unhook her mask


    from her ears, revealing the delicate lips that part of me was sure belonged to Amber.


    Could it actually be her?


    Amber¡¯s POV


    There was a knock on my office door. I sighed as I went over to open it.


    Of course, it was Olivia, back from her standard medical examination. I put on a cold, professional smile as she entered the room.


    I¡¯d had an electric kettle set up in the office for my arrival, as I liked offering my patients tea to calm their nerves. Most of my


    patients were nervous, as they were likely suffering with something serious if they¡¯de to seek my help.


    I was going to forgo the pleasantry with Olivia out of my own pettiness, but she surprised me, approaching the kettle herself and pouring a cup for us both. An attempt to ingratiate herself to me, I thought.


    ¡°Healer, I know there are a lot of rumors swirling around Thorn Pack about me,¡± Olivia said, handing me my cup. ¡°You may have even heard them over in Dawn Pack. People say that I¡¯m just the agent Luma, not the true Luna, because I interfered in Alpha¡¯s previous marriage. That isn¡¯t true. Julian and I knew each other long before his previous marriage. He wants to prepare a ceremony of the appropriate grandeur before officially naming me Luna.¡±


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    My blood began to boil at Olivia¡¯s words, but I stifled the feeling. Maybe Amber would be upset at Olivia¡¯s story, but Healer Amanda was indifferent, only here to serve her patient.


    ¡°I treat all my patients with the proper dignity and dedication to their care, whether they are Lunas or not,¡± I said dismissively. ¡°Now, please tell me about your medical history, Olivia.¡±


    Olivia answered my questions, and I marked her history down on her chart. She fidgeted in her chair, something I¡¯d never seen


    anyone as self-possessed and morous as Olivia do.


    ¡°Thank you, Luna,¡± I said. ¡°You may go. I¡¯ll be in contact with you about the next steps ording to your treatment n.¡±


    Olivia headed to my office door, opening it. Before she stepped out into the office hallway, Julian appeared just outside the door.


    Olivia stopped in the doorway, turning to me. ¡°I know you think I¡¯m lying, but I¡¯m not. Alpha¡¯s ex-wife ¨C Amber ¨C was just a


    gold-digger looking to exploit his power and his finances. Ask him yourself. She was only good for cooking and cleaning.¡±


    ¡°Olivia!¡± Julian scolded. ¡°You will not talk about Amber that way, especially not in front of such importantpany.¡±


    ¡°But ¡± Olivia started.


    ¨C


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear your excuses. Please, go locate the driver.¡± Julian¡¯s tone was firm.


    After Olivia finally relented and left to go find their driver, Julian turned to me, his blue eyes as dazzling as ever.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± he said, sincerity flooding his words. ¡°I know she isn¡¯t the easiest client, and this isn¡¯t the easiest case. It means a


    lot to us that you¡¯ve taken it on.¡±


    Julian turned to leave. I thought of what Olivia had said. Ask him yourself. She was only good for cooking and cleaning.


    ¡°Alpha Julian,¡± I said, his first name familiar on my tongue even after all these years. ¡°Do you see your ex-wife that way as well?¡±


    GET IT N¡­


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    Olivia¡¯s POV


    Olivia had started to pull her cell out of her purse when she heard the healer ask the question. She slipped her phone away again,


    listening intently for Julian¡¯s reply.


    At first, he didn¡¯t say anything. The silence grew along with Olivia¡¯s simmering irritation. Why wouldn¡¯t he answer? It wasn¡¯t a


    hard question.


    ¡°No,¡± Julian said atst. ¡°At least she was a devoted wife.¡±


    Olivia bristled. A devoted wife, he¡¯d said. He could only be talking about one person.


    Why was he still thinking of her? Olivia had done so much work to rid Julian¡¯s mind of that human whore. She¡¯d gotten pregnant.


    She¡¯d orchestrated Amber¡¯s death.


    Even after all of that, after five years, was Julian still hung up on her?


    Olivia whipped around towards the door, disgust twisting her face into a sour expression.


    All she saw was Healer Amanda coldly shutting her office door in Julian¡¯s face. He stood there, looking at the door, as if he was


    unsure what had happened or how he¡¯d arrived there.


    He turned toward her. As soon as Julian noticed her, his face stiffened back into the imprable expression Olivia was so used to.


    ¡°How dare she speak to an Alpha that way?¡± Olivia demanded, instinctively wrapping her precisely manicured fingers around


    Julian¡¯s arm. ¡°The absolute disrespect.¡±


    ¡°She seems not to believe what I said.¡± Julian shrugged, shaking his head. ¡°Don¡¯t know why. But they say geniuses have odd


    temperaments. Maybe it¡¯s true.¡±


    Olivia held back a scoff. If she had the power of a Luna, she wouldn¡¯t stand to be spoken to the way the healer had just spoken to


    Julian. She didn¡¯t understand why he¡¯d always had such a hard time epting that his status demanded special treatment.


    Olivia tried to make eye contact with Julian in the car, but he stared out the window, ignoring her. Julian¡¯s description of Amber


    rang through her mind. A devoted wife.


    ¡°Would you like to eat at my house tonight, my darling?¡± Olivia asked Julian, reaching out and stroking his knee.


    Olivia hated that she had to invite Julian over for dinner this far into their rtionship. She hated that they didn¡¯t live together yet.


    He still hadn¡¯t fully dedicated himself to her.


    He still hadn¡¯t made her Luna.


    Julian had never even allowed Olivia to enter therge house he¡¯d shared with Amber. After her death, he¡¯d kept the ce stuck in


    time, as though keeping all her shoddy housework in tact would keep part of her alive.


    12:34 PM Tue 26 Aug


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    He¡¯d bought Olivia her own house, a new house with modern features that at first Olivia had taken as a sign of Julian¡¯s infatuation with her. She thought he was disying a desire to move on from Amber, to have a separate, independent rtionship with Olivia without the memories of his life with that whore seeping in.


    Then, he hadn¡¯t moved in with her. He never stayed the night. He hadn¡¯t been intimate with her since Amber¡¯s death.


    It made her furious.


    ¡°Can¡¯t,¡± Julian said, still gazing distractedly out the window. ¡°I¡¯m workingte tonight.¡±


    Olivia seethed. ¡°You¡¯ve used that excuse so many times. Remember, that¡¯s the excuse you used the night I decided to bring you


    dinner. It was pouring outside, and I ended up in that terrible car ident.¡±


    Julian¡¯s posture sagged the tiniest bit, guilt softening his armor just as Olivia intended it to.


    ¡°I lost our baby in that ident, Julian. You must remember, don¡¯t you?¡±


    Olivia knew the reminder of her miscarriage would hurt Julian. That¡¯s why she brought it up.


    It had been just a few months after Amber¡¯s death, and Julian had been distant despite all of Olivia¡¯s attempts. When she¡¯d phoned


    the office to see if Julian would be over for dinner, he¡¯d told her that he¡¯d be workingte. Again.


    She decided that, if Julian wasn¡¯t going to y the game the way she wanted, she would change the rules. She put together avish


    basket with steak and potatoes, prepared by her private chef, of course. Then, she got in the car and headed to the office.


    Olivia told her driver she felt like driving herself that night.


    ¡°But, Miss Olivia,¡± the driver had protested, ¡°it¡¯s pouring outside. Don¡¯t you think it would be safer if I drove you tonight?¡±


    Olivia had peered out the window at the steady rain and smiled. ¡°No. I like to drive in the rain.¡±


    In truth, she wanted Julian to see the effort she was personally putting into their rtionship. She didn¡¯t want him to think that


    she delegated all of her care to the hired staff that surrounded her.


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    Olivia had gotten in the sleek, ck car, sliding the key into the ignition and turning it. She hadn¡¯t driven herself in years at this point, but her muscle memory kicked in as she felt the familiar roar of the engine awakening.


    The road from Olivia¡¯s new house topany headquarters was dark with minimal streetlights, as part of it was a private road. Olivia doubted she¡¯de across anyone else in the rain, and she was eager to surprise Julian with his meal, but she maintained


    the speed limit.


    When Olivia came to the first public intersection on the road, the traffic light turned from green to yellow and she¡¯d tried to slow the car. However, the car had hydroned, skidding across the slick, rain-coated road instead of stopping. She¡¯d spun into the middle of the intersection just as another car came through on the crossing road and rammed into the passenger side of the car.


    The force propelled her car to the edge of the road, all of the airbags expanded inside. Metal and ss from the collision had cut Olivia¡¯s skin in ces, but thankfully her face was unharmed. The airbags were tight against her protruding stomach, and she


    immediately knew that something was wrong with the baby.


    Then came the unbearable pain.


    Olivia located her cell phone, calling Julian first out of instinct.


    ¡°Please, Julian,¡± she cried. ¡°I was on my way to bring you dinner and I got into a wreck. I think the baby ¨C I think the baby¡¯s


    gone.¡±


    Julian had practically rushed out of the office before he had time to respond to her call, wracked with guilt.


    Later, when they were at Thorn Pack Hospital and the baby had been passed and confirmed as a miscarriage, Olivia turned to


    Julian.


    For the first time of many, she told him, ¡°If you¡¯d been at my side tonight, I wouldn¡¯t have gotten into the ident. I wouldn¡¯t


    have lost my child.¡±


    She could see the heavy guilt sinking into Julian¡¯s face. After the death of his child with Amber, he had lost another.


    Julian¡¯s face bore the familiar expression now as he replied, ¡°I¡¯lle see you after I finish work.¡±


    Olivia threw herself into Julian¡¯s arms and cried. She felt Julian¡¯s muscles tense under her touch, but he didn¡¯t push her away.


    Amber¡¯s POV


    My heart leapt at Julian¡¯s words. A devoted wife. It was exactly what I had been, five years ago, in a different life.


    I took a deep breath, trying to steady all the feelings that had risen up inside me. I still had a whole day¡¯s work to get through at this new hospital.


    A rapid knock on the door ripped me away from her calming exercises. The knocker came in before I had a chance to reply. He was a young, spry man, full of excitement.


    12:34 PM Tue 26 Aug


    ¡°It¡¯s such an honor to work with you,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ve always admired you. I¡¯m Noah-your assistant here at the hospital.¡±


    650%


    It appeared that Noah was already hard at work managing my appointments. He enthusiastically thrust a long list of bookings into


    my hands.


    ¡°You¡¯re insanely popr,¡± he said with a smile. He continued, a bit of timidity in his voice. ¡°Would it be alright if I watched one of


    your surgeries?¡±


    I saw his enthusiasm and remembered my first days of medical school, when I¡¯d had the same idealistic excitement for the craft.


    ¡°Of course,¡± I replied. I skimmed through the list of names and ailments. Some of the nobles only had minor issues, but others


    were in critical condition and truly needed my help. I used my red pen to mark those cases first.


    Still, my mind was elsewhere. Julian¡¯s words from earlier kept reying in my head. A devoted wife. Was he satisfied with everything I¡¯ve done?


    What if¡­ what if he had been telling the truth?


    I smiled apologetically at Noah, telling him there was business I needed to attend to, and headed out into the hospital to find


    Julian.


    I ran through the lobby, pretended to be calm, but my eyes anxiously searching around, my heart soaring when I noticed Julian¡¯s


    car still parked outside the entrance.


    All my hopes crashed back down as I realized that, in the back of the car, Julian and Olivia were holding each other in a tight


    embrace.


    GET IT N¡­


    X


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    I scoffed, kicking myself. I should have never trusted that damned man, especially after everything he¡¯d put me through five years


    ago.


    I hurried back to my office.


    ¡°Everything alright?¡± Noah asked, popping his head back into my office.


    ¡°Oh, yeah,¡± I replied, hoping toe off nonchnt.


    ¡°You know, next time you need something done, you can just ask me,¡± Noah said. ¡°It¡¯s my job, and I¡¯m honored to be the


    assistant to the best Healer currently living.¡±


    I thanked him, then set to creating my schedule. I packed myself to the brim, hoping to stay busy in order to shove the thoughts of


    Julian out of my mind.


    When I arrived home after work, Alice flew into my arms. I smiled, savoring the moment. Alice was getting older, and I was


    thankful for every moment we were able to share together, especially when so much of my life was focused on working.


    Of course,


    Alice was the reason for it all. She was my everything, the purpose behind my life, my work, and my strength.


    Alice tugged at my hand, eager to show me the Lego she¡¯d just finished building. She held up the figure, a blonde woman in a


    doctor¡¯s uniform. She¡¯d built a model of me.


    Of course, LEGO hadn¡¯t made a model specifically of me. Alice had pieced it together herself from different colored bricks. My


    heart swelled at her thoughtfulness, and I scooped her into my arms, kissing her temple.


    Alice iled yfully in my arms, and I noticed a small cut on her foot.


    ¡°Is this from stepping on the Lego?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes. It really hurt!¡± Alice replied.


    ¡°Not to worry,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll fix it for you.¡±


    I concentrated my healing abilities on her foot, watching the small cut disappear in front of my eyes with satisfaction.


    Alice bounced excitedly. ¡°I want to be a Healer when I grow up, too!¡±


    Iughed, noticing my own innocent enthusiasm in another young mind for the second time that day.


    ¡°You¡¯d better learn how to deal with difficult patients, then,¡± I teased. Olivia¡¯s face shed through my mind, and I shook my head to clear it away.


    Alice formed a finger gun with her hand, her pointer and middle fingers forming the barrel. ¡°Then I just won¡¯t treat them!¡±


    Iughed. I loved my girl¡¯s strength, her conviction. ¡°Healing is a sacred calling. You can¡¯t just quit because you¡¯re not in the


    12:35 PM Tue 26 Aug


    mood.¡±


    50% D


    Alice pouted, hugging me tightly. ¡°Then when I be a Healer, you treat the easy patients, and I¡¯ll take care of the difficult


    ones!¡±


    Love flooded my body as I gently stroked my daughter¡¯s hair, thinking she truly was a gift from the Moon Goddess.


    When I arrived at the hospital the next morning, Julian and Olivia were back for their follow-up. I sighed, but I knew that treating


    Olivia was the only way I could afford to treat Alice.


    Olivia hung onto Julian, kissing him and stroking his arms as if to prove their affection for each other. Although her grant PDA


    bothered me, I ignored it, focusing on the task at hand and thinking of Alice when my mind started to wander.


    After the appointment, Olivia exited my office, busy with something on her phone. I waited for Julian to follow her down the


    hallway, but he didn¡¯t. Instead, he lingered in my doorway, watching me.


    My body flushed involuntarily under his gaze.


    Julian¡¯s POV


    I couldn¡¯t shake my suspicion that Healer Amanda was actually my Amber.


    I moved away from her doorframe but stayed in the hallway outside her door, watching as the next patient arrived. Through the


    little window in the door, I saw Healer Amanda wee the patient calmly. She pinpointed their ailment with precision, then


    prescribed a treatment n.


    She even mended flesh wounds in front of my eyes, her healing abilities every bit as strong as they were fabled to be.


    I was incredibly impressed, but it came with a twinge of disappointment. My Amber, the dedicated housewife, couldn¡¯t possess


    such refined medical expertise. Sure, she¡¯d been a great student when we were in medical school, but that had been a lifetime ago.


    She spent her time cooking, not healing wounds. She was a human, so she couldn¡¯t possess the special abilities of Healer Amanda.


    Reluctantly, I admitted that the only simrities between Healer Amanda and my Amber were their looks. Other than that, they were different in every possible way.


    I heard whispersing from further down the hallway and stopped to listen as I heard my name mentioned.


    Two young nurses were huddled together, gossiping.


    ¡°How did a Healer this young manage to get so much funding from the Alpha?¡± one of the nurses asked.


    ¡°You don¡¯t get it, do you? You¡¯re so naive,¡± the second nurse said.


    ¡°I mean, infertility is hard to treat, but couldn¡¯t Healer Eric have handled it? Why bring in this outsider?¡± the first nurse asked, oblivious of the second nurse¡¯s implications.


    ¡°Tsk, tsk. She probably spread her legs,¡± the second nurse replied. ¡°She¡¯s clearly beautiful, scarred face or not.¡±


    12:35 PM Tue 26 Aug


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    I looked down the other side of the hallway, where Beta stood watch. I signalled him with a nce, as I could tell he¡¯d been


    listening in on the nurses¡¯ gossip session, too.


    Beta stepped forward. ¡°You two,¡± he said, motioning to the nurses, e here.¡±


    They quickly obeyed, not wanting to anger anyone on the Alpha¡¯s team.


    ¡°Repeat what you just said, please,¡± Beta demanded.


    The nurses were silent, although their necks and faces flushed under his scrutiny.


    Healer Amanda stepped out of her office. Apparently, she¡¯d caught the end of the nurses¡¯ conversation as well.


    She sneered. ¡°What a vulgar rumor. I would expect better from my fellow women. We¡¯re supposed to look out for each other, and


    yet you gossip like this? Your words are even more disgusting than those from the sleaziest men.¡±


    I admired herposure, and her ability to speak up for herself. I stepped in, approaching the nurses myself. They shrivelled once


    they realized I¡¯d heard everything they said.


    ¡°Unless you can tell me where this nasty rumor started,¡± I said, ¡°you two will be fired today.¡±


    I watched as the young women panicked, looking at each other in fright, as though weighing the consequences of speaking up or


    staying silent.


    Then they confessed.


    ¡°Head Healer Eric told me it was true,¡± the second nurse said, the first nurse nodding her head quickly in agreement.


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    ¡°What else has old Healer Eric told you two?¡± I demanded. I couldn¡¯t believe the insubordination of such a seasoned professional.


    ¡°Head Healer Eric is upset that Healer Amanda took over the Luna¡¯s treatment,¡± the first nurse said.


    ¡°He feels like it¡¯s a p in the face to his craft,¡± the second nurse confirmed.


    I felt annoyance and anger bubbling inside me, and I muffled them quickly, desperate to stay even-tempered andposed.


    ¡°First of all, Olivia is not my Luna,¡± I started. It felt good to say the words out loud, although I knew Olivia would be furious if she heard me say it. ¡°Second, Healer Eric was brilliant when he was younger, but as he¡¯s aged, he¡¯s lost his drive. Instead of improving, his healing abilities have declined, despite his experience. He¡¯s been coasting by on his title alone for years. That¡¯s


    exactly why I brought in Healer Amanda at such a high sry.¡±


    The nurses were silent, but they nodded quickly in understanding.


    ¡°If you ever spread such offensive, baseless rumors as these again, mark my words,¡± I said, ¡°you will be fired that very day.¡±


    I saw the nurses shrink under my presence. It was an effect of being the Alpha that I¡¯d epted long ago. I couldn¡¯t deny that it


    often worked in my favor.


    ¡°We¡¯re so sorry, Alpha,¡± the first nurse said. ¡°It will never happen again.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Healer Amanda,¡± the second nurse said.


    Then they scurried away.


    I looked at Healer Amanda, admiring herposure.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± she said, her voice curt, ¡°but I can handle these situations myself.¡±


    She turned back to her clipboard, busying herself with work.


    She looked as solid as a rock, as if nothing could break her. This was yet another way she was different from Amber.


    Amber was fragile and dependent, always craving my attention, anxious and fearful over even a careless word from me. But Healer Amanda didn¡¯t care about me, even I¡¯m the pack¡¯s Alpha


    And then there was the scar on her face. Amber had no scars.


    ¡°How¡¯d you get your scar?¡± I asked, unable to hold my curiosity in any longer.


    ¡°An antisocial patient,¡± Healer Amanda replied without looking up


    She clearly didn¡¯t want to talk to me, or even see me. I wished she would meet my eyes again.


    ¡°Alpha, there are a lot of contagious diseases in the hospital. You should go. For your own safety.¡±


    WAMY 50%


    I¡¯d stood up for Healer Amanda. I¡¯d cleared up any rumor of indecency between us. Why did she seem to hate me even more now? Beta and I returned to the car. Olivia had been driven back to her house to continue her daily duties, and we were headed back topany headquarters.


    I turned to Beta.


    ¡°I want you to investigate Healer Amanda,¡± I said. ¡°She rejects every interaction I try to instigate with her. I want to know why. I


    want to know if she has a secret.¡±


    ¡°A secret?¡± Beta asked, taking notes on his phone. ¡°Can you be more specific? If you have suspicions, they¡¯d be good to know.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said. ¡°I want to know her rtionship to Amber.¡±


    Amber¡¯s POV


    I returned home exhausted after a long, busy week of work.


    Earlier in the day, Noah had observed a surgery I performed, as I¡¯d promised him. I¡¯d exined each step, and he¡¯d watched intently. Afterward, he must have thanked me hundreds of times.


    His enthusiasm reminded me of my own passion for medicine, back when I was in medical school. I¡¯d had no money then, nor any wolf. The reason I pursued a medical degree was for curing Grandma.


    I¡¯d dreamt of healing Grandma¡¯s bond with her wolf. After years of hard work, the stability of their bond had be shaky. This imbnce meant that Grandma aged more rapidly and became ill more often.


    I told Noah my story, along with the reality of my guilt. Now that I¡¯d be a Healer and knew how to heal Grandma, she was long gone.


    The guilt wracked me, along with the grief I still felt about Grandma¡¯s passing.


    ¡°Wow,¡± Noah had said, ¡°you¡¯re an incredible doctor, Healer Amanda.¡±


    He¡¯d looked at me with even more admiration than when we¡¯d first met. I simply smiled in response to his praise, although it left me with an extra glow of pride around my aching heart.


    My bubble of pride burst as soon as I opened the door to the house. Inside I was greeted with a terrible mess, as though the house had been ransacked. The throw pillows from the living room were shredded, stuffing strewn across the floor, and Alice¡¯s toys were in various states of destruction.


    Alice was nowhere to be found.


    Panic coursed through my bones, closing up my throat so it was hard to breathe. I began tearing through the house myself, searching for my daughter. Where was she?


    I called her name over and over as I searched every nook and cranny, finally opening a closet door.


    Inside sat Alice. Blood crossed her face, and dripped from her lips.


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    Alice had shifted into her wolf form. The blood on her lips was a tell-tale sign, as her fangs hade out and pierced two identical


    holes in her lips.


    ¡°Alice,¡± I said, kneeling down so we were face to face, ¡°tell me what happened, honey.¡±


    Alice¡¯s voice shook as she told me about her afternoon. ¡°I was watching a cartoon on the TV, Mommy, and there was this bad guy who was so mean. I got so angry, and then¡­ and then it happened.¡±


    ¡°Your wolf came out?¡± I asked, sure to keep my voice calm. I didn¡¯t want Alice to think I was mad at her.


    ¡°Yes, Mommy. My wolf came out, and I messed up the house so bad. I hid in here because I was afraid you¡¯d be angry with me.¡±


    Alice bent her head, not meeting my eyes.


    ¡°Oh, honey,¡± I said, wrapping her in my arms. ¡°I¡¯m not angry with you at all. I¡¯m just d you¡¯re okay.¡±


    Alice nestled closer into me, her frightened sobs transforming into hups as she calmed.


    ¡°Maybe you shouldn¡¯t watch those cartoons anymore. There¡¯s no reason to be upset. Cartoon bad guys always get their


    punishment in the end,¡± I exined.


    Alice nodded vigorously, her face serious.


    I went to tidy up the house, throwing away items that couldn¡¯t be salvaged and keeping the ones that could. Alice helped me,


    carrying her own trash bag to put toys in that couldn¡¯t be super glued or stitched back together.


    My heart warmed with pride once more, this time for the girl my daughter had be.


    ¡°Thank you, Alice, for helping,¡± I said. ¡°You are my little angel.¡±


    I woke up the next morning and got ready for work. Although it was Saturday, I had a shift to work. Such was the life of being a


    healer.


    As I got ready to go, Alice clung to me, not wanting to let go of my leg.


    ¡°Can I go with you, Mommy?¡± she begged. ¡°I want to see where you help people! And also, I don¡¯t want to be here by myself.


    Please, Mommy, can¡¯t Ie with you?¡±


    I considered her plea. It would be easier to keep an eye on her if I brought her with me, and I wasn¡¯t eager to leave her home alone after yesterday. Especially if Alice herself was already feeling scared about what might happen.


    ¡°Alright, honey,¡± I said. ¡°You cane to work with me today.¡±


    Once we got to the hospital, I set Alice up with her toys while I reviewed patient files. I¡¯d taken to keeping my office door open, and every once in a while a nurse would pass by and remark on how cute my daughter was.


    As I reviewed the files, I could see Alice ying with her ball out of the corner of my eye. The ball bounced, rolling out of the open


    office door, and Alice chased it out into the hallway.


    Julian¡¯s POV


    50%


    I¡¯d just arrived at the hospital for a budget meeting. My mind was preupied with thoughts of Healer Amanda as I walked through the first floor.


    My thoughts were interrupted as a ball rolled to my feet, followed by something bumping into my leg. I looked down to see a little


    she-wolf at my feet.


    The girl picked up her ball and looked up at me, tilting her head back to see my face.


    She had a pair ofrge, clear blue eyes, a doll-like small nose, and pink lips.


    ¡°Woah,¡± she said, ¡°you¡¯re as tall as a skyscraper!¡±


    My heart immediately softened. Grief had tendered me toward children. After experiencing the impossible loss of two children, I


    couldn¡¯t help but see each one as a tiny, living miracle.


    I gently scooped her up off the ground, and the girl giggled.


    ¡°Now you¡¯re as tall as me,¡± I said, my voice filled with an unfamiliar warmth. As soon as I¡¯d picked her up, an inexplicable sense


    of closeness washed over me. I felt that the girl sensed the same closeness, and she climbed onto my shoulders.


    ¡°I feel so tall I could touch the ceiling!¡± the girl said, reaching her hand up towards the tiles.


    I hopped a bit so her hand grazed the ceiling. To my delight, the girl giggled with her own joy.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been here all day,¡± she said. ¡°I haven¡¯t had anyone to y with. Can you y ball with me?¡±


    I checked my watch. I¡¯d much rather stay here and y than go to my meeting, but s, I wasn¡¯t only a grown up, but an Alpha. I


    had fifteen minutes before the meeting started. That left me plenty of time to stop and y for a while.


    I set the girl down, and we spent a while ying a game that involved passing the ball back and forth to each other.


    I checked my watch again. This time, I really had to go.


    ¡°Where are your parents?¡± I asked. ¡°Don¡¯t wander off, so they can find you.¡±


    ¡°My mommy works here,¡± the girl said, her voice filled with pride. ¡°I won¡¯t get lost; I¡¯m very smart!¡±


    I smiled at her confidence, passing the ball back to her. I turned to a nurse who¡¯d taken a seat on a bench in the hallway.


    ¡°Keep an eye on her, okay?¡± I asked. ¡°Don¡¯t let her get involved in any mishaps.¡±


    The nurse nodded, taking my orders seriously and setting her sights on the child.


    Reluctantly, I turned to go. Before I could walk away, I felt a tug on my sleeve, I looked down to see the child looking up at me, her


    eyes wide.


    12:35 PM Tue 26 Aug


    ¡°I like you,¡± she said, the same confidence filling her voice. ¡°Can you be my daddy?¡±


    I chuckled. ¡°You can¡¯t just choose a daddy at random. That¡¯s not how it works.¡±


    ? 50%


    The girl¡¯s face fell, her lip sticking out in a pout. ¡°Then can you be my pretend daddy? I don¡¯t have one. We¡¯re having an open house at my school and everyone else¡¯s daddy will be there. They all bully me because I don¡¯t have one.¡±


    Thesitated. Typically, it would be strange if a random man turned up at school for a kindergartener who didn¡¯t belong to him, but I


    was the Alpha, and that meant that I was afforded certain exceptions.


    What good were those exceptions if I couldn¡¯t use them to help adorable little wolves like this one?


    I double checked my schedule to make sure I was avable for the school¡¯s open house on Monday. I was avable at noon.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll do it. Which school do you go to?¡±


    The girl shouted the school¡¯s name at me, pping her hands with glee.


    I couldn¡¯t help but think about Amber and our unborn child. If they¡¯d survived, our kid would be about this little she-wolf¡¯s age.


    12:35 PM Tue 26 Aug

 Main Flame 17

    ? 50%


    Amber¡¯s POV


    I rested on the couch, thinking about how I needed to get up and start making dinner, when the door knocked open.


    This wasn¡¯t unusual. My friend Roman walked in, smiling widely. His arms were piled with beefy, fresh steaks and luscious vegetables, the colors of their peels popping as though they¡¯d been painted.


    Roman strode straight past the couch and into the kitchen, where he set the food piled in arms down with ease. Alice ran over to him, shouting his name, and he picked her up and kissed her on the forehead.


    I met Roman, the Alpha of Dawn Pack,st year at Dawn Pack Hospital. He¡¯d needed treatment for wolf venom, and I¡¯d taken on


    his case. He¡¯d taken a liking to me immediately.


    Since then, we¡¯d been inseparable to a degree, as Roman insisted on bing my healer¡¯s assistant, helping me heal others. I began to trust him, and I allowed him toe over to the house and share the load. He would often care for Alice and help with the


    cooking, which took a lot off of my te.


    I felt very grateful towards him. He¡¯d helped me arrange our arrival in Thorn Pack, finding me a house and helping me pack up Alice¡¯s and my things. He¡¯d help us arrange for our things to be moved, and when we¡¯d arrived in Thorn Pack, he¡¯d helped us


    unpack the same items and get settled in our new environment.


    It was nice to have a friendly, familiar face with us during this transition.


    However, that¡¯s all I could see Roman as. A friend, not a lover.


    There was nothing wrong with Roman. On paper he fit every trait one could want in a potential partner and step-father, as he was gentle, considerate, and truly loved my daughter as if she were his own flesh and blood.


    Despite it all, I just wasn¡¯t attracted to him.


    Roman began to cook, and Alice joined me on the couch to watch her cartoons. I basked in the happy peacefulness.


    ¡°Mommy, I forgot to tell you,¡± Alice said. ¡°I found my dad yesterday!¡±


    My heart dropped into my stomach. What was Alice talking about? I calmed myself, realizing that she couldn¡¯t know who her


    father really was.


    ¡°Where did you meet this ¡°dad,¡± honey?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yesterday, in the hallway at your hospital!¡± Alice replied. ¡°He was so handsome and as tall as a skyscraper. He helped me touch


    the ceiling, he was so tall!¡±


    I listened, wondering who the man had been who¡¯d made such a big impression on my daughter.


    ¡°He even yed ball with me, Mommy!¡± Alice eximed.


    12:35 PM


    Tue 20 Aug


    50%


    I didn¡¯t know what to do, or how to exin our situation to Alice. Although I tried to provide everything we needed, Alice wanted a father so badly.


    The next morning, I drove Alice to school. She attended the best kindergarten in Thorn Pack¡¯s capital city. I¡¯d been able to get her in due to my Healer¡¯s status and my connections. Having an Alpha as a close friend probably helped as well, even if he was from a different pack.


    I wanted my daughter to have the best education possible. I wanted her to be able to do anything she wanted with her life, and I would do anything to provide that for her.


    Julian¡¯s POV


    I walked through the school gates, taking in the lively campus. Although I didn¡¯t have the required invitation for the open house, the gatekeeper had recognized me as the Alpha.


    ¡°Alpha, what gives our school the honor of your visit?¡± the gatekeeper had asked when I walked up.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to visit a friend¡¯s child who really wanted me toe to her open house,¡± I exined.


    The gatekeeper nodded, letting me through without another question.


    Like I said, the Alpha status granted me certain exceptions to the norm.


    As soon as I entered the auditorium, where the children¡¯s work had been put on disy for the visiting parents, the little girl


    spotted me. She ran over, taking my hand and dragging me off towards her own project.


    GET IT N¡­


    2/2


    12:35 PM Tue 26 Aug


    50%


    I didn¡¯t know what to do, or how to exin our situation to Alice. Although I tried to provide everything we needed, Alice wanted a


    father so badly.


    The next morning, I drove Alice to school. She attended the best kindergarten in Thorn Pack¡¯s capital city. I¡¯d been able to get her in due to my Healer¡¯s status and my connections. Having an Alpha as a close friend probably helped as well, even if he was from a


    different pack.


    I wanted my daughter to have the best education possible. I wanted her to be able to do anything she wanted with her life, and I would do anything to provide that for her.


    Julian¡¯s POV


    I walked through the school gates, taking in the lively campus. Although I didn¡¯t have the required invitation for the open house,


    the gatekeeper had recognized me as the Alpha.


    ¡°Alpha, what gives our school the honor of your visit?¡± the gatekeeper had asked when I walked up.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to visit a friend¡¯s child who really wanted me toe to her open house,¡± I exined.


    The gatekeeper nodded, letting me through without another question.


    Like I said, the Alpha status granted me certain exceptions to the norm.


    As soon as I entered the auditorium, where the children¡¯s work had been put on disy for the visiting parents, the little girl


    spotted me. She ran over, taking my hand and dragging me off towards her own project.


    GET IT N¡­


    12:35 PM Tue 26 Aug

 Main Flame 18

    ¡ú 50%


    Therge room was filled with artwork, each child disying a project they¡¯d made. Alice¡¯s project was a butterflymp she¡¯d constructed out of paper, with tiny people holding hands and dancing across thempshade. Themp glowed warm yellow and


    cast colorful light in every direction.


    I found it truly enrapturing.


    ¡°Wow,¡± I said to Alice. ¡°This is an incredible piece of art. You did very well, little she-wolf.¡±


    Alice beamed, and other parents admired the work as well.


    A voice came over the microphone, announcing that the charity auction would begin shortly. Each child¡¯s work would be


    auctioned off in order to raise money, and I had my heart set on taking Alice¡¯s work home.


    When the auctioneer presented her piece, Alice scrambled onto the stage, her voice loud and eager over the speakers.


    ¡°This is mymp!¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s a gift for all children, all over the world, no matter their pack, or their skin color, their abilities,


    or theirnguage.¡±


    I was touched by her words, so profound for a child so young. Her mother must be raising her right.


    The crowd watched as Alice pulled a string, and thempshade began to slowly turn. The paper figures adorning the shade danced


    hand in hand, the colors spinning across the auditorium, which filled with gasps and apuse.


    The auctioneer took the mic again. ¡°Bidding starts at fifty dors for this beautiful piece!¡±


    I prepared to raise my hand, but another man across the room beat me to it.


    ¡°One hundred,¡± the man said.


    ¡°One thousand,¡± I proimed, my hand in the air.


    The other man turned to nce at me, confusion shing across his face. ¡°Five thousand.¡±


    ¡°Ten thousand,¡± I said without hesitation.


    Murmurs rippled through the auditorium. People were stunned. Was this piece really worth that much? I kept my paddle up, undaunted by the crowd¡¯s reaction or the other man¡¯spetition. But Julian kept his bidding paddle up, unwavering.


    I wanted everyone to know this little girl had a dad. No one would dare bully her again.


    ¡°One hundred thousand,¡± the other man said.


    ¡°Five hundred thousand,¡± I countered. I could do this all day.


    I looked over at mypetition. The man seemed familiar, as did the woman who sat beside him. I wracked my mind, but I couldn¡¯t ce the couple,


    12:35 PM Tue 26 Aug


    We volleyed back and forth.


    ¡°One million,¡± I dered, my paddle raised proudly in the air.


    ? 50%


    I looked over to see if the other man was still in, only to find that he¡¯d slipped away. The woman who¡¯d sat next to him had


    vanished as well.


    ¡°This lovelymp to the man over there,¡± the auctioneer cried, obviously astounded by our fight over this kindergartener¡¯s school


    project. The money I¡¯d bid would go to the orphanage, and my heart glowed at the thought of how many other young children it


    would help.


    Alice ran over to me, overjoyed at the result of the auction. She hugged me and kissed me on the cheek, leaving slobber behind. I


    This was worth much more than a million dors.


    Despite my joy, my mind couldn¡¯t help but wander back to the woman who¡¯d been sitting with mypetition. Her figure


    haunted my thoughts. Her golden hair, her graceful curves, the confidence she¡¯d radiated.


    The more I thought of her, the more familiar she seemed.


    I couldn¡¯t wait any longer. I sprinted out of the auditorium, out of the school altogether, hoping that she¡¯d still be there.


    My breath stopped.


    There she was, glowing in the sunlight, literally taking my breath away. I had no more doubts.


    Amber Wood, my wife who was supposed to have died years ago, was here in Thorn Pack.


    But there was another man standing beside her.


    12:36 PM Tue 26 Aug

 Main Flame 19

    50%


    Amber¡¯s POV


    I slipped back into the auditorium just in time to see Alice stepping on stage to show off her project. She waved at me excitedly, and I grinned back at her. She¡¯d been so excited for me to see the project.


    When Alice pulled the chain and turned on themp, the colors and paper cut-outs danced across the room. It was truly incredible. All I could feel was pride and awe that my little girl had made something this incredible.


    Alice truly deserved the world.


    The auctioneer took the stage and began the bidding. Roman bid double the asking price right off the bat. Not only would the proceeds go to helping the children at the orphanage, but Alice¡¯s piece, in my opinion, was worth more than any amount of money could buy.


    I didn¡¯t expect to hear another man¡¯s voice follow Roman¡¯s.


    ¡°One thousand,¡± the voice said. I froze in my seat. It couldn¡¯t be.


    I turned to see Julian sitting across the auditorium. Julian gazed at the stage, looking determined to win. His blue eyes piercing


    even from across the crowded room. My heart almost stopped.


    I nced over at him again, wondering what was driving him to bid so much on Alice¡¯s piece. He couldn¡¯t possibly know who she


    really was to him. To my knowledge, he¡¯d never even met Alice before.


    I hadn¡¯t tried to disguise myself at all today. I didn¡¯t have a medical mask and tattoo stickers with me, and suddenly my face felt naked, as though it was indecent to show my chin in public. All I could do was hope that my golden hair would be enough to


    convince Julian that I wasn¡¯t his ex-wife.


    ¡°One hundred thousand,¡± Roman said, causing a wave of murmurs across the auditorium.


    ¡°Five hundred thousand,¡± Julian countered.


    I didn¡¯t know what to do. Of course, the exorbitant amounts of money that Roman and Julian were bidding would all go to a good cause, but they were causing a scene in the auditorium. They were both Alphas, as well; they weren¡¯tcking funds in any sense.


    I simply sat and stared at Alice¡¯smp, listening to the men raise their bids higher and higher.


    ¡°One million,¡± Julian said.


    My heart twisted as gasps rippled through the crowd again. I turned to Roman, tugging on his sleeve to pull him away from the back-and-forthpetition.


    ¡°What?¡± he said a bit gruffly, then smiled at me apologetically.


    ¡°Stop bidding, Roman.¡±


    12:36 PM Tue 26 Aug


    ¡°But Alice¡¯s work¡± he started to protest.


    ¡°He bid a million dors, Roman,¡± I said. ¡°I think he deserves it. The money¡¯s going to children, after all.¡±


    Roman crossed his arms as the auctioneer started wrapping up the bidding.


    ? 50%


    ¡°Come on,¡± I said, pulling him up from his seat and out of the school as the auditorium broke out in awe-struck apuse at the


    disy.


    ¡°Why would you do that?¡± I asked once we were out in front of the school. It was a lovely day, and the sun warmed my skin nicely


    after sitting for so long in the cold auditorium. ¡°Don¡¯t you know who that was?¡±


    ¡°Sure I do,¡± Roman said casually. ¡°That was your asshole ex-husband. Alpha Julian of Thorn Pack.¡±


    Despite Roman¡¯s carefree performance, I knew that he was jealous of Julian in more ways than one. Julian was the Alpha of the


    biggest pack in the world, while Dawn Pack dwindled inparison. And, of course, Julian had been given ess to my heart,


    while I could only see Roman as a friend.


    ¡°Yes. And I don¡¯t want him to know that I¡¯m back in Thorn Pack,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s hard enough hiding my identity when I treat Olivia.


    I don¡¯t need you calling more attention to me in public, when I haven¡¯t even had the chance to prepare myself!¡±


    ¡°Let him find out you¡¯re here,¡± Roman said, his voice full of swagger. ¡°I¡¯ll protect you.¡±


    I stopped in my tracks.


    ¡°When have I ever asked for your protection?¡± I asked. ¡°I don¡¯t need you to protect me. I need you to listen to me. I still have to


    treat his¡­ Luna. If he identifies me, he¡¯ll think I¡¯m trying to sabotage his life, just like he did five years ago.¡¯


    ¡°Then don¡¯t treat her,¡± Roman said softly, his eyes urging me to agree. ¡°Come back to my pack. I can take care of you.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t believe him. This wasn¡¯t about Roman at all. This wasn¡¯t even about pack politics.


    This was about treating Alice, so she could live a good, normal life with a million more days like this.


    I rolled my eyes, turning to go back to the auditorium. Pain suddenly shot up from my wrist, as I was yanked to a halt.


    GET IT N


    12:36 PM Tue 26 Aug

 Main Flame 20

    50%


    For a second, I assumed Roman had been the one to reach out and stop me, but his touch had never set my skin on fire like this.


    I turned to see my suspicions confirmed.


    Julian.


    ¡°Amber?!¡±


    I could read Julian¡¯s expression clearly, something that was rare considering his stoicism. He was in shock. And he could see me


    clearly for who I really was.


    He stared at me in a daze, as if he had seen a corpsee back to life. Then, his shock shifted into a kind of urgency, an urgency I


    couldn¡¯t understand ¨C


    He strode toward me, then paused once again.


    His gaze shifted to Roman, and his expression turned fierce, his eyes zing.


    ¡°Who is he? Are you two together?¡±


    I stared at Julian, shocked at his behavior. He¡¯d misunderstood my rtionship with Roman and thought we were together. And he


    was angry about it.


    Why would he be angry? He didn¡¯t have any right to be.


    I needed to think. I suddenly realized that Julian was still gripping my wrist.


    ¡°Let go of me,¡± I said, trying and failing to rip my hand from his grasp. ¡°Mind your image, Alpha. Isn¡¯t that what you always cared


    about most?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re my wife,¡± Julian replied, his firm words making my heart race. ¡°You owe me an exnation. I thought you were dead¡­ for


    five years!¡±


    ¡°Hey, man,¡± Roman said, stepping in to try to redirect Julian¡¯s attention.


    ¡°Don¡¯t ¡®hey man¡¯ me,¡± Julian growled. ¡°This is personal. It has nothing to do with whoever you are.


    ¡°Why did you leave Thorn Pack without my permission?¡± Julian said, his attention focused back on me again. ¡°What about the


    ne crash? There were supposed to be no survivors. Where are you even living now? Why are you with this guy?¡±


    Julian was interrogating me. I didn¡¯t appreciate the bombardment of personal questions, and I didn¡¯t intend to give him any


    answers.


    ¡°Answer me,¡± he ordered.


    ¡°Who are you to question me like this?¡±


    2:36 PM Tue 26 Aug


    ¡°As your husband.¡± Julian said. ¡°I never signed the divorce papers. Legally, you are still my wife.¡±


    50%


    ¡°Sign them as soon as possible, then,¡± I said, confusion and rage storming inside me. Who was Julian to act like he had im over me when he¡¯d abandoned me five years ago? ¡°If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll take the case to the Werewolf Court, and they¡¯ll force it due to


    irreconcble differences.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t do it,¡± Julian replied. ¡°I¡¯m an Alpha. The court will rule in my favor, not yours.¡±


    Julian and I began to bicker back and forth. I¡¯d never, ever spoken to him like this before, and it felt good to stand up for myself,


    even though it didn¡¯t seem to be getting us anywhere.


    Suddenly, my wrist felt lighter. I grabbed it with my other hand, rubbing it. Roman had pried Julian¡¯s hand away.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you not notice, Alpha Julian?¡± Roman asked, polite yet firm. ¡°You were hurting her.¡±


    Julian¡¯s POV


    Fury coursed through my entire body.


    I felt the urge to shove the man away. Rory snarled inside me, and I was d to have him with me. He, too, was ready to rip the man apart limb from limb.


    We were in public, though, and especially after our bidding war, ourmotion was beginning to attract the interest of the


    onlookers. I was the Alpha. I couldn¡¯t let things get ugly or out of hand.


    She is MATE, Rory roared. Take her back.


    ¡°Hold back,¡± I told Rory. ¡°Amber is angry as well. It would be a mistake to push her further now.¡¯


    I forced myself to rein in my own rage and turned my attention to the man standing next to her. I finally ced him ¨C he was the


    Alpha of Dawn Pack, Roman. We¡¯d met at a previous counsel meeting.


    Roman maintained a conservative leadership style. His pack hadn¡¯t grown over the years, but it hadn¡¯t shrunk, either. He¡¯d


    seemed content to keep things steady.


    He¡¯d been polite and soft-spoken, but it had alwayse off as an act to me.


    Why was Amber with him? I couldn¡¯t figure it out.


    I raced through the possibilities in my mind until a terrible thought struck me. What if, back then, Amber had left to be with Roman? She¡¯d been flying to Dawn Pack, after all.


    The thought unsettled me deeply, making my stomach feel sick.


    ¡°Come home, Amber,¡± I said, trying to keep my voice authoritative, not pleading like I felt inside. ¡°The pack needs you.


    Our house needs her. My office needs her. My coffee, my clothes; my cheek needs her kiss. I didn¡¯t realize that all of this added up to me needing her.


    12:36 PM Tue 26 Aug


    But I could never say it out loud.


    12:36 PM Tue 26 Aug

 Main Flame 21

    ? 50%


    Julian¡¯s POV


    Amber let out a loud scoff, ¡°The pack needs me? Julian, I¡¯m nobody to your pack. You¡¯ve never made me public.¡±


    She refused, hard. ¡°No, I¡¯m not going to throw my life away to be your housewife again. Don¡¯t you need to go take care of your


    Luna, anyway?¡±


    Amber turned to leave, and I stepped forward, ready to follow her. I wasn¡¯t going to give up this easily. I¡¯d grieved Amber for years.


    Now that I found her, I wasn¡¯t going to let her go so easily.


    ¡°Julian, if you keep harassing me, I will call the police,¡± Amber said, wielding her cellphone in my direction. ¡°Try to keep what¡¯s


    left of your dignity, Alpha.¡±


    Roman put his arm around Amber. Anger boiled inside me thinking of their rtionship. This other Alpha was with my chosen


    mate, my wife.


    It wasn¡¯t fair.


    ¡°Amber, let¡¯s go home,¡± Roman said. She nodded, leaning ever so slightly into his body, as though she needed protection from <ol><li></li></ol>


    There was something in Roman¡¯s voice as he spoke that didn¡¯t seem quite sincere, though. As though his words were meant to


    barb me, to irritate me, instead of solely tofort her.


    Amber left with him anyway.


    I could only stand in the sunlight outside the auditorium, clenching my fists so hard they shook, and watch my wife walk away


    from me again.


    Amber¡¯s POV


    I waited at the door for the Alice. I wanted to grab her and slip away before Julian could show up again. I couldn¡¯t imagine what


    would happen if Julian ran into Alice.


    He would do the math, of course. He would figure out Alice was his ¨C Julian had never been dumb, except when it came to his


    emotions and the feelings of others.


    When he figured it out, he might try to take Alice from me. His behavior was so erratic, he might even try to hurt her.


    I wouldn¡¯t let that happen


    Alice ran towards me, her face full of joy. My heart broke for her. She deserved to feel happy without having to worry about Julian


    ¡°He showed up! My new dad showed up and bought my painting!¡± Alice beamed, bouncing on her toes in excitement. ¡°Now I can donate so much money to the orphanage!¡±


    12:36 PM Tue 26 Aug


    I knelt down so that I could talk to Alice face-to-face. ¡°I know you¡¯re excited, but you cannot talk to that man again. He¡¯s


    dangerous, Alice.¡±


    Alice¡¯s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. ¡°Mommy, he was really nice to me. I don¡¯t think he would hurt me.¡±


    ? 50%


    ¡°Alice, this isn¡¯t an argument,¡± I said. I hated these moments, where I had to break Alice¡¯s little bubble of innocence. ¡°I need you


    to listen me, okay?¡±


    Alice¡¯s face turned serious, and she pulled a little piece of paper out of her pocket. There was a phone number and an address


    written on it in blue pen.


    ¡°You should talk to him, Mommy,¡± she said. ¡°I want him to be my new daddy. He showed up when he said he would, and when he


    was here, the mean kids at school didn¡¯t bully me at all.¡±


    I stroked Alice¡¯s hair. My heart was now thoroughly pulverized.


    ¡°What, you don¡¯t want me to be your dad?¡± Roman teased.


    I¡¯d forgotten he was here. While I appreciated all the help Roman had provided us with, I¡¯d made it clear that we were only friends.


    It wasn¡¯t his ce to ask my daughter if she wanted him to be her dad, because that wasn¡¯t what I wanted, either.


    Irritation burned in my throat.


    ¡°No,¡± Alice whined. ¡°You¡¯re not tall enough. You can¡¯t lift me high enough to touch the ceiling.


    Roman¡¯s smile froze. He didn¡¯t say anything else, and I didn¡¯t dare to speak. His usually gentle expression seemed to crack,


    revealing a hint of coldness.


    Julian¡¯s POV


    ¡°Beta,¡± I said as soon as I entered my office back at headquarters. ¡°I need information on Amber Wood and Alpha Roman of Dawn


    Pack.¡±


    ¡°With all due respect, Alpha,¡± Beta responded, speaking carefully, ¡°isn¡¯t Amber Wood dead? She has a plot in your private


    cemetery.¡±


    ¡°There have been some changes in circumstance, Beta. Amber isn¡¯t dead. I ran into her today.¡±


    I watched Beta¡¯s face, knowing that what I was telling him shouldn¡¯t be possible, but needing him to pretend it was nothing. I didn¡¯t possess the ability to explore what her return meant to me yet, so all I could do was collect information on her.


    He took my words in stride, as though dead wives turned up alive everyday.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get to work immediately, Alpha,¡± Beta said, giving me a polite nod and heading off.


    Later that day, Beta returned. He told me that Amber¡¯s name was in Dawn Pack¡¯s hospital records along with work documentation. The dates were after the ne crash. She must have ended up in Dawn Pack after the crash somehow.


    She must have been treated there, then worked in Dawn Pack. I felt sad thinking of her working jobs at restaurants or shops while


    12:36 PM Tue 26 Aug


    she lived there. She deserved more. I could¡¯ve given her more.


    It made sense, though, that she and Roman had met each other.


    ~ 50%


    She¡¯de to Thorn Pack recently. Beta didn¡¯t find any ne tickets under her name. Roman must have flown her over in his


    private jet.


    The more Beta told me about Amber¡¯s whereabouts, the more jealous I became. Why would Amber do this to me?


    Why was my wife hiding from me in another pack for all these years, getting involved with another man?


    With another Alpha, at that?


    GET IT N¡­


    12:36 PM Tue 26 Aug

 Main Flame 22

    50%


    Julian¡¯s POV


    It hit me like a lightning strike. Thest Werewolf Council meeting was hosted in Thorn Pack. Amber had helped me organize it as


    part of her housewife duties, even though she appeared only as an assistant. Maybe she met Roman at the reception.


    Did their affair begin back then, or had they metter?


    Either way, Amber was still my wife. Her running away, her bing involved with Roman, all of it made her a disloyal woman.


    This image of Amber shook me to my core. I couldn¡¯t make sense of this version of Amber I was discovering. It didn¡¯t mesh with


    the affectionate, loyal woman I remembered being married to.


    ¡°Find Amber¡¯s address, Beta,¡± I said. ¡°Spare no expense. I need answers.¡±


    Of course, Beta returned soon with her address. I couldn¡¯t wait to wrap up the rest of my work for the day.


    As soon as I could leave, I drove over to the address Beta had recovered for me. The house was modest, not dangerous or run-


    down, but far from luxurious. I thought of her working in restaurants in Dawn Pack.


    Why would she choose a life like this when I could provide her with so much more?


    It didn¡¯t make sense, considering how much she¡¯d loved money back when we were together. It was possible that Roman was her


    new sugar daddy, but if that was true, he obviously hadn¡¯t given her much.


    I got out of the car and walked up to the door, knocking.


    Amber opened the door. Shock covered her face.


    ¡°Why are you here?¡± she whispered at me, pulling the door close so that only her face was visible. She seemed nervous.


    Like she was facing off with an unwee ex.


    ¡°I¡¯m here to take you home,¡± I said.


    ¡°No, Julian,¡± Amber said. ¡°I told you no.¡±


    I reached into my pocket, pulling out a bank card. I¡¯de prepared. ¡°There¡¯s ten million on this card. Is that enough?¡±


    Amber hit the card back towards me, rage enveloping her face.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to y hard to get, Amber,¡± I said, my temper ring.


    Suddenly, the door opened wider, revealing a frowning Roman. He stepped forwards, his arms crossed.


    ¡°You¡¯re following us?¡± he asked, his arms crossed.


    Amber¡¯s POV


    12:36 PM Tue 26 Aug


    I¡¯d been making dinner for Alice while Roman helped her build Lego in the living room.


    50%


    I knew Alice didn¡¯t like Roman very much. He never took ytime seriously, more hanging around Alice while she yed her games while he sat nearby. He acted like they were close, but he didn¡¯t spend much time actually connecting with her.


    I sometimes suspected Roman¡¯s affection towards Alice was an act. He often came off as though he found kids loud and annoying, like when they¡¯d been waiting for the auction to start at the school and he¡¯d rolled his eyes at two boys ying a game in the


    hallway.


    Then, someone knocked on the door. I went to open it and left Roman to watch Amber. I saw Julian on the other side, an intense,


    angry look on his face.


    A quick sh of fear coursed through my body, but it left quickly. My bigger fear was of Julian discovering Alice.


    I¡¯d never imagined Julian woulde to my house. I¡¯d never imagined he¡¯d be standing on my doorstep. It shattered any sense of


    safety I¡¯d felt here.


    I swatted the bank card out of his hand, sending it back at him. The feeling was familiar, bringing back the memory of Olivia offering to pay me away in the hospital years ago.


    I¡¯d known he was the Alpha, and that he had the ability to find me if he wanted to. But I didn¡¯t think he¡¯d show up at the door,


    uninvited, and insult me with the assumption that all I desired in life was money.


    212


    12:36 PM Tue 26 Aug

 Main Flame 23

    Me 50%


    Roman came to the door. I assumed he¡¯d heard Julian¡¯s voice, as he wrapped is arm around me, pretending to be my doting


    husband. His casual touch made me ufortable, as I knew the feelings he had for me, but I yed into it for now. I just wanted


    Julian to leave me alone.


    ¡°You live together?¡± Julian demanded, anger settling even more deeply on his face.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Roman said, pulling me even closer into his body.


    Again, I went along with it. If Julian thought that another man, another Alpha, even, lived here, then he wouldn¡¯t try to get to


    Alice. He wouldn¡¯t try to hurt her.


    ¡°Go home, Julian,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t want you here. I don¡¯t want your money. I don¡¯t know why you keep trying.¡±


    Despite his off-putting behavior, something inside me still yearned for Julian. I shut it off quickly. Julian was no longer a dream of


    what could have been. He was a threat to my family and the life I¡¯d carefully constructed for my daughter and I.


    ¡°All I¡¯m asking for is my wife, my legal wife, toe home. That¡¯s all. I¡¯m not going to force you.¡± Julian paused, and his blue


    eyes seared into mine with a mix of emotions I couldn¡¯t quite read. ¡°You won¡¯t find happiness here, though.¡¯


    ¡°}


    ¡°If you keep harassing me, I will get awyer. I will petition the Werewolf Court for a restraining order,¡± I said, trying to keep my


    voice steady. ¡°You¡¯re stalking me, Alpha. That¡¯s illegal.¡±


    I saw Julian clench his fists and waited for the bacsh of sharp, pointed words, usations he himself couldn¡¯t understand. The


    words never came. Instead, Julian restrained himself, taking deep breaths before meeting my gaze again.


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait,¡± Julian said quietly. ¡°You¡¯lle back to me eventually.¡±


    I had nothing left to say, and his quiet words unsettled me, being so far from what I had expected. I closed the door, going back


    into the house.


    As I returned to preparing dinner, which thankfully hadn¡¯t burned, Julian¡¯s words haunted me.


    He¡¯d caused me so much pain. There was a previous life where all I¡¯d wanted was for him to reciprocate the same love I felt for him, and he¡¯d been unable to give that to me.


    Part of me wanted to try again, and I hated that part of me. If I went back, it would only mean more heartbreak.


    Then, of course, there were all the times he had tried to buy me off. He fundamentally misunderstood my motives and my values. When he looked at me, all he ever saw was a woman who loved money above all else.


    A sharp ache shot through my chest at the thought. Any of the feelings I¡¯d felt seeing him again were gone. I felt nothing towards


    him but bitter coldness.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you have Olivia at home?¡± I¡¯d asked before shutting the door, reminding him again of how he¡¯d been the one to ruin our marriage. ¡°Go back to her.¡±


    12:36 PM Tue 26 Aug


    Shock once had once again run across Julian¡¯s face. He was wordless at my defiance.


    I wasn¡¯t the submissive little housewife I¡¯d been in that previous life.


    I had a career I loved and had trained long and hard to do. I had a daughter who was my whole world, my motivation for


    everything I ever did.


    I had nothing to fear from Julian, even if he was the Alpha.


    50%


    Still, the emotions overwhelmed me, washing over me like a tidal wave. Hovering above the dinner simmering on the stove, I


    broke down and cried.


    My tears sizzled as theynded against the hot steel.


    GET IT N¡­


    X


    12:36 PM Tue 26 Aug

 Main Flame 24

    ? 50%


    Julian¡¯s POV


    I returned to headquarters and went straight to my office. I buried myself in work, pouring over my documents inplete silence, distracting myself with theplex legality of the words.


    Beta broke the silence as he brought my daily coffee, his question a cautious probe. ¡°Alpha, what¡¯s wrong?¡±


    I sat in silence. Of course Beta could tell that something besides my usual moodiness was going on. He knew me too well.


    Finally, I dropped my pen. ¡°Amber has changed. A lot.¡±


    Her appearance had changed, the bright gold of her hair bringing her features to life in a way that made her somehow even more


    beautiful. Her aura was stronger, more like an Alpha.


    Even her attitude had changed. She no longer immediately softened andpromised when she saw him angry, worried about


    making him unhappy. Now, she boldly demanded to have her independence, using him of harassing her.


    I stared at the coffee Beta had made for me. Amber had always cold-brewed my coffee for me the night before, making it exactly


    the way I liked. She would bring it to me as I headed out the door for work, over ice so it would remain cold throughout the


    morning.


    Beta, though, just used the coffee machine. Amber¡¯s absence these past five years had made life seem wobbly, unstable, like


    sitting in a chair with a missing leg.


    ¡°Do you n to go see her tomorrow?¡± Beta asked.


    I shook my head. ¡°Keep surveilling her house, Beta. I want daily reports of herings and goings. I want to know where she


    works.¡±


    Over theing while, Beta followed my instructions, but Amber always seemed to know she was being followed. She¡¯d drive like a pro, always losing the tail Beta had assigned to her.


    One day, I decided I¡¯d do it myself. I¡¯d taken to driving myself over the past five years, enjoying being in control of where I went, every stop and start on my terms, not a faceless driver¡¯s. Nobody blinked an eye when I grabbed the key to the car myself.


    I¡¯d gone to her house and parked down the street, waiting for her to emerge, then waiting a few more seconds before following her


    down the street.


    We ended up at arge supermarket. I watched her walk inside,


    She must be working at the supermarket, a low-level job that was so beneath a woman like her. Why did she still refuse toe home, where she could have all theforts in the world provided to her?


    I decided to acquire the supermarket chain myself.


    12:36 PM Tue 26 Aug


    50%


    +25 BON


    I¡¯d taken to stayingte at the office every night. I was avoiding Olivia. She was clingy, always upset at my inability to reciprocate her attempts at intimacy, and I no longer had any patience for it.


    Olivia¡¯s POV


    ¡°What?¡± Olivia said into the phone. ¡°He¡¯s workingte again?¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± Beta responded. He refused to address Olivia as Luna until she¡¯d been properly assigned the title.


    ¡°He hasn¡¯t seen me for two weeks, since thest time I had an appointment at the hospital,¡± Oliva said, her voice rising higher and higher as she spoke. ¡°If he¡¯s going to avoid me like this, he could at least make better excuses!¡±


    Beta began his usual apologies, exining the Alpha¡¯s busy work schedule. Olivia hung up the phone, fed up with the act.


    That night, Olivia put on a sexy red lingerie set, pulling a trench coat on over top of it, and headed to the corporate building that housed Julian¡¯s office. She would seduce him. She would make him want her.


    She didn¡¯t even make it inside.


    ¡°Sorry, ma¡¯am,¡± the secretary said, blocking her path towards the elevators. ¡°Alpha instructed me not to let anyone in. He¡¯s in a very important meeting.


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait,¡± Olivia replied, sitting down on a sleek bench in therge lobby.


    She sat there for two hours, the cold metal ufortable under her thighs. She became more and more angry the longer she waited until finally she shoved past the secretary and to Julian¡¯s office.


    It waspletely empty.


    ¡°He lied to me!¡± Olivia roared, her anger erupting into furious screams like angry redva from a volcano.


    Rage and panic mixed into a stormy cocktail inside Olivia. She couldn¡¯t shake the fear that Julian had another woman besides her.


    She sat down in Julian¡¯s chair, behind hisrge, expensive Alpha¡¯s desk, and pulled out her phone. She dialed her private investigator.


    ¡°I need you to look into the Alpha¡¯s movements,¡± Oliva said.


    ¡°Miss Olivia, you want me to tail the Alpha? My livelihood would be threatened if I got caught,¡± her private investigator responded.


    Olivia replied back with a sum that was too great for the private investigator to refuse. Reluctantly, he agreed, and Olivia hung up the phone, satisfied. She sat at therge desk, imagining possessing the immense power of taking meetings and running the pack, before sweeping out of the office.


    Later, when Olivia was back at her house, the private investigator sent over a file with a full report, along with photographs. Julian hadn¡¯t been workingte. He hadn¡¯t been working at all. Instead, he¡¯d been lingering near a particr residential building.


    Olivia flipped through the photos the investigator had provided, trying to make sense of the situation. She¡¯d never thought Julian


    12:37 PM Tue 26 Aug


    50%


    was smart enough to see through her advances. She¡¯d thought all he wanted was a pretty thing to carry on his arm.


    Then, she came to one photograph of a woman standing outside the house Julian had been near, unlocking her car. The woman¡¯s


    face was visible, uninhibited by any hat or sunsses.


    Olivia pressed her face closer to the screen, trying to make sure she was seeing clearly. Her eyes widened in disbelief.


    The woman¡¯s face ¨C she could never forget that face.


    12:37 PM Tue 26 Aug

 Main Flame 25

    Amber¡¯s POV


    50%


    I¡¯d juste outside to put the trash in the bin when a cold, mocking voice rang out behind me.


    ¡°You¡¯re up to your same old tricks, huh? Still making a living by seducing other people¡¯s lovers?¡±


    I¡¯d know that voice anywhere. In my office, outside my home. It was unmistakable.


    I turned.


    Olivia stood in front of me, her arms crossed. She stared at me down, her eyes ice-cold and piercing.


    ¡°So,¡± she said, walking closer and eying me like a panther stalking her prey, ¡°you¡¯re not dead after all.¡±


    I looked over at her, surprised at her appearance. Of course I¡¯d seen her at the hospital, but her appearance struck me differently


    outside of the chaotic environment of the ward.


    Olivia used to be elegant and wless, every move purposeful. She dressed as though she¡¯d walked straight out of a fashion


    magazine. Now, though, she wore a simple floral dress, her hair in a long, loose braid. She looked familiar.


    She looked like me, five years ago.


    I thought about my own appearance. I looked more like Olivia¡¯s morous past self now than she did.


    ¡°I thought you hated those clothes,¡± I said, not able to stop myself. ¡°You called them frumpy, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    Olivia shrugged in response. ¡°Julian likes them.¡±


    I was taken aback. Julian liked my old style?


    ¡°Don¡¯t get the wrong idea,¡± Olivia said quickly. ¡°Julian likes me, no matter what I wear. I just felt like trying something different.¡±


    Right, I thought, scoffing at myself. As if Julian ever found the timid, dowdy version of my five year ago self intriguing.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how or why you came back,¡± Olivia sneered at me, ¡°but stay away from Julian. Don¡¯t ruin someone else¡¯s


    marriage.¡±


    Iughed, bitter irony shing through me. ¡°Oh? Like you did mine?¡±


    Olivia stood, arms crossed, not backing down on her deration.


    ¡°You know,¡± I said, chuckling. ¡°Julian and I aren¡¯t legally divorced. Are you implying that the Alphamitted bigamy?¡±


    Olivia¡¯s face twisted. I wondered if she knew he¡¯d never finished the paperwork, or if she¡¯d just found out now. The pleasure of the thought lifted me.


    ¡°He will divorce you,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯re just getting in the way. If you¡¯d let him go ¨C


    ¡±


    12:37 PM Tue 26 Aug


    ? 50%


    ¡°He thought I was dead for five whole years,¡± I snapped, ¡°yet he still didn¡¯t sign the papers? Have you considered that I¡¯m not the problem? I signed them a long time ago. I served him the papers.¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t care about you,¡± Olivia insisted. ¡°He barely noticed you were gone. The papers weren¡¯t worth signing. He¡¯s an Alpha, not a lowly she-wolf working at a supermarket.¡±


    I wondered at the fact that neither Julian not Olivia had questioned that I came back a she-wolf, while Olivia had always tortured


    me for being a human.


    ¡°The Alpha has responsibilities, not time to care about lowly women,¡± Olivia continued. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t understand.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Then maybe you can tell your very busy Alpha to stop showing up near my building,¡± I responded. ¡°Tell him to stop tailing my car, and stop randomly appearing in front of me. It would be a great help.¡±


    I realized that, somehow, neither Julian nor Olivia realized that I was healer Amanda. I¡¯d let them keep thinking that. I¡¯d let them


    keep underestimating me.


    ¡°Stocking shelves at the supermarket keeps me plenty busy.¡±


    Olivia had noeback. She simply watched me as I went about my chores like she¡¯d never appeared at all.


    I tossed the trash in the bin, dusted off my hands, and went back inside.


    Olivia¡¯s POV


    Olivia returned home, her brain busy with thoughts and underlying fury. How could Julian have done something like this to her?


    He¡¯d always pursued her, not the other way around.


    All these nights Julian had said he was workingte, had he actually been out looking for Amber?


    She kept pressing the investigator to track Julian¡¯s car. The private investigator remained hesitant, weary to be caught invading


    the Alpha¡¯s privacy. Finally, Olivia offered an amount of money the private investigator couldn¡¯t refuse.


    He went out and bought a small tracker. Olivia brought the private investigator topany headquarters, where he ced the


    small tag under Julian¡¯s car in the parking garage.


    In theing days, it became clear that Julian spent much of his time parked outside of Amber¡¯s house.


    Were they seeing each other? Had Amber lied to Olivia when she said she didn¡¯t want Julian anymore? Olivia wouldn¡¯t be


    surprised.


    Amber had always been a snake. She¡¯d always thwarted Olivia¡¯s ns.


    Jealousy burned through Olivia like wildfire. In all these years, Julian had never once slept with her. It didn¡¯t make sense ¨C when she¡¯d broken up with him in university, he¡¯d been heartbroken, pining for her, begging her not to leave.


    That damn Amber.


    Julian and Olivia were fated mates. He was the Alpha of Thorn Pack. She was the daughter of Obsidian Pack¡¯s Alpha. Obsidian Pack


    12:37 PM Tue 26 Aug


    50%


    was a small, dependent pack under Thorn Pack¡¯s reign, but had its own power. The two Alpha families had arranged marriages going back for generations.


    On paper, Olivia and Julian were a good match, meant for each other.


    They¡¯d been close in school, as they were familiar to each other,ing from the same world. However, their personalities shed. Julian used her of being spoiled, and Olivia found Julian too serious.


    A handsome Gamma warrior had begun showing interest in Olivia, eventually full-on pursuing her. She¡¯d broken up with Julian,


    ming the split on the pressure his serious attitude put on her. Julian had been apologetic.


    Heartbroken.


    And then he¡¯d found a chosen mate.


    If Olivia was ever going to lock him down, she needed to have a child. Julian¡¯s real child. Then, they would be bonded together


    forever.


    She made an appointment with Healer Amber the next day at the hospital.


    ¡°Why haven¡¯t you fixed my infertility yet?¡± sheined. ¡°I need to prepare for pregnancy. I need a baby. Aren¡¯t you supposed


    to be some kind of legendary healer? Why can¡¯t you do this?¡±


    Healer Amanda looked up at Olivia over her mask.


    ¡°You really want to know why I haven¡¯t treated you yet?¡± she asked, pulling a report out of a thick folder.


    GET IT N¡­


    12:37 PM Tue 26 Aug

 Main Flame 26

    50%


    ¡°The patient has been marked and mated with multiple partners-multiple times in one night, even while marked-leading to pheromone imbnce. Multiple abortions have caused uterine damage¡­¡±


    ¡°Enough!¡± Olivia cut her off, humiliated and furious. She was the agent Luna. How dare a healer speak to her like this?


    ¡°Your body needs rest, not another pregnancy,¡± Healer Amanda said, putting away the report and printing out a prescription.


    ¡°Take this medicine on schedule. It¡¯ll help your body recover over time. But be warned-don¡¯t try to get pregnant during this


    period. If you do, no one, not even I, will be able to save you.¡±


    Olivia snatched the prescription and stormed out, still furious. She stalked down the hospital highway, fuming.


    Julian didn¡¯t show her any affection, and Olivia had quickly be bitter, now elevated by the fact that Amber had reappeared,


    somehow alive after Olivia¡¯s attempt at taking her out. This couldn¡¯t be the answer. Healer Amanda had always seemed reluctant


    to help Olivia, despite the money Julian offered to find a cure.


    An idea struck Olivia, and she turned toward Head Healer Eric¡¯s office.


    After Amber¡¯s ¡°death,¡± Julian had asked Olivia to take over Luna duties. Within Thorn Pack, her status was as good as Luna, which


    meant she also had influence in the hospital. She intended to use it.


    ¡°Head Healer,¡± Olivia said when he¡¯d let her in, ¡°I¡¯m so sorry that we didn¡¯t trust your expertise, bringing in that outsider to treat


    me instead. I don¡¯t believe she is working in the best interest of the Alpha or Thorn Pack.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m listening,¡± Head Healer Eric responded, leaning towards her from behind his desk. He was obviously ttered by receiving


    an apology from someone as influential in the pack as her.


    ¡°I want you to find a way to sabotage her, Head Healer. You will be forever in my gratitude.¡± Olivia leaned in now, her voice a purr.


    ¡°If you seed, I can secure Thorn Pack Hospital a much more sizable budget.¡±


    Head Healer Eric agreed, shaking Olivia¡¯s hand from across the table.


    He¡¯d never liked that Healer Amanda, anyway.


    Amber¡¯s POV


    I had a critical operation scheduled. The patient was an elderly noble who suffered from a brain tumor.


    While werewolves had self-healing abilities, they couldn¡¯t heal tumors themselves. Tumors were the result of overactive immune


    responses, and because werewolves¡¯ immune systems were incredibly strong, illnesses rted to immune systems often hit them incredibly hard.


    We¡¯d discussed the case during an appointment in my office the week before, then scheduled the operation as soon as we possibly could. Surgery was the only option to treat the patient, but even full removal didn¡¯t guarantee that the tumor wouldn¡¯t return. This threat was exacerbated by how close the tumor was to healthy brain tissue.


    12:37 PM Tue 26 Aug


    Total resection risked damaging critical brain functions.


    ? 50%


    The patient trusted me, but his family had doubts. I managed to convince them that the surgery was the right move, and we¡¯d


    finalized the schedule for today.


    In the OR, Noah, who¡¯d proven to be an excellent assistant, handled all of the preoperative preparations, or pre-op prep, getting the tools we¡¯d need ready to try and ensure the most ease possible. I waited for the anesthesiologist toe sedate the patient.


    While she did, I used my healing aura to calm the patient.


    Werewolf bodies were so powerful that standard anesthesia wasn¡¯t fully effective.


    When everything had been properly prepped, I began the surgery, opening the patient¡¯s skull. I began the slow, delicate process of removing the tumor, careful with each and every move. Precision was key, especially when working with the brain.


    Six hours passed by as I worked carefully at the tumor. My body became drenched in sweat, but inside I was calm. Nothing in the world existed besides me and the patient. I couldn¡¯t think of Julian or Alice or Olivia. Just me, and the tumor I targeted.


    I managed to remove itpletely, all brain tissue and blood vessels undamaged by the operation.


    Noah cheered beside me. It was his first time witnessing this exact procedure, and I remembered the feeling of seeing that kind of


    sess for the first time.


    I reconstructed the skull and handed the final step, scalp suturing, over to Noah. The task was routine and well within his ability.


    I watched carefully as he began stitching up the patient¡¯s scalp. About halfway through, the needle snapped, falling into the open


    skull.


    Noah froze and suddenly looked up at me. I saw sweat dripping down his forehead.


    Third-Person POV


    Head Healer Eric appeared outside the OR, approaching the patient¡¯s family with confidence.


    ¡°I have bad news,¡± he said, and the family gasped. ¡°Healer Amanda embezzled funds from our hospital. She is using substandard surgical tools as a result of her embezzlement, as she didn¡¯t spend the appropriate funds.¡±


    The family began to murmur between each other.


    ¡°A batch of equipment,¡± Head Healer Eric continued, his voice full of righteous anger, ¡°that was meant to be discarded, has gone missing. Just now, I discovered the packaging in Healer Amanda¡¯s office. This is packaging from the exact same defective batch.


    ¡°These tools are known to snap mid-surgery, potentially resulting in failure or otherstingplications.¡±


    The family panicked. Despite nearby orderlies attempting to stop them from disrupting such an intensive operation, the family began pounding on the doors to the OR, demanding that Healer Amanda stop the surgery.


    Noah exited the OR, his hands bloodied, to attempt to calm the family down. Seeing their rtive¡¯s blood on his hands, though, only convinced them that he¡¯d butchered their family member. They persisted with even more urgency.


    12:37 PM Tue 26 Aug


    Just then, Healer Amanda opened the doors. She was spotless,posed.


    ¡°The surgery was a sess,¡± she said calmly.


    12:37 PM Tue 26 Aug

 Main Flame 27

    2005 50%


    6


    Amber¡¯s POV


    The surgical bed was wheeled out behind me. I held up a broken suture needle and looked straight at Head Healer Eric.


    ¡°This is the needle I used today,¡± I said, holding up the broken suture needle for everyone to see.


    ¡°See?¡± Head Healer Eric said. ¡°She did use defective equipment! This kind of thing is strictly prohibited!¡±


    The patient¡¯s family started to panic, understandably. If anything happened to the patient, I would be held responsible. Doubts and whispers filled the room, questioning both my skills and my character.


    Irritation bubbled inside me.


    ¡°Medical equipment procurement isn¡¯t my responsibility,¡± I said calmly. ¡°That¡¯s your job, Healer Eric. The tools I received this morning weren¡¯t even from the batch you¡¯re talking about. I wouldn¡¯t know which are defective or not. Isn¡¯t quality control supposed to be handled by the supplier-meaning, you? Why were those defective tools kept around at all?¡±


    Head Healer Eric snapped. ¡°I just hadn¡¯t gotten around to discarding them.¡±


    ¡°And where were those defective tools stored?¡± I asked, irritation building in my voice.


    ¡°In my office.¡±


    ¡°ording to hospital regtions,¡± I continued, ¡°defective medical tools should be stored in the supply room, clearlybeled, and kept separately to prevent mix-ups. Why did you keep them in your office? Or were you nning to use them for something else? Maybe reselling them?¡±


    The patient¡¯s family murmured anxiously, now staring at Head Healer Eric instead of Noah and I.


    ¡°I have proof your assistant was in my office,¡± Head Healer Eric argued. ¡°Maybe he took them on your orders.¡±


    I was sure to keep my voice even and calm, despite my frustration at the misced usations.


    ¡°Noah was in your office this afternoon-but he was delivering medical records. You¡¯re wee to check the security cameras in


    my office to see whether he tampered with any surgical equipment.¡±


    Our discussion erupted into a full on argument when Julian arrived.


    Head Healer Eric looked stunned to see the Alpha. Julian exined that he¡¯d been called by the patient¡¯s family-something had


    gone wrong, and they wanted his intervention.


    ¡°Although there was aplication during the surgery, wepleted it sessfully,¡± I responded. ¡°Noah, please show the Alpha the post-op recording.¡±


    Noah did, and the footage clearly disyed the scalp suturing process. The footage proved there was no broken needle left in the patient¡¯s skull, and that my surgical technique was wless, as I¡¯d already known.


    12:37 PM Tue 26 Aug


    ENG 50%


    ¡°The first procedure was performed by me,¡± Noah said, stepping forward to defend me. ¡°The needle broke inside. It surprised me, as a normal needle shouldn¡¯t have behaved that way. But Healer Amanda removed the broken needle, grabbed a new one, and used a delicate needle to stitch it up perfectly. If it weren¡¯t for Healer Amanda¡¯s skill, we don¡¯t know what kind of ident could¡¯ve


    happened today.¡±


    Julian nodded, then turned to the Head Healer. ¡°You¡¯ll need solid evidence.¡±


    Head Healer Eric replied that the packaging of the defective equipment in Healer Amanda¡¯s office was the evidence.


    I shrugged, knowing that wasn¡¯t proof of his usations at all. ¡°I already said-I didn¡¯t know the tools were defective until


    afterward.¡± I nced over at Julian and Beta. ¡°This kind of thing can be resolved by just checking the surveince footage.¡±


    Julian ordered his Beta to pull the surveince footage. When he returned, the report was clear: Noah had indeed visited Head Healer Eric¡¯s office that morning, but he¡¯d only dropped off files and left empty-handed. When he returned to my office, he still hadn¡¯t carried anything. The tools had actually been delivered to my office by a nurse-on the Head Healer Eric¡¯s assistant¡¯s


    instruction.


    Head Healer Eric wiped sweat from his forehead. ¡°Maybe I made a mistake.¡±


    Julian¡¯s tone turned sharp. ¡°You were responsible for storing defective tools properly. ording to hospital policy, that failure alone warrants a one-month sry deduction. But because your negligence nearly caused a medical disaster, you¡¯re being docked three months¡¯ pay.¡±


    He turned to me. ¡°As for Healer Amanda-if not for your exceptional skills, this could¡¯ve gone very differently.¡±


    Then he looked around the room. ¡°Healer Amanda is a specialist I personally recruited at great cost. If anyone dares to nder her


    again without cause, I¡¯ll enforce much harsher penalties.¡±


    I looked at head Healer Eric and smiled my nicest smile. ¡°Maybe the management of this hospital is worse than I imagined. Practicing here, and I have to worry about all this useless shit. I thought this was supposed to be the best hospital in all the packs.¡±


    With that, I turned and left.


    A whileter, Julian knocked on the door to my office and entered, his attitude respectful.


    ¡°Healer Amanda, I¡¯m sorry for the ident. I¡¯ll take steps to straighten out the corruption at this hospital.¡±


    I didn¡¯t say anything, merely looking at him from above her mask.


    Julian continued, ¡°Can I discuss something with you?¡±


    GET IT N¡­


    X

 Main Flame 28

    I led Julian to my office, my heart racing. I was sure he still didn¡¯t know that ¡°Healer Amanda¡± was really his ex-wife. If he did, he wouldn¡¯t have approached me so calmly. Images of Julian¡¯s behavior at the open house shed through my mind.


    Him grasping my wrist outside the school at the open house.


    Him showing up at my door unannounced while I was cooking my daughter dinner.


    No, if he knew that I was Amber, he¡¯d be acting much differently.


    I sat behind my desk, motioning for Julian to do the same in one of the chairs sitting next to the exam table. He sat down,


    stretching his long legs out in front of him, then leaned towards me.


    ¡°I have a proposition for you,¡± he said, his voice low and serious.


    I was still extremely upset with him, but that familiar warmth ran down to my groin again. Thest time he¡¯d said those words to


    me, it had resulted in our situationship. Eventually, it resulted in our marriage.


    But we¡¯d seen how that turned out.


    ¡°Go on, Alpha,¡± I said. ¡°With all due respect, I have a lot to do today. Getting held up in Head Healer Eric¡¯s petty drama already put


    me behind.¡±


    ¡°Please, just hear me out,¡± Julian said. ¡°You¡¯ve definitely proven your worth as a healer at this hospital. I respect your decision


    not to take the Chief Healer position, although I do wish you¡¯d reconsider. However, I¡¯d like you to work with the government of


    Thorn Pack and me on a special project.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said immediately. I didn¡¯t want to agree to anything that would result in me working with Julian long-term. The amount


    of contact I had with him now was already too much.


    I stood up, heading towards the door.


    Julian stood up. ¡°Wait, Healer Amanda -¡±


    ¡°No, Alpha. As I said, respectfully, I already have a lot of work to do.¡± I twisted the handle, letting Julian out of the office.


    He exited, then turned back to me. ¡°I can send the papers to your office. I really think you¡¯re the right fit.¡±


    I rolled my eyes. Of course he thought so. Julian had a way of attaching himself to me, even when he didn¡¯t know it was me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t bother.¡± I closed the door behind me.


    The next morning, I was sitting behind my desk between patients when the phone rang. ¡°Hello?¡± I answered.


    ¡°Healer Amanda? I¡¯m calling back about my proposal.¡± Julian¡¯s voice came through the phone. I sighed, wishing that Noah was


    12:38 PM Tue 26 Aug


    here already to take my calls.


    20 50%


    ¡°I already told you, Alpha,¡± I said. The one thing I¡¯d always despised was calling Julian by his title instead of his name. The title


    was so stiff, and his name was so lovely.


    Even though he¡¯d turned out to be just as hard-headed and immovable as the title, it still felt awkwarding out of my mouth.


    ¡°I¡¯m not interested in a long-term project. I¡¯d rather focus on my lengthy list of patients.¡± I rolled my eyes, grateful he couldn¡¯t


    see me through the phone. ¡°Of which your Luna is one, if I¡¯m not mistaken.¡±


    ¡°Agent Luna,¡± Julian responded, the wordsing out immediately, like a reflex more than a conscious choice. ¡°This project


    would have a muchrger impact than any of your current cases, Healer Amanda.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not in this for fame or fortune, Alpha. I appreciate the thought, but, once again, I¡¯m going to pass.¡± I ced the phone back


    on the receiver before Julian could get in another word.


    I thought that was the end of it, but I should have known better. A couple dayster, Noah approached me in my office, a packet of


    documents in his hands.


    ¡°Healer Amanda, I found this envelope unopened in your trash. I saw the Thorn Pack crest on it and thought it might be


    important, so I fished it out.¡± Noah paused. ¡°Have you read this, Healer Amanda?¡±


    ¡°No, Noah, I don¡¯t have time for the Alpha¡¯s petty distractions right now. You know that more than anyone.¡± I shuffled patient


    folders around on my desk to make my point.


    ¡°Healer Amanda, this proposal is about a project that seems perfect for you.¡± Noah hovered in the corner, turning the envelope


    nervously in his hands. ¡°You¡¯ve talked to me a little about why you got into medicine, and I don¡¯t think it was to take patients like


    you treat here, nobles and dignitaries. This work is great, but this proposal is an invitation to do even more.¡±


    I paused. I trusted Noah. He¡¯d impressed me with his work ethic and his problem solving.


    Something about his presentation of the proposal intrigued me.


    ¡°Noah, I really don¡¯t think I can take it.¡± I¡¯d stopped shuffling around the files on my desk. Noah ced the first page of the


    project proposal down in front of me instead.


    ¡°Read that,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ll be working on your schedule for next month.¡±


    He didn¡¯t even have to tell me to read it. As soon as I¡¯d caught the end of the first sentence, I¡¯d been intrigued.


    It turned out that the proposal involved researching and formting treatment for a contagious disease that was tearing through the poorermunities in Thorn Pack at an rming rate. The recovery period was incredibly slow, which caused the people affected to fall even further into poverty while they were unable to work.


    It all reminded me of being a kid with nowhere to go, having to depend on the charity of certain kind rich people in order to get into school, having to ask Julian for money and causing him to think that I was after wealth, when really I was trying to save my grandmother on a zero dor budget.


    12:38 PM Tue 26 Aug <ul><li> 50% </li></ul>


    Now, I had the opportunity to put the medical degree I earned for my grandmother to use helping others who couldn¡¯t afford to


    help themselves. My heart couldn¡¯t help but leap.


    Along with the way it resonated with my own past, the project softened me towards Julian as well. His character remained beyond critique, and I remembered falling in love with him back in school. He¡¯d always stood up for me against the bullies who put me


    down for being born human, as we¡¯d all thought I was back then.


    He¡¯d never discriminated against the lower sses, and respected everyone, even orphans like me. He was, at least in this regard,


    still a man of integrity.


    I picked up my phone, dialing the number for Julian¡¯s office.


    ¡°Okay,¡± I said when he picked up, after the receptionist transferred me to his line. ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    12:38 PM Tue 26 Aug

 Main Flame 29

    C 50%


    Amber¡¯s POV


    After agreeing to take part in the project, things moved extremely quickly. Within two weeks Julian arranged for transportation to take me to the highest affected areas of Thom Pack. He¡¯d also identified several patients withndmark cases that I could interview to understand the impacts of the symptoms on the patients themselves.


    It was an invisible disease, which affected the poor even more, as their employers would often use them of not really being sick when they said they needed time off work to deal with the illness. However, the longer a patient suffered the illness without


    treatment, the worse it became, until eventually they would be bedridden, uncertain if they would ever walk again.


    The night before my first day of research, I couldn¡¯t sleep. I was excited, of course, but I was also nervous.


    It had been a long time since I¡¯d been to the slums. The old Alpha and Luna¡¯s support, followed by the money Julian paid me after our university meetups, had put me in a much better financial position. Once Grandma died and Julian offered marriage, I had no


    reason to go back there.


    I had such great memories of growing up there with Grandma. Despite our circumstances, she¡¯d given me a great childhood.


    That didn¡¯t erase the scars that being that poor can leave on a person.


    When I arrived the first day, it felt like walking into a memory.


    ¡°Healer Amanda,¡± I heard someone say. ¡°Healer Amanda, I think we¡¯re supposed to go this way.¡±


    I shook my head, clearing the clouds out of my mind. Noah was looking at me, holding a map in his hands. I was d to see that,


    although Noah grew up in the upper middle ss, being in the slums didn¡¯t seem to phase him at all.


    As soon as I stepped foot in the first hospital, the clouds and fears cleared from my mind. Part of me felt as though this kind of


    work was what I¡¯d always been meant to do.


    I interviewed many patients in the clinics found in the slums, the ces patients whose insurance or personal funds wouldn¡¯t


    cover the world-ss Thom Pack Hospital tended to end up. I learned about the patients¡¯ medical histories and collected


    pathogens, which I would test in theb when I returned to Thorn Pack Hospital after a day of field research.


    One of my favorite patients was Mnie, amunity college student who¡¯d caught the disease from a coworker at her coffee


    shop job. Despite her illness, she always had textbooks open around her, pens and highlighters scattered across them like


    sprinkles


    Hers was a serious case she could barely get up to use the restroom on her own anymore. But she remained dedicated to her


    studies.


    ¡°I want to be able to pick up right where I left off,¡± Mnie said to me one day, smiling ¡°I¡¯ve heard about you. I know you¡¯re


    going to find a treatment.¡±


    12:38 PM Tue 26 Aug


    ¤Î50% ¡ö


    Mnie¡¯s dogged determination reminded me of my own. I was determined not to let her down the same way I¡¯d failed to cure Grandma. I wouldn¡¯t let her, or Alice, or anyone else suffer ever again.


    Soon, I developed a treatment n. It was exciting to think that my n may help so many unfortunate people get better. It was


    all I¡¯d ever wanted.


    Julian¡¯s POV


    I sat in Healer Amanda¡¯s office. While I would have loved to apany her on her research trips, I¡¯d only been able to go along a


    few times, as I still had the pack and thepany to oversee.


    I was sure the pack was in capable hands, but I missed flexing the knowledge I¡¯d picked up in university. Running Thorn Pack had


    be routine at this point. The moments I got to problem solve were few and far in between, much of my time spent up by


    dignitaries rather than my citizens.


    ¡°Hello, Alpha,¡± Healer Amanda said, striding through the door. ¡°I see you made yourself at home.¡±


    I set down the mug I¡¯d been sipping tea from. ¡°Noah helped me.¡±


    ¡°Noah?¡± Healer Amanda raised an eyebrow at me over her mask. ¡°You know my assistant¡¯s name?¡±


    Did she really think I was that self-involved? ¡°Of course. He¡¯s been a great help organizing this project.¡±


    Healer Amanda didn¡¯t say anything, opening her file folder instead.


    She jumped right into her findings. I¡¯d expected the meeting to be a debrief on her research results and discussion of a possible path to next steps, but Healer Amanda had already used the pathogens she¡¯d collected to develop a treatment.


    She set a small vial of potion in front of me. It was a deep purple, an enchanting color to see in such a sterile environment as a


    hospital. In such a short amount of time she¡¯d devised such a thorough path to treatment, and I was inplete awe of her


    expertise.


    ¡°This is incredible,¡± I said as my phone rang. ¡°Excuse me for a moment.¡±


    I stepped outside and answered.


    ¡°Alpha,¡± Beta said. ¡°I have the results of your investigation into Healer Amanda and her, um, potential connections to your ex-


    wife.¡±


    ¡°Wife,¡± I said, thinking about how I knew where Amber lived, and that she lived with another alpha. Roman.


    ¡°Great,¡± I said. ¡°Send it over.¡±


    ¡°I have to warn you, Alpha,¡± Beta said. ¡°You may be surprised by some of my findings.¡±


    ¡°What could you have learned that¡¯s worse than what I already know?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to look through the documents yourself, Alpha,¡± Beta responded.


    12:38 PM Tue 26 Aug


    Now, I was worried. ¡°Just tell me what you found, Beta. I¡¯m serious.¡±


    3 50%


    ¡°I know, Alpha,¡± Beta responded, ¡°but I have to insist that you look through it yourself. I¡¯m sending the files over email now.¡±


    My phone buzzed two short times, indicating that I¡¯d received an email. Sure enough, there was Beta¡¯s message,plete with a virtual dossier of information. I opened it, scrolling through the information Beta hadpiled for me.


    And then I saw it.


    There she was. A photo of Healer Amanda after surgery, slipping her mask from her face.


    Except the face under the woman¡¯s mask belonged to Amber, my wife.


    I almost dropped my phone. Was the woman in the office behind me really my wife? Could it be that the quiet, submissive


    housewife I once knew was an aplished Healer? How could that be possible?


    GET IT N¡­


    X


    2:38 PM Tue 26 Aug

 Main Flame 30

    50%


    Julian¡¯s POV


    I returned home after the hospital, my head buzzing with thoughts. My housewife Amber was Healer Amanda? Why hadn¡¯t she


    told me? What else had she been hiding?


    Now that I knew her real identity, it was so obvious that they were the same person. But what about the supermarket I¡¯d seen her go into? What about Roman?


    An Alpha like him would surely want his Luna to settle down, not work twelve hour shifts on the hospital floor.


    Could she have a twin? She¡¯d never said she had siblings, nor had she called anyone who could be over the years we spent married


    together.


    I didn¡¯t return to the office to face Healer Amanda, or Amber, or whoever she was. The idea that my wife had been working right in


    front of my eyes, knowing that I was her husband but hiding her identity from me, sent a shock through my body. For once, I had


    no idea what to say to her.


    I walked out of the building and to my car. Healer Amanda was Amanda. Healer Amanda was my wife.


    Healer Amanda had just discovered a treatment that would change the medical world forever.


    I¡¯d just settled down on my couch (far lessfortable than the one in the house Amber and I had shared) to begin organizing my


    thoughts when the doorbell rang. I¡¯d told security that I wasn¡¯t anticipating any visitors tonight, and irritation bristled at me as I


    stood up and went to open the door.


    While I had security, I liked my solitude. I had no house staff besides my drivers and the kitchen staff, and even their services I¡¯d


    been using less and lesstely.


    I was shocked to see Olivia standing on the other side of the door.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think we were scheduled to see each other tonight,¡± I said, running back through my memories to make sure I hadn¡¯t forgotten a date, if you could even call it that.


    ¡°We weren¡¯t scheduled too,¡± Olivia said, pushing through the door and pulling me close to her by my cor. ¡°Do I need an


    appointment to see the future father of my child?¡±


    I cleared my throat. I felt nothing towards Olivia.


    Lately, I¡¯d be increasingly fed up with her antics, her misced determination to make our rtionship work. She¡¯d broken my heart in college, and afterwards I¡¯d dreamt of us getting back together.


    Thesest five years, ever since that terrible night I¡¯d gotten her pregnant, I¡¯d discovered that our rtionship had no substance. I felt no sparks between us, but I had to keep my promises.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see if the cook can whip up some dinner for us,¡± I said.


    12:38 PM Tue 26 Aug


    ¡°Forget dinner,¡± Olivia responded, her voice a low purr. ¡°Let¡¯s skip to dessert.¡±


    50%


    ¡°No, Olivia. I don¡¯t want to sleep with you.¡± Frustration coursed through my bones at her repeated attempts to force a chemistry we didn¡¯t have. Making her my Agent Luna had been a mistake.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t even kept up your side of the bargain,¡± I continued. ¡°You don¡¯t manage your house, how are you supposed to parent a child? And, even though you¡¯re Agent Luna, you do nothing to handle pack affairs. You¡¯re too caught up in your appearance to care about your duties.¡±


    Olivia stepped back. ¡°How dare you speak to a luna this way!¡±


    I gripped my forehead in my palms. ¡°You are not a Luna. You are an Agent Luna, and although you grew up in an Alpha family, Obsidian Pack must have different expectations of their leaders. I can speak to you the way I please, Olivia, especially if I¡¯m saying what I mean.¡±


    ¡°You will rue the day you spoke to me this way, Alpha Julian,¡± Olivia spat, furious at my usations. With that, she turned and swept out of the house.


    I sighed as I followed behind her. She nced back at me as she got into the backseat of her car, a hopeful tilt to her eyebrow, as though she thought I might chase after her. As though, after an argument like the one we¡¯d just had, she¡¯d still be willing toe in for ¡°dessert.¡±


    Instead, I flipped the lock on the deadbolt, ensuring that she couldn¡¯t get in with any house keys she may have foundying around.


    I returned to the living room and poured a ss of whiskey. For hours I sat there, sipping my drinks and thinkingte into the night. I picked up a nice buzz from the liquor.


    Then, I picked up the phone and dialed Amber.


    Amber¡¯s POV


    The first thing I thought when the phone rang was that my grandmother had died.


    I¡¯d been dreaming about her a lottely, ever since I¡¯d gone on my rotations in the slums. It was like a piece of her was back with me, now that I had newfound purpose in my work.


    Then I woke up, remembering that I was grown, a professional Healer, no longer a scrappy medical student at Wolf University. My daughter, the only other person I needed, was here in the house with me.


    I picked up the phone, worried that one of my patients was having an emergency.


    ¡°Amber,¡± a raspy voice that made my body flush said. ¡°I miss you.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t do this, not right now. I hung up the phone.


    212


    12:38 PM Tue 26 Aug

 Main Flame 31

    50%


    Olivia¡¯s POV


    Impatiently, Olivia paced back and forth in the small office in the hospital where she had been made to wait for the Head Healer. She had no idea what he could be doing that was more important than speaking with her, but it put her in an even worse mood


    than she¡¯d already been in.


    And she¡¯d already been furious.


    This old man, the Head Healer, had screwed up her plot to get Healer Amanda fired. Not only did he fail, but he also was caught, and would now carry the weight of suspicion. Fortunately, his ipetence had been on full disy, and everyone seemed ready


    to me that than any intentional maliciousness.


    As someone who knew the truth, as someone who plotted this, Olivia was one of the few who knew the Head Healer wasn¡¯t just ipetent, he was an utter failure.


    He had failed so spectacrly in getting Healer Amanda fired that now Julian had appointed her to head a study instead.


    Worse, Julian spoke of Healer Amanda at every opportunity. He wouldn¡¯t shut up about her, even when Olivia tried to change the


    subject.


    It made Olivia¡¯s blood boil.


    Finally, the door opened and the ipetent jackass himself entered the room.


    He didn¡¯t seem to notice Olivia at first. Was he not told she was waiting? Even more ipetence.


    She hated being ignored.


    When the Head Healer did finally look up, he jumped seeing Olivia standing there in his office. His face was wide with shock for a


    moment, before he recovered and schooled his features.


    ¡°Agent Luna, what a¡­ nice surprise. How can I help you?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe that I need to point out how much you have failed me,¡± Olivia told him.


    ¡°No.¡± The Head Healer at least had the decency to seem ashamed of himself, slightly lowering his head. ¡°I¡¯m sorry that -¡±


    ¡°Save your apologies,¡± Olivia said, cutting him off. ¡°If you want to make it up to me, and prove to me that you have some value, then you will help me with a new n.


    His gaze lifted back up to Olivia, curious interest dancing in his eyes.


    Good. Perhaps this wasn¡¯t such a total waste of time after all.


    Olivia had guessed correctly before making her first n that the Head Healer disliked Healer Amanda enough to help ruin her without needing much convincing. He hadn¡¯t even asked for anything in return.


    12:38 PM


    Tue 26 Aug


    50%


    Why would he? He had run this hospital for years as the most prolific and valued Healer of the pack. Then, suddenly, overnight, Healer Amanda came in and stole all the glory and all the clients.


    ¨C


    This wasn¡¯t just about reputation. It was also about money.


    ¡°What did you have in mind, Agent Luna?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I need you to sabotage Healer Amanda¡¯s efforts in this study Alpha Julian assigned,¡± Olivia said. ¡°I don¡¯t care how you do it, but


    you must find a way to ruin her treatments.¡±


    Healer Amanda needed taken down a peg. She was far too confident.


    And some type of mix-up in the treatment would show Julian that perhaps she wasn¡¯t the greatest of Healers after all. Maybe then he would finally stop talking about her like she¡¯s some kind of goddess.


    The sting of Julian¡¯s rejection still ate away at Olivia. She couldn¡¯t act against the Alpha; she didn¡¯t want him hurt. What she wanted was marriage, bonding, and his baby.


    Once Olivia made sure Julian saw how much every other woman in his life was not reliable and untrustworthy, he would realize he


    could only depend on her.


    Then, she would finally have everything she wanted.


    ¡°Sabotage. I like it,¡± the Head Healer said, his lips curling into a sly grin. ¡°Leave it to me, Agent Luna. I know just what to do. I¡¯ll


    steal-¡±


    Olivia held up her hand at once, stopping him. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me the specifics. I wish to maintain usible deniability. Just make it


    happen.¡±


    He seemed disappointed that he couldn¡¯t share his n, but his grin only wavered for a moment before he returning again with


    full force.


    ¡°Yes, Luna.¡±


    Amber¡¯s POV


    I wasn¡¯t supposed to go to work for another hour yet, but a frantic message to my pager had me quickly dialing Noah in my office.


    ¡°It¡¯s gone, Healer. I can¡¯t find it at all.¡± Noah¡¯s voice was frantic.


    ¡°Can¡¯t find what, Noah? What are you talking about?¡±


    GET IT N¡­


    12:38 PM Tue 20 Any

 Main Flame 32

    50%


    ¡°The potion¡­ the treatment! It was in theb. I only stepped out for a moment, and when I returned, it was gone.¡±


    We¡¯d been running tests on the potion to ensure it was safe for werewolf consumption, so it was possible that he just misced it. That didn¡¯t seem like Noah, though. He was still training, but he¡¯d never make a mistake like losing an entire potion bottle.


    Especially not one that carried so much importance.


    ¡°Stay put,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll be right there.¡±


    My own anxieties heightened, as I rushed around, looking for my coat and keys.


    How could the potion be lost? Could someone have taken it?


    I didn¡¯t want to think so poorly about anyone in the hospital. Every Healer took an oath to always protect the people, to never knowingly do harm.


    By stealing that potion, the potential thief was endangering all of the lives of those who the potion was designed to save.


    Some of the ingredients in the potion were rare. Did I even have enough of everything to make more if I needed to?


    I wasn¡¯t sure. I had to get to the hospital and assess the situation. This not knowing was making my head spin.


    Because I was in such a rush, I didn¡¯t notice until I was pulling into the parking lot that I had forgotten about my disguise. I didn¡¯t


    have my scar stickers or my medical mask. But there wasn¡¯t time to go back for it.


    With lives on the line, I had to just risk it.


    Inside, I hurried up the stairs to the floor that held my office. As soon as I stepped out from the stairwell, I saw Olivia headed


    toward my same destination. It was then that I remembered she was to be my first appointment of the day. She was running early.


    She reached the door before I could, then, ncing down the hallway, saw me and stopped. At once, her eyes went wide as her jaw


    locked.


    ¡°What is a whore like you doing here?¡± she snapped at me.


    Just like that, we were at a standstill. I needed to get into the office Olivia was standing right in front of, but with her hand on the door handle, I couldn¡¯t exactly sneak by her. To bully my way in, I¡¯d have to forcibly move her, and I wasn¡¯t keen on that idea


    either.


    Physical strength was not one of my fortes, but even if it was, Olivia was still a patient. As a professional, I could keep a level head about this. I could resolve this standstill without resorting to mockery or violence.


    I wasn¡¯t Olivia.


    She looks at the door in front of her, and then back to me. ¡°Did you think you could see Healer Amanda yourself?¡± Her face remained skewed up with anger, even as sheughed. ¡°The best Healer in the world isn¡¯t going to make time for some lowly ex-


    12:38 PM


    Tue 26 Aug


    50%


    housewife who works at a grocery store.¡±


    The truth sat on the tip of my tongue, but I held it back. I didn¡¯t really want Olivia to know the truth, yet it was getting more and more difficult to conceal it with each insult she flung at me.


    ¡°How would you even afford to pay her bill?¡± Olivia said. ¡°In fact, someone like you shouldn¡¯t even be at this hospital. It¡¯s only for elites. Who are you again? No one.¡±


    She lifted her chin so that she stared down her nose at me.


    ¡°You should have nevere back here,¡± she said. ¡°No me. Not the pack. And certainly not Julian.¡±


    At that exact moment, Noah opened the door to the office from inside. Olivia stumbled, not expecting the door to open, but then


    steadied herself. As she did, Noah looked at me.


    ¡°Ah, Healer,¡± he said to me. ¡°There you are.¡±


    Olivia¡¯s eyes went wide. She checked behind herself but there was no one else in the hallway.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you to arrive,¡± he continued. ¡°We have urgent matters to discuss.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Of course,¡± I said, and moved to step closer to the door. I couldn¡¯t step through it yet, though. Olivia remained in the way.


    She looked between Noah and me in disbelief.


    ¡°If you could please step aside,¡± Noah said to her. ¡°The Healer needs to enter.¡±


    Olivia¡¯s face was one of shock. ¡°¡­Healer?¡±


    12:39 PM Tue 26 Aug

 Main Flame 34

    Julian¡¯s POV


    ? 49%


    I arrived at the hospital a few minutes earlier than necessary, wanting to speak more to Head Healer Eric before his press conference began. The timing of the announcement of this new cure just felt¡­ off to me. I didn¡¯t know how else to describe it.


    My contract, and therefore the funding, had been made with Healer Amanda. Unless Head Healer Eric had also been working on a


    cure on his own¡­


    That seemed unlikely.


    I didn¡¯t want to go around using anyone of anything, especially someone like Head Healer Eric, who had been a respectable


    member of the pack for even longer than I¡¯d been alive.


    But the timing¡­


    It just didn¡¯t make sense.


    I was certain that by speaking with Head Healer Eric, he could quiet the rm bells ringing in my mind and put me at ease.


    Perhaps he had been working on his own cure, maybe for some time.


    Though wouldn¡¯t he have mentioned it then when I made the proposal? He knew what I wanted to do, and that I was contracting


    Healer Amanda to help do it. Surely, at that point, he should havee forward with his research¡­.


    After asking a few hospital staff where Head Healer Eric was, I found him in one of the offices near the front of the building. The


    press conference was to happen outside on the stairs leading up to the hospital main entrance, so I wasn¡¯t surprised to see that


    Head Healer Eric had turned this room into a sort of hair and makeup dressing room.


    He was sitting in a chair, while a beautician was adding powder to his face. Another was carefullybing his hair.


    ¡°Not that way,¡± Head Healer Eric barked at the woman with theb. ¡°I prefer my part going the other way. Do you want me to


    look unprofessional?¡±


    The woman seemed flustered but she quickly replied, ¡°No, Healer.¡±


    ¡°Then do it right,¡± Head Healer Eric said.


    I frowned as I approached. Head Healer Eric had always appeared calm and kind in front of me, but then, so did so many people. As Alpha, everyone wanted me to see their best face. I oftentimes had to look deeper on my own to see the true heart of the individuals in my pack.


    Yet I¡¯d known Head Healer Eric since I was a boy. His reputation had always been as a caring and dedicated Healer. Perhaps it was the stress now that was making him snap where kindness would do.


    I didn¡¯t want to believe that this was the way he¡¯d always been.


    12:39 PM Tue 26 Aug


    49%


    Head Healer Eric spotted me in the mirror and immediately straightened. ¡°Alpha! You came early!¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said. ¡°I was hoping to speak with you privately for a moment.¡±


    ¡°Of course! Ladies. Please.¡±


    The beauticians set down their equipment and made their way to the door. I waited beside it for them to disappear through it and


    then closed it behind them. With it secure, and us now alone, I approached Head Healer Eric.


    ¡°What¡¯s this about, Alpha?¡± Head Healer Eric asked. He turned in his chair to look at me more fully.


    .¡± I wanted to broach the topic gently, but there were very few ways to ask someone if they stole someone else¡¯s hard


    work. ¡°How long have you been working on it?¡±


    ¡°Oh, very briefly,¡± he said. ¡°In fact, it just came to me¡­¡± His eyes slipped to the side. He was lying.


    I pressed onward. ¡°Did you work with Healer Amanda on this? You knew she was also developing a cure.¡±


    Head Healer Eric stilled for a moment, even as his eyes darted frantically around. It was like watching the cogs in his head turn, as


    he must have been thinking wildly. Then, he sighed.


    ¡°Healer Amanda came to me in tears,¡± he said. ¡°She was in over her head. She¡¯s under a lot of stress, you understand. She¡¯s a good


    Healer, but young. She was totally lost on what to do with the potion. It was only in my good nature as a man and as Head Healer,


    that I should step in and do the job myself.¡±


    12:39 PM Tue 26 Aug

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    49%


    ¡°I see,¡± I said, narrowing my eyes.


    ¡°It was all for her benefit, of course,¡± Head Healer Eric said. ¡°Naturally, I would have loved to see her seed on her own. But she just doesn¡¯t have the same experience that I do. Nor does she have the same strong disposition as me. She buckles under pressure,


    that one.¡±


    I knew in that moment, with how he was gently but thoroughly dismissing Amber, that he had no idea Healer Amanda was my ex-


    wife.


    I decided not to point that out, allowing him to continue weaving his tale.


    I tried to think back on what I knew about Amber ¨C if she had ever shied away from the pressure of a situation. I couldn¡¯t think of


    an instance.


    Even when I had treated her so unkindly, she pushed ever forward.


    Would she really have gone crying to Head Healer Eric for help?


    No, not just for help¡­ but to take over the entire project?


    Amber¡¯s POV


    Noah and I stood in theb, looking through the reports, the results of the tests we ran on the potential cure.


    What bothered me more than the potion being stolen was that it hadn¡¯t been tested thoroughly enough. The person who took it likely didn¡¯t know that there were still dangers to be uncovered with the tests.


    Like this one¡­


    ¡°How many times did we run this test?¡± I asked Noah. I wanted to be certain it wasn¡¯t simply a fluke in the results. These things


    needed to be tested and retested.


    ¡°Four,¡± Noah said.


    ¡°And this result showed up every time?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    I frowned. This was very troubling. ¡°We need to find that potion before it¡¯s toote.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t ready for human consumption, not with these results.


    While temporarily effective, the potion would wear off over a longer term. In the interim, any patient of the potion would suffer from severe stomach pain.


    Truly, the potion just needed a couple more ingredients.


    12:39 PM Tue 26 Aug


    I hurried to adjust the form, Noah watching over my shoulder.


    ¡°Ah,¡± he said. ¡°That would solve that problem.¡±


    I was d he agreed.


    49%


    ¡°We need to hurry and make up this new potion,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened to the old one, but we need to be ready with a fix in case it gets out.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand why anyone would take an untested potion from ab,¡± Noah said.


    I had a few suspicions but I didn¡¯t want to give voice to them. Most likely the potion was stolen. To have ess to theb, the thief would have had to be someone who worked at the hospital.


    I was still trying to hope that Noah had been careless and misced it, but I knew that wasn¡¯t likely the case. Noah was too good of an assistant for that, and very responsible.


    With the new form in hand, I moved toward one of the work tables in theb, ready to mix a new batch. The table was close to a


    window that overlooked the front of the hospital.


    Down below, I could see news vans on the street and a crowd gathering on the front steps of the hospital.


    I asked Noah, ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    He came to the window and we both looked down.


    ¡°It looks like a press conference,¡± he said.


    My stomach started to sink. I had a very bad feeling about this.


    I asked, ¡°Regarding what?¡±


    GET IT N


    12:39 PM Tue 26 Aug

 Main Flame 36

    3 ¡ö


    ? 49%


    Julian¡¯s POV


    As the press conference was set to start, I followed Head Healer Eric out of the office and to the front of the building. By now, a podium had been arranged, with several different news organization¡¯s microphones attached to it.


    Everything about this still felt wrong to me. I had wanted to dy the conference until I could speak with Amber, but Head Healer


    Eric had been adamant that there was no time to dy.


    ¡°This potion could save lives,¡± he had said. ¡°We need to deliver it to the people right away.¡±


    Against my better judgement, still wanting to believe in him, I had epted his words. Though the unease still sat with me, and


    likely would remain until I could actually speak with Amber.


    For now, I followed Head Healer Eric out to the front of the building.


    The crowd had already been warmed up by an administrator from the hospital office, who introduced Head Healer Eric. As Eric


    approached the microphone, I stayed nearer the hospital doors, watching.


    ¡°Thank you all foring here on such short notice,¡± Head Healer Eric said to the crowd. ¡°This news couldn¡¯t wait. Because, you


    see, I have personally developed a cure that will stop the rampaging illness that has been terrorizing the most vulnerable of our


    poption.¡±


    A collective gasp sounded among the crowd, followed quickly by pping.


    I frowned, noticing that Head Healer Eric did not give any credit to Amber or Noah, for the parts they yed in this cure, despite


    Eric himself having earlier told me that he took over the project from them. It would have been the most urate to give credit to


    the entire team rather than taking all of it for himself.


    It made me even more suspicious.


    ¡°Jon. If you coulde forward,¡± Head Healer Eric said.


    A thin, pale man stepped out from the crowd and started walking up the stairs. At the same time, some of Eric¡¯s assistants


    prepared a chair and set the potion on a nearby makeshift table.


    ¡°Jon is suffering from the illness and has been for some time,¡± Head Healer Eric told the crowd. ¡°We have prepared a dosage of


    the cure for him. He will be the first, but not thest, to receive it.¡±


    When he reached the chair, Jon sat down. He was panting, out of breath.


    Head Healer Eric moved away from the microphones and started pouring a smaller bit of the potion into a short drinking ss.


    That didn¡¯t seem particrly scientific. Surely the amount should be measured with instruments. But Head Healer Eric had been


    at this job a long time. Perhaps he was capable of designating liquid amounts just from sight.


    12:39 PM Tue 26 Aug


    49%


    With the potion in the ss, Head Healer Eric started to hand it over to the cager hands of Jon.


    Just then, the front door of the hospital opened and Amber came running out.


    ¡°Stop!¡± she cried out.


    My heart leapt up into my throat.


    Though I hadn¡¯t truly been ready to believe it, I could see it now ¨C even more clearly in person than in the picture. Amber was standing there in ab coat, with her credentials pinned to the breast pocket.


    There could be no mistake, no denying it. My treacherous thoughts couldn¡¯t twist their way around this anymore.


    Amber was absolutely, one hundred percent confirmed Healer Amanda.


    ¡°You can¡¯t do this, Head Healer,¡± she said. ¡°The potion isn¡¯t ready.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense,¡± Eric said, and shoved the potion more fully into Jon¡¯s hands.


    Amber rushed forward then, and smacked the ss away from Jon. It smashed onto the concrete stairs, shattering, the cure now


    just a stter on the ground.


    Amber¡¯s POV


    ¡°You are out of line!¡± Head Healer Eric said.


    ¡°You almost poisoned this man!¡± I shouted, my fury overwhelming me. Inside of me, Eve was growling fiercely.


    12:39 PM Tue 26 Aug

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    49%


    ¡°Not just a thief, but nearly a murderer!¡± she cried in my mind. ¡°And he¡¯s supposed to be Head Healer!¡±


    ¡°I did no such thing!¡± Head Healer Eric replied, face turning red with outrage.


    This man took the same oath as me, to always protect the people and do no harm. Yet here he was, his hubris getting in the way of his sense. And for what? Poprity? Glory?


    What would have happened in a few hours¡¯ time when this man became sick again?


    ¡°The potion wasn¡¯t done,¡± I told Head Healer Eric, hoping he would understand. ¡°The cure in that bottle is only temporary. Soon,


    the illness would return and not only would this man be sick again, but he¡¯d be paired with all kinds of new symptoms.¡±


    Head Healer Eric paled as he straightened. ¡°Nonsense.¡±


    ¡°We hadn¡¯t released the potion yet because we were waiting on important test results to ensure the cure was safe for human


    consumption,¡± I told him. ¡°Those results have since returned, and they showed us that the cure needs tweaking.


    ¡°Nonsense!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve corrected the form,¡± I exined. ¡°But that will need time to be tested too.¡± Allowing my wolf to speak through me, I


    leveled Eve¡¯s usation at the Head Healer. ¡°It¡¯s one thing to steal someone else¡¯s work, Head Healer, but it is another to


    needlessly risk the public. What about the Healer Oath?¡±


    Head Healer Eric¡¯s mouth tightened. As he swallowed hard, a muscle ticked on his jaw. For a long moment, he just stared at me.


    The crowd was quiet and watchful, as if waiting for what might happen next.


    In that moment of quiet, Julian moved to stand beside me. A shot of panic surged through me. Reaching up, I touched my face only


    to realize that my mask was missing. Yet, though Julian was looking at me in wonder, he didn¡¯t seem particrly surprised.


    Did he know I was Healer Amanda? For how long?


    He didn¡¯t say anything. He gave no indication that he knew.


    Perhaps this was a recent development. My heartrate started to pick up.


    Yet, as much as I wanted to evaluate that, I had more important matters to attend to at the moment than my personal life. This potion, if wrongfully distributed would have caused harm.


    Head Healer Eric needed to face consequences for that.


    ¡°You developed this potion?¡± Julian asked me.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said. ¡°But it¡¯s not finished yet. Someone took if from myb before it was ready.¡±


    ¡°Someone¡­¡± Julian parroted, as he looked up at Head Healer Eric. ¡°Did you steal this potion from Healer Amanda¡¯sb, Head


    Healer?¡±


    12:39 PM Tue 26 Aug


    49%


    I looked at Julian in surprise. I could use the Head Healer until I was blue in the face but even as somewhat of a celebrity, I wasn¡¯t sure to be believed. The Head Healer had been around for a long time. He was trusted in the pack.


    He didn¡¯t reply to the usation, though his shoulders did slink down. Looking at me, he said, ¡°Is it truly not ready?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°I¡¯m working on a fix at the moment. But like I said, it will need tested too¡­¡±


    ¡°This kind of behavior cannot stand,¡± Julian said loudly. He was all Alpha now, the strong and confident leader of our pack. ¡°Head Healer Eric, you have shamed yourself and the pack with this action. As such, I will see you punished. For a crime like this, exile might be in order.¡±


    ¡°A-alpha, please¡­¡± Head Healer Eric said, fumbling now, looking every inch the old man that he was.


    Something stirred within me. He hadmitted a serious crime here, that was true. But¡­ exile?


    Julian started to open his mouth, likely ready to dole out the punishment.


    Quickly, I said, ¡°Wait.¡±


    GET IT N¡­


    12:39 PM Tue 26 Aug

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    6 49%


    Amber¡¯s POV


    Healer Eric did not get to be the Head Healer at the hospital because he was lousy at his job. It was the opposite, in fact. He was a talented Healer most of the time. In my days at university, I¡¯d even looked up to him and some of the breakthroughs he¡¯d helped


    contributed to over the years.


    That didn¡¯t excuse his behavior now, of course, but it did make me somewhat sympathetic to the man.


    It was difficult to connect the man I knew to be a talented Healer with the man who would steal an untested potion from ab and then try to pass it off as his own work, without even running the necessary tests first!


    What could have happened to him that led him to fall so far to this moment? Was there too much stress on him in his present position? Or was it his hubris that overwhelmed his judgement? Or perhaps the call of standing in the limelight that made him


    blind to everything but his own sess, no matter the cost?


    Julian looked at me patiently, waiting for me to exin myself. It took me a little while to define the mixed feelings swirling


    within me, and even longer to put what I wanted to say into words.


    Speaking to Healer Eric, I said, ¡°You have always been better than this. So many years, you proved to be a good and decent man.


    You contributed so much to modern medicine, and you have so many patients that trust you. I personally know you are capable.


    But this? I just don¡¯t understand.¡±


    He lowered his gaze away in shame.


    ¡°If you wanted to help with the cure, I would have dly weed your input,¡± I said. ¡°I would have given you equal credit. There


    was no need for this kind of deception¡­ And it was so reckless. You could have hurt this man.¡± I motioned to Jon. ¡°Did you even


    think to run tests on the potion?¡±


    Head Healer Eric swallowed thickly. ¡°I assumed you had already¡­¡±


    ¡°They were in progress,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes. I can see that now.¡±


    ¡°Amber, Healer Amanda,¡± Julian said. ¡°Do you not feel this action warrants exile? Or did you wish to speak in the Head Healer¡¯s


    favor?¡±


    He looked at me like my opinion carried weight. It was a bit of a newer feeling. In the past, his word wasw, and I was just the foolish girl in love with him who went along with everything. Yet, right now, he was looking at me like he actually wanted my opinion.


    The remnants of that girl inside of me who had loved this man so fiercely at the attention and consideration we had finally been given from Julian. The rest of me, the parts that had strived so hard to move on and bury that girl down deep, focused more on his question.


    12:39 PM Tue 26 Aug


    49%


    ¡°I believe that Head Healer Eric is still a capable Healer. He has many patients that respect him and depend on him, and I would hate to see them fall to the wayside if the Head Healer is cast out of the pack,¡± I said. ¡°That said, I think perhaps the stress of a management position has gone to his head¡­¡±


    ¡°Say no more,¡± Julian said, seeming to understand what I mean. He turned his full attention to the Head Healer.


    In the crowd, some of the cameramen were inching closer for the perfect shot, as were the reporters holding forward their


    microphones to try to catch the exchange for their news stations.


    I was sure I¡¯d see all of this on the nightly news tonight.


    ¡°Healer Eric,¡± Julian said. ¡°I hereby demote you from the position of Head Healer at the hospital. You will now simply work as a regr Healer, giving you more time and energy to focus on your own patients.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Alpha,¡± Healer Eric said, and there was some relief in his gaze as he looked at Julian, and then at me. ¡°Thank you, Healer Amanda. Your charity here will not be forgotten.¡±


    ¡°I simply ask that you not forget your oath again,¡± I said. ¡°Your patients need you. Please put them first in the future.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Healer Eric said and dipped his head in acknowledgement. ¡°I will be forever grateful for being allowed to stay with the pack.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t disappoint me again,¡± Julian said.


    Healer Eric nodded once more.


    With that resolved, Julian seemed to notice the gathered crowd for the first time, and nearly startled.


    The press conference. Right.


    With the Alpha¡¯s attention now on them, he reporters started calling out questions. The loudest of which was, ¡°Alpha! Who will be


    the Head Healer now that Eric has been demoted?¡±


    It was a good question. To keep hospital operations running along smoothly, a new Head Healer would need to be promoted immediately.


    To my surprise, Julian looked at me.


    ¡°I would nominate Healer Amanda,¡± Julian said to the crowd.


    The blood drained from my face and I felt a little dizzy. While it was an honor to be considered, and certainly a position that I would want to hold at some point in my life, I wasn¡¯t ready for that kind of thing right now.


    Particrly because being Head Healer was a long term position, and I had no intention of staying with this pack for any longer


    than necessary.


    I just needed the money, enough to buy the ne to repress Alice¡¯s wolf. Then she and I would get out of this pack once and for all, and we wouldn¡¯t look back.


    12:40 PM Tue 26 Aug


    49%


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said to Julian. I was certain the microphones were picking it up, but I didn¡¯t care about them in this moment. It was Julian I was talking to. ¡°I am grateful for the consideration, but I must decline.¡±


    Julian¡¯s face stays hard even as a sh of hurt crossed his eyes. I blinked and it was gone, like it had never been there at all. Maybe I imagined it. I must have. I couldn¡¯t imagine Julian being too torn up about my decision.


    He had Olivia now, and once I finished her treatments, she could give him children.


    He had no need for Alice or me.


    I hated how much that thought still hurt me. After all this time, all these years, I had thought I was reserved to my life without


    Julian. Yet, having him beside me, having to tell him I had no intention of staying, it felt like fresh hurt all over again.


    ¡°Why?¡± he asked me, his voice soft.


    ¡°I¡¯m just passing through,¡± I exined. ¡°This isn¡¯t my home anymore.¡±


    Once I had that ne for Alice, or found a cure gods-willing, I would be gone from this ce. I¡¯d be happy to leave and never have to deal with Julian, Olivia, or the drama they brought to my life ever again.


    Julian¡¯s face was hard. I thought for a moment he might reject my rejection and demand that I stay.


    Instead, he said, ¡°I understand. I¡¯ll find someone else.¡± Then he turned back to the crowd to try to answer more questions.


    I tried to look at the crowd too, but my eyes continued to draw back to Julian. It seemed as if the harder I tried to not look at him,


    the more I wanted to.


    I couldn¡¯t help myself, just like all those years ago.


    I shake my head lightly, trying to clear my thoughts. The sooner I could leave the pack again, the better it would be for my heart.


    12:40 PM Tue 26 Aug

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    49%


    Amber¡¯s POV


    A few dayster, after the tests had been run and the potion sessfully developed and distributed for free, my office had be


    something akin to a zoo.


    There were just so many people. Not just patients or potential patients hoping to be added to my calendar, but also simply well- wishers or those who were grateful and wanted to thank me personally.


    The numbers for the terrible illness plunged down to nearly non-existent, and the whole of the pack took notice. No, not just the pack but other packs too. I was receiving packages and notecards from all over the world, including from pack leaders who were


    hoping I would choose their pack next to visit.


    There were some very tempting offers, but I¡¯d mademitments here. I would stay until thosemitments were done.


    ¡°If you weren¡¯t a celebrity before¡­¡± Noah teased between phone calls. As soon as he put the phone down, ending one call, it


    immediately began ringing again.


    As it was, he could only turn down any of those looking to make new appointments. Since the release of the cure, my calendar was


    booked for six months out, excluding a few spots I was leaving open for my regr patients.


    Including Olivia


    As terrible as I believed her to be, she was still one of my patients and I still had agreed to treat her. Thinking of her bearing


    Julian¡¯s children sent a pang of regret through me, but that was their choice. I had nothing to do with Julian¡¯s life anymore, nor


    did I want to.


    No matter what my foolish, lonely heart whispered to me in the dark.


    That lonely whisper was easier to squash now that in the light of day, especially with the office so busy. I was being pulled in a


    thousand directions, but as an experienced Healer, I was used to that now. I almost preferred when things were somewhat chaotic


    as it gave me less time for doubts.


    I had a plotted course for my future, and I would stay on it.


    Julian and Olivia were just curves in the road. Soon, I would be past them and could focus on myself and continuing to provide


    Alice with the best, most hopeful future.


    As Noah and I worked through the line of people gathered at my doorstep, I was surprised to find Julian¡¯s Beta among the crowd.


    As Beta, he was privilege to special treatment, so I was able to sate my curiosity by approaching him.


    ¡°Do you need aid?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°No, Healer,¡± he said. ¡°I simply have been tasked with delivering this to you.¡± He held out a crisp white envelope. On the front, around my name was a swirling silver pattern. ¡°I am to make certain that I see it enter your hands.¡±


    12:40 PM Tue 26 Aug


    ? 49%


    Curious, I took the envelope and opened it. Inside was a smaller rectangle of cardstock with silver edges and calligraphy writing.


    ¡°This is an invitation,¡± I said, somewhat confused.


    ¡°Alpha is holding a banquet to celebrate the sess of the cure,¡± he said. ¡°You are a special guest, as Alpha wishes to thank you personally for all the good you¡¯ve done.¡±


    ¡°He could have just sent a thank you note,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t need a party.¡±


    ¡°He felt you deserved something more,¡± Beta said.


    While we had been married, he had kept me in the shadows. It felt strange now, to be called by him into the light.


    But this wasn¡¯t a celebration of our rtionship, or an acknowledgement of what we were to each other.


    This was a thank you because I was a good doctor.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said. ¡°This is kind, but I am not interested. I don¡¯t like these kinds of things.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know if that was true or not. I never really attended something this seemingly mourous before. But it seemed


    unnecessary. As a Healer, I should be focusing on helping people, not attending parties to pat myself on the back.


    Beta nodded. ¡°It¡¯s in a few days¡¯ time. Please think about it.¡±


    ¡°I said¡­ no¡­¡± I said, though my voice dropped as I realized Beta had started to walk away. I found it terribly rude and annoying,


    but I couldn¡¯t be mad at him. I was sure he was just trying to protect himself and his Alpha.


    Maybe Julian told him I might say no, but to give me time to think about it.


    Sighing, I carried the envelope back into the office.


    Blissfully, just after lunchtime, there was a break in the crowd, which gave Noah and me a few minutes to catch our breath and quickly eat our own lunches. We didn¡¯t think we¡¯d have enough time to go to the breakroom though, so he pulled a chair over to


    my desk and we both used the desk as a table.


    As he was making room for himself, he noticed the invitation. Reading it, his eyes went wide.


    ¡°Are we going?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t do any of this for the glory,¡± I told him.


    ¡°I know, but¡­¡±


    He looked longingly at the invitation.


    ¡°Do you want to go?¡± I asked.


    ¡°We wouldn¡¯t have to stay the whole time,¡± he said. ¡°We could just make an appearance¡­¡±


    He did want to go. I frowned a little, thinking. Noah¡¯s help was pivotal in the development of the cure and the running of tests to


    12:40 PM Tue 26 Aug


    ensure it was safe and effective. He deserved just as much credit as I did, just as much praise.


    49%


    Maybe I¡¯d gotten used to the praise over the years. Perhaps the novelty had worn off for me, and I was just taking the gratitude for


    granted.


    While I wanted to focus fully on helping more people and moving forward, maybe there wasn¡¯t any harm in allowing for the


    asional celebration of sess. Especially if it made my assistant happy.


    ¡°What would someone wear to an event like that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s ck tie,¡± he said. ¡°Tuxedos and tailored three-piece suits for the men. The women likely will all wear gowns.¡¯


    ¡°Gowns?¡± I didn¡¯t even own a gown.


    ¡°I think it would be an event to remember,¡± Noah said longingly. ¡°I can only imagine how good the food will be. I bet they


    decorate too. Since the invitation is silver, likely the whole room will be trimmed in it.


    He had so much excitement in his voice that I couldn¡¯t deny him anymore.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said, giving in. ¡°We can go.¡±


    ¡°Yes!¡± he cheered, thenughed.


    Iughed too. ¡°You could have gone without me¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just as assistant,¡± he said. ¡°You are the main event, Healer.¡±


    I shook my head lightly. ¡°I¡¯m not that special.¡±


    A knock sounded at the door then. Great. I still had a lot of my sandwich left. But a Healer couldn¡¯t dictate when her patients


    needed help, so I called out, ¡°Come in!¡±


    The door opened and a familiar face entered. She didn¡¯t see me right away.


    ¡°Excuse me, I¡¯m looking for Healer Amanda? I was told she might be¡­¡± Anna¡¯s voice trailed as she finally locked eyes with me.


    I stood up at once. Anna. My best friend.


    Gods, it had been too long.


    Her eyes went wide, seeing me, but then she frowned and pointed at me, her face twisting with anger.


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me you were back in town?¡±


    X


    GET IT N¡­


    12:40 PM Tue 26 Aug

 Main Flame 40

    6 49%


    Amber¡¯s POV


    Immediately, I hopped to my feet and then raced to Anna. She just as eagerly rushed to me. We met somewhere in the middle of


    my office, crashing together for a long overdue hug.


    Anna had been one of the few people I had made contact with after my ident. Sworn to secrecy, she knew everything ¨C about


    Alice, about my wolf, about my new life and bing Healer Amanda. She also knew about Alice¡¯s struggles. She¡¯d evene to


    visit us a few times, though we were careful not to publically post any pictures. She couldn¡¯t even really talk about her trip when


    she got back home.


    The only thing she didn¡¯t know, to my regret, was that I was returning to the pack in an effort to afford that ne for Alice. In my defense, her own job had taken her out of the pack, so we hadn¡¯t talked much the past few months. There hadn¡¯t been a lot of


    opportunity to tell her my ns.


    ¡°I¡¯m back,¡± I said, when we finished our hug and separated.


    ¡°I can see that,¡± she said. ¡°Just like I saw you on the news the other night. Standing next to Alpha Julian while Head Healer Eric


    was being demoted¡­¡±


    ¡°You saw that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Everyone saw it,¡± she replied.


    ¡°Right.¡± I supposed they did. All of my new appointments and the dozens of gift baskets around the room were proof of that.


    ¡°You¡­. Beside Julian,¡± she said pointedly.


    There was a lot to catch up on.


    Anna looked past me, to Noah.


    ¡°Oh! Let me introduce you,¡± I said quickly. ¡°Anna, this is my assistant, Noah. Noah, this is my best friend in the world, Anna.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± Noah said, and they shook hands.


    ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± Anna said. She smiled at him, but then gave me a look, as if asking me silently if we were safe to talk around


    Noah.


    I trusted Noah. Though he didn¡¯t know much about my past, I didn¡¯t mind if he did. In the short time we¡¯d known each other, he¡¯s


    The only secret I really wanted to keep was the truth about Alice.


    I told Anna all that in a return nce. She nodded. We¡¯d been best friends for so long that we didn¡¯t need to verbally say the words tomunicate our thoughts. I was pleased to see that this form of silentmunication still held up despite our years apart.


    12:40 PM Tue 26 Aug


    ¡°Join us,¡± I said and pulled up another chair to my desk. ¡°You don¡¯t mind, do you, Noah?¡±


    ¡°Of course not,¡± he said.


    Anna dropped into the free chair, as I moved back to mine.


    ¡°Tell me everything,¡± she said. ¡°But start with this. Are you and Julian back together?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± I said.


    Noah¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°You¡­ and Alpha¡­?¡±


    Anna wasn¡¯t the only one who needed caught up.


    ¡°It¡¯s a long story,¡± I told him. To Anna, I said, ¡°He¡¯s with Olivia. I¡¯m helping them so they can have children.¡±


    Anna¡¯s nose scrunched. ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    ? ??¡£


    From there, I gave Noah a brief overview, that Julian and I used to be in a rtionship but it was long done. I glossed over some of


    the more specific details, particrly about the marriage and Alice.


    Noah had been raised in the pack though, so he guessed a few things. Pointing at me, he said, ¡°You are Amber! The Alpha¡¯s secret


    first wife who died in that ne crash!¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t die¡­¡± I said.


    ¡°You almost did,¡± Anna said.


    From there, I delved into some of the basic nature of my return, that a need of money had meing back. I didn¡¯t exin the


    reason for needing the money. I could trust Noah with most of my secrets, but Alice was¡­


    Well, I had to protect my daughter.


    When Noah excused himself to go to the bathroom, Anna leaned forward. ¡°You still have feelings for Julian.¡±


    ¡°I absolutely do not!¡± I insisted.


    ¡°You can lie to yourself, but you can¡¯t lie to me,¡± she said. ¡°The way you are talking about him¡­ The disgust in your voice when


    you speak about him and Olivia¡­ It¡¯s all there.¡±


    12:40 PM Tue 26 Aug

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    WA 49% ¡ö


    7


    ¡°It¡¯s probably leftover feelings from what happened,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t care what either of them do now.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Anna said, clearly disbelieving me.


    It was infuriating.


    When Noah returned, Anna noticed the invitation. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡±


    ¡°Alpha is throwing a party for the sess of the cure,¡± Noah told her. ¡°Healer Amanda is the guest of honor.¡±


    ¡°So are you, Noah,¡± I insisted. He shrugged, but from his shy smile, I could tell he was pleased.


    ¡°This is a ck tie event,¡± Anna said. ¡°You are going to need a gown¡­¡¯


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡±


    ¡°Well, we have to go shopping, then,¡± Anna said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. I¡¯m sure I can just throw something together.¡±


    Both Anna and Noah gave me a nk, disapproving look. Anna spoke first.


    ¡°You need a new dress, Amber. Something that will really wow Julian -er, everyone.¡± Anna cleared her throat.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to impress anyone,¡± I said. ¡°I have nothing to prove.¡±


    ¡°Sure, of course,¡± Anna said. ¡°But wouldn¡¯t it be fun to do it anyway?¡±


    Noah nodded eagerly, showing his approval. I looked between them both, not wanting to admit my true feelings.


    Yeah. It would be kind of fun.


    Olivia¡¯s POV


    As she waited on hold to speak to Head Healer Eric ¨C well, just Healer Eric now, Olivia was so frustrated she wanted to break


    something.


    How could her perfectlyid ns consistently end in disaster? Maybe her problem was she kept relying on undependable people.


    She should have known for sure that Healer Eric was unreliable after his first failure.


    After this second one? He was just dead weight now.


    Still, in her magnanimousness, Olivia was willing to give him onest chance. He would truly have to prove his loyalty this time though. There was no longer any room for half-hearted attempts.


    And this¡­ making her wait on hold¡­


    12:40 PM Tue 26 Aug


    Unbearable. Unforgiveable.


    When he finally picked up, Olivia was fit to kill, she was so mad.


    ¡°It¡¯s about time you picked up.¡±


    ¡°Luna,¡± Healer Eric said.


    49%


    What was with the cold tones? Like he hadn¡¯t been itching to help her before. ¡°You have failed me, but I have onest n.


    Healer Amanda begin Amber made things moreplicated in a lot of ways, but at the same time, they also made things simpler. Instead of two targets for Olivia to take care of, theybined into one.


    The only problem was Healer Amanda¡¯s celebrity. Any action against her would catch the attention of the media and the guard.


    She¡¯d have to be careful not to let herself be implicated.


    But that was where Healer Eric came in. Her fall guy.


    He just didn¡¯t know it yet.


    ¡°I will allow you to serve your Luna once more,¡± Olivia said.


    ¡°No,¡± Healer Eric said simply.


    Olivia nearly dropped the phone. ¡°No?!¡±


    ¡°Healer Amanda reminded me of what it means to be a Healer,¡± Healer Eric said. ¡°This was something I had forgotten. It is only


    through her forgiveness and gratitude that I was able to stay with the pack. I will not turn from her again.¡±


    ¡°Have you forgotten all that she has stolen for you?¡± Olivia pressed. She couldn¡¯t believe he had turned on her. ¡°Healer Amanda


    took the fame that should be rightfully yours!¡±


    ¡°Being a Healer isn¡¯t about the fame. It¡¯s about helping people. I won¡¯t make this mistake again.¡±


    Then, he hung up.


    He didn¡¯t even say goodbye.


    ¡°Hello? Healer Eric?¡±


    The line was dead.


    ¡°Bastard!¡± Olivia shouted as she mmed the phone down. Who the hell did he think he was, talking to her like that?


    One m didn¡¯t feel like enough, so she lifted the phone up and mmed it down several more times.


    Once she was satisfied, she shoved the phone entirely off the desk.


    Good help was so hard to find.


    12:40 PM Tue 26 Aug


    But she wouldn¡¯t let this setback get in her way.


    49%


    Olivia had worked for too long, she¡¯d done too much to win Julian. She wasn¡¯t going to lose him now just because some low-born


    harlot came back from the dead.


    She was going to keep Julian, no matter what she had to do.


    No matter who she had to get out of the way.


    GET IT N¡­


    X


    12:40 PM Tue 26 Aug

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    Amber¡¯s POV


    I stood in bedroom of the house I was renting, staring in the full length mirror near the foot of the bed. Anna was sitting on it, while Alice ran around, excitedly pointing out spots of the gown I was wearing.


    ¡°There¡¯s so much glitter, Mom! You sparkle!¡±


    ¡°Too much, maybe?¡± I asked, still uncertain about all of this.


    Noah and Anna had almost worked as a tag team to keepmitted to this event, but as it drew closer and closer, I became more


    and more unsure.


    This kind of thing¡­ an event as fancy as this¡­


    It wasn¡¯t my usual kind of scene. In fact, I typically avoided things like this.


    ¡°It¡¯s not too much,¡± Anna said. ¡°Everyone is going to be dressed extravagantly. You are going to fit right in.¡±


    Looking in the mirror, I swished therge skirt of my dress back and forth, almost like I was ringing a bell.


    ¡°I don¡¯t feel like myself,¡± I said.


    ¡°You look like a princess,¡± Alice said.


    ¡°You look like a Luna,¡± Anna added.


    I gave her a t look.


    She shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m just being honest.¡±


    Standing, Anna came and stood beside me at the mirror.


    ¡°You look great,¡± she said. ¡°You are certain to stun Julian¡­ er, I mean, everyone.¡±


    She gave me a knowing smile, even as I shook my head.


    Anna, and Alice, helped me with my hair and makeup, and then I walked out into the living room. Roman had agreed to babysit


    tonight and was waiting for me there.


    ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want me toe with you?¡± he asked, as he had nearly three times a day since I received the invitation


    from Beta.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m not nning on staying very long.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± he said, though as with all the times before, didn¡¯t seem very happy about it.


    ¡°Well?¡± Anna asked, ¡°You didn¡¯tment on her dress.¡±


    12:40 PM Tue 26 Aug


    4979


    Roman nced down at my gown with a quick flick of his eyes. ¡°You look fine,¡± he said gruffly. He could be kind, so I wasn¡¯t sure why he was so irritated tonight. Perhaps he truly was feeling left out.


    But¡­ no. Typically those kinds of things didn¡¯t bother Roman.


    Maybe something else happened today. I would remember to ask him about itter.


    ¡°I think you should wear something else,¡± Roman said then, surprising me.


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing wrong with it,¡± Anna said bluntly. She kept smiling though, especially when Alice looked between her and


    Roman with some worry on her face.


    She wasn¡¯t used to Roman acting like this either.


    ¡°Are you feeling alright, Roman?¡± I asked. Maybe he had a headache or something. If that was so, I could possibly find someone


    else to watch Alice tonight. Anna maybe?


    ¡°I¡¯m feeling fine,¡± he said gruffly. ¡°I just think this entire affair is unnecessary.¡±


    ¡°Only because you didn¡¯t get invited,¡± Anna said under her breath.


    ¡°Anna,¡± I scolded lightly.


    She looked away, but did not apologize.


    Roman ignored her totally. His gaze fully on me, he said, ¡°If I asked you not to go¡­ Would you stay here with me?¡±


    ¡°She has to go,¡± Alice said. ¡°Cindere always goes to the ball¡­¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t a fairy tale,¡± Roman said. His voice softened when speaking to Alice, which helped me feel a bit better.


    He was likely just nervous for me, knowing I would be out of my usual element tonight. But I was the type of person who could adapt, even in situations like these.


    ¡°I¡¯m not staying for very long,¡± I told him. ¡°But I can¡¯t miss it. The event is mostly in my honor, and I won¡¯t abandon Noah who is expecting me. Please understand¡­¡±


    He pressed his lips hard together, but still gave a curt nod.


    ¡°Return home soon,¡± he said. ¡°I will worry.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± I said. Then I leaned down and hugged Alice. ¡°Be good for Roman, okay, Alice?¡±


    12:40 PM Tue 26 Aug

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    49%


    ¡°I will,¡± she said, drawing out the words like she was bored.


    Then, with a quick goodbye, Anna and I walked to the door. Roman caught me just before I left.


    ¡°A word, Amber,¡± he said. He eyed Anna, who had also stopped. ¡°Privately, please¡­¡±


    Anna had offered to drive me to the event, so she seemed annoyed by this. Still, after a look from me, she said, ¡°I¡¯ll wait in the


    car.¡±


    Once we were alone, Roman said, ¡°You had to say you would go in front of Anna and Alice, but you don¡¯t have to put up the brave


    front for me. If you want to stay home, I will find a way to get you out of this.¡±


    I frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t need gotten out of anything, Roman. Not this or anything else. Not by you or anyone else. I¡¯m nervous about going, but it is my decision to go. If I wanted to stay home, I would stay home.¡±


    His fingers are tight on my arm, not enough to hurt, but enough to mimic a brace, or a shackle.


    ¡°I need to go now,¡± I said, though now I was hesitating for another reason. ¡°Are you certain you feel well enough to watch Alice?¡±


    ¡°I feel fine,¡± he said and released me.


    Though Alice could tend to be lukewarm with Roman, he was good with her. He was also a good friend to me. This behavior was strange though.


    ¡°If you are certain¡­¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± he said.


    ¡°Then I will be back soon,¡± I told him.


    His face was tight, but he nodded. Even so, he didn¡¯t let me go yet. I waited, but he just stared at me intensely. We were good friends, but not nearly on the same level as Anna and me. We could notmunicate without words.


    If he was trying to convey something to me, I didn¡¯t have a clue what it could be.


    ¡°You have to let me go,¡± I said, after a few more awkward seconds had passed.


    He looked down at his hand on my arm like he had forgotten it was there.


    ¡°Right,¡± he said, and released me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see youter,¡± I told him.


    ¡°Right,¡± he said again.


    So strange. But I shrugged it off and headed outside, rushing to Anna¡¯s car. I didn¡¯t want to be more than fashionablyte.


    1/?


    12:40 PM Tue 26 Aug


    Julian¡¯s POV


    ? 49%


    The banquet just started. I¡¯d been to dozens of these events, hundreds probably, yet there was something about this one that had me anxious. I wasn¡¯t nervous, exactly. I felt more like I had a bunch of popcorn kernels popping inside of me.


    I couldn¡¯t sit still, not even as I grabbed a flute of champagne from a passing waiter¡¯s tray. And not even as Olivia came to stand


    beside me.


    My eyes continually turned toward the door.


    My head didn¡¯t want to admit what my heart already knew¡­


    I was waiting for Amber to appear.


    ¡°You haven¡¯tplimented my outfit once tonight,¡± Olivia said, huffy, at my side.


    I hadn¡¯t even looked at her. I nce now, once, in passing.


    Her dress is ck. It¡¯s fine. What did she need apliment from me for?


    ¡°You look nice,¡± I said, in a half-hearted effort to keep the peace.


    ¡°Nice?¡± she scoffs. ¡°You can¡¯t do better than that.¡±


    No, I really couldn¡¯t.


    I didn¡¯t care to.


    And-


    The minute Amber appears, all else falls away.


    Suddenly she was there in the entryway wearing a stunning, shimmering gown. Her hair was drawn up, braided borately around the crown of her head, exposing her long feminine neck. Her makeup was tasteful, subtly highlighting her features without overdoing it.


    She was always beautiful, but this¡­ I felt as if my breath was stolen from me.


    I could have stared at her for hours.


    Maybe I already had.


    Because with her here, looking like this¡­.


    Time had totally stopped.


    12:40 PM Tue 26 Aug

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    Amber¡¯s POV


    I stood in the entryway of the banquet hall for a long moment as I looked around the room, searching for people I knew ¨C mainly Noah, or some others from the hospital.


    Unfortunately, others saw me first and must have recognized me. Before I knew it, the entire room was pping, apuding for <ol><li> Someone even whistled. </li></ol>


    My cheeks burned and I immediately wanted to make my escape. How would it look though, for me to just about face and walk out? My reputation was flying high right now. A maneuver like that would surely be viewed as a slight by the upper ss, and as


    they were most of my patients, I couldn¡¯t turn my back on my patrons.


    Not until I had enough money to take care of Alice.


    For now, I had to mingle. One loop around the room and then I¡¯d make my mistake.


    Stepping forward into the room, I was immediately embraced by one group after the next. If I had any doubts that there would be


    moments of awkwardness, those fears were quashed.


    Though I was embarrassed, group after group talked with me as if I was an old friend. In fact, I didn¡¯t have to do much talking at all, as most of the other guests were perfectly happy to fill in any long pauses with talk about themselves or their ailments or how


    much they¡¯ve heard about me.


    It was a relief, honestly, to not have to search for my own topics of small talk.


    I wouldn¡¯t say I was having fun, exactly, but I was starting to rx when I made it about halfway through the room. Though, I


    couldn¡¯t help steal longing nces at the door.


    At some point in the evening, an orchestra began to y.


    ¡°Oh!¡± said someone in the group I was currently mingling with. ¡°They started the music. I wonder who the Alpha will pick to start


    the dancing!¡±


    ¡°It has to be Olivia, doesn¡¯t it?¡± said someone else.


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t think so¡­.¡± said one of the others. She looked at me strangely and I stilled. ¡°Healer Amanda, have you been to this


    pack before? I swear this isn¡¯t the first time I¡¯ve seen you.¡±


    That my secret wasn¡¯t sshed all over the front page of the tabloids yet had to be a small miracle, but I knew it was only a matter of time. With my face exposed, sooner orter, people would start connecting Healer Amanda to Amber, the Alpha¡¯s secret ex-


    wife.


    With the way this guest was looking at me, maybe they already figured it out¡­.


    ¡°Amber,¡± Julian said from behind me. I turned, and what I saw made my breath catch in my throat.


    12:40 PM Tue 26 Aug


    ? 49%


    He was absolutely gorgeous in a ck tuxedo. His dark hair was slicked back, his blue eyes sparkling as his gaze searched my face


    before ncing down at my dress.


    ¡°You look¡­¡± He rubbed his hand over his mouth, his fingers cupping his jaw. ¡°I don¡¯t even know how to describe it.¡±


    ¡°Good?¡± I offered.


    ¡°That¡¯s not enough,¡± he said. ¡°Better than good. I don¡¯t think there¡¯s words enough to describe it.¡±


    He was oozing with so much charm that I should have been turned off. Instead, I was eating up every single word, just like I was a younger version of myself falling for him in a dark club, alcohol on our breath.


    The cheap booze from back then was reced with champagne now. And this wasn¡¯t a dark and dirty bar, but a brightly lit banquet


    room.


    We were older, smarter, not as drunk.


    Nothing right now trulypared to back then.


    Yet my heart still made the connection. My heart still longed for the way things were at the beginning, before the hurt and the lies


    and the distance.


    I was kidding myself, caught up in the magic of this banquet and my dress and the glitter of diamonds hanging from the


    chandeliers.


    But it was like I couldn¡¯t help myself.


    When he held out his hand, I ced mine and his, and let him lead me out onto the dance floor.


    His arm went around my waist. I ced my hand on his shoulder.


    The music continued, a new song, perfect for dancing.


    Following Julian¡¯s lead, I fell into step with him. Slowly, we circled around the dance floor with everyone watching. I was nervous


    at first, but as soon as I caught eyes with Julian, it was as if I was transported to another ce and time.


    It was just the two of us, dancing alone in the seclusion of our kitchen, with big band music ying on the radio.


    Julian would whisper something naughty into my ear, and I wouldugh. The dancing would dissolve into kissing and sometimes other things.


    We were always good at the physical part, even if we were lousy at everything else.


    I remembered his words then, as suddenly and clearly as if he said them to me right in this moment.


    We are only about sex and money¡­.


    Inside, my heart closed up tightly. Whatever softness I had begun to feel for him dried up again like a river in a desert. Only a trickle remained, and only that as a remnant of our mating bond.


    12:41 PM Tue 26 Aug


    49%


    Julian continued to hold me gently as we danced. His eyes remained on mine, his taking on concern now that I closed myself off.


    In another universe, perhaps we would have danced like this at our wedding, celebrating with the pack.


    But now?


    It just made me think of all that I did have. All that he denied me by forcing our rtionship into the dark.


    Never again.


    Olivia¡¯s POV


    That bitch.


    Julian had chosen Amber as his partner of the first dance of the night. A privilege that in that past had belonged to Olivia. Who did


    this wretch believe she was?


    Olivia didn¡¯t care if this was the world-renowned Healer Amanda. She didn¡¯t care that she was Julian¡¯s ex-wife.


    Amber was a woman of Julian¡¯s past. And that was where she should have stayed.


    Why did she evene here? Maybe she was after his money again? He was too trusting, so gullible to even let things with her get


    this far.


    If she asked for money, would he give it? Couldn¡¯t he see how she was talking advantage of him?


    Worse, Olivia could hear the whispers of the other guests. They too could see the closeness of the pair as they danced, and the


    lovesick way Julian was looking at Amber.


    ¡°Is that¡­?¡± someone whispered, as I heard someone else say, ¡°But isn¡¯t she dead?¡±


    ¡°I think that¡¯s Amber?¡±


    ¡°Amber? Alpha¡¯s ex-wife? She died in that horrible ne crash, I thought. No one survived.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you that is her. I remember her picture in the paper.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s back from the dead?¡±


    ¡°She must have survived.¡±


    That Amber had be the hot topic of the evening made Olivia extremely irate. She had spent tens of thousands of dors on this designer dress, and barely anyone evenplimented her.


    Now, her man was out there dancing with some other woman.


    She was furious. She needed to find a way to ruin this moment for them, for Amber.


    Something that would humiliate her so bad that she would be run out of the pack.


    12:41 PM Tue 26 Aug


    49%


    Oliviandet on an idea and had to fight to withhold her smirk. Leaning toward one of the group of gossipers, she stirred the pot.


    spid you know that Amber cheated on Julian during their marriage?¡±


    12:41 PM Tue 26 Aug

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    Julian¡¯s POV


    Holding Amber in my arms again felt like a dream. I was practically floating on air, having her pressed so close to me. Her scent was familiar, yet also somewhat new.


    We had so much to talk about. What happened to her hair, and her scent, since she got on that ne? And how had she survived? There was so much I wanted to hear from her, so much I wanted to learn. Yet it never felt like the right time to talk about it.


    Right now, for instance, in the middle of the dance floor being watched by most members of high society was not the right time.


    I kept my eyes on Amber, trying to relearn the dips and nes of her face. Even this close, she was absolutely beautiful. She would have made such a perfect Luna. I had been such a fool back then.


    ¡°Amber¡­¡± I said as the song came to an end. Slowly, our movements stopped and we stood still in the center of the room. Our


    dance might have been over, but that didn¡¯t mean I wanted this moment to be over.


    I wanted to make this momentst as long as physically possible. If I could have made itst forever, I would have gone for that.


    ¡°Maybe we can go somewhere quiet and talk,¡± I said gently.


    Others were starting to dance now, with a new song beginning. I didn¡¯t want them to overhear me.


    She shook her head. ¡°I have to go.¡±


    ¡°But you just got here,¡± I said.


    ¡°An hour ago.¡±


    Had it been so long? ¡°Amber, please. Let¡¯s just talk for a minute.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea.¡±


    ¡°But -¡±


    ¡°Please excuse me,¡± she said, and started to back away.


    I stood frozen for a moment, shocked by her rejection and how it affected me.


    Since I thought she had died, it was as if I turned off a part of my emotions, like I was trying to protect myself from feeling too much of anything, including grief.


    Now that she was back, it was like that switched had been flicked back to on. Suddenly, I was feeling everything again, the good


    and the bad.


    I felt out of control, like buzzing bees were trapped under my skin.


    Her rejection stung, and it didn¡¯t make sense. If we could just talk about things, then we could work everything out. I was so sure


    12:41 PM Tue 26 Aug


    of it.


    And I could lose her again by watching her walk out of my life once more.


    So I followed her, staying on her trail as she walked out of the banquet hall, and then out of the building entirely.


    ? 49%


    The cool night air did nothing to bring me back to my senses. I was still so convinced that if I could just speak to Amber, if she


    could listen to me, then I could fix everything.


    All the hurts of the past would disappear.


    Except¡­


    ¡°Mommy!¡±


    A small girl jumped down from Roman¡¯s arms and rushed up the sidewalk to fly into Amber¡¯s. Roman was on the sidewalk,


    moving closer like he hade from the parking lot.


    Amber kissed the girl¡¯s cheek. And I could see now this girl was the friend I had made in the hallway at the hospital.


    Alice.


    She¡¯d called Amber, Mommy. Which meant¡­


    My gaze slid to Roman, as I desperately tried to math out the timeline in my head.


    Alice was in kindergarten¡­


    If Roman was her father, then that meant that¡­


    My stomach dropped and my blood went cold.


    For Roman to be the father meant that Amber had to have cheated on me. It also meant that when Amber¡¯s ne went down, it wasn¡¯t my child she was pregnant with.


    Roman had fathered her child¡­


    She had cheated on me even then!


    ¡°Who is that? Isn¡¯t that Alpha¡¯s ex-wife? I thought she died?¡± came the loud gossip from some of the smokers, where they stood just beside the door.


    ¡°But didn¡¯t that little girl call her Mom?¡±


    ¡°And how is that guy? The Dad?¡±


    ¡°How old is that girl?¡±


    ¡°When did Alpha and Amber get married again?¡±


    12:41 PM Tue 26 Aug


    It was as if they were arriving at the same conclusion that I was.


    49%


    ¡°This makes sense,¡± said one of the smokers. ¡°After all, I heard just tonight, confirmed facts, that Amber was cheating on Julian


    when they were together.¡±


    How could she know that? What confirmed facts?


    Although¡­ what more confirmed facts did I need? Alice was right here in front of me, the living breathing result of their affair.


    I was so fond of the child, not knowing she had been a symbol of personal betrayal against me. Even now, I felt myself happy to see


    her. She was a smart child, and a bundle of energy.


    It wasn¡¯t her fault. I couldn¡¯t be angry with her.


    Amber and Roman though¡­.


    How could Amber do that to me? She was my wife.


    Yet¡­ that line of thinking made me the worst kind of hypocrite, didn¡¯t it? After all, it was my drunken night with Olivia, in getting


    her pregnant, that had driven Amber away from me in the first ce.


    She had left me, boarded that ne, and nearly died trying to leave me.


    Which of us had betrayed the other first?


    Or were we both the worst kind of despicable people?


    The rumors spread quickly, and before I could even think to suppress them, some of the guests from within the party spilled out


    onto the sidewalk, everyone eager for gossip.


    Olivia, I noticed, was among the crowd.


    She whispered to the woman beside her who called out.


    ¡°Is it true, Amber? Were you cheating on our Alpha? Did you have an illegitimate child with someone else!¡±


    Amber jumped, seemingly surprised that so many people had followed her outside. She looked at me searchingly, but I was still


    frozen solid, still trying to understand what I was seeing and the right way to react to it.


    The things I wanted to say, I wouldn¡¯t dare say in front of Alice,


    Alice, who under the sudden attention, buried her face against Amber¡¯s shoulder.


    Roman stepped forward, stepping in the way of Amber and Alice protectively, as a father and husband would protect his family.


    A growl rumbled out from the back of my throat unbidden. Even my wolf felt on edge by what was happening here.


    Not the usations, the gossip, or Roman¡¯s possessive behavior sat right with me.


    ¡°The child is mine!¡± Roman called. Grinning, he turned to Amber. ¡°And I would very much like to make it official.¡±


    12:41 PM Tue 26 Aug


    Amber¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± she asked.


    Alice slunk further into her mother¡¯s arms, like she was trying to hide herself away from the world.


    Roman didn¡¯t answer with words. Instead, he reached into his pocket, withdrew a ring, and then dropped to one knee.


    Was he¡­?


    What gave him the right to propose to my mate?!


    My wolf mmed at the corners of my mind, raging to be free, to intervene.


    ¡°Roman, what are you doing?¡± Amber asked.


    ¡°Something I should have done a long time ago,¡± Roman replied. He lifted up the ring, presenting it to Amber.


    My vision went red.


    49


    +25 B


    12:41 PM Tue 26 Aug

 Main Flame 46

    49%


    Amber¡¯s POV


    Despite seeing Roman drop to one knee, I still didn¡¯t believe I was seeing what I thought I was seeing. After all, I thought I had


    always made clear that my feelings for Roman were only those of friendship.


    He knew that. We¡¯d talked about it, and since then, I¡¯d never given any indication that I wanted to share a romantic life together.


    For him to take this opportunity to propose felt like the lowest kind of blow. There were so many people watching, including


    Julian. None of them good friends to either Roman or myself. And Alice was afraid trembling in my arms.


    Even if I had felt romantic attachment to Roman, which I didn¡¯t, I wouldn¡¯t want a proposal this way.


    An admittance of love¡­ the desire to join two hearts as one¡­


    The ceremony should be shared, but the question itself should be private. If Roman knew me half as well as he thought he did, he


    would know that I felt this way.


    I trusted Roman, but it was difficult not to feel put on the spot. Like maybe he chose this exact venue, this exact location, with this


    many observers just so I would felt the pressure to say yes.


    And what was all that nonsense about him being Alice¡¯s father?


    He must have been trying to protect Alice and me by saying that, but I wished he would have let me handle the situation, or at least


    would have talked to me about this first.


    To say that in front of Julian¡­


    I dared a look at my ex-mate, and found him watching Roman with a dark expression. He looked furious.


    ¡°Roman¡­¡± I said, trying to warn him. If I was lucky, maybe he was just trying to tie his shoe or something. Yet, when I looked


    down at him, I realized I was not so lucky.


    Roman was holding up a silver ring with arge diamond on top.


    ¡°I¡¯ve wanted to do this for such a long time, Amber,¡± Roman said. ¡°Almost from the moment I met you. Please say you will


    consider it. Better, please say yes. Say you will be mine.¡±


    I was so stunned by what was happening here. How could this be? How could he think this was a good idea, and an appropriate


    time?


    I didn¡¯t want to embarrass him in front of so many people, especially high society members that he might have dealings with in the future as the Alpha of another pack. But on the other hand, I wouldn¡¯t just say yes to someone to spare them some humiliation. I¡¯d never give someone false hope, even if it stung.


    And this would surely sting.


    12:41 PM Tue 26 Aug


    Roman was a dear friend. Had I misread the signs somewhere? Had I led him on without meaning to?


    ? 49%


    Yet, just as I was trying to figure out a way to gently reject him while keeping our friendship intact, suddenly, Julian lunged


    forward. He grabbed Roman by the cor and dragged him up to his feet. Then, in a fluid motion, he drew his arm pack, and


    punched Roman right in the fast.


    Roman¡¯s eyes darken too, and he res at Julian, as if ready tosh out at any moment. But Julian is clearly the stronger of the two, and Roman never bares his fangs. The tension between them is palpable. Julian¡¯s expression is fierce and cold-something


    I¡¯ve never seen from him before. That is, until Alice screams.


    Alice, who had turned her head, just in time to see the punch, screamed loudly right in my ear.


    Immediately, I rubbed my hand up and down her back, trying to soothe her, hoping she wouldn¡¯t shift and hurt herself again.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I said, as soothingly as I could, as I walked a few feet away.


    As I nced back, I saw with some relief that Alice¡¯s scream had brought Julian back to himself. He had released Roman and


    backed up a few steps.


    12:41 PM

 Main Flame 47

    Tue 20 Aug


    49%


    His eyes were clear once more as he turned to me.


    In the pause, Roman scrambled up onto his feet and hurried toward where Alice and I were.


    Julian started to growl as he moved and jumped like he meant to grab Roman.


    ¡°Stop it, Julian!¡± I snapped. ¡°You are acting like a child! I¡¯m not your ything! You can¡¯t just chase away everyone else who gives me attention! And punching people. Scaring Alice!¡± Anger shook me inside and out. It made the wordse out hasty, and not as


    well thought out as I would have liked. ¡°I don¡¯t know what I ever saw in you.¡±


    Julian straightened, suddenly looking stricken, like he was the one who had just been struck.


    I pressed down on any regret or guilt I felt in that moment, the moment I felt Alice¡¯s tears dampen my shoulder.


    He could have objected without scaring Alice. Or better yet, he could have left the decision to me instead of intervening! Did he


    think this disy would have stopped me if I had intended to say yes?


    Did he actually think I would say yes?


    But then, why wouldn¡¯t he? What did we really know about each other anymore? What did we ever really know? Even when we had


    been married, we¡¯d been little more than strangers.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Julian¡¯s voice was soft and somewhat shaken. He looked at his bloody knuckles like he couldn¡¯t quite believe what he¡¯d


    done.His blue eyes dulled. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Amber. I¡¯m sorry, Alice.¡±


    ¡°And me?¡± Roman asked sharply.


    ¡°Leave it, Roman,¡± I scolded.


    ¡°Me? What did I do? I¡¯m the one who was assaulted!¡±


    ¡°You were too impulsive,¡± I said. ¡°Why would you do this? And here?¡±


    I looked around, and, seeing how many people were still watching, decided this wasn¡¯t the ce for this. I needed to get Alice away


    from so many watchful eyes.


    And I wanted to get away from Julian.


    Punching Roman¡­ What a brute! He was being every bit the Alpha stereotype, punching without thinking, acting like I was his


    property that needed protected.


    We might not be fully divorced yet, but I was still my own person. We hadn¡¯t been together for a long time.


    ¡°I want to go home,¡± I said.


    Alice sniffed into my shoulder. ¡°Me, too,¡± she said, tears in her voice.


    12:41 PM Tue 26 Aug


    49%


    +25 BONU


    Roman huffed a harsh breath. ¡°This way,¡± he said and gestured to the parking lot.


    As proudly as I could, holding my head up high, I walked that way, not looking back.


    Even so, I could feel the weight of Julian¡¯s gaze on me with every step.


    When we were out of immediate earshot of the onlookers, I asked Roman, ¡°What were you even doing here tonight? Why aren¡¯t


    you at home?¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t wait anymore,¡± Roman said. ¡°I thought about how you looked tonight, and about the future I want for us¡­ I had to as


    I couldn¡¯t wait another minute. Oh, Amber, just say yes. I promise to treat Alice like my own¡­¡±


    Alice started crying harder, nearly wailing.


    My anger spiked again, nearing fury.


    Could he not read the room here? Didn¡¯t he understand how much worse he was making everything?


    ¡°Please, Amber,¡± he said. He tried to reach for Alice, as if tofort her. ¡°Marry me?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± I said fiercely, stepping backwards, keeping Alice in my arms.


    Alice clung to my shoulders, her fingernails pinched my skin, bing little ws.


    My own heart was lurching, my body tense. I wanted tofort Alice, but there was something about the way Roman was lookin


    at me in this moment.


    I felt like I couldn¡¯t look away from him.


    Because with each passing moment, his eyes were darkening, his face growing more and more grim.


    12:41 PM Tue 26 Aug

 Main Flame 48

    49%


    Amber¡¯s POV


    My loud no might have been ruder than I had intended it to be. I hadn¡¯t meant to hurt Roman¡¯s feelings. He had always been a good friend to me, and I wasn¡¯t treating him very kindly by acting like marrying him would be the worst thing in the world.


    It wouldn¡¯t, even though I didn¡¯t love him that way. And I knew he only offered, just as he only pretended to be Alice¡¯s real father,


    for our benefit. Ever since I was pulled from the waters after that ne crash, he had wanted to protect me.


    I knew, even misguided, that he meant no harm now.


    But with Alice on edge, I was on edge too. It made it difficult to see things from his perspective right now. Instead, I was angry that he had brought Alice out here for this, confusing her with all this talk of paternity, and pushing her to her limits when he knew


    more than almost anyone else how fragile she could be.


    He had good intentions, I knew, but Alice was still caught in the middle here.


    At the same time, I could also see he was annoyed with me. Perhaps he was frustrated that I wasn¡¯t acting along with him, making


    his apparent ns less smooth than he likely anticipated.


    For the sake of his feelings and my own, as well as for Alice¡¯s sake, I tried to be clearer though softer when I replied again.


    Though loud no was unnecessary, but that didn¡¯t change my answer.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Roman. I know you mean well. But I only see you as a friend,¡± I exin. ¡°I¡¯m incredibly grateful to you for this and for


    everything you¡¯ve done, but I don¡¯t see those feelings changing.¡±


    ¡°They don¡¯t need to change,¡± he says. But then he lets slip, ¡°At least not right away,¡± revealing some of his hope. He presses on


    before I can address it. ¡°There¡¯s no reason we cannot wear rings and pretend to be married, even as we continue on with our


    separate lives.¡±


    Because he seems so earnest, I try to consider a life like that, living a lie to keep everyone away. I suppose it would offer a measure


    of protection to be the wife of a pack Alpha, even while away in another pack. And that protection would extend to Alice.


    But¡­ even so¡­ it felt so¡­ wrong.


    Roman was a friend, and he was unmated. Somewhere out there could be his perfect fated mate just waiting for him to find her.


    What kind of friend would I be to selfishly ept this protection, binding him to me while knowing I could never love him like he


    wants?


    And what if he did meet his true mate after he was bound to me? He was such an honorable man, he would probably reject her to stay with me as he promised, sacrificing any hope for a happy future to continue to protect me.


    I couldn¡¯t let him do that, not for my sake, and not even for Alice¡¯s. I would do anything in the world for her, but I would not ask anyone else to make that same sacrifice, those same choices.


    12:41 PM Tue 26 Aug


    Besides all of that, Roman¡¯s insertion into this mess only made things moreplicated between Julian and me.


    49%


    While things between us certainly weren¡¯t easy and smooth, we had at least reached a type of professional understanding. Now that there were questions over paternity and timelines, those rumors that I cheated had more credence than they would have


    otherwise.


    Roman seemed to light an entire wildfire with this deration of being Alice¡¯s father, and with this proposal.


    I would face new scrutiny in the pack¡­ Would I even be allowed to stay?


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Roman,¡± I say. ¡°But, no.¡±


    ¡°But, Amber -¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not going to change.¡¯


    Alice whimpered against my neck. ¡°Mommy¡­ can we go talk to Julian?¡±


    12:41 PM Tue 26 Aug

 Main Flame 49

    A 49%


    ¡°I don¡¯t think so, honey,¡± I told her.


    ¡°But¡­¡± she sniffled loudly. ¡°I want him to be my father¡­ What if he doesn¡¯t want to anymore?¡±


    I looked at Roman in time to see the hurt before he could suppress it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take you home,¡± Roman said.


    ¡°No!¡± Alice shouted. She shoved against me with sudden strength ¨C werewolf strength. I was caught by surprise and she hopped


    from my arms before I could more fully hold her.


    ¡°Alice!¡±


    She bounded away from me, racing at full speed back towards the event. Fortunately, Julian had yet to return back inside, and was standing by the bottom of the stairs watching us from a distance. He saw Aliceing and hurried to intercept.


    I moved quickly, hurrying to catch up with her. Roman was behind me, but, seeing Alice connect with Julian with no issues, I


    turned to Roman.


    With haste, I told him, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s best if you leave us for the night, Roman. Alice is having some trouble, and you seem to be the


    trigger¡­¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°I know you want to help, but trust me, okay?¡± I said. ¡°Please.¡±


    Fortunately, he stopped following us then, and I hurried along to catch up with Alice, who was still in Julian¡¯s arms. She was


    crying, her little shoulders shaking, but I didn¡¯t spot any werewolf traits, for which I am grateful.


    ¡°I want you to be my daddy,¡± she said into his shoulder.


    Julian was good with her, gently patting her back while holding her close.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sweetheart,¡± he said. ¡°Things don¡¯t always work out like that¡­¡±


    ¡°But why?¡± she asked.


    He wouldn¡¯t look at me, not even as I came closer. Instead, his gaze stayed on the ground. ¡°There¡¯s no reason for it. That¡¯s just


    how it goes sometimes. Your mom found someone else, but that doesn¡¯t mean I don¡¯t care about you or won¡¯t care about you. We¡¯re still buddies, yeah?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she agreed. She continued to cry for a few minutes until eventually crying her to sleep. Julian scooped her up into his arms


    and stood.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I told him.


    12:41 PM Tue 26 Aug


    49%


    He lightly shook his head. I knew he was angry with me. There were so many unanswered questions between us, but neither of us seemed willing to talk about them now, especially with how upset Alice was.


    ¡°You should get home,¡± he said. ¡°Where¡¯s Roman?¡±


    ¡°Alice wasn¡¯t too happy with Roman tonight. I sent him away.¡¯


    Before I could even think about how we were going to get back to the house, Julian offered, ¡°Do you need a ride?¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t ask that¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m offering,¡± Julian said. ¡°Come on.¡±


    He carried Alice to his luxury sedan and then gently ced her across the backseat. Then he took the driver¡¯s seat while I hopped


    in on the passenger¡¯s side.


    I didn¡¯t feel like talking at all, but fortunately neither did Julian. He drove most of the way in total silence.


    Only as we neared the house did he ask me, his voice a whisper in the quiet car, ¡°Do you intend to marry Roman?¡±


    Just as softly, I told him, ¡°No.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know why I told him that. It was none of his business, really. And just because I didn¡¯t want to be with Roman had nothing


    to do with my situation with Julian.


    Yet¡­ it felt, in this quiet moment, like an important thing to share.


    When we arrived at the house, Julian carried Alice inside to her bedroom, then quietly went back out toward the door. I followed


    him outside where he stopped and nced back at me.


    Before I could thank him for what he¡¯d done, he said, ¡°I¡¯m d you are staying single.¡±


    Then he turned and walked away, leaving me too stunned to reply.


    GET IT N¡­


    12:42 PM Tue 26 Aug

 Main Flame 50

    Amber¡¯s POV


    After Julian left, I had so many mixed feelings about the evening that I didn¡¯t know what to do with them. I was tired too, maybe too tired to confront everything that was going on with me. At least to do so properly.


    So, even though I wanted to reflect on the day¡¯s events to try to make sense of all that¡¯s happened, what I thought I should do


    more than anything else was get some sleep.


    Returning inside the rental house, I locked the door, then headed upstairs. I checked in on Alice, who seemed to be asleep. She was still wearing her clothes from the day and needed to change into her pajamas, but I let her sleep for a few moments while I went to shower and change out of my gown.


    Even as I tried not to think about things, memories of the evening still crept into my mind.


    That dance with Julian¡­ The way his hand sat so firmly and assuredly at the small of my back as he led me around the dance floor¡­


    It had been too much then, and too much now. I couldn¡¯t fall back under his charms; they¡¯d only ever been used to hurt me, giving


    me a false sense offort and happiness before Julian ripped it all away again.


    I couldn¡¯t forget the person Julian was, nor could I allow myself to pretend that Olivia wasn¡¯t still present. She was the one he truly


    loved, the one he wanted and nned to be with, the woman he had cheated on me with, making her pregnant.


    To forget any of that was to leave me open for heartache.


    Years had passed since our breakup, but Olivia was still in the picture. Julian chose her and continued to at every passing chance.


    It wasn¡¯t his business if Roman and I were going to get married. Why should he care at all, when he had Olivia beside him?


    My thoughts were spiraling out of control, and I frowned, deeply unhappy with myself for allowing even one shred of thought


    dedicated to this ridiculous.


    Hadn¡¯t I promised myself even before getting on that ne, that I was done with Julian forever? After having survived the ne crash, after making it through so much¡­ Why would I even think about wanting to allow that hurt back into my life?


    Frustrated, I changed into the pajamas I set out for myself, and then stepped out of the bathroom.


    Alice was standing in the hallway, looking up at me with tired eyes.


    ¡°How about we get you changed into your PJs, Alice? Then you can go back to bed,¡± I suggested.


    Watching me, she frowned a little. ¡°Can I sleep in your room tonight?¡±


    I blinked, surprised. Alice was usually very independent and stopped asking to stay in my room years ago¡­ except for after the


    nights when she shifted, when she was scared and in pain.


    Maybe I shouldn¡¯t be so surprised to see her shadow outside my doorway tonight. Her wolf had made an appearance tonight. She


    must have been scared.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get you dressed, and then we¡¯lle back, okay?¡± I said.


    Alice agreed.


    Quickly, we moved to her room, where she changed into her pajamas, then we returned to mine, where we both crawled into the


    bed. We turned on our sides to look at each other. Alice looked so tired, her eyelids heavy, her eyes a bit red. Yet, even as she


    yawned, she was fighting off sleep.


    ¡°Do you want to talk about it?¡± I asked her in the quiet of the room. It was gettingte, and the world was mostly still around us.


    Even the busy street outside the house was without traffic at this time of day.


    Alice hesitated for a moment before she asked, ¡°Are you really going to marry Uncle Roman?¡±

 Main Flame 51

    The answer on my tongue was no, but¡­ what if that was something Alice wanted after all? Her reaction to the proposal hadn¡¯t been a good one, but for someone her age, she might have simply been overwhelmed and unsure what to do with her emotions.


    Instead of assuming I knew everything about my daughter, perhaps it was better to simply ask. ¡°Would you like that?¡± I asked gently. ¡°Having a daddy?¡±


    Alice shook her head. ¡°I¡¯ve already picked out my new daddy and it¡¯s not Uncle Roman.¡±


    I waited for her to continue. She seemed like she had a lot to say from the way she frowned and avoided my gaze. When she didn¡¯t say anything more on her own, I prompted, ¡°Were you scared today?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said.


    ¡°Why?¡± I asked.


    She returned her gaze to me. ¡°Do you want to marry Uncle Roman?¡±


    Such a heavy question from such a little girl, and one I¡¯d already been asked this evening several times. By Roman himself, by Julian, and now by Alice.


    For each, my answer was the same. ¡°No.¡±


    Relief crossed Alice¡¯s face. ¡°Don¡¯t marry him, Mommy¡­¡± She yawned, and atst her eyes started to drift closed.


    ¡°Why not?¡± I couldn¡¯t resist asking.


    As she snuggled in her pillow, she said, ¡°The husband is supposed to make the wife smile¡­¡±


    I watched her a moment, as her breathing evened out and sleep pulled her under. As she drifted off into dream world, I wondered why show had given her that idea about marriage, though I supposed it wasn¡¯t a bad thing to learn.


    Someday, I wanted Alice to only marry someone who would make her smile.


    There had been moments with Julian when I had smiled, but¡­ the secrecy and the lies had been too much to bear. And then when Olivia returned¡­


    I couldn¡¯t go back to Julian. Alice was right, I needed someone who made me smile. As of now, that was neither Roman nor Julian.


    As I contemted this, my own eyelids grew heavy and soon I followed my daughter into sleep.


    As the next morning was the weekend, which means no school for Alice, I decided to make pancakes since we weren¡¯t in a rush. I¡¯d just finished a batch and set Alice up with butter and syrup <b>at </b>the table when someone pressed the doorbell three times in quick session.


    It was the desperate kind of doorbell ringing that usually meant there was some kind of emergency.


    After making sure Alice was set and the burner on the stove was turned off, I hurried to the front door and opened it, unsure what I¡¯d find beyond.


    It was Anna, looking somewhat flustered.


    The moment she saw me, she didn¡¯t even say hello. Instead, the first thing out of her mouth was, What happenedst night?¡±


    I didn¡¯t even know where to begin. ¡°Roman proposed,¡± I said. That seemed a good ce to start.


    ¡°Yeah, I know he did!¡± she said.


    Wait. That confused me. ¡°You¡­ do? How?¡±


    Anna opened her phone and scrolled to something. As she turned the phone to me, I saw it was a social media post flooded with likes andments. The post was a headline and link to a newspaper article.


    The article was titled, Back from the Dead, Alpha Julian¡¯s Ex to Marry Alpha Roman.


    I grabbed the phone, looking closer. ¡°What is this? said no!¡±


    !


    ¡°You did?¡± Anna asked. ¡°That¡¯s not what the article says. There¡¯s a quote in there from Roman himself saying you epted. He says you guys are setting the date.¡±


    ¡°He¡­ what?¡± I clicked on the article and scrolled down, trying to read as fast as I could.


    At the same time, my own phone buzzed in my pocket. I checked who was calling.

 Main Flame 52

    Amber¡¯s POV


    Anna looked from the screen to my face.


    Frowning, I blocked the call.


    I just¡­ don¡¯t want to talk to him. I don¡¯t want to hear his voice.


    Julian¡¯s POV


    After everything that happened the night before, I had a lot on my mind this morning. I could barely sleep and gave up around 4 am. I changed and came to the office, where I¡¯d been trying to work ever


    since.


    Yet my thoughts were no less muddled here under the bright florescent lights than they¡¯d been in the dark.


    Alice was Roman¡¯s daughter.


    Amber had cheated on me when we¡¯d been together


    I had thought she was a dutiful housewife. What else had I been so wrong about?


    And why, even with that betrayal fresh on my heart, was I still drawn to her? Shouldn¡¯t I want to cast her aside now for the lies and the pain?


    Yet I found that I couldn¡¯t. I still wanted her near me. Having her back after thinking her dead¡­ I didn¡¯t want to lose her again.


    We could fix the mistakes of the past. I had been at least half¨Cresponsible for pushing her away back then. I hadn¡¯t treated her like she had deserved. How could I be surprised that she foundfort in the arms of another?


    I didn¡¯t like it, at all. Even now I was growling, my wolf snarling inside of me at the thought of my mate with another. But I could ept my part in it, and I could move forward, I thought, despite what had happened.


    She had told me she didn¡¯t want to marry Roman,


    Maybe they had a falling out? And Alice didn¡¯t seem to particrly care for him. That could be telling too. Kids were sometimes intuitive,


    I didn¡¯t know Roman to be a bad guy, though if he had been her affair partner all those years ago, maybe there was a lot more to him that I didn¡¯t understand. To Amber as well.


    Where had they even met?


    I¡¯d met Roman a few times at political events, but I never taken Amber to those ces. She was my wife, but only ever in secret.


    The spection and doubt was sure to drive me out of my mind.


    To distract myself, I forced myself to focus on work and that seemed effective for a time ¨C at least until Beta came into the office and frowned.


    ¡°You¡¯ve seen the news,¡± he said.


    I nced up from my paperwork. ¡°What news?¡±


    Beta paled a little. ¡°Forgive me, Alpha. I spoke out of turn. I thought perhaps you were working early because you had seen what the


    newspapers said.¡±


    ¡°What did they say?¡± I pushed.


    Beta had a newspaper under his arm. He always read at his desk first thing in the morning as he enjoyed his coffee.


    He hesitated now, in sharing it, but after I gave him a pointed look, he relented. He walked the newspaper over to me, then ttened it on my desk.


    When I read the headline, my stomach dropped.


    Back from the Dead, Alpha Julian¡¯s Ex to Marry Alpha Roman.


    She told me she didn¡¯t want to marry him¡­? Had they reconnected after I left her house?


    I lifted the paper, skimming the article. With each new word and sentence, my anger and jealousy red to life within me. There were even direct quotes from Roman in here.


    Without realizing it, I was gripping the newspaper so tightly that I was starting to rip it apart. Only when it was ripped down the middle did I let it go.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I told Beta. ¡°I¡¯ll buy you another one.¡®


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,<i>¡± </i>Beta said, watching me warily. He had cause for concern. I felt like my whole world was flipping upside down.


    Amber had lied to me in the past about having an affair, and she lied to me now about not wanting to marry Roman.

 Main Flame 53

    Betrayal sliced through me, though didn¡¯t that make me the worst kind of hypocrite? I wanted to be mad at Amber for cheating, yet I was the one who had drunkenly gotten Olivia pregnant. I was the one who kept her at my side even when I did not love her.


    How could I be made at Amber?


    ¡°Because she is ours¡­¡± My wolf whispered, his first words to me in a very long time. Yet, when I reached out to him for more, he stubbornly refused to answer.


    For the rest of the day, I tried to push these thoughts to the back of my mind. Above everything else, I was a professional, and I could focus on my Alpha duties without getting distracted by thoughts of my personal life.


    At least, in theory that was true. In practice, it proved to be much more difficult.


    Still, I was proud at how well I was keeping things together ¨C right up until I overheard a pair of Gammas talking about Healer Amanda.


    ¡°Yes, she has a big reputation, but is she truly doing enough to justify her standing at the hospital?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard she rarely actually sees her patients, and that she can be moody, canceling appointments without much thought¡­¡±


    Hadn¡¯t Oliviained to me about something like that recently¡­? Maybe there was some truth to it then.


    It couldn¡¯t be that I was just more willing to ept criticism about Amber because I was so furious with her. I would never be that petty.


    My duty as Alpha was to ensure that all of my pack members were well¨Ccared for. If Healer Amanda ¡­ Amber was shrinking on her responsibilities, then I needed to look into it.


    This was how I ended up at the hospitalter that day, walking straight into Amber¡¯s office. She was sitting at her desk, not with a patient. This only gave more evidence to the rumors.


    Amber looked at me. ¡°Is there something I can help you with, Julian?¡± she asked, keeping her voice level and professional. It made sense, we were at her work ce.


    Or she was hiding something.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard rumors that you¡¯ve been cancelling appointments without any cause or notice,¡± I said. ¡°There¡¯s always cause,¡± she said.


    She wasn¡¯t denying the canctions, just the reasoning. I frowned at her.


    ¡°I hardly see any reason that a patient should be put off when they are in their time of need,¡± I said. <b>¡°</b><b>It </b>seems to me that you being fickle, using your power to y like a god, instead of respecting the vows you took to help all peoples.¡±


    ¡°You really believe that?¡± she asked. Her eyes narrowed. ¡°Or are those Olivia¡¯s words?¡±


    Maybe they were Olivia¡¯s words, but that hardly mattered right now, did it? Who cared who said them originally if they were true?


    ¡°Do you deny them?¡± I asked. ¡°You just admitted to canceling on your patients, don¡¯t forget.¡±


    ¡°I never cancel an emergency,¡± Amber said. ¡°I only ever cancel on those who disrespect me right to my face. I have tremendous patience, Julian, but refuse to be disrespected by anyone. Not anymore.¡±


    ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡± I pressed, sensing that was a slight against me. Not anymore, like I had been the one disrespecting her in the past


    I shouldn¡¯t have had to remind her that while I might have had a drunken mistake with Olivia, she was the one who had been actively cheating with Roman.


    Amber held my gaze, and the air felt charged between us.


    ¡°So Roman treats you right, does he?¡± I asked before I could stop myself.


    Amber¡¯s retort came just as quickly, just as barbed. ¡®Why don¡¯t you just stay with Olivia?¡±

 Main Flame 54

    Amber¡¯s POV


    Julian straightened somewhat at my words. Our retorts had been aimed to hurt since he first walked into my office. While I could attempt to convince myself that he was starting all this, the truth was much messier.


    Hadn¡¯t I held some contempt for him for years because of Olivia?


    He had clearly seen the articles that Roman had pushed for in the newspapers. Perhaps I should have done more to convince him that those articles weren¡¯t telling the truth. But¡­ why?


    At the end of the day, despite whatever softness we hadst night, Julian was still with Olivia. Once I cured her infertility, they were going to have their own children. What right did he have to be angry with me for this perceived engagement with Roman, when he himself wasmitted to Olivia?


    He wanted it both ways, to have Olivia at home while still flirting with me. I wasn¡¯t going to go for


    that.


    There was no love lost between Olivia and me, but I¡¯d be damned before I would let myself be the other woman. Again.


    ¡°Why would I go back to Olivia?¡± he asked. ¡°What does she have to do with any of this?¡±


    Unbelievable! The nerve of him, toe in here and act like he didn¡¯t have such a big attachment


    at home.


    ¡°She is your fated mate,¡± I said. ¡°She is your chosen partner.¡±


    ¡°She is neither of those things,¡± Julian said. His gaze held mine prisoner, as if he was trying to be earnest. But I¡¯d believed his lies in the past, like the lie he made to honor and cherish our marriage.


    I wasn¡¯t going to fall for that a second time.


    ¡°She¡¯s not my fated mate, and we aren¡¯t together,¡± Julian pushed.


    I looked away, annoyed by this. He didn¡¯t have to lie to me about this. ¡°Just tell the truth.¡±


    ¡°I am!¡± Julian stepped closer to my desk.


    I refused to stand up from it, <i>or </i>move around it for this conversation. It was my anchor and my shield, keeping me grounded- I am a Healer, a professional woman, and could maintain a levelposure as well as kept the safe distance between Julian and me.


    ¡°Amber,¡± Julian said, his voice softening. I still refused to look up at him again. ¡°Surely there is still a part of you that cares for me¡­¡±


    Maybe, but that part was buried deep down, and I wasn¡¯t going to let him know about it.


    Who was he, toe in here and lie right to my face, like he hadn¡¯t gotten Olivia pregnant while we had been married? Like he hadn¡¯t kept me his dark secret, hidden away from public view? Like he


    7/01/2


    hadn¡¯t chose Olivia over me, even when I threatened to leave?


    If I had died in that ne crash, he¡¯d probably be married to Olivia by now, having forgotten all


    about me.


    My anger rankled all of my nerves, until I was defensive as a porcupine with my quills all ready to


    strike.


    ¡°Sure, there was a part of me that loved you,¡± I said coldly. ¡°But that version of me died in that ne crash. Now<b>, </b>I only feel annoyance at your constant harassment. I¡¯ve already agreed to help Olivia. I don¡¯t know what more you want from me.¡±


    He was quite for a moment. In that moment, I dared a look up to see his face. He looked at me, shocked, his eyes a little wide.


    I had thought I might feel some sort of victory for having stunned and hurt him. Instead, I just felt hollow inside.


    There were no winners here, no victories to be had.


    With a past like ours, we could only hurt each other Again and again.


    The sooner I made my money, the sooner I retrieved that ne that Alice so desperately needed, the sooner I get out of this pack for good. And away from Julian once and for all. Then, he and Olivia would be free to live whatever life they wanted far out of my view and thoughts.


    <b>+15 </b>BONUS

 Main Flame 55

    Julian didn¡¯t say anything more. When he recovered enough to move, he nodded, turned, and


    walked for the door.


    Regret tugged at my heart, and even my wolf whimpered a little. She hadn¡¯t been present during the days of our marriage, but she could still feel the pull toward him.


    Despite how much he hurt me, despite how much I denied myself<b>, </b>my heart did still yearn for him¡­


    Foolish thing. I would never let it control me again.


    Julian¡¯s POV


    Going to see Amber had been a mistake. One I was certain not to repeat. If anyone had issue with Amber, they could take it up with the hospital administration. From now on, I was staying firmly out of everything that had to do with her.


    At least, that was what I told myself.


    For now, I was back in my office, trying to work, when Olivia walked in. She was wearing a low¨Ccut shirt and a pair of tight white pants. That meant she was looking for attention from me today.


    I had shown no sexual interest in her for many years, and even then I didn¡¯t really remember it. Yet still she acted like showing off her body was going to work in iming my attention.


    This was an exhausting game she liked to y with me, and I was already tired.


    ¡°What do you want, Olivia?¡± I asked.


    She moved to one of the chairs facing my desk and sat down. She crossed her thighs, stretching out one leg like she was trying to seduce me.


    When I didn¡¯t respond, she scoffed. ¡°You treat me so coldly these days, Julian.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been busy,<b><i>¡± </i></b>I told her.


    ¡°It¡¯s like you forget everything that I¡¯ve done for you. All that I¡¯ve lost¡­¡± She pulls a tissue from her purse and dabs the corner of her eye. ¡°Have you forgotten how, when I came to see you that night, I crashed and lost our child? You were working then too, And now I can¡¯t have more children


    I knew this was another maniption, but I was utterly helpless against it. Yes, that did happen,


    and I mourn regrly for that unborn child, just as mourned for the child of mine that Amber lost


    ¡­


    That I thought Amber had lost.


    The child that had never truly been mine. The child hat had to be Alice.


    I frowned. The timeline just seemed so jumbled. Cold Roman truly have been in my pack at that time? Didn¡¯t his own pack have troubles back then that he needed to tend to?


    I tried to remember, but that time period felt like a blur. After the ne crash, I had lost some of those memories to grief.


    But Alice¡­ She didn¡¯t really look like Roman. She had my dark hair and my bright eyes¡­


    Was it possible that I was misunderstanding everything?


    What if Amber had told me the truth about not wanting Roman? What if it was Roman who lied?


    ¡°You are distracted today,¡± Olivia said, pouting her bottom lip. ¡°I¡¯d only hoped to speak with you. You¡¯ve been giving me such a cold shouldertely.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said.


    ¡°We¡¯re friends, aren¡¯t we?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said.


    ¡°And someday¡­ we¡¯ll be more than that,¡± she said.


    To that, I didn¡¯t reply. She knew my feelings on things, that I had no sexual inclinations toward her, despite what she desired. I could admit she was a beautiful woman,


    but¡­


    My thoughts slipped back to Amber, to how frightened she must have been in leaving¡­


    Getting on that airne¡­


    Having it crash¡­


    Maybe Alice was Roman¡¯s. Maybe they had an affair during my marriage to Amber.


    Or maybe this was a big misunderstanding.


    It was past time I found out.

 Main Flame 56

    Julian¡¯s POV


    Once the shred of doubt had been ced in my mind ¨C maybe Alice was Roman¡¯s, maybe she was mine ¨C I couldn¡¯t let that thought go. It haunted me driving me to distraction, and I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d feel whole again until I found out the truth one way or another.


    Because of how strained things were between Amber and me, I didn¡¯t feel like I could go to her for a straight answer. She might lie to me, or she might tell the truth, but I wouldn¡¯t be able to tell the difference.


    I needed something undisputable. Some actual science facts.


    Like a paternity test.


    Amber wouldn¡¯t likely consent to such a thing, and wasn¡¯t about to approach Alice about it behind Amber¡¯s back.


    Fortunately, what I did have, was a strand of Alice¡¯s hair that had clung to my jacket the night of the banquet, from when I had carried a sleeping Alice to my car and then to her room before I walked out of the house.


    It felt like a miracle to have it now, tucked away inside of an envelope I personally sealed shut.


    Now, I handed that envelope over to Beta.


    ¡°Take this straight to the hospital,¡± I told him. ¡°Don¡¯t let anyone else have it but the medical technician who is running the test. I need to know the truth without anyone else getting in the way.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Beta said and epted the envelope.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure I don¡¯t have to tell you that you will need to use the utmost discretion here,¡± I said. ¡°Do not let anyone see those results when you have them. Bring them straight back here to me.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Beta said again and nodded. His stern face told me that he was taking this seriously, and for that I was grateful. This wasn¡¯t exactly official Alpha King business, so he had the right to refuse me. After all, a Beta was more an assistant<b>, </b>a second in the pack, that the Alpha King¡¯s personal assistant.


    Still, Beta and I had been working together for many years now, and I knew I could depend on him


    for this.


    He seemed ready for the task, and almost pleased to have it, like he took pride that I could trust him with such a thing.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let you down,<i>¡± </i>Beta said.


    ¡°I know,¡± I told him. He¡¯d never let me down before, so I trusted he wouldn¡¯t now.


    Amber¡¯s POV


    ¡°It¡¯s another gift basket<i>,</i><i>¡± </i>Noah said, having just answered a knock on my office door. This one


    seemed to be filled with a variety of cheeses. He left it with the other ones on the coffee table in the waiting room before returning to join Anna and me were we were circled around my desk, having


    lunch.


    As Noah flopped down on his chair, Anna looked at me. ¡°You¡¯ve been getting a lot of baskets and flowers.¡± Her eyes flicked around the room. Nearly every avable surface had been covered in one or the other, and that didn¡¯t ount for the ones I¡¯d already stuffed into the closet.


    ¡°Since that engagement announcement, I¡¯ve heard nothing but congrattions and well wishes,¡± I said. ¡°In other circumstances, I might not have minded so much. But with this as they are¡­¡®


    ¡°The engagement is fake,¡± Anna said. ¡°That makes it awkward.¡±


    ¡°Beyond awkward,¡± I replied. ¡°I¡¯m mortified about the whole thing. But I have no idea how to set the record straight without undermining Roman as the Alpha of his own pack, or making us both look like fools.¡±


    ¡°If you marry an Alpha, doesn¡¯t that make you Luna?¡± Noah asked.


    ¡°Theoretically,¡± I said.


    Recognition crossed Noah¡¯s face. ¡°Ah. Right. Sorry.¡±


    It was still difficult for him to connect the boss he knew as Healer Amanda with Alpha Julian¡¯s ex- wife. As Julian¡¯s wife, I¡¯d never truly gotten to be Luna. I¡¯d always been tucked away, hidden from


    the world.


    Olivia was the one people recognized as Luna. Even now, though they still weren¡¯t technically married yet.


    They couldn¡¯t be, since Julian was still married to me.


    I still didn¡¯t understand why he wouldn¡¯t sign the paperwork.


    Nothing about this situation made sense, although when had it ever with Julian? The man had been a walking contradiction from day one,


    ¡°Have you talked to Roman about any of this?¡± Anna asked, ¡°Since he¡¯s the one who pushed this lie to the press, he should be the one to clean it up.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t answered his calls,¡± I said.


    ¡°I know you are mad at him, but it might be worth to have just one conversation,¡± Anna said.


    <b>¡°</b><b>I </b>thought you didn¡¯t like him?¡± I asked Anna.


    ¡°I don¡¯t,¡± Anna was quick to say, ¡°But he was there for you in times when no one else could be. You¡¯ve been friends a long time. You yourself told me you think this came from a ce of good intentions. Do you really think he wouldn¡¯t try to clear this up for you?¡±


    ¡°I told him that night that I wasn¡¯t and would never be interested,¡± I said. ¡°I made my rejection as clear as I could. His intentions might be to protect Alice and me, but he


    dn¡¯t listen. He ignored my


    wishes and pushed this engagement narrative anyway.¡±


    Anna nodded with understanding.


    ¡°I¡¯m so angry with him, I don¡¯t think I¡¯d be able to talk to him without yelling,¡± I said, then sighed. ¡°You¡¯re right. We had been such good friends before. Even to protect me, I don¡¯t understand why he would push for this so hard. To go directly against my wishes like this¡­¡±


    ¡°His own feelings are making him blind,¡± Noah said. ¡°He cares for you, and he thinks he¡¯s the one who can see things logically¡­¡±


    Anna shook her head. ¡°Like an Alpha to make all the decisions on his own¡­¡®


    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯m not okay with it,¡± I said.


    ¡°So talking to Roman is out,¡± Anna said.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said. For now, I added in my mind.


    ¡±


    For right now, I was so tired of being ignored or being pushed around emotionally.


    As far as I was concerned, I was done with both Roman and Julian.


    Julian, who hade in here, ready to start a fight because of an article he read in the newspaper. Something that wasn¡¯t even true!


    ¡°I¡¯m done with men for a while,¡± I said. ¡°Alpha or otherwise, I¡¯ve had enough.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think anyone can me you,¡± Anna said. ¡°But¡­¡±


    She was going to say I was lying, that I was talking a big game, but I still had feelings for Julian.


    I didn¡¯t really want to hear that from her or anyone else, so I shook my head.


    Anna blessedly let the matter drop, but I could continue to see the sparkle in her eye, telling me she knew it all even without her having to say it.


    ¡°I just need to finish my work, so I can get out of here,¡± I said. ¡°Protecting Alice is and forever will be my top priority. I can¡¯t and won¡¯t let anything get in the way of that, especially not the confused feelings of a friend, or the lingering feelings of an ex.¡®


    ¡°Really?¡± Anna said, with a raised brow.

 Main Flame 57

    Anna wasn¡¯t sure what to make of Amber¡¯s sudden desire to swear off men. Technically, it wasn¡¯t anything new, as she had been so singrly focused on raising Alice since the ne crash, that she hadn¡¯t given much thought to much else, even with Roman practically throwing himself at her at every turn.


    Yet, she¡¯d never really been able to hide the depths of her feelings from Anna. As her best friend, Anna had always known that Amber loved Julian, even when she¡¯d been unwilling to admit it to


    herself.


    Anna hadn¡¯t really ever approved of the rtionship, annoyed at the way Alpha liked to keep her friend hidden. Anna herself had to swear to keep the rtionship a secret, as she¡¯d been one of the few who actually knew about it.


    So now, she didn¡¯t really want her friend tied back up with a guy who treated her that way, even if they did have a kid together.


    But if Amber wasn¡¯t honest about her feelings for Julian, then it might make things moreplicated long term. She had to confront those feelings to truly defeat them. By pushing them down, she was only causing them to linger, perhaps indefinitely.


    Anna hated seeing her friend suffer, but she couldn¡¯t make Amber¡¯s choices for her. She couldn¡¯t even really fight Amber¡¯s fights, despite how much she wanted to support her.


    The only thing she could do was be there for her friend in time of need.


    And snoop. A little. If the opportunity presented itself.


    Amber had professionalism and pride. If she had been the one to see Beta carrying a suspiciously light looking envelope down the hallway of the hospital, Amber likely would have just turned the other way and thought nothing about it.


    Anna was not <i>so </i>by the book. Seeing that envelope¡­ Knowing they were in a hospital¡­ Knowing Alice¡¯s paternity was in question¡­ Knowing Amber wanted to keep that paternity a secret, especially from Julian, the actual father¡­


    Well, Anna couldn¡¯t fight all of Amber¡¯s fights for her, but she help to protect Alice.


    So, instead of heading down to the parking garage after leaving Amber¡¯s office after lunch as she nned, the moment she spotted Beta and that envelope, she decided to follow him instead.


    Anna maintained a good distance, always looking busy when Beta looked back. Beta didn¡¯t really know her, so he had no reason to suspect her, so he seemingly did not.


    Anna followed him all the way to theb. There, Anga watched through the window as Beta passed over the hair to one of theb technicians. Fortunately, theb tech was not only one that Anna recognized, it was one she was good friends with. They belonged to the same gym, and over yed tennis together.


    Theb tech had a vicious serve.


    Anna turned waiting near a set of chairs for Beta to leave. The moment she did, she sneaked into theb and approached her sometimes¨Cacquaintance, sometimes¨Cgym friend, sometimes tennis-


    enemy.


    ¡°Anna?¡± theb tech asked. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I have a really big favor I need to ask you,¡± Anna replied. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t ask but it¡¯s really important.¡±


    While Anna didn¡¯t disagree that Julian should know that Alice was his father, she believed that Amber should be the one to tell him.


    What would happen if he learned the truth like this? Would he try to get custody of Alice? Would Amber¡¯s whole ns for the future be thrown off¨Ccourse?


    Julian had made some terrible mistakes in his rtionship with Amber, especially in choosing Olivia over her.


    Anna wasn¡¯t going to let him get away with running Amber¡¯s life any more than he already had.


    Julian¡¯s POV


    I tried not to stress about the test results. What was done was done and the past couldn¡¯t be undone. I didn¡¯t think my feelings for Amber would change overmuch, and I was certain that I¡¯d still feel affection for Alice.

 Main Flame 58

    But if I was Alice¡¯s father¡­ that would change so much in my mind. If Alice was mine and not Roman¡¯s, then Amber likely didn¡¯t have an affair. This meant Roman had been lying then, when he imed to be the father. If he lied then, he could be lying now with this news of the engagement. After all, the only quote in the newspaper was from Roman, not Anna.


    I knew what I hoped for. Though I would hate myself for having missed so much of Alice¡¯s childhood, I wanted to be here for her now. And Amber? This would be just one more wrong of mine that I needed to make up to her.


    ¡°Alpha?¡± said one of the elders in the meeting I was currently in.


    Gods, I had been trying so hard to pay attention, but it seemed I couldn¡¯t help being thoroughly distracted.


    ¡°I said?¡± ¡°Forgive me,¡± I said at once. ¡°Could you repeat what you


    The elder gave me a strange look. For most of my tenure as Alpha, I had always ced work before my personal life in all things. There had been nothing more important than being an Alpha.


    I had thought that would be true forever, but because of that mindset, I had lost my wife.


    Now, I was learning quickly that my daughter was more important too ¨C if she was in fact my daughter.


    The stress was unbearable. This anticipation felt like I was standing on pins and needles, waiting to see what might happen next.


    I wanted to know one way or the other so that I could get passed this terrible unknowing.


    ¡°Alpha?¡± the same elder asked again.


    Oh no. I had lost my train of thought again.


    I opened my mouth<b>, </b>embarrassingly about to ask him to repeat himself for the second time when there was a knock on the door to the meeting room. Beta ducked his head inside.


    ¡°Forgive me, but I have an urgent matter that only the Alpha King can address.¡±


    The elder gave me a long look before nodding, dismissing me. I didn¡¯t need his permission to leave, but as I had just offended him twice in a row, was pleased to have it nheless.


    Standing, I exited the room.


    Beta started handing me a man envelope.


    ¡°Not here,¡± I said and let him through the winding Ballways of the Alpha headquarters building back to my personal office. There, I remained standing, not trusting myself to sit, and held my hand out for the man envelope,


    Beta handed it over.


    ¡°Did you look?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°No, Alpha,¡± he replied. ¡°That wasn¡¯t part of my co


    He was such a good Beta, and I was truly grateful fo


    ¡°Should I go?¡± Beta asked.


    ¡°You might as well stay,¡± I said. I wasn¡¯t sure I wa maintain myposure with another person pres


    Beta nodded and stood still.


    Swallowing hard, I looked down at the man env of envelope. I had hundreds of ones just like this in


    I didn¡¯t know if I was ready for the truth. But then


    The only thing I could do was push myself forwar


    So I opened the folder.


    There was a single sheet of paper inside.


    I skimmed down through the scientific jargon to


    Immediately, my chest clenched, my heart achin


    Alice wasn¡¯t my daughter.

 Main Flame 59

    <b>Chapter </b><b>59 </b>


    Amber¡¯s POV


    Before I knew it, two weeks went by without hearing anything from Julian.


    <b>¨¢s </b>


    Perhaps I had been too harsh in using him of harassing me. That hadn¡¯t truly been the case. I just never knew how to react when he had been around, as my feelings from the past mixed with my hurt and jealousy. Despite the time that had passed from when I had left him to now, everything still felt raw, like it had just happened.


    I had wanted him out of my life, and I still did. Or at least, I was telling myself I did.


    Yet that didn¡¯t mean I felt no hurt now that he was gone.


    Instead, I felt¡­ empty. Like a piece of me was missing.


    It was infuriating. After all he had done, and all he continued to do, I should be celebrating his absence from my life, not mourning it. Everything was so much simpler now I didn¡¯t have to worry about him or my feelings. <b>I </b>could just focus on Alice.


    Still though¡­ with each passing day, my heart grew heavy.


    I¡¯d still see him on the news, of course, so I knew he was well. More and more, it seemed as if Olivia was on his


    arm.


    Together, they seemed to be making the highlight reel of every news show, and their faces adorned every magazine cover in the checkout line at the grocery store.


    There were photos of them at events together, Olivia¡¯s armced through Julian¡¯s as he wore a sharp tux and she a revealing gown. But there were intimate photos too, and those cut into me the worst.


    Like the two of them at the beach, both in their swimsuits, standing side by side among the waves.


    There was another, with Julian sitting in a lounge chair, Olivia sat on the armrest, pushing her fingers through Julian¡¯s damp hair.


    The headlines were just as terrible and heartbreaking.


    Alpha Julian and Olivia¡¯s Love Rekindled!


    What¡¯s Next for the Lovebirds? Do I Hear Wedding Bells?


    Ten Reasons Why Olivia Will Make a Great Luna!


    The past few weeks, while Julian¡¯s behavior had been confusing, tangling me up inside, it had shown that he at least still cared for me in some capacity.


    I still could feel the phantom touch of his hand on the small of my back while he held me so closely during our dance. I thought I might feel that touch forever.


    The headlines would be worse if Alice was with me. I wasn¡® sure how much she could understand about what <b>was </b>happening with Roman, Julian, Olivia, and me, but seeing the pictures of Julian and Olivia seemed to make her


    sad.


    ¡°He was supposed to be my Daddy¡­¡± she said to herself.


    I had no idea how to properly console her, though I tried.


    At the end of the long days though, I didn¡¯t know who would be there to console me<b>. </b>


    Julian may have seemed like he cared for me these past few weeks, but the truth was clear in the photos.


    As much as he may or may not have cared for me, he always cared for Olivia more.


    I told myself again and again, this was what I wanted. I wanted to be left alone. He and Olivia could have each other for all I cared.


    Yet¡­ that wasn¡¯t the truth¡­ Deep down I knew that. My wolf did too, though I could feel her restraint in pointing it out. Anna hadn¡¯t been quite as subtle, though when I talked to her, she said, ¡°He never deserved you, Amber. Now you are free to find someone who will.¡±


    I wished things could be that simple. What if I could meet another man who could sweep me right off my feet?


    Instead, my heart just mourned, missing Julian.


    Foolish, foolish heart.


    Julian¡¯s POV


    ¡°Is she doing well?¡± I asked Beta during our daily meeting. At the end of every meeting for the past two weeks, he had given me an update on Amber. Today was no exception


    ¡°Things have been busy at the hospital,¡± Beta said. ¡°But she has always managed to satisfy her patients and leave on time.¡±


    ¡°She seems like she has everything she needs?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I believe so, Alpha.¡±


    Good. That was good. Even though I was devastated by the truth about Alice not being my child, I still cared about Amber and Alice. If there was anything in the whole world that they needed, I wanted to be there to give it to them, whether they knew that gift was from me or not.


    Now came the dreaded question. I braced myself for it. ¡°And Roman?¡±


    <b>¡°</b>To my knowledge, there has been no contact,¡± Beta said.


    That meant publically. They could still be talking on the phone. I wanted to have Amber checked in on to make sure she was alright, but I wasn¡¯t going to wire her phone. She still deserved her privacy, whether she had cheated on me in the past or not. We weren¡¯t together now.


    She¡¯d probably think I was overstepping just by keeping tabs on her. Maybe I was, but I couldn¡¯t help myself. I needed to make sure she was okay.


    She would definitely disapprove of the times I drove by her house, just to feel close to her. I never stayed, always just driving by, only before and after work.


    I¡¯d never disturb her, but there had been times when I wish I could stop and talk to her, to clear the air between us and set things right.


    But everything felt so messy anymore. Could we fix the things between us, even if we tried? And what would that even look like?


    Maybe it was for the best if we both moved on.


    Maybe if I finally signed those divorce papers, giving Amber her freedom¡­


    Would she be happy?


    ¡°Roman returned to his own pack recently,¡± Beta continued. ¡°I¡¯ve been keeping an eye on the airline records, but


    there¡¯s no indication he has ns to return at this moment


    ¡°But he hasn¡¯t rescinded the engagement?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No, Alpha,¡± Beta said. ¡°Nor has Amber. And neither are answering any questions the reporters have been asking them about it.¡±


    Thatst part didn¡¯t totally surprise me. Whatever Amber was thinking, she was keeping it to herself. She¡¯d always been a private person<b>, </b>though that had partially been my fault. When we¡¯d been together, I never gave her much choice otherwise.


    Sighing, I realized there wasn¡¯t much <b>of </b>anything I could do right now.


    ¡°Is that all?¡± I asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s all,¡± he said.


    Nodding, I stood up from my desk. I had a meeting with the elders in ten minutes and figured that I had better get a head start on the way over there.


    Just as I stepped outside my office, though, I heard amotion.


    ¡°Alpha!¡± one of the assistants called as she ran to me. ¡°Ohe quickly!¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked, already moving to follow her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s Elder Jeffers, Alpha,¡± she said. ¡°He¡¯s copsed!¡±


    I followed her with haste down the hallways toward the meeting room. There, Elder Jeffers was slumped over in his chair. He was barely breathing.


    ¡°Call emergency,¡± I said, taking charge at once. ¡°This man needs a Healer.¡±


    He didn¡¯t just need a Healer. He needed the best Healer there was.


    Healer Amanda<i>. </i>

 Main Flame 60

    <b>Chapter </b>60


    Amber¡¯s POV


    I was surprised when I received a page directing me to the emergency room. Typically my patients were those that needed long term care with long term problems. The issues they faced in emergency traumas, idents, and the like weren¡¯t really my forte.


    But a page was a page, and I would go wherever I was needed.


    As I made my way down to the emergency room, I encountered many worried faces and hear many whispered rumors. By the time I reached the main waiting room and saw Julian, I had a pretty good idea what was going on and why I was called.


    A high profile case like the sudden weakness of an elder required the diligence and attention of a high profile Healer. As things were, there weren¡¯t any Healers of higher profile than I was in this moment.


    Spotting me as I exited the stairwell, he quickly made his way over to me. ¡°Healer Amber¡­ or Amanda? Forgive me, I¡¯m unsure how to properly address you.¡±


    ¡°Either is fine,¡± I said. ¡°But for simplicity, call me Healer Amber.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°Healer Amber, please do what you can for Elder Jeffers. I¡¯m sure I don¡¯t have to tell you how important a member of the elder council is to the pack.¡±


    ¡°You do not.¡±


    He nodded again, surprising me with how¡­ differently he was acting. There wasn¡¯t true time to reflect on it, but in this moment, after not having seen each other for weeks I thought he might act apologetic or<b>¡­ </b>familiar. As he always had in the past.


    Instead, he was acting polite but distant, using his professional Alpha voice with me in a way he never truly had before. He was speaking to me like a coworker, not a former lover.


    This made things easier, certainly, and I should have been d for it.


    Oddly, it left me feeling somewhat off¨Ckilter.


    But I could evaluate those feelingster. For now, I needed to focus on my patient.


    ¡°Does he have any known health problems?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Not to my knowledge, but his family will be here soon.¡±


    ¡°Do you know his age?¡±


    At this, Julian looked somewhat grim. ¡°He is nearing one hundred twenty.¡±


    Werewolves generally had longer lifespans than humans, but even a hundred twenty was a long time for a body to run. Around this stage, it would start naturally breaking down.


    Julian must have known that, from the tight expression on his face. ¡°Please,¡± he said. ¡°Do what you can.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I said, then I turned away from him and entered emergency. I found Elder Jeffers bed fairly quickly. Despite being separated from the rest with several privacy curtains, he had still drawn quite the crowd of Healers, nurses, and assistants.


    ¡°Necessary personnel only,<b>¡± </b>I reminded them as I pushed through the crowd. ¡°We have other patients here who need you.¡±


    The crowd dispersed at my scolding


    Nearer the elder, actually examining him, were three of the higher ranked doctors, including former Head Healer


    Eric.


    As I approached, he gave me a strange look that was a mix of relief and bewilderment.


    ¡°We¡¯ve stabilized him,¡± Eric told <b>me</b>. ¡°He¡¯s in a medically¨Cinduceda for now.<i>¡± </i>


    ¡°Do we have any theories?<b>¡± </b>I asked.


    ¡°Not yet,¡± Eric replied. ¡°We are still running tests.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me, Healer Amanda,¡± said one of the assistants. ¡°The patient¡¯s family is entering the waiting room now.¡±


    I excused myself from the Healers and headed back out into the waiting room to receive what I could about the patient¡¯s medical history.


    The two that had arrived, Elder Jeffers youngest son Pete and his wife Rachel<b>, </b>were very little help at all. ¡°What do I know of his medical history?¡± Pete demanded. ¡°Aren¡¯t <b>you </b>the Healer? Shouldn¡¯t you tell me?¡±


    I¡¯d been through this kind of questioning before. Family members handled the shock and grief in different ways, oftenshing out at whoever was the closest and most responsible¨Clooking. More often than not, that was me.


    I was used to this burden and could bear it.


    I wasn¡¯t used to Julianing to my side. ¡°You will speak with Healer Amanda respectfully,¡± he demanded of Pete and his wife. <b>¡°</b><b>If </b>you know anything that could help the treatment of your father, you will tell her.¡±


    Pete lowered his head, looking like a child who had been scolded. Rachel, as before, was barely paying attention, scrolling on her phone.


    <b>¡°</b>I really don¡¯t know anything,¡± Pete said. ¡°Dad kept his problems away from us.¡±


    <b>¡°</b><b>If </b>you discover anything from anyone else in your family¡­ I began.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let you know,¡± he said. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Julian said.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, and turned.


    Julian followed me back toward the doors of the emergency room. Looking at him, I said, ¡°Thank you, but that was unnecessary.¡±


    ¡°No one in my pack should act so rudely to any Healer,¡± he said.


    My heart squeezed at his words. So he wasn¡¯t acting for me specifically, and would have done the same for any Healer.


    Right. That was good. I should be happy about that.


    I still felt hollow.


    Julian¡¯s POV


    Standing in front of Amber like this, I wanted more than anything to apologize and somehow work to mend the broken bridges between us.


    But what was there left to mend?


    My wolf growled at me, wanting to be close to our mate, but I pushed at him, forcing him to the back of my mind. Amber didn¡¯t want us around. Maybe she never had.


    And I certainly had no right to be close to her. She had made clear that she would never choose me.


    The only thing I could do to protect myself and to respect her wishes was to treat her with a cold, businesslike attitude.


    I protected her from Pete Jeffers¡® vile attitude, yes, but I had to believe I would protect any Healer in exactly the


    same way.


    Amber couldn¡¯t be special to me anymore. At least not outwardly.


    She didn¡¯t belong to me.


    ¡°For the sake of the pack,¡± I said to her, refusing to make this request overly personal. ¡°Please do your best for Elder Jeffers.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± she said curtly. She was responding to my professional attitude with her own. Good. This was how things should be between us, and how they would remain for the foreseeable future, no matter how much I might have wished for things to be different.


    Before she went, her gaze drifted back to Pete. ¡°If you hear anything more about Elder Jeffers¡® medical history or any family conditions, please let me know.¡±


    ¡°You think they are hiding something?¡± <i>I </i>asked, surprised


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± she said. ¡°But it¡¯s been my experience that men in power will go through anything to hide their weaknesses.¡±


    The words hit me like a p to the face.


    She couldn¡¯t mean me, having hid her away, yet that was still the first thing that I thought of. When I looked at her, hoping to find confirmation in her gaze, she wasn¡¯t looking at me. Instead, her gaze was on the ground.


    ¡°Please, excuse me,¡± she said. ¡°I should return to the patient.¡±


    I stood unable to say one more word to her as I watched her walk back into the emergency room.


    Men in power will go through anything to hide their weaknesses,


    Just like I had hid her?

 Main Flame 61

    <b>Chapter </b><b>61 </b>


    Amber¡¯s POV


    After examining the patient and receiving some early <b>test </b>results back<b>, </b>Healer Eric<b>, </b>Healer Craig, and I went into Healer Eric¡¯s office <b>to </b><b>discuss </b>possible treatments.


    I had never worked with Healer Craig before<b>, </b><b>so </b>I wasn¡¯t entirely sure what to expect. He seemed kind <b>of </b>like a hothead though<b>, </b>his arms crossed like he was already ready <b>to </b>fight.


    <b>¡°</b><b>If </b><b>it¡¯s </b>feverfang virus<b>, </b>that would <b>ount </b>for the high fever and the tremors,¡± Eric said. ¡°His wolf wants to shift but his body is <b>too </b>weak,¡± Eric said.


    ¡°<b>We </b><b>could </b><b>force </b><b>the </b>shift,<b>¡± </b>Craig suggests.


    ¡°A man his age likely wouldn¡¯t survive that,¡± I said. ¡°Right now, he¡¯s in a kind of stasis, but I don¡¯t know if we¡¯ll be able to maintain this state for long.¡±


    ¡°Are there any other treatments for feverfang other than forcing the shift?¡± Craig asked, looking between Eric and <ol><li>me. </li></ol>


    ¡°Not really,¡± Eric <b>said</b>. ¡°But don¡¯t forget that to force a shift, we would need the shifter¡¯s direct permission. Bringing him out of thea even to ask him might be too much in his weakened state. We could be signing his death warrant before we even get to the shift.¡±


    ¡°There are a few options we could try,¡± I suggested. ¡°Like a potion to increase the body¡¯s strength, or one that could soothe the wolf.¡±


    ¡°Those would only be temporary measures,¡± Eric said.


    ¡°They would keep him going while we searched for a better solution,¡± I said.


    ¡°You think you can find a cure for feverfang?¡± Craig said with disbelief. ¡°No one has been able to do that, and this disease has been around for hundreds of years.¡±


    ¡°Modern medicine back then wasn¡¯t what it is now,¡± Eric said. Looking at me, he added, ¡°If anyone could find a cure, it¡¯s Healer Amanda.¡±


    <b>¡°</b>I don¡¯t want to get anyone¡¯s hopes up,¡± I said. ¡°His age is a majorplication.¡±


    The others went quiet at that, as they had to know I was telling the truth. Surely, as Healers, they had seen with their own eyes, as I had with mine, how a werewolf body eventually shuts down over time.


    As Healers we could fight many things, ovee many diseases and wounds. But there was still not a cure for old


    age.


    Eventually, time woulde for us all.


    ¡°We should speak with the family,¡± Eric said.


    ¡°I will,¡± I said. There was no need for any of the others to take the heat. Families didn¡¯t like to hear when there were <b>a </b>limit of options.


    Craig nodded, but Eric watched me. ¡°We could go together?


    ¡°Keep running the tests,¡± I said. ¡°Maybe we missed something. Then you can deliver the good news.<b>¡± </b>


    Eric seemed grateful then. ¡°Very well.¡±


    Chapter <b>81 </b>


    <b>Chapter </b>61


    Amber¡¯s POV


    +15 <b>BONUS </b>


    After examining the patient and receiving some early test results back, Healer Eric<b>, </b>Healer Craig, <b>and </b><b>I </b>went into Healer <b>Eric¡¯s </b>office to discuss possible treatments.


    I had never worked with Healer Craig before, so I wasn¡¯t entirely sure what to expect. He seemed kind of like a hothead though, his arms crossed like he was already ready to fight.


    ¡°If it¡¯s feverfang virus, that would ount for the high fever and the tremors,<b>¡± </b>Eric said. ¡°His wolf wants to shift but his body is too weak,¡± Eric said.


    ¡°We could force the shift,¡± Craig suggests.


    ¡°A man his age likely wouldn¡¯t survive that,¡± I said. ¡°Right now, he¡¯s in a kind of stasis, but I don¡¯t know if <b>we¡¯ll </b>be able to maintain this state for long.¡±


    ¡°Are there any other treatments for feverfang other than forcing the shift?¡± Craig asked, looking between Eric and <ol><li>me. </li></ol>


    ¡°Not really,¡± Eric said. ¡°But don¡¯t forget that to force a shift, we would need the shifter¡¯s direct permission. Bringing him out of thea even to ask him might be too much in his weakened state. We could be signing his death warrant before we even get to the shift.¡±


    ¡°There are a few options we could try,¡± I suggested. ¡°Like a potion to increase the body¡¯s strength, or one that could soothe the wolf.¡±


    ¡°Those would only be temporary measures,¡± Eric said.


    ¡°They would keep him going while we searched for a better solution,¡± I said.


    ¡°You think you can find a cure for feverfang?¡± Craig said with disbelief. ¡°No one has been able to do that, and this disease has been around for hundreds of years.¡±


    ¡°Modern medicine back then wasn¡¯t what it is now,¡± Eric said. Looking at me, he added, ¡°If anyone could find a cure, it¡¯s Healer Amanda.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to get anyone¡¯s hopes up,¡± I said. ¡°His age is a majorplication.¡±


    The others went quiet at that, as they had to know I was telling the truth. Surely, as Healers, they had seen with their own eyes, as I had with mine, how a werewolf body eventually shuts down over time.


    As Healers we could fight many things, ovee many diseases and wounds. But there was still not a cure for old age.


    Eventually<b>, </b>time woulde for us all.


    ¡°We should speak with the family,¡± Eric said.


    ¡°I will,¡± I said. There was no need for any of the others to take the heat. Families didn¡¯t like to hear when there were a limit of options.


    Craig nodded, but Eric watched me. ¡°We could go together?


    ¡°Keep running the tests,¡± I said. ¡°Maybe we missed something. Then you can deliver the good news.¡®


    Eric seemed grateful then. ¡°Very well.<b>¡± </b>


    e main waiting ro


    <b>Leaving </b><b>the </b><b>office</b>, I walked out to the main waiting room, where more of Elder Jeffers¡¯s family was waiting. Pete and Rachel were still there, but now his two older brothers were there too. Ken was the middle child and <b>a </b><b>known </b>yboy. Roger<b>, </b>the oldest, was known to be stern and series.


    I wasn¡¯t <b>sure </b>which of the three brothers would yell at me, but I braced myself<b>, </b>knowing it would surely be one of them. If not all of them.


    And this time, Julian wasn¡¯t here to stand up for me.


    Not that I needed him too.


    If I was truly going to cut Julian out of my life for good, then I needed to continue to prove that I could live without him. I certainly didn¡¯t need him here at my ce of work.


    I had been a Healer without him before, and I would continue to do so again.


    Olivia¡¯s POV


    Olivia was never really someone who enjoyed watching the news. She would avoid it if she could, preferring instead to stay in a kind of fantasy world of her own design. But, with so many ns always up in the air, she needed to keep track of current events, lest she see an opportunity to act on, or something to respond to


    The news that day was just that.


    Elder Jeffers was in the hospital, being treated by Amber and that treacherous Healer Eric. It was Amber¡¯s face in the news, however, taking the credit and the me. So far people remained hopeful that the Elder might recover, but more knowledgeable types in the news said there was reason for caution ¨C like Elder Jeffers¡¯s age, for one thing.


    Elder Jeffers was said to have feverfang, a fairlymon and sometimes fatal disease where the body and the wolf stopped working in tandem. The wolf wanted to shift, but the body was physically unable. In younger wolves, it could be easily treated. In older wolves, it was more difficult.


    At least that was what it said on the news, and in the search results Olivia found on her found.


    She frowned a little. Something like this would be difficult to turn to her advantage, but there had to be a way. Especially if Elder Jeffers¡¯s died, as it seemed he would, then she could twist it to make Amber seem ipetent. But she would need to be careful it wouldn¡¯t twist around on her. She¡¯d had fall guys for her in the past. If she put herself on the line, she might be the one to be med this time.


    That just wouldn¡¯t do.


    No, she needed someone else on her side. Someone to be her voice and her shield but whom she could act through.


    Then¡­ there.


    They showed the family. The elder¡¯s three sons and the youngest son¡¯s wife. What luck. Olivia immediately recognized the middle son, Ken.


    He was someone she had spent time with in the past. Intimate time. He had been fond of her and hadn¡¯t wanted to end things. Olivia still had his number in her phone.


    With no hesitation, she picked it up and called. It rang andang at first, and she wondered if maybe he wouldn¡¯t


    answer<b>. </b>


    But then, blessedly<b>, </b>came his hushed voice.


    ¡°Olivia? Why are you calling me?¡± he asked.


    HH<b>! </b>


    Chapter of


    ¡°I <b>saw </b><b>you </b><b>on </b><b>the </b>news<b>, </b>baby,¡± Olivia replied with a sultry <b>voice</b><b>. </b><b>¡°</b>I feel so badly <b>for </b><b>you</b>. <b>Are </b>the Healers doing everything <b>they </b>can<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    <b>¡°</b><b>No</b><b>¡­</b><b>¡± </b><b>Ken </b>grumbled. ¡°The mostmon treatment for feverfang is forcing a shift, but they are insisting they <b>can¡¯t </b>do <b>that </b>without waking him up. And they are refusing to do it<b>!</b><b>¡± </b>


    Just as Olivia had hoped, Ken was tired and stressed enough to vent to the first person to listen. She had to just keep making sure she was first on the list <b>of </b>people he¡¯d turn to.


    <b>¡°</b>Is it that Healer Amber?¡± Olivia asked,ying down the loose threats for her future plots. ¡°I have seen her for other things, and she is a nasty kind of person. So cold. I really think she cares more about her reputation than her patients¡­<b>¡± </b>


    ¡°That could be,¡± Ken said, taking the bait. ¡°She wouldn¡¯t even listen to us. Who knows better what¡¯s best for my father than us, his kids?¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± Olivia said. ¡°Fully.¡± She paused for a moment, for effect. ¡°Have you considered going to the press with yourints? She will surely respond to the pressure of the people.¡±


    ¡°You think so?¡± Ken asked, taking the hook.


    Olivia smiled. ¡°Oh, absolutely. It¡¯s right thing to do, for your father.¡±


    Chapter <b>62 </b>


    HQ +15 BONUS

 Main Flame 62

    Chapter <b>62 </b>


    HQ +15 BONUS


    Julian¡¯s <b>POV </b>


    After <b>a </b>day, I went to the hospital to check on Elder Jefferste had since been moved out of the emergency room and into his own room, so I felt confident that his situation was at least stable, if not improving


    Amber was in her office when I entered. Noah stood to greet me properly, but I held out my hand, indicating to him that everything was okay.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright, Noah,¡± Amber said and Noah sat back down at his chair. Amber stood though and gestured for me to sit in one of the seats facing her desk. ¡°Alpha Julian. I assume you are here to check on Elder Jeffers¡¯s status.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said. ¡°Beta has mentioned to me that the family seems conflicted over the treatments¡­¡±


    I moved to the chair, then waited for Amber to sit. She refused to until I did. Somehow we found ourselves in a politeness standoff. Then, <b>slowly</b>, we each sat down together<b>, </b>watching each other.


    Things remained tense even after that. It was still so unusual <b>to </b>treat Amber like this, and be treated simrly coolly in return. It almost felt like we were strangers rather than ex mates and lovers.


    But I needed to ept that this was just the way of things now. Amber had moved on before we even separated. I was a fool to think that she¡¯d want me back now. I had to let her go.


    I still hadn¡¯t signed the divorce papers, but I had looked at them several times in the past few days. Nearly every hour on the hour.


    I knew I had to sign them. I was just still trying to build up the nerve.


    ¡°The family¡¯s reaction was about what I expected,<i>¡± </i>she said.


    ¡°How so?¡±


    ¡°Some yelling. A lot of saying that I¡¯m not doing enough. I can work on a cure, but given the weak state of the elder and his advanced age, our options are limited.¡±


    I leaned back in my chair. ¡°What are the options?¡± I wanted to hear her tell me what was happening, so that I knew how to address the family were they toe to me directly for me to intervene. That happened sometimes, with important members of the council and otherwise.


    They always were looking for a miracle, and refused to take the doctor¡¯s word for it that it was time to make ns and let go.


    I was no Healer myself. <b>I </b>could only trust what I was told. And even though Amber had cheated on me, betraying me personally, I still trusted her medical advice.


    She was a world renowned Healer, and I hadn¡¯t stepped one foot inside an advanced healing college ssroom. So when she told me all the options, I believed her, and when she exined the risks, I understood.


    The family wanted to wake Elder Jeffers and push for the forced shift, but the waking of Elder Jeffers might be enough to kill him in his weakened state. The family didn¡¯t believe that.


    Everyone was looking for their miracle.


    ¡°I¡¯m searching for a way to stabilize him, so that we can at least wake him up,¡± Amber said. ¡°Once he¡¯s awake, can make his own choice on how to continue.¡±


    ¡°And a cure?¡± I asked.


    he


    Choptes ex


    $<b>15 </b>BONUS


    ¡°<b>I¡¯m </b>trying, as is Eric and Craig Noah¡¯s been running tests But there is a reason a cure has not been developed yet. It is no easy task. <b>What </b>you are asking me to do is find way to extend life itself. I wish I could, but¡­¡±


    <b>¡°</b><b>I </b>understand,¡± I said. Though she was acting coolly and professionally, I knew her well enough to see the stress in her brow and her eyes. She didn¡¯t like being on the backfoot like this, and I couldn¡¯t me her.


    <b>I </b>almost regretted asking her to help the elder like this, but she likely would have stepped in anyway, and there was no one else I could trust so implicitly with his care<b>. </b>


    Chapter <b>63 </b>

 Main Flame 63

    ¡°Any cure Ie up with would have to be aggressive,¡± I said. ¡°But I don¡¯t know how much good that would do. He would need strength to endure, and that¡¯s not something thates easily. If we couple the cure with a strength potion¡­¡±


    With a sigh, she shook her head. ¡°No. It wouldn¡¯t be enough Strength potions are only temporary. He would need <b>a </b>permanent boost to fight off the virus, or it would just retorn again.¡±


    She rubbed her forehead with her hand, more clearly showing her strength.


    Suddenly the phone on her desk began to ring. She sighed deeper and made no motion to answer it.


    Noah, a very good assistant, must have seen that she needed someone to run interference. He picked up the phone to answer it himself.


    ¡°Healer Amanda¡¯s office. Oh. Hello, Mr. Jeffers. No, we don¡¯t have that cure yet. No, we don¡¯t have him stabilized enough yet to wake him.¡®


    Even without my hyper sensitive Alpha wolf hearing, I would have been able to hear Mr. Jeffers¡¯s reply.


    ¡°Get off your ass and do something!¡±


    recognized that voice. That was Ken, the middle son. He was a socialite, always at the parties, ever a trickster and yboy. I supposed it was nice to see him finally taking something seriously. It was a shame it came with his father on death¡¯s door, and that it was manifesting by yelling at the people who were trying to help him.


    Noah handled the yelling with professionalism. ¡°We are working around the clock, Mr. Jeffers. Please have patience.¡±


    Amber stood from her desk and walked toward the window. She looked very small standing next to the oversized ss. Her view looked out over the city.


    Standing I moved to join her.


    She spotted me, then turned, hiding all but her profile from me.


    ¡°The angeres from a ce of worry. I know that, and I¡¯ve seen it before,¡± she said.


    ¡°It bothers you.¡±


    ¡°Only when I don¡¯t know what else to do,¡± she said. ¡°They don¡¯t want to listen to my rmendations, and I struggle to go against the family¡¯s wishes.¡±


    I inched closer to her, wanting to show some


    of


    my support


    We were at a strange impasse in our rtionship. Too close for professionals. Too distant to be friends.


    I was doing my best, but I truly had no idea how to treat her Especially in moments like this, I wanted to reach out andfort her. I wanted to be the kind of man she needed to support her even when things were hard.


    It was impossible now<i>, </i>with all the roadblocks between us. Both of us had our own entanglements, and she had a child with someone else. I couldn¡¯t judge her too harshly for that, I would have one too if not for the miscarriage.


    The world seemed set against us being together, but that didn¡¯t mean I wouldn¡¯t stand by her side in moments like this.


    ¡°You will do the right thing,¡± I said. ¡°I have total confidence in you. And no matter the oue, you will have my support.¡±


    Her gaze shifted to me, some surprise in her eyes.


    Had she expected me to say something different? Did she think I would turn my back on her?


    I wouldn¡¯t do that. Not here. Not like this.


    Gently, I reached out and ced my hand on her shoulder.


    I didn¡¯t say the words, but I hoped to convey, It¡¯s going to be alright.


    For a sh of a moment, I swore I saw a hint of affection in her eyes. But when she blinked, it was gone.


    Suddenly, I was too aware of my hand on her arm and I quickly withdrew it, restoring the distance between us.


    Still, she said, ¡°Thank you.¡°.


    I nodded. ¡°It¡¯s the least an Alpha can do.¡± Then I turned away.

 Main Flame 64

    17


    Amber¡¯s POV


    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯m sorry,¡± I told the reporters waiting outside the hospital while I pushed through the crowd to go into work. ¡°I don¡¯t have any more updates at this time.¡±


    Still, the reporters continued to call out my name, asking me questions about Elder Jeffers and his family with a demanding ferocity.


    Didn¡¯t they see that I was only just going to work? How could I have new answers for them when I haven¡¯t even been here?


    ¡°You¡¯ll just have to wait for today¡¯s briefing,¡± Itold them, rying to be as firm but also as kind as I could, despite the many microphones being shoved into my face.


    Fortunately, the extra security that the new Head Healer hired spotted me through the crowd and at that moment, rushed down from standing beside the entrance. He hurried down to me, then helped make a path in the sea of reporters enough for me to sneak through.


    Once I was safely in the building, I let out a sigh of relief, though the shing of camera lenses continued to follow me as photographers¨Cced their camera lenses up to the window to try to get a picture.


    The past few days had been like this, an entire media frenzy while the hospital had this special patient. Despite our daily updates on Elder Jeffers condition, the press wanted more.


    It was as if they were sharks sensing blood in the water.


    All thanks to Ken Jeffers.


    I knew he was just concerned about his father, so I couldn¡¯t be angry with him, even if the situation had be somewhat exhausting, bringing my entire reputation into question.


    Ken didn¡¯t feel like I was doing enough for his father and went to the press to plead his case to the whole of the pack. Now, it felt like all of the pack was split on this, with some backing me up, and some turning against me.


    It was a harsh turn from the hero¨Cesque reputation I had garnered when I first moved here. Now I was something of a pariah. Even those who were on my side had questions, so I spent most of my free time fielding those. Everyone had an opinion on this situation, on what should be done to help Elder Jeffers recover, but none of those opinions were particrly helpful.


    Many thought the shift should be forced by the family¡¯s wishes, without asking Elder Jeffers himself, believing it would be too much to wake him and then force the shift given his wishes.


    Fewer actually new thews and medical practices, that such a thing typically required the formal consent of the patient<b>, </b>only giving power to the Healers in certain circumstances. Though then there were those who thought those circumstances were now.


    There were no easy answers in this case, unfortunately.


    As I walked into my <b>office</b><b>, </b>Noah looked worried. When I say who was joining us today, I understood why. Both the new Head Healer and Julian were sitting in front of my desk. They both stood when they saw me, and I approached, moving around the desk to sit and join them.


    Though they did stop to greet me, they then returned to their conversation at hand.


    ¡°I¡¯m only saying that this media push has put the hospital, and by extension me, in a very awkward position,¡± the


    Head <b>Healer </b>said.


    ¡°And I¡¯m saying that I will support Healer Amber¡¯s choi ¡°We cannot let the bullying of the media push us into po


    ¡°I do think the family¡¯s wishes should be considered in t both the eldest son and the youngest have put their faith understand the situation.¡±


    Chapter 64 ??? ??


    Head Healer sald<b>. </b>


    ¡°And <b>I¡¯m </b>saying that I will support Healer Amber¡¯s choices on the matter, whatever they may be,¡± Julian replied. <b>¡°</b><b>We </b>cannot let the bullying of the media push us into potentially going against Elder Jeffers¡¯s personal choices<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    ¡°<b>I </b><b>do </b>think <b>the </b>family¡¯s wishes should be considered in the matter,¡± I admitted to them both. ¡°But don¡¯t forget, both the eldest son and the <b>youngest </b>have put their faith in me. It is only Ken who doesn¡¯t seem to fully understand <b>the </b>situation.<b>¡± </b>

 Main Flame 65

    <b>Chapter </b><b>65 </b>


    ???


    +15 <b>BONUS </b>


    I <b>had </b><b>tried </b><b>speaking </b>to him personally on many asions to help him see things from a Healer¡¯s perspective, but his emotions clouded his judgement. As it was his father as he patient in question, I could understand, but his insistence <b>to </b>take this to the media made things significantly more difficult.


    <b>¡°</b>I just wish we could ask the Elder himself what he wants, Julian said.


    I nced at Noah across the room, who looked back at me and nodded.


    1


    Good. The test results came back favorable then. That was <b>a </b>relief.


    ¡°Maybe we can,¡± I said.


    That surprised both the new Head Healer and Julian, who both turned their wide eyes to me.


    So I exined, ¡°I¡¯ve been working on a potion to help stabilize the Elder enough for a small conversation. It should not strain him overmuch, giving us the chance to force the shift if he wishes. Though I still don¡¯t believe that is the answer.¡±


    I was certain his body wouldn¡¯t handle the shift, but I had other means that I was working on to help cure him. These things would take time to develop though. Feverfang virus was no easy web to untangle, or it would have been done a long time ago.


    ¡°And this potion¡­ it¡¯s ready right now?¡± Julian looked at me in awe, as if he was surprised I could have aplished such a thing in such a short amount of time.


    While his appreciation made my heart flutter, I quickly pushed down on those feelings. What I had done was no great miracle. Much of the legwork had already been done. simply needed to add a few elements to help stabilize Elder Jeffers specific condition¡­


    Though, I supposed this was a talent of mine. I could see the forms in my head, knowing what needed to be done with a quickness that my colleagues seemed tock. While I didn¡¯t feel special for being able to do this, I could admit the ability was useful, especially in circumstances such as this.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said. Looking at Noah, I said, ¡°Please call the family. Let¡¯s find out what Elder Jeffers wants for himself.¡±


    Three hourster, several Healers including Eric, Craig, and the new Head Healer, joined me as I stood with the Jeffers family and Julian at Elder Jeffers¡¯s bedside.


    Ken seemed the only one displeased. Crossing his arms, he red at me.


    Seeing this, Julian moved a little closer to my side, helping me feel protected. It was difficult not to sway back into him.


    This entire ordeal has been emotionally exhausting for everyone, including me. It lowered my guard around Julian. There were so many reasons for us to not even be friendly with each other, yet in this moment, I seemed to take strength from his closeness.


    His presence gave me <b>the </b>courage I needed to step forward with the potion ready in an injectable vial.


    ¡°Are we ready?¡± I asked the family.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Roger said without hesitation.


    ¡°Yes,¡± said the youngest, slower, while holding onto his wife.


    They both looked at Ken, thest holdout. ¡°Yes. Fine.¡±


    Moving forward, I raised the needle to the input of the IV li down the line, gradually entering Elder Jeffers¡¯s bloodstrea


    ¡°How long with it be until he wakes?¡± Roger asked.


    As the potion had never been used before, I couldn¡¯t give hi


    We all watched Elder Jeffers closely, looking for even the sl


    After a couple of minutes, Ken scoffed, ¡°It¡¯s not working. game in dragging us all down here, just to put on this mock deserves better!¡±


    Moving forward, I raised the needle to the input of the IV life and slowly pushed it through. The potion dripped down the line, gradually entering Elder Jeffers¡¯s bloodstrean.


    ¡°How long with it be until he wakes?¡± Roger asked.


    As the potion had never been used before, I couldn¡¯t give him a solid timeline. <b>¡°</b>Soon<b>,</b><b>¡± </b><b>I </b>said instead.


    We all watched Elder Jeffers closely, looking for even the slightest hint of his waking.


    After a couple of minutes, Ken scoffed, ¡°It¡¯s not working. I knew you were a hack, Healer Amber. What¡¯s your


    game in dragging us all down here, just to put on this mockery? My father deserves better than you. My family deserves better!¡±


    Chopte <b>60 </b>

 Main Flame 66

    Amber¡¯s POV


    ¡°Now wait one minute,¡± Julian said, turning to face Ken waile stepping in front of me to block me from Ken¡¯s view. ¡°Amber is a reputable Healer


    ¡°And you are biased, Alpha,¡± Ken continued. ¡°We all know his healer is your ex¨Cwife returned from the dead. Can you really tell us that she is the best, most qualified for the job even without your feelings getting in the way?¡± Julian¡¯s shoulders straightened. ¡°You are questioning my judgement?¡±


    Ken paused a moment. His voice started to shake with uncertainty as he said, ¡°I¨CIf you can¡¯t see her for what she is¡­¡±


    Julian stood taller, reaching his full intimidating height.


    Though Julian was a considerate Alpha who always seemed to take his pack¡¯s opinions to heart, he was still the Alpha. To question him like this was tantly disrespectful Julian would have been within his rights to act against this disrespect.


    Yet Julian had to know that Ken was hurting, and that these words wereing from a ce of hurt and worry over his father. As such, Julian showed remarkable restraint in this situation<b>, </b>saying only, ¡°You are walking on shaky ground, Ken.¡±


    Ken paled slightly, as if realizing even through the pain that to defy the Alpha was to put his life in his hands. We were all silent, frozen in ce, looking from Ken to Julian.


    Julian was a reasonable king, and he knew Ken was hurting But the hierarchy of the werewolf pack could not be questioned.


    Ken swallowed hard. <b>¡°</b><b>I </b>just think¡­ it¡¯s the wrong decision.


    He¡¯d fully softened his opinion, even lowering his head slightly in reverence to the Alpha.


    ¡°Your opinion is noted,¡± Julian said with finality, saying with only his tone that this conversation was done. ¡°You should not defy me again.¡±


    Ken made himself small, standing there. ¡°Yes, Alpha.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t raise you to speak to the Alpha that way,¡± said Elder Jeffers from his bed.


    In surprise, we all turned to look at him.


    Elder Jeffers¡¯s eyes were open and he was ring at his son ¡°You will apologize to the Alpha now.¡®


    Ken was shocked, his face pale and his eyes wide. ¡°Dad¡­¡±


    ¡°Now, Ken.¡±


    Ken swallowed hard, he dipped his head while facing Julian ¡°I apologize, Alpha.¡±


    ¡°Healer Amber is the one you should apologize to,¡± Julian insisted. ¡°She is the one you were truly slighting with that kind of talk.¡±


    Ken hesitated.


    His father pressed, ¡°Ken.¡±


    Julian stepped to the side, revealing me more fully <b>to </b>Ken, who dipped his head yet again.


    ¡°Sorry<b>, </b>Healer Amber.¡±


    While it was nice to have this apology, I didn¡¯t want to waste precious time on it, and tried to drag everyone¡¯s attention back to the matter at hand. Fortunately, Roger and Pete were already on task, moving closer to their father.


    Elder Jeffers was happy to see them both<b>, </b>smiling warmly as he looked at them, yet there was something else lingering in his eyes<b>, </b><b>a </b>glimmer that I recognized from working in hospitals for so long.


    The elder was piecing together his situation without me even having to tell him. Being here, surrounded by healers and his family, he must know the questions that we needed to ask. Also, I was certain he could feel the feverfang virus working within him, likely giving him some pain, even though I tried to quell that with the potion.


    ¡°How long do I have?¡± Elder.Jeffers asked Roger.


    Roger looked at me.


    ¡°An hour of consciousness,¡± I replied, unsure if he meant how long would he be awake, or how long would he be alive. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we have a few important questions for you.¡±


    Using my calmest doctor voice, I exined the situation to him, telling him of his condition and the various options to him. When I describe what forcing the shift would entail, he immediately shook his head before I could even exin the risks.


    ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be able to handle that. I haven¡¯t shifted in years.¡±

 Main Flame 67

    <b>+15 </b><b>BONUS </b>


    ¡°Maybe you should take a minute to think about it,¡± Roger said. ¡°This is the most effective treatment.¡±


    ¡°When I go out, it¡¯s going to be peacefully in my sleep,¡± the elder sald. ¡°I¡¯m <b>not </b>going to tear myself apart trying to chase a cure I¡¯m not sure if I even want.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t want it?¡± Pete asked. His wife stayed close to him.


    <b>¡°</b>When you get to be my age, boys, you learn not to be afraid <b>of </b>death. I have seen it happen to everyone who came before me, and knew it was only a matter of time before it was my turn.¡± Elder Jeffers smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve lived a good life. I¡¯ve dedicated myself to the pack. But I am ready to return to the arms of the moon goddess now, and to see your mother again.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know what you are saying,¡± Ken said. ¡°Healer Amber tricked you somehow.¡±


    ¡°No, son,¡± the elder said calmly. He held out his hand for Ken, who took it. ¡°You have to let go of this anger within you. I knew this would happen, and I¡¯ve been nning for my end. You simply have to call mywyer and ¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about the money, Dad,¡± Ken said. ¡°I want you here with us.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t stay forever,¡± the elder said.


    ¡°You don¡¯t want him to be in pain,¡± Roger said to his brother.


    Ken lowered his head. ¡°If the healers did their jobs¡­¡±


    ¡°They have done their jobs,¡± the elder said. ¡°They brought me back long enough to tell you each how much I love you and to say goodbye.¡±


    The mood shifted, turning more personal. The other healers, Julian, and I stepped back to give them the room they needed to properly talk to each other.


    While we turned our backs, Julian nudged his shoulder into mine, offering me silent support.


    These types of situations never really got easier, no many how many times I experienced them.


    Hourster, after Elder Jeffers¡¯s wishes were clear and he was asleep once more, his family stayed with him until the end. After the elder returned to the arms of the Moon Goddess and histe wife, Roger, Pete, and Rachel all thanked me profusely.


    Ken red. ¡°My father may be gone but this isn¡¯t over. You¡¯ll pay for your negligence here.¡±


    His brothers pulled him away, apologizing to me behind his back, but I waved them all away, determined not to take any of this personally.


    Everyone handled grief differently, some with tears, some with threats. Ken seemed to be an emotional man who dearly loved his father. <b>He </b>needed someone to me for the death, and I was as good a target as anyone.


    I could shoulder this burden, carrying the weight of it for as long as Ken needed me to.


    At least I tried to.


    When I returned home that night, I hugged Alice extra tightly, findingfort in her returning hug.


    ¡°Hard day, Mom?¡± she asked me.


    I couldn¡¯t lie to her. ¡°Yes.¡±


    The next morning, I decided to take off work to recuperate my own mental health. Alice had to go to school, so I had a whole day nned for myself involving a hot bath, a luffy robe, and a whole lot of daytime soap opera


    television.


    First thing was first though. After brewing my coffee, I sat with a mug and turned on the news.


    I instantly regretted it when Olivia¡¯s face filled the screen.


    She was speaking into a microphone held by a reporter.


    ¡°It¡¯s just not right, what Healer Amber has done,¡± Olivia said. ¡°So I¡¯ve decided to use my public influence for some good. I¡¯m standing beside Ken Jeffers as he advocates for histe father. We both believe that Healer Amber neglected Elder Jeffers and his care.¡±

 Main Flame 68

    Chapter <b>68 </b>


    Julian¡¯s POV


    +15 <b>BONUS </b>


    I was sitting in the office when Beta burst in to tell me about Olivia¡¯s interview. After watching the clip, I sighed, pushed away my half¨Cfinished coffee and bagel, and stood.


    ¡°Alpha?¡± Beta asked.


    ¡°Get the car,¡± I told him. ¡°I need to go see Olivia right away


    When I arrived at Olivia¡¯s house, the maid let me in, then asked me to wait in the front sitting room. I paced impatiently, waiting ten full minutes before Olivia decided o grace me with her presence.


    ¡°Sorry for the wait,¡± she said. ¡°The maid woke me, and I rushed down as soon as possible.¡±


    That exined her state of dress. She was in a nightgown with acy low¨Ccut bodice. Though she was wearing a housecoat, it was open at the front, allowing her cleavage to remain on full disy. Her hair was in loose waves down around her shoulders.


    I¡¯d seen bedhead on women before. This was not it. These locks were feathered to perfection.


    And her makeup. I highly doubted she only spent ten minutes hiding her pores with foundation, and applying deep purple eyeshadow. And then there were the fake eyshes.


    But, fine. If she wanted to pretend like she woke up like this, I wouldn¡¯t call her out on it. Though it was incredibly annoying to be made to wait for her trivialities, I had bigger issues with her this morning than my wasted time.


    She seemed utterly indifferent to my annoyance. As she walked closer to me, she seemed to jut out her chest more, like she expected me to look my fill.


    She¡¯d tried to seduce me many times over the course of our knowing each other. Though since finding Amber the first time, I¡¯d never felt any temptation toward Olivia, this attempt of hers still felt like theziest.


    I was done wasting time.


    ¡°I saw your interview with the press regarding Elder Jeffers,¡± I said, getting straight to the point.


    Immediately she seemed to realize the true nature of my visit. Her entire posture seemed to sink. Closing her housecoat over herself, she scoffed as she walked toward one of the couches and sat down.


    ¡°Then you understand my feelings on the matter,¡± she said


    ¡°I know you dislike Amber, but there is no reason to go after her like this.¡±


    Olivia rolled her eyes. ¡°Ken Jeffers is the one going after her.¡±


    ¡°You are putting your support behind Ken,¡± I told her. ¡°And you had your own disparaging remarks to make about Amber yourself.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m only calling it like I see it.¡±


    ¡°Then you should stay out of it,¡± I said firmly. ¡°You aren¡¯t my wife, but our closeness does give your words weight. In speaking to the press like that, you have opened many doors of harassment toward Amber.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a famous Healer. I¡¯m sure she¡¯s faced criticism before.¡±


    She wasn¡¯t listening to me and it was utterly infuriating. She got like this sometimes, when I pushed back against


    her getting her way.


    ¡°It isn¡¯t about what she is ustomed to that concerns me I said. ¡°You will not contribute to this campaign against her.¡±


    ¡°I am a woman <b>of </b>my own mind.¡±


    ¡°You will stay out of Amber¡¯s affairs,¡± I said more forcefully. I towered over her, standing as she stood.


    She wasn¡¯t intimidated though, looking up at me with irritation in her eyes.


    ¡°You are always so quick to defend your ex,¡± she said. ¡°Where were you when I needed defending? When I was driving to see you and had that car ident that lost our baby? Where were you for me then?¡±


    A familiar sense <b>of </b>guilt churned up from my stomach. I knew what she was doing, manipting me with the death <b>of </b>our unborn child, yet I was powerless to stop the guilt or the dread or the pain of the memory and the weight it added to my life since the moment it happened.


    Because of that terrible night, because of the loss of our child, I was permanently indebted to Olivia.


    She yed on that feeling of responsibility for years, bringing it forward every time we were having an argument.


    I hated how helpless I was against it, yet even so, it still worked every time.


    I was responsible. I should have been there. We should have a child right now, not just a memory.


    In one final attempt, I tried to bring us back on course.


    ¡°Just stay away from Amber, Olivia. Stay out of this. None of this has anything to do with you and by involving yourself you are only making things worse.


    She huffed a soft breath. ¡°I¡¯ll think about it.¡±


    I already knew that meant no.


    Amber¡¯s POV


    Day drinking was probably not a great solution to any problem, especially one like this that involved guilt and life and death, yet here I was, sitting in my kitchen in the middle of the day, splitting a few bottles of wine with Anne and Noah.


    They both had the day off too. At least that was what they said. I wasn¡¯t certain if they hadn¡¯t just called out. I supposed it didn¡¯t matter. They knew what they were doing and now we were all together in my kitchen, getting tipsy on wine.


    ¡°I know I did the right thing, honoring the patient¡¯s request,¡± I said. This got easier to talk about, the more sses of wine I had. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t make it easier. They act like I¡¯m some unfeeling statue, able to make these decisions and see these wishes carried out without any thoughts of my own. I feel things¡­ I feel things too much sometimes.¡±


    ¡°I know you do,¡± Anna said.


    ¡°No one thinks you are a statue,¡± Noah said.


    ¡°Ken Jeffers does,¡± I said. ¡°He thinks I didn¡¯t care about his father at all, and that I just went through some kind <b>of </b>checklist for basic care.¡±


    ¡°We made that whole potion just to make it easier for him to wake up,¡± Noah said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need credit. I don¡¯t even need anyone to be nice to me. They can be mad at me if they want,¡± I said. ¡°But


    to <i>be </i>used of not caring of neglecting my patients¡­ of letting him die just because that was more convenient to the personally¡­¡±


    I shook my head wildly. Somehow I also shake my ss and I spill a few some over the side and onto the floor. ¡°Oh, shoot.¡± I said and ce my ss down. Standing, I go to the sink to grab a towel. There, above the sink, was a window that showed the frontwn and the road beside. As I was looking, I could have sworn I saw Julian¡¯s car parked there on the street.


    Laughing once, out of pity for myself, I turned away from the window and took the towel to clean up the spill. ¡°What¡¯s so funny?¡± Anna asked as she moved to help me.


    ¡°I thought I saw Julian,¡± I admitted. ¡°I swear, he must always live in my brain.¡±


    Anna gave me a knowing look but didn¡¯t call me out on anything. Noah just refilled all of our sses at the table.


    Just then, my phone rang.


    For some foolish reason, my heart leapt into my throat and thought it might be Julian calling.


    Hurrying to stand, I reached for my phone.


    My heart fell when I saw the name on the screen.


    Roman.

 Main Flame 69

    <b>Chapter </b><b>69 </b>


    Julian¡¯s POV


    +15 <b>BONUS </b>


    <b>I </b><b>sat </b>in the driver¡¯s seat of my sedan parked on the street out front of Amber¡¯s house. I shouldn¡¯t be here, I knew, especially right now in the middle of the day. Anyone could happen by and see me here. The tabloids would eat up a story like that.


    Alpha Can¡¯t Let Go Of His Ex.


    I could practically read the headlines already.


    Yet, even knowing the dangers in being here, I couldn¡¯t force myself to leave.


    I was worried about Amber. More than I probably should have been. More than I had any right to be.


    She acted so strongly at the hospital, dealing with Ken and with Elder Jeffers. But in her eyes, I could see the pain haunting her. She guarded it well, but I knew her. I had spent hours in the past staring at her, memorizing every line and contour. Every feature. Even the depths of her eyes


    In the past, I had been enamored with her in ways that even I hadn¡¯t truly understood at the time. I thought it a fleeting fixation. Something I would eventually work through my system and be done with.


    But I never seemed to be done with it. With her. With my own feelings that tied me to her.


    When I thought she had died, I was ruined. The hurt was so strong that I had blocked out all feelings<b>, </b>not allowing myself even the smallest semnce of emotion. To allow one in was to allow them all in, and I couldn¡¯t risk that. I couldn¡¯t risk the hurricane of pain that would surely follow


    Now that she was back and I was allowing my feelings to return once more, I continued to sense the danger.


    The worst of the pain might have been gone now, but there was still pain to feel.


    Amber had returned, but she didn¡¯t want me still. She had kept her life a secret from me.


    Just as she had kept her affair a secret.


    Alice wasn¡¯t my child. By the timeline, Amber had to be seeing Alice¡¯s true father at the same time she had been with me.


    Did she ever truly want me? Or, as I suspected back then<b>, </b>did she really only want me for the money and lifestyle I could provide to her?


    While the questions do awaken me from my lovesick fantasies, they do not totally divest me of my own fondness for Amber, for her beauty and kindness and strength.


    She had been so strong when handling Elder Jeffers and his family. I had been ready to step in at any moment, yet she proved herself capable.


    And herpassion was unbelievable. Even after Ken said all those terrible things to and about her, she still tried for understanding. She knew he was hurting and she had been willing to <b>ept </b>the weight of his anger at the loss. But who would help Amber carry that weight? She shouldnt have to bear it alone,


    I was pleased to see her friends Anna and Noah were here to help her, but where was Alice¡¯s father? <b>Where </b>was Roman?


    Shouldn¡¯t he be here, ready to help, to hold and protect her?


    <b>My </b>annoyance for him made me grip the steering wheel tightly with both hands. I had to force myself to loosen my grip when the wheel started to creak. Thest thing I needed was to damage my car and be unable to get out of


    here<b>. </b>


    Amber deserved better from the father of her child. She deserved to have Roman here for her, if he was the one she wanted. They were engaged after all.


    Closing my eyes, I pushed those feelings away. Yet in their absence, I felt a measure of embarrassment.


    What was I even doing here?


    Amber didn¡¯t want me. She never wanted me. And I was just embarrassing myself by being here.


    <b>I </b>started the car.


    Amber¡¯s POV


    I maybe had too much to drink. We had switched to water a bit ago, but head still felt like I was sticking it


    underwater<b>, </b>even though it was upright like the rest of me. At least, I thought I was upright. I was upright, wasn¡¯t


    I?


    No. Yes. I had to be. I was sitting on a chair.


    Noah was passed out, his head resting on his arms on top of the table.


    Anna was looking at her phone while calmly continuing to sip at her wine. She was the only one still drinking. I had no idea how a woman so slight could have such a high tolerance for alcohol. I was a Healer, I had knowledge, and still this made no sense to me.


    ¡°Drink more water,¡± she said, when she noticed me staring She pushed the ss a little more towards me.


    I looked down at it, and then up to her. ¡°You first,¡± I said.


    Before she could reply, the doorbell rang.


    I turned toward the living room where the door was. <b>¡°</b>Come in,¡± I said.


    Anna rolled her eyes. <b>¡°</b>I¡¯ll get it.¡± She started to stand.


    Feeling somewhat belligerent, and a little annoyed that my friend could hold her wine better than I could, I hopped to stand up quicker than her. I nearly fell, off¨Cbnce, but after righting myself, I said, ¡°My house, my rules.¡±


    She chuckled some and fondly shook her head. ¡°Be careful on the way to the door.¡±


    She had no cause for concern. I might have been drunk, but was fully capable of ¨C


    I tripped on the carpet, but quickly righted myself before I could fall. Did she see that? I really hoped she didn¡¯t


    see that,


    For the sake of my pride, I kept my gaze forward, walking toward the door.


    The doorbell rang again.


    ¡°Hold your horses<b>,</b>¡± I grumbled. I utched the lock and pulled the door open, realizing toote that I hadn¡¯t checked the peep hole to see who was there first.


    If I had, maybe I wouldn¡¯t have opened the door.


    Because Roman was standing on the other side of it.


    ET


    $15 BONUS


    ¡°What are you doing- hup here?¡± Lasked very eloquently, thank you very much


    At first sight, Roman had brightened seeing me, but when he looked longer at me, likely realizing that I was slightly worse for wear, his mood soured.


    ¡°If you are going to make that face, you can leave,¡± I told him.


    That sobered him and he tried to calm his expression. ¡°I just want to talk,¡± he said. Then he sighed. ¡°No, that is inefficient. I want to apologize. I left when you needed me the most. I saw everything on the news. You¡¯ve been through so much, you needed me here, and I left <b>you </b>alone


    I shrugged. ¡°You told everyone we were engaged.¡±


    <b>¡°</b>I wanted us to be,¡± he said.


    ¡°Yeah, but I told you no¡­¡± I frowned at him.


    He nodded and swallowed, ¡°I understand why you are angry.<b>¡± </b>


    ¡°I¡¯m not just angry,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s like you don¡¯t know me at all. You really think I would mess around like that¡­¡±


    His brow drew together. ¡°Mess around¡­?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m no two¨Ctimer, thank you very much,¡± I said belligerently.


    ¡°Amber¡­?¡± he asked, confusion evident.


    So I sought to clear this confusion. ¡°I would never cheat on my husband!¡±

 Main Flame 70

    Amber¡¯s POV


    <b>As </b>he stared at me, Roman¡¯s eyes went wide.


    I blinked back at him, confused as to why he would be so stunned. Did I really say something so unusual?


    Actually¡­ what had I just said? I didn¡¯t <b>really </b>remember.


    ¡°Amber¡­<b>¡± </b>he said. ¡°How much have you had to drink<b>?</b>¡±


    I didn¡¯t really see how that was any of his concern<b>, </b><b>so </b><b>I </b>said <b>¡°</b><b>I </b>think you should just go, Roman.¡±


    He frowned slightly, looking displeased. ¡°Yes, I suppose maybe I should,¡±


    At that time, Anna came out of the kitchen. Seeing some of my predicament, she came to stand beside me at the door.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you go and have some water in the kitchen, Amber? I¡¯ll talk to Roman.¡±


    <b>¡°</b><b>I </b>can talk,¡± I said stubbornly.


    ¡°I know you can,¡± Anna said. ¡°But maybe you should stop for a while.¡±


    That seemed like a rude thing to say, but I was thirsty. With a shrug I walked out of the room.


    Roman¡¯s POV


    Roman waited for Amber to be out of earshot, not wanting Her to overhear what he had to say, lest it started another argument. He came all this way to see her andfort her. He hadn¡¯t expected to be sent away, especially by her in such a drunken state.


    He knew he messed up with the engagement. Though he had dual purpose in proposing, partially because he was in love with Amber, he primarily did so because he wanted to protect her. Even now, with her rejection, he loved her still. Her downward spiral into drinking only made him want to protect her more.


    She had said that she wouldn¡¯t cheat on her husband. She could only be talking about Julian. There were no other men in her life to my knowledge, and she and Julian had been close. But that had been a long time ago, before the ne crash, before she had started a new life.


    Before she met Roman.


    To go back to those days in her mind, even in her drunken sate, made Roman deeply ufortable and unhappy. Had he not done enough to win her heart? Had he not been a good enough role model for her daughter?


    What more did she need from him to start seeing him as the kind of man that could be her husband?


    Why was she still seeing Julian that way? What had he ever done to earn that title than treat her badly and cheat on her with another woman?


    Why had Julian earned her blind loyalty, when she wouldn¡¯t consider Roman? What did he have that Roman didn¡¯t?


    With Amber gone, he switched his disgusted gaze onto Ann. ¡°How could you let her get in this state?¡±


    ¡°She needed to let loose,¡± Anna replied. She mirrored my annoyance, sending it right back at me. ¡°She¡¯s home, with her friends. She¡¯s safe here. Or at least she was until you showed up.¡±


    ¡°What is that supposed to mean?¡± Roman countered.


    <b>+15 </b>BONUS


    Anna crossed her arms. <b>¡°</b>She doesn¡¯t need anyone judging er right now. She needs space to be herself without outside pressures<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    ¡°I can help her with that.¡±


    ¡°You are judging her right now,¡± Anna said. ¡°I think you should leave. If she wants to talk to you tomorrow<b>, </b><b>I¡¯ll </b>remind her you stopped by and she can reach out.¡±


    Anna was an infuriating woman who didn¡¯t like Roman, for reasons that he didn¡¯t fully understand. He¡¯d never done anything to her, as far as he knew. And the only things he was guilty of with Amber is treating her with respect and acting like a father figure for her daughter.


    ¡°Go,¡± Anna said. ¡°Come back tomorrow.¡±


    She didn¡¯t give me much choice as she closed the door. She at least waited long enough for me to step backwards out <b>of </b>the house.


    Frustrated, Roman turned back around to my rental car. He had rushed her from the airport, having hurried to travel after seeing news of the sick elder and how much pressure Amber was under.


    He hadn¡¯t even booked a hotel yet. He packed in a hurry, as was certain that he only had one change of clothes. Did he bring his toothbrush?


    He supposed that he should have been worried about all of this, but what was at the forefront of his mind was Amber and Julian.


    Roman knew their rtionship had beenplicated. He also knew it was ongoing, at least legally. Amber had confided in Roman that Julian had no signed the divorce papers. So while they weren¡¯t actually a couple, they were still technically married.


    That was why what Amber said just now was such a shock.


    He had thought that chapter of her life was behind her, yet in this moment, she was still acting like she was actively married.


    She wasn¡¯t in a ce to listen to reason, so Roman took his issue to the next logical step.


    He drove to the pack Alpha headquarters building and demanded to speak with Julian himself.


    The assistant at the front desk seemed surprised by his presence. <b>¡°</b>Is he expecting you Alpha Roman? I don¡¯t have you on his schedule for today.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s important,¡± Roman said. ¡°Tell him I¡¯m here, and he¡¯ll see me, I¡¯m sure of it. Especially if you tell him what I have to talk about is Amber.¡±


    The assistant seemed nervous about that but still lifted the phone and made the call. A couple minutester, Julian¡¯s Beta was there to lead Roman to Julian¡¯s office.


    When he entered <b>the </b>office, Julian was sitting behind his desk, staring absently at the papers on top of it. Looking up, he spotted me and stood.


    ¡°Roman.¡±


    <b>¡°</b>Julian.¡±


    Both of their greetings were curt and filled with tension.


    <b>¡°</b>You said this was about Amber,¡± Julian said.


    Roman had already told the world that he and Amber were engaged. Though she didn¡¯t like it, this had been beneficial in protecting her. This situation was no different


    ¡°Amber and I are engaged,¡± Roman said.


    Julian¡¯s mouth was a hard t line. ¡°I heard.¡±


    ¡°So you need to sign the divorce papers. We cannot marry while she is still married to <b>you</b><b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    Julian didn¡¯t move.


    I pushed, <b>¡°</b><b>If </b>you refuse to give Amber a divorce, know that have some of the bestwyers on the in my pack, and no end to the resources I need to employ them. <b>I </b><b>will </be after you personally, ending this marriage as ugly as possible if I need to. But I don¡¯t think anyone wants that to happen.¡±


    ¡°You are threatening me,¡± Julian said, his voice carefully cold.


    ¡°I am telling you to do the thing you should have done years ago,¡± Roman said. ¡°Amber wanted that divorce. You refused to sign the paperwork. Do the right thing now, and set her free.¡±


    Julian narrowed his gaze. ¡°I will if and when Amber asks me to herself. And not a minute before.¡±


    ¡°She already asked you,¡± Roman said impatiently. ¡°She asked you when she gave you the papers.


    ¡°That was years ago, as you said,¡± Julian said. ¡°And I thought she had died. If she still wants a divorce, she needs to tell me so.¡±


    ¡°My word should be enough. She is my fianc¨¦, and I have the right to speak for her.¡±


    ¡°No you don¡¯t,¡± Julian replied. ¡°In my pack, engaged or no everyone speaks for themselves. Tell Amber, my door is always open to her. When she¡¯s ready to discuss this, I will listen.¡±


    Chopter 71

 Main Flame 71

    Amber¡¯s POV


    When I woke up the next morning, I had a splitting headache and no real recollection of the afternoon and evening from the day before. Anna had stayed the night, helping with Alice while I slept away most of my alcohol¨Cinduced


    state.


    As I walked into the living room, she said, ¡°How are you feeling?¡±


    I groaned.


    Sheughed.


    As much as I would have loved to stay in bed all day and sleep away my troubles, <b>I </b>couldn¡¯t be so lucky. Responsibilities were still waiting for me at work, and my patients couldn¡¯t wait for me to try to get my act together. Part of being a Healer was always being prepared ready to heal anyone who needed it.


    A day of absence could mean the difference between life or death.


    I had to go, even if I really didn¡¯t want to.


    When I arrived, the crowds of reporters were still lingering outside of the hospital, but today they were joined by a slew of protesters. The security guards weren¡¯t messing around this time. They waited near the parking lot. When they spotted me, they hurried to give me personal protection to weave through the crowd.


    At first I was confused. Did they do the same thing for every Healer and hospital employee? But then I understood when we drew closer to the crowd.


    The signs the protesters held were about me.


    Fire Amber!


    Oust the Killer!


    Elder Jeffers Deserved Better!


    The things they shouted were even worse,ments and words about me and my person that I was d my daughter wasn¡¯t around to hear.


    At the same time as the protesters were verbally berating nie, the reporters were trying to push through to get a


    statement.


    ¡°How do you feel about ¨C¡±


    ¡°People are saying you ¨C¡±


    ¡°Did you really neglect ¨C¡±


    The roar of the crowd was too loud that I couldn¡¯t even hear most of what was being said. Instead, it was like a loud rumble piercing through my thoughts and leaving me nerved.


    Too many people were shouting for me to understand, but he looks on their faces couldn¡¯t be misconstrued.


    7


    They were furious, their gazes filled with hatred. Their moths opened, teeth barred.


    These people believed the things I was being used of, angry in ways that I didn¡¯t fully understand. All I did was treat Elder Jeffers to the best of my ability, and then respect his wishes as he sought the arms of the goddess. He had been surrounded by family. It had been handled in a respectful, by the book sort of way,


    Still, one sharp usation stuck out from among the rest, jarring and so shocking that I froze.


    ¡°You killed him!¡±


    The security guards had to urge me forward, helping me push through the rest of the crowd before we made it to the stairs and then up into the actual building. The doors closed behind us, muffling the crowd but not silencing it.


    Yet, before <b>I </b>could rx, I heard a voice through a bullhorn


    ¡°Healer Amber cannot get away with what she has done!¡±


    It was Ken<b>, </b>standing at the top of the stairs outside the entrance to the hospital. Beside him<b>, </b>Olivia stood. She nced back at the hospital and looked at me straight through the window.


    Holding my gaze, she smirked.


    ¡°I tried to stop him, but he¡¯s always been too impulsive,¡± Roger, Elder Jeffers oldest child, said from behind me. Turning, I saw him approaching me from the nurses¡¯ station. ¡°I was waiting for you to arrive, Healer Amber.¡±


    From outside, Ken red, ¡°She killed my father! He could have been saved!¡±


    None of that was true.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about him,¡± Roger said with a hint of disappointment in his voice. Roger was a stoic man<b>, </b>ever professional. I believed he was a top¨Ctier businessman. He¡¯d taken the money his father had given him when he branched out on his own and quadrupled it,

 Main Flame 72

    Chapter <b>72 </b>


    +15 <b>BONUS </b>


    I wanted to say it was fine, but it wasn¡¯t. ¡°I¡¯ve been used of many things over the years, but never of murder,<b>¡± </b>I said. ¡°I know he is grieving but that could cause true trouble for my reputation and my


    practice.¡±


    If I didn¡¯t need the money so desperately, maybe I could have found it in my heart to forgive him. Even needing the money, I didn¡¯t hate him. But if he didn¡¯t stop this pursuit, I would need to take legal action to protect myself. Though that sounded expensive too.


    I hated this. Even though I agonized over my decision about how to treat Elder Jeffers, ultimately the choice was ced on the elder himself and he had been the one to make it.


    If only Ken could understand that on his own¡­


    But grief was a terrible thing that made people act in strange ways.


    What troubled me the most however was Olivia standing beside Ken outside. I had seen her interview and knew she was working against me. But to use Ken for that purpose? A vulnerable man who was grieving his father?


    It was just so cruel.


    ¡°She¡¯s encouraging him,¡± Roger said.


    I nodded.


    Roger sighed. ¡°I hate that it came to this, but¡­¡± Roger opened his suitcase and pulled out a single piece of paper. ¡°My father kept meticulous notes. It was in his nature, as a member of the Elder council. He always took great pride in everything.¡±


    Roger held the paper out for me. ¡°I don¡¯t like going against my brother, but you have done a great service


    to my father and to my family. It¡¯s not fair for Ken to use you of such things.¡±


    I read through the paper. ¡°Is this¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Roger said. ¡°Shall we go and confront my brother?¡±


    With a nod, he and I went outside. At the same time, Julian was pushing his way through the crowd. His re was vicious.


    My heart jumped into my throat for a moment, as I entertained a wild fantasy of him wielding his power to protect me. But then, in the next instance, I realized that I shouldn¡¯t want that at all.


    Nor did I need it.


    With this document in my hand, I could take care of myself.


    When Ken and Olivia spotted Roger and me stepping outside, Ken frowned while Olivia smirked.


    ¡°Roger? What are you doing?¡± Ken asked.


    1 held up the document toward the crowd.


    The crowd quieted, as if sensing that new information was about to be revealed.


    ¡°What is that?¡± asked a reporter, inching closer.


    ¡°It¡¯s the elder¡¯s will, signed and notarized by awyer,¡± Roger said, speaking loudly. ¡°It expresses my


    father¡¯s dying wishes, and what should be done in a medically dire situation.¡±


    ¡°He wanted to return to the goddess,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s in his own hand, witnessed and notarized by an


    attorney.¡±


    ¡°No¡­¡± Ken said, frowning.


    ¡°It¡¯s fake!¡± Olivia snapped.


    Julian took the stairs two at a time to hurry up to me. He nced at the document, scanning it.


    ¡°It¡¯s legitimate!¡± he shouted.


    The crowd seemed confused after that, and Ken hesitated speaking into the microphone. Instead, tears


    welled in his eyes.


    Olivia looked at him and then scoffed. She reached for the megaphone, yet before she could take it,


    Julian was there and grabbed it instead.


    Olivia immediately pouted, then ced her hand on his arm.


    Despite their obvious difference in opinion here, Julian did not move away from her. Instead, he whispered something to her that I couldn¡¯t hear.


    My stomach sank.


    Even though Julian was here defending me, he was still clearly with Olivia.


    Julian¡¯s POV


    ¡°You disobeyed me,¡± I growled at Olivia. ¡°You went behind my back and continued to stir the pot. This is


    an act of disrespect, and I won¡¯t forget it.¡±

 Main Flame 73

    Chapter <b>73 </b>


    Amber¡¯s POV


    I hurried inside without speaking with Julian. Instead, I quickly thanked Roger, returned his document,


    and then hid in my office.


    Despite Julian¡¯s clear disagreement in the matter of Elder Jeffers and my treatments, Julian clearly still had some affection for Olivia. Why else would he go to stand beside her, instead of beside me, while we


    were facing the crowd together?


    And more, why, even after everything Olivia had done, had he still not said anything publically about leaving her?


    They had to be still in love, a connection so strong that even with their disagreements, they stayed


    together.


    Heart heavy, I went behind my desk, and then dropped my forehead right down onto the desktop.


    Noah had been typing on the keyboard while I¡¯d entered, but I could hear him stopping now. Though I


    wasn¡¯t looking, I knew he had to be staring at me with curiosity and trepidation.


    ¡°Uh¡­¡± he said. ¡°Something wrong?¡±


    ¡°There was a protest outside,¡± I said, my voice muffled by the desk as I gave a quick overview of the


    situation. After, I summed up with, ¡°With that document, I think the matter has finally been put to rest.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a good thing, right?¡± Noah asked. ¡°Why are you so down?¡±


    Though Noah had some general idea about my situation with Julian, he didn¡¯t know everything, and while I did consider us friends, I still wasn¡¯t ready to overshare my entire sordid history and the nature of


    our continued marriage.


    Or how much it hurt that Julian seemed to be in love with Olivia.


    I hadn¡¯t given him much reason to turn away from her and look at me, and in truth, I shouldn¡¯t want him


    to do that at all. I was only passing through, I had no intention of staying in this pack. And with our entire history, I didn¡¯t need the drama andplications of redeveloping feelings for Julian.


    But my treacherous heart still whispered his name from time to time.


    And seeing him with Olivia¡­ it still hurt.


    After all, he did cheat on me with her, getting her pregnant. I¡¯d heard she lost the baby, which was a tragedy. I would never want a child to lose their life. But that sliver of sympathy did not equate to forgiveness.


    Especially now that she seemed to have it out for me, in helping to organize this protest today. That was


    only what I knew about. Who could say what she was up to behind the scenes?


    I didn¡¯t want to think about this anymore. I couldn¡¯t. There was nothing I could do about it anyway. Spending time thinking about it was akin to wasting that time.


    I had too many other important things to do.


    What I really needed to do was fully cure Olivia. Then, I could buy that ne Alice needed and get the hell out of this pack once and for all. I wouldn¡¯t even look back.


    I could finally help Alice, and be away from Julian and Olivia once and for all. If they loved each other,


    fine. If they wanted to have children, fine.


    Just let them do it away from me.


    Or me away from them.


    For several weeks, I buried myself fully into my work, focusing almost exclusively on curing Olivia. Any time I wasn¡¯t with another patient, I was in theb running tests or checking forms. If I wasn¡¯t there, I was in the library, researching other simr cases, looking for more leads and new ways to take my


    forms.


    When I went home, I would spend time with Alice, and Anna on the days she came over. We¡¯d order in, or


    I would cook. I didn¡¯t leave the house at all other than for work or to take Alice to and from school.


    A fundamental trust had been broken between me and the pack, and I didn¡¯t feel it necessary to fully


    resolve it.


    They had stood with their signs and called me a killer. That was hard to let go of.


    For now, I didn¡¯t have the mental capacity to worry about it. Outside of Alice, curing Olivia was my only


    concern.


    Then, finally, after so many long days and nights, I finally made a breakthrough. I had Noah triple check the results to be sure, running test after test. We had to check for side effects too.


    As I was nning on leaving the pack as soon as the cure was made, I couldn¡¯t afford to have any piece of it not be foolproof. I wouldn¡¯t be here to fix it, and I¡¯d be damned before I allowed my reputation to be questioned again.


    I was a good Healer. I would show the pack how much they misjudged me right before I left.


    One more reason not to look back.


    ¡°It¡¯s ready,¡± Noah said. ¡°Should I call Olivia and make the appointment.¡±


    When I thought about sitting in the exam room with Olivia, even just to administer the cure, it felt like too much. I¡¯d suffocate just being near her.


    ¡°I¡¯m leaving you to administer it,¡± I said. ¡°I n on being long gone by the time this all falls together.¡±


    Noah nodded but he seemed troubled with that. ¡°You are really moving on?¡±


    Thest thing in the entire world that I wanted to happen was to administer the cure and then still be present when Olivia became pregnant.


    Let Olivia and Julian have all the babies in the world that they wanted.


    Just so long as none of that was happening around me.


    Inside, my wolf whimpered at the thought. ¡°He is ours¡­¡± she cried.


    I didn¡¯t know how she could feel so strongly about it, when she hadn¡¯t even been around when I¡¯d been


    married to Julian the first time. Though I supposed in way, yes, she had been there, lying dormant inside


    of me.


    Our feelings were intertwined though, fundamentally connected. For her to feel so strongly, meant that I also felt that way, deep down.


    I just wasn¡¯t ready to admit that to myself yet.


    The only thing I had to do now was formally tell the pack leader that I was resigning my position and


    moving away from the city. The ne I needed was in a town up north, so there was no reason for me


    to stay here in the capital.


    Resolved, after settling things with Noah, I went to my desk and wrote a simple yet straightforward reply.


    Then I left my office and headed to the Alpha headquarters building.


    Inside, I moved to Julian¡¯s floor. Before, I would have been stopped at reception, but I had a reputation


    now. I wasn¡¯t some secret wife but a world¨Crenowned Healer.


    The assistant at the desk merely nodded as I walked by.


    Upstairs, I went into Julian¡¯s office, bracing myself for a confrontation.


    He wasn¡¯t there.


    I didn¡¯t know whether to feel relief or disappointment. Before I could talk myself into either, I left my


    resignation letter on the desk and moved to leave.


    Beside the Alpha¡¯s office was an office for the official Luna. While it had sat unused during our marriage,


    I saw it was upied now, with Olivia¡¯s name on the door.


    The door wasn¡¯t totally closed, and as I walked by, I heard just enough conversation to stop in my tracks.


    A man¡¯s voice said, ¡°If you don¡¯t give me what I want, then I¡¯ll make sure this goes public¡­¡±

 Main Flame 74

    Amber¡¯s POV


    Through the crack in the door, I saw Olivia sitting behind her desk, looking critically at the man standing in front of her. His back was to me, and I didn¡¯t recognize him, especially in his hat and coat.


    I truly didn¡¯t mean to eavesdrop, but that sounded like a threat. Or like ckmail. Though I didn¡¯t have any love for her, if Olivia was in some kind of trouble, I still wanted to help her.


    Maybe it was the Healer in me. Or maybe I just couldn¡¯t stand to see anyone mistreated, even someone who didn¡¯t like me.


    Either way, before I could hear anymore, Olivia looked over and caught me standing in the doorway.


    ¡°One moment,¡± she said abruptly, stopping the man from continuing. She stood from behind her desk, walked toward me, and then closed the door right in my face, all the while holding my gaze with a hard, unweed expression.


    I stood there a moment, wondering if I should have done more to intervene. Maybe I should knock? Maybe I should tell someone what I¡¯d heard or seen?


    Yet, when I nce around, I didn¡¯t notice anyone I recognized, or anyone I knew to be friendly towards <ol><li>me. </li></ol>


    Perhaps I should stay out of this totally. After all, I hadn¡¯t heard exactly what was said. They could have been talking about anything. Or maybe they were rehearsing a y or something. I didn¡¯t have enough


    evidence to go on to know whether this situation was as bad as it seemed.


    I hesitated for a long moment, but ultimately, I started forward, deciding there was nothing really I could <ol><li>do. Whatever was going on behind that door was not my business. And soon, I¡¯d be washing my hands of </li></ol>


    this pack forever.


    Leaving the headquarters building, I already felt lighter. On the drive home, I called Anna and told her


    what I¡¯d done.


    ¡°Can you help me pack?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be there in ten,¡± she replied, but she didn¡¯t hang up yet. ¡°Are you going to tell Roman?¡±


    Roman had apparentlye by one night when I had been drinking in excess. I barely remembered see him, and I had zero recollection of what was actually said between us.


    Since then, he had reached out a few times, but each time I ignored him. I didn¡¯t know what possessed me to speak with him while I was drunk, but as a sober person, I was still infuriated with him for releasing a statement to the press that we were engaged despite my having turned him down.


    Mest towed in it be did I wasn¡¯t sure even wanted to speak with him


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    <b>Chapter </b><b>75 </b>

 Main Flame 75

    <b>Chapter </b><b>75 </b>


    Lifting it, I opened it and started to read.


    Alpha Julian,


    Please ept my resignation as Healer effective immediately.


    Healer Amanda/Amber.


    Such a short message. I read it, then read it again.


    It was handwritten and made me feel somewhat homesick, missing the way Amber used to write me


    notes here and there around the house.


    Please buy milk, taped to the fridge.


    Have a good day, on the inside of the door.


    Love you! On my pillow if I was workingte and she had fallen asleep before me.


    Always she had been so thoughtful and considerate of me, always making sure I felt her affection. Even


    though I had thought her lying at the time, finding notes in her hand still made me happy. Even when she


    was asking me to buy milk, it felt good to be domestic, knowing someone was depending on me when I


    came home.


    This note was in the same hand, but it was very different.


    This was Amber telling me she was leaving.


    Again.


    A sharp jolt of fear struck through me like a lightning bolt. Thest time Amber had left, she almost died.


    I thought she had died, and I lived with that for years.


    What if something like that happened again?


    What if she stayed gone this time?


    She¡¯d had an affair with Roman, and was engaged to him. I had no right to interfere in any of this, yet¡­


    I pushed away from my desk and ran out of my office.


    ¡°Alpha?¡± Beta asked as I rushed past, but there was no time to exin.


    The elevator was too slow, so I ran down the stairs instead, taking two at a time.


    In my car, I broke all the speed limits getting to her house.


    When I arrived, the ce was empty. I pounded on the door, but no one answered. A nce through the window told me most everything had been moved out.


    Still not wanting to believe what was happening, I returned to my car and then sped in the opposite direction, going to the hospital now. I rushed up to Amber¡¯s office.


    Inside the lights were off. Amber¡¯s desk was entirely packed away.


    I stood there for a long moment, watching the empty desk, as if hoping she might suddenly manifest.


    She was so thoroughly gone so quickly that I wondered if I had dreamed her into being. Perhaps she¡¯d never truly been here at all.


    But that couldn¡¯t be. There were traces. The note, for one. The faint scent of her still lingering in the room, for another.


    Inside, my wolf howled with mourning. He still wasn¡¯t speaking to me, though we had made progress in our rtionship. Now, however, I felt us step backwards again.


    Her first time leaving had been my fault, and this time felt like my fault as well.


    If I had been more honest with my feelings¡­


    Would that even have mattered though?


    She had a child with someone else. Someone she was engaged to.


    Standing in that doorway, I had no idea what to do, where to go. What was I supposed to do now?


    A soft voice cleared her throat behind me. I turned to see a young woman in ab coat. She was holding a piece of paper tightly folded as small as it could go.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Alpha,¡± she said.


    ¡°For what?¡± I asked.


    She didn¡¯t exin. She just shoved the folded paper at me and then ran away.


    Confused, I watched her go for a moment. Then, I unfolded the paper.


    It was documentation of test results.


    A paternity test between Alice and me.


    I had already seen this, hadn¡¯t I?


    Yet¡­ looking down¡­


    No. This one was very different.


    My heart stopped, then picked up speed all at once.


    Alice is my daughter.


    <b>+15 </b>BONUS

 Main Flame 76

    Amber¡¯s POV


    When Anna had offered to help me pack, I had no idea she also wanted to travel with Alice and me, but when she had shown up with a suitcase, I had been all for it.


    She was a dear friend, and it would be nice not to have to go it alone this time, especially when I couldn¡¯t rely on Roman. Alice knew and trusted Anna too, so she was excited for her to join us as well. Alice also didn¡¯t feel any particr affinity for her school. In fact, she seemed excited by the idea of leaving.


    I was raising somewhat of a nomad.


    After heading north to the town with the ne, we didn¡¯t stay there long. I simply met with the seller, tested the genuineness and effectiveness of the ne, and then purchased it for Alice.


    I gave it to Alice, asking her to always wear it. I hadn¡¯t seen it work with her yet, as Anna and I had done our best to keep Alice happy. She¡¯d been so excited for the move, that she hadn¡¯t had any episodes yet.


    With the ne secured, we decided to head to a pack we¡¯d never been to, to start a new life in a town buried deep in one of the thickest forests on the continent. We reced the cities and streets of Julian¡¯s pack capital, for trees and small towns.


    Anna and I went in together to purchase a duplex, where she would upy one side, and Alice and I the other. It was an older brick building, but the roof and plumbing had been updated recently. The interior had hardwood floors and fireces to gather around on the colder nights.


    It was old and beautiful, and the perfect ce to start a new life.


    These more rural small towns out in the forest didn¡¯t have much ess to quality medical care, so with Anna¡¯s business knowledge, and some investments from her wealthier friends, she helped me establish a clinic, coupled with a charity that was dedicated to treating sick children,plete with free medical care for anyone under eighteen.


    Some of the kids that starteding <i>to </i>the clinic had never been to a Healer before, and while most of them were generally healthy, it felt good to help keep everyone on track while treating those that


    genuinely needed more help.


    This had been a dream of mine, helping the children without having to worry about whether or not they could afford the treatments. For this to happen¡­ I felt blessed.


    Alice even seemed to like her new school. I didn¡¯t know if it was because the ne was working or if


    she had found more peace out here among nature. Either way, I was happy.


    It felt like life was finallying together for us.


    Then, one day, after a few months of peace, I sat in my office, working on a form for a potential cure


    for Alice. Though the ne seemed to be helping, I didn¡¯t want to depend on it long term. Someday, <b>I </b>wanted to find the means to solve her illness more permanently, so she never had cause to worry again.


    The poor thing shouldn¡¯t be afraid of shifting. It hurt her now, but someday she and her wolf would be more in tandem, as any werewolf should be. If I could help that process along somehow, while protecting Alice from the pain of unexpected and unwanted early shifting, I would <i>do </i>whatever it took to see that happen.


    Anna shared an office with me, her desk on the other side of the room. She wasn¡¯t a Healer, didn¡¯t really know a lot about medicine. But she did know about numbers and was crunching them now.


    We were both ignoring a massive elephant in the room ¨C news from Roman¡¯s pack that he had finally rescinded his engagement to me, saying that he didn¡¯t deserve me.


    Anna had nervously looked at me when she entered, but after seeing the newspaper face up with the rted article on top, she just avoided the topic entirely.


    I was pleased Roman finally understood what I wanted from him. Maybe, in time, we could work to repair our friendship.


    Not yet, though. It was all still too fresh.


    Anna and I both continued to work in silence when a soft knock sounded on the office door.


    ¡°Come in!¡± I called, and my assistant Ca stuck her head in the door.


    ¡°There¡¯s a representative here who gave me this,<i>¡± </i>she said and held up a stack of paperwork.


    ¡°What is it?¡± Anna asked.


    ¡°He said it¡¯s some kind of proposal for you to consider, Healer Amanda?¡± Ca said. Though I wasn¡¯t


    particrly hiding my true identity as Amber, I found, when moving to new ces, it was easier to revert


    to my post¨Ccrash identity.


    Healer Amber was popr in Julian¡¯s pack because they had already known me, but to the rest of the


    world, it was Healer Amanda who had been made famous.


    As such, it wasn¡¯t unusual to receive packs of documents like this, proposals and offers and anything else. It also wasn¡¯t unusual for those packets toe at the hands of representatives who would do their best to try to convince me to ept whatever it was they wanted.


    At this stage, I¡¯d gotten good at seeing through most of the bullshit. I always read through the proposal before agreeing to meet with the representative. If it was good, it could stand on it¡¯s on merits without needing the spin.


    I held out my hand and Ca delivered the packet to me. As I opened and read the first page, which detailed the rest, I was pleasantly surprised by what I saw.


    ¡°This is a very ambitious project,¡± I said.


    Anna gave me a curious look, so I exined.


    ¡°This representative wants to start a cross¨Cpack initiative to increase themon people¡¯s ess to life- saving health care.¡±


    This kind of thing was right up my ally, as if the project had been specifically catered for me. This representative certainly did their homework to bring me this.


    I read a little more, knowing a dream wasn¡¯t enough. There had to be steps in writing, an action n that would lead us to a positive oue, especially for a project of this scope.


    Before I knew it, I had read the pack from front to back. Ca had stepped out in that time, and Anna was


    back to work.


    As I stood up from my desk, she looked at me again. ¡°Is it a good one?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m going to speak with this representative,¡± I said. ¡°This is exactly the kind of project the world needs.¡±


    Anna smiled, even as she said, ¡°Don¡¯t forget to ask about the budget.¡±


    Tucking the packet under my arm, I walked out of the office, then down the hallway to the front desk reception area with the waiting room beyond.


    There wasn¡¯t anyone in the waiting room, so frowning, I turned to Ca at the desk.


    ¡°Did they leave? Did I miss them?¡±


    ¡°He just went for some fresh air,¡± Ca said. ¡°He seemed kind of nervous. Oh! Here hees.¡±


    Putting on a smile, I turned toward the door.


    That smile froze right on my face.


    The representative was Julian.


    Ca called out to him, ¡°Healer Amanda will see you now!¡±

 Main Flame 77

    Amber¡¯s POV


    I was entirely frozen, unable to move even the slightest inch, not even to breathe. I stared at Julian like I would a ghost, because that was he was to me in this moment, a ghost of the life I left behind, back to haunt me once again.


    Julian¡¯s face was calm and cool. He walked up to me like he expected something of me.


    I couldn¡¯t fathom what that was. Hadn¡¯t I ended things clearly enough? Didn¡¯t he end things with me?


    Olivia could have children again. Why wasn¡¯t he with her?


    What was he even doing here?


    And worse, was this project a lie just to get me to ept seeing him?


    I finally breathed as disappointment filled me. If that was true, if the project was a lie, I would be incredibly disappointed, not just for the sake of the project, but in Julian as a person. As an Alpha.


    Yet, I couldn¡¯t quite believe the worst, not yet. That packet had been so thoroughly prepared, so detailed.


    And there had been enough glimmers of good in there that I believed it might actually work.


    Or maybe that was just wishful thinking.


    Julian nced down at the packet under my arm, then up to my face again. ¡°Did you want to speak privately about my proposal?¡± he asked. ¡°Or should we converse here in the lobby?¡±


    He was acting like he didn¡¯t know who I was. Obviously, that had to be a lie.


    I didn¡¯t like games, not anymore. Especially not under these circumstances.


    ¡°Is the project real?¡± I asked him. I watched him closely, looking for even the slightest hint he might be


    lying to me.


    I didn¡¯t see any. ¡°It¡¯s real.¡±


    With that assurance, I led him back to my office.


    As soon as Julian walked through the door, Anna was on her feet, her eyes wide, stunned. She gawked at him for a moment, as I moved around my desk and sat, then she looked at me for exnation.


    ¡°Please give us a moment, Anna,¡± I said.


    ¡°Very well,¡± she replied, but continued looking at Julian all the way until she walked out the door and


    closed it behind her.


    When we were alone, Julian moved closer and sat down on one of the chairs facing my desk. This office


    wasn¡¯t as big as the one I used while I was at the hospital in his pack, and the chairs weren¡¯t quite as nice.


    The one Julian sat in was folding medal that squeaked loudly as Julian sat, the hinges rusty. I tried very hard not to wince. None of this had to be what Julian was ustomed to.


    Still, his eyes were on me, not on the clutter of the room or the pictures on the walls that stayed crooked no matter how many times I tried to correct them.


    ¡°The project is real,¡± Julian said again. ¡°And with your agreement, we will move forward with it no matter what else is said here today.¡±


    ¡°I agree,¡± I said. I had no idea what else he came here to say, but so long as we could move forward with this project, it felt like a victory. ¡°I will support this project in whatever way <b>I </b>can.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± he said. He reached into his pocket and retrieved a folded up piece of paper. He unfolded it, but the crinkles remained, leaving small squares over the document. ¡°Onto other matters,¡± he said and


    handed the document to me.


    I looked down at it. Immediately, all the blood drained from my face.


    This was a paternity test that showed Julian was Alice¡¯s father.


    ¡°I only found out after the crash that you were pregnant. First, I thought our child had died in that ne crash alongside you,¡± Julian said. ¡°Then, when you returned, I thought only the baby had passed. Later, after Roman said he was the father, I had assumed you had an affair.¡±


    I swallowed thickly, guilt rising within me for having allowed him to feel those stages of grief and loss.

 Main Flame 78

    ¡°Now, I know that it was my baby all along,¡± he continued. ¡°Alice is my child. I am her father.¡± He paused a moment. His eyes were on me with aser focus, like he was daring me to deny it.


    I couldn¡¯t.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said, lowering my gaze back to the paper. No wonder he had tracked me down all the way out here. ¡°Yes, you are her father.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t tell me.¡±


    ¡°No.¡± I took a steadying breath. ¡°We didn¡¯t leave things in a good ce, you and me. With Olivia pregnant ¡­¡± I looked everywhere but at his face as I said, ¡°I didn¡¯t think you had any care for me or our child.¡±


    Julian¡¯s hard fa?ade cracked with surprise. ¡°You really thought that?¡±


    I remembered being so excited to bring him the news of my pregnancy, but the entire day had turned into a disaster. That day he had chosen Olivia and their unborn child over me and ours.


    What had started with public humiliation had ended with a ne crash that I still had nightmares about.


    ¡°You gave me no indication that you cared for me,¡± I said.


    It hurt to rehash old arguments, but if not now, then when? Things had been said back then, and those


    words had consequences. Julian should have to see what he¡¯d done before he ced all of the me


    squarely on me.


    ¡°Do you remember what you said?¡± I asked. ¡°That we were nothing but sex and money? You know what? All the money I needed, I gave it to my grandma. She took care of me when I was just an orphan, and then she got seriously sick. I had nothing back then. But to keep her alive, I was willing to do whatever it took.¡±


    Julian paled slightly, but he didn¡¯t deny it. He did, remember then. And possibly he still felt that way about our past.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know that,¡± his jaw tightened.


    ¡°So what are you here for?¡±


    ¡°You have our child,¡± he said, ¡°that¡¯s different.¡±


    ¡°I tried to tell you so many times<b>, </b>but you pushed me away. You used me of trying to make things difficult for Olivia, and then you told me that. It was too much, Julian. Too far. Why would I think you would care for our child when you seemed to want nothing more than to have me out of your life?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want that,¡± he said. ¡°I just told you to go home.¡±


    ¡°You hid me away¡­¡±


    ¡°Being an Alpha isn¡¯t easy,¡± he said, ¡°I have to think about my reputation¨Cthe pack¡¯s reputation.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s hypocrisy.¡±


    ¡°No, this is my responsibility.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you stilling to me? Just because I became a Healer? Because I have what you need?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s because¡­¡± He ran a hand through his usually neat hair, the rare show of emotion making him uneasy. ¡°Alice. I love Alice, and I don¡¯t want her to be a bastard.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s fine without a father.¡±


    With our voices raised, our emotions heightened, we both stopped and stared at each other.


    This conversation had been long overdue, but now that it was happening, I felt like I was cracking down


    the middle.


    I wasn¡¯t ready for this. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d ever be ready.


    I wanted him to leave. Leave my office, this town, this pack, my life.


    Yet he stood there stubbornly, just as he was still wedged inside of my heart.


    Damn him, and damn my feelings for him.


    ¡°I want visitation with Alice<i>,</i><i>¡± </i>he said.


    I had no reason to deny him. Julian was the only thing Alice seemed to truly miss from our time in his pack. ¡°Meet me at the dinner on Main Street at 6pm. I will bring Alice.¡±


    ¡°Which dinner?¡± he asked, revealing his partiality to city life.


    ¡°There¡¯s only one diner,¡± I told him.


    He seemed puzzled by that and nodded. ¡°I can trust you not to disappear?¡±

 Main Flame 79

    Amber¡¯s POV


    With the promise of meetingter, Julian left. The moment he stepped out the door, Anna returned


    through it, worry in her eyes.


    ¡°What happened? What was he doing here? What did he say?<i>¡± </i>she said, words spilling out of her


    practically all at once.


    I filled her in as best as I could, telling her nearly everything that I said. As I did, her frown grewrger


    and her worry more deeply set, creating a deep grove between her brows.


    ¡°I don¡¯t trust him,¡± Anna said at once. ¡°He tricked you with that perfect project to track you and Alice down here? Is the project even real?¡±


    ¡°He says it is,¡± I replied, though my own doubts were rising. What if he really did just create that false


    project to track Alice and me down? No, maybe that was part of it, but he couldn¡¯t mean to deprive the children of the healthcare as projected in the n.


    The n was too well¨Cthought out to be fake. It had a solid basis and a good strategy. It would be too cruel to make something like this and not follow through with it.


    But, even if he intended to go through with this n, that didn¡¯t mean that it wasn¡¯t a twofold measure. Finding Alice and me could have been a big part of this. Perhaps he suspected I would hide from him if he simply came to my doorstep without this subterfuge.


    He was probably right about that too.


    I hadn¡¯t thought he was suspicious about Alice¡¯s lineage, especially after Roman came forward and dered her his daughter. In the moment, I had been upset about that lie. And I still was, even though it had benefited me somewhat at the time. Roman should have talked with me about the im before he made it so publically.


    Something must have happened since then to raise Julian¡¯s doubts.


    ¡°He had a paternity test,¡± I said. Then, realizing it was still on my desk, I held it out to Anna who epted. it. Reading it, her face darkened.


    She had been my best friend so a long time, so I recognized the quilt in her face when I saw it. ¡°Anna? Do you know something about this?¡±


    With a sigh, she flopped down on one of the chairs facing my desk. ¡°Don¡¯t be mad¡­¡±


    I immediately tensed.


    ¡°I saw Beta taking the paternity request to theb,¡± she said. ¡°They had some of Alice¡¯s hair. Fortunately


    theb technician is a good friend of mine. At least, I thought she was¡­ I had her flub the results to make it seem like Julian wasn¡¯t the father.¡±


    ¡°But if that¡¯s true,¡± I said. ¡°Where did this resulte from?¡± Morally, I wasn¡¯t thrilled about what Anna had done. I could recognize she meant to protect Alice and me, but it wasn¡¯t her ce to interfere like


    that. Even as my best friend.


    Though if she asked me if I wanted her to get those results changed, I wasn¡¯t sure I would have been able


    to tell her to do it.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Anna said. ¡°They must have run the tests again.¡±


    I shook my head lightly. ¡°Anna, I know you were just trying to protect me


    ¡°You don¡¯t understand,<i>¡± </i>she said. ¡°You aren¡¯t seeing the danger here.¡±


    <i>¡± </i>


    ¡°Julian isn¡¯t going to hurt us,¡± I said. I didn¡¯t trust him really, but I knew he wasn¡¯t a monster.


    ¡°Not physically,¡± Anna said. ¡°But what if he tries to get custody of Alice?¡±


    At this, some of the blood drained from my face.


    He might not hurt us, no, but dragging us back to his pack would be within the realm of possibilities for him, especially now that he knew Alice was his own. It didn¡¯t matter that he had Olivia, or that she could even now be pregnant for all I knew.


    That he was here meant that he had his sights fixed on reiming his daughter. I would legally fight him


    to the best of my ability, of course, but did I truly have the resources to go up against an Alpha King?


    My thoughts spiraled, worry dragging them down to the pit of my stomach where they coiled into an


    ufortable weight.


    I didn¡¯t know what to do. Should we run again? But we had set up afortable little life here. I liked the clinic, and Alice was actually making friends at school this time.


    And if I ran, wouldn¡¯t Julian just chase me down again? And maybe he wouldn¡¯t be as nice about it the next time. Also, running away wouldn¡¯t look good in my case if we did have to go to through the court


    system


    My worry continued at home, where I paced back and forth as I waited for the school bus to bring Alice home. When she finally burst through the front door, my heart was in my throat, yet she spoke before I


    could


    ¡°Is it true that Alpha Julian is here in town?¡± Excitement was bright her eyes and in her voice as the words spilled out quickly.


    I couldn¡¯t lie to her about this. ¡°It¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°Did hee to see us?¡± she asked.


    I blinked. ¡°What makes you think that?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ve been learning about the Moon Goddess in school, and how she gifts people with their fated


    mates,¡± she said. ¡°Do you think she gifts fated dads too? If he came here for us, then maybe¡­ right?¡±


    My heart ached hearing her obvious hope. I didn¡¯t answer her question outright, as I didn¡¯t truly have an


    answer. At least, not one that wouldn¡¯t give away the secret of her birthright.


    Perhaps it was wrong of me to keep the truth from her, but I never expected Julian to want to stay in our lives at all. Even if he learned the truth, which he had, I wouldn¡¯t have thought that he would want to be


    Alice¡¯s father.


    He¡¯d been so quick to cast us aside before, I was certain he would do so again, and I would have done


    anything to keep Alice from feeling the same pain as I had, when Julian had chosen Olivia over me.


    Instead, I asked Alice, ¡°Do you want to meet him while he¡¯s here?¡±


    I¡¯d alreadymitted with Julian, but if Alice didn¡¯t want to meet him, I would find a way to get us out of <ol><li>it. With her excitement though, it was clear what she really wanted. </li></ol>


    Her smile stretched wide. ¡°Yes!¡±


    Julian¡¯s POV


    Waiting for the meeting was akin to torture. For a few hours, I sat in my hotel room. On myptop, I tried to do some work, but my thoughts were consistently drawn back to how it felt seeing Amber again. And


    how excited I was to see Alice now that I knew she was my daughter.


    Time moved so slowly when I wanted it to move quickly.


    Then, there was a knock on the door.


    Who could that be? Housekeeping? But I¡¯d only checked in today. The only other person who knew I was here was Beta, but he remained behind in the pack, helping to keep things running smoothly while I was


    here instead.


    Curious, I walked to the door. When I opened it, I was surprised to find Amber¡¯s friend Anna standing on the other side.


    She glowered at me, hate and distrust in her eyes.


    ¡°What do you want with Amber and Alice?¡± she demanded.

 Main Flame 80

    lian¡¯s POV


    ¡°If you are truly Amber¡¯s best friend, then I suspect that you already know,¡± I tell her.


    ¡°This is about Alice,¡± Anna said.


    Alice was the biggest piece of why I was here, that much was true. But she wasn¡¯t the only reason. Seeing Amber again, knowing she was safe, seeing her thrive¡­ That pleased a bigger part of me than I cared to


    admit, even to myself.


    My wolf didn¡¯t hide his thrill at it though. His pride for our sessful mate and healthy pup swelled so


    big, it amplified my own.


    Finally, there was the matter of the project itself. The project had always been one I intended to pursue, and one I knew Amber would be the perfect Healer for. Yes, I had used the project to get through the door to see Amber, but I still fully intended in seeing the project through.


    Looking at Anna, at her fury, I knew she didn¡¯t reallye here to talk, so I didn¡¯t really open the door for <ol><li>it. </li></ol>


    Instead, I told her, <b>¡°</b>If it is?¡±


    Anna shook her head. ¡°All that time, Amber was your dutiful housewife, chasing you around like a lovesick puppy while you kept her in the shadows. I was there. I saw the way she was treated back then. I saw every tears, I heard every worry.¡±


    I still wasn¡¯t totally sure about all the dynamics at y between us. Knowing Amber as she was now, I could admit that maybe I was missing a few pieces of the truth of our past.


    But at the time. Had I really had any reason to think otherwise?


    Yet, even as I thought that, my chest ached with regret. Keeping her in the shadows hadn¡¯t been the correct choice, no matter the reasoning. I¡¯d kept her at arm¡¯s distance, never letting her too close except for sex. Because of that, I had pushed her away so far that I¡¯d nearly lost her and Alice.


    I wouldn¡¯t make the same mistakes this time. Now that I had found them again, it only made sense that I


    keep close to them, even if only for Alice¡¯s sake.


    ¡°If you really cared about ether of them, you would pack up and go back to Thom Pack,¡± Anna continued. * All you have done is cause trouble for Amber.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere,¡± I said firmly. ¡°Alice is my daughter, and I will be a part of her life.¡±


    <b>¡°</b>But


    ¡°I can thank <b>you </b>for being so protective of Amber and Alice<b>,</b><b>¡± </b>I said. <b>¡°</b>These are the markings of a good


    friend. But you are being protective of the wrong individual. Alice is my child, and I will be a good father to you. You, nor anyone else, will keep me from my child.¡±


    Near the end of my statement, more fervor entered my voice than I intended, but it was enough for Anna to fall silent for a long moment as she seemed to consider my words.


    I knew she hated me, and I supposed I had given her reason to, given that my negligence had driven Amber onto the ne that crashed. She almost died, and I had a piece of the me in that.


    But I was still Alpha. Amber was still my wife, as I hadn¡¯t yet signed the divorce paperwork, and Alice


    was still our child.


    Anna was a well¨Cmeaning friend, but she was not a part of my family. And I would not be disrespected as Alpha, even if we were presently in a foreign pack.


    Anna slinked back slightly, further away from the door.


    ¡°I assure you that I mean no harm to Amber or to Alice,¡± I said.


    She nodded but didn¡¯t seem convinced. ¡°I guess we¡¯ll see about that,¡± she said, then turned and hurried


    down the hallway away from my door.


    I watched her until she was out of sight, and then closed the door.


    With that reaction, I could tell that my attempts to cate her had failed. She was a good friend to Amber,


    but a troublesome one too. I had to be careful to ensure that she wouldn¡¯t meddle with things.


    The best way to do that was to win over Amber and Alice as best as I could.


    Checking my watch, it was almost time to meet them. It wouldn¡¯t hurt to be at the restaurant early.


    I waited a few more minutes, to ensure that Anna had left, and then I went to the meeting ce.


    I went to the restaurant and got us a table for three. I asked the hostess for the table in the back that was


    somewhat secluded so we could talk without fear of being overheard. I didn¡¯t know the kind of life Amber


    had made for herself here, or how much the locals knew.


    As far as I could tell, no one but Amber and Anna knew I was Alice¡¯s father. I didn¡¯t want to publicize that yet, without making sure Alice was properly protected. Being the Alpha¡¯s daughter could be a burden, even I could acknowledge that, which might have been partly why Amber kept this from me.


    The other reason, I knew, was because I had pushed Amber away when she had needed me the most. I had made it seem like Olivia was more important. But I didn¡¯t have all the facts at the time. But then, neither did Amber.


    Everything about my past with Amber was messy. This was why I couldn¡¯t me her entirely for keeping Alice a secret from me. I knew I had driven her to it, and carried the guilt of that.


    But this here and now ¨C was my chance to finally make things right.


    First though¡­


    Seated at the back table, I saw the moment Amber and Alicee through the door. Alice was a bundle of excitement and energy. Amber was more reserved, her face a hard shell.


    I would condemn her nervousness if I didn¡¯t also feel my own.


    They stopped at the hostess table, likely to ask after me. They didn¡¯t have to do that.


    I stood up from the table and waved.


    ¡°Julian!¡± Alice said and rushed toward me, breaking from her mother¡¯s hold.


    Immediately, I dropped to one knee and opened my arms. She ran into them. As I closed my arms around her, she circled her own smaller arms around my neck.


    ¡°I missed you, Dad,<i>¡± </i>she said, and my heart lurched.


    Did she know the truth, or¡­ no, this was probably the childish wonder she carried. Didn¡¯t she say in the


    past that she wanted me to be her dad?


    Even so, hearing the title now did something to my heart.


    I had been so close to being a father in the past, twice, and mourned the children each time. To discover


    now that one of the children had lived, and that she was a healthy, excitable girl like Alice¡­


    In this one perfect moment, I couldn¡¯t be happier.


    Alice was my child, to father and protect. And I would do what I had to do to keep her safe and happy.


    To do that, I needed to bring her back to my pack.

 Main Flame 81

    Amber¡¯s POV


    I was frightened of what Julian knowing the truth might mean for Alice and for our future. Yet, in this


    moment, seeing Julian and Alice hug filled me with nothing but pleased, joyful feelings.


    My daughter should be praised, she should be loved and acknowledged by her father. For so long, I had


    thought he would simply reject her if he knew the truth, cast her aside as he had cast me aside, or keep


    her to the shadows.


    Now, I could see that his affection for Alice was genuine.


    There was much to talk about, much that could yet go wrong. But knowing he epted her lifted a lead weight that I had carried in the pit of my stomach since he had focused on Olivia instead of me, since I boarded that ne, since I decided to start a new life elsewhere.


    When their hug was done, Julian stood once more. He looked at me and a long moment passed where we just looked at each other. I didn¡¯t know what to say, my insides a torrent of emotion. He didn¡¯t say


    anything either, at least not until he gestured to the table.


    ¡°Please,¡± he said. ¡°Sit.¡±


    Julian sat down on the far side. Taking Alice¡¯s hand, I made her sit in the booth across the table facing


    his. Alice tugged on my arm, clearly wanting to sit with Julian, but I needed her beside me right now.


    There were too many uncertainties here. While I was pleased they were getting along, now that the hug was done, my fears were starting to bubble up within me.


    If I let them sit together, would he just take her and run? I couldn¡¯t chance it.


    Alice frowned at me, but ultimately obeyed without too much fuss. Her excitement made her more


    easygoing than usual.


    ¡°So, Alice,¡± Julian said. ¡°How is school going? Are you making many friends here?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m making a ton of friends!¡± she said, then started to list some of them on her fingers. ¡°I¡¯ve never had so many friends before¡­¡±


    Julian smiled, though his brow pulled together somewhat with worry. ¡°I¡¯m sure you had friends in my pack¡­¡±


    Alice shrugged. ¡°Not really. Some, I guess<b>. </b>But everyone was afraid of me¡­¡± Instinctively, she reached up and touched her ne. Her expression dimmed.


    ¡°Why would they be afraid?¡± Julian asked.


    ¡°What should we have to eat?¡± I asked brightly, distracting Alice from the question. ¡°I¡¯ve heard they have


    a really good chicken sandwich here. What do you think, Alice? Do you want chicken?¡±


    ¡°Maybe chicken fingers¡­¡± she said, her features brightening again.


    Julian lifted his gaze from Alice to me, but I pretended not to notice. He had to have questions about this, about why the other kids would be afraid of Alice.


    He¡¯d only just learned he was Alice¡¯s father. I didn¡¯t know how I felt about revealing her condition to him<b>, </b>especially now that we had the ne to counter it. It wasn¡¯t a permanent solution of course but it did


    stop her shifting for now.


    Julian hadn¡¯t been there to watch her suffer. He didn¡¯t know what it was like to feel the fear and anguish,


    watching your child feel pain.


    It was such a big burden to bear. I didn¡¯t know if I could trust him to carry it.


    For the rest of the meal, Julian avoided that conversation, instead asking Alice questions about her favorite subjects, her favorite books and shows, and about other things she liked to do. Alice engaged


    eagerly and the two seemed to be getting along.


    asionally, Alice would look over at me, and I would smile encouragingly.


    As nervous as I was about this entire thing, I wanted the two to get along. It wasn¡¯t as if I didn¡¯t want my


    daughter to have her father. It was more¡­ I didn¡¯t trust him to be good for her.


    Yet here he was, proving me wrong.


    I wasn¡¯t ready to rx just yet though, knowing things could still take a turn. I had many fears about this situation that had yet to be relieved. Those weren¡¯t things for Alice to be afraid of though.


    After dinner, we walked to the nearby park. Recognizing some children from school, Alice ran ahead to


    y with them on the slides and swings.


    Julian and I found a bench. He gestured for me to sit first. Once I had, he took the spot beside me. Together we watched Alice y. We were silent for a while, before Julian spoke up.


    ¡°I¡¯m d you agreed <i>to </i>this,<i>¡± </i>Julian said.


    ¡°Alice is already fond of you,¡± I said. ¡°She heard on her own that you were in town. I couldn¡¯t keep her away even if I had tried.¡±


    He smiled, and it was dazzling. He was such a handsome man, and fatherhood looked good on him.


    ¡°I¡¯m d,<i>¡± </i>he said. ¡°That will make things easier in the months toe.¡±


    Immediately, I tensed. Was this the part I feared finally happening? ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m nning on personally working with you on this project, Amber. I think we should travel to various


    packs together to help the less fortunate children. We¡¯ll bring Alice, of course.¡±


    The project would call for some travel. That he wanted to personally help did speak to his generosity and


    leadership.


    But that didn¡¯t sit right with me. He was talking about the next handful of months. I was waiting to hear


    what his ns were like for after that.


    I nned on staying here. I liked my little clinic and Alice loved the school and her friends. But we weren¡¯t close to Julian¡¯s Thorn pack. It wouldn¡¯t be an easymute for him to visit with his daughter.


    I was sure we could make it work though. Alice could go there on the weekends, or Julian coulde here. There wasn¡¯t any need to fully uproot either of our lives.


    Fear lobbed up in my throat, I asked, ¡°And then..?¡±


    I was ying with fire, asking that question. Maybe it was better not to know. But I couldn¡¯t y pretend now, like I might have done in the past, convincing myself that everything would work out. I had Alice to look out for now. It wasn¡¯t just my heart <b>on </b>the line anymore.


    ¡°Then,¡± he said, and looked back at Alice, who was at <b>this </b>moment sliding down the big slide in the


    center of the yground. ¡°Alice cane back to <b>Thom </b>pack and we can announce her as my official daughter and heir.¡±


    The blood drained from my face. ¡°I¡¯d prefer if Alice and I stayed here.¡±


    Julian huffed a breath, as if the notion was ridiculous. ¡°I am the Alpha, Amber. She would have the best


    life in my pack under my care.¡±


    The fears I had held amplified until they now swallowed me entirely whole.


    This was what Anna had warned about. This was what I had been afraid of most, second only to worries


    he would totally reject Alice.


    He wanted to take Alice away from me.


    At my stunned silence, Julian looked at me. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    I didn¡¯t even know where to begin!


    Yet at that moment, Alice ran up to us. Giggling, she said, ¡°<b>My </b>friends say you look like <b>a </b>couple. So when are you going to get married?<b>¡± </b>

 Main Flame 82

    Julian¡¯s POV


    Alice¡¯s question filled me with the kind of joy and pride that made me puff out my chest a little. Of course Alice¡¯s friends would think that her mother and I were a couple, we were still married after all. We also


    were Alice¡¯s legitimate parents.


    As for when we were going to get married¡­ Well, we already were.


    Alice clearly didn¡¯t know that, and right here in this park did not seem like the time <i>to </i>tell her.


    Amber had kept Alice in the dark on so many things, it seemed. That Amber and I were married, that I


    was Alice¡¯s real father, that she could so easily be next in line to rule the Thorn pack.


    I wasn¡¯t pleased Amber had kept these secrets, but I could understand why she would. Out of fear of abandonment, I suspected. Why lift up Alice¡¯s hopes just to watch them fall?


    But I made an inward vow to both Amber and to Alice. Neither would be left behind again. Alice would be my daughter in every way. I wouldn¡¯t keep her in the shadows as I had my marriage to Amber.


    Perhaps Amber just needed proof that I was being genuine. But that made her reaction to my future ns


    all the more confusing.


    I had thought she would be pleased that I intended to take Alice under my wing. Why did she look like I had given her the worst news imaginable?


    Surely she should be joyous? After all, Thorn pack was so much more advanced than this rural wilderness. Yes, the trees and nature called to my wolf, but technologically, it was so far behind.


    Alice deserved to be raised as the daughter of a prosperous pack Alpha should, with all the benefits that title would provide her. And here I was, offering that.


    So why did she seem so distressed?


    ¡°No, honey,¡± Amber said softly. ¡°Julian and I are just friends¡­¡±


    The words cut into me more than I would have expected. Inside of me, my wolf whined anxiously.


    Just friends? We were married!


    Still, I held my tongue. For now, I would follow Amber¡¯s lead on Alice. Soon though, we would tell her the truth and I would start to take a more proactive role in her care.


    ¡°Aww,¡± Alice said, pouting. She <b>was </b>immediately distracted though, when her friends called her name, beckoning her back to the yground.


    When she was gone, Amber lowered her head. There was a delectable blush to her cheeks that enthralled


    me somewhat. How many times in the past had I prided myself on making her blush like that? It felt like


    a different lifetime now.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that,¡± she said.


    Again, I was confused. Amber and I did not seem to be on the same page about anything anymore.


    Maybe we never had been.


    Even when we had been together initially, it was like we were talking but having two very different conversations at once. In all this time, that didn¡¯t seem to have changed.


    Yet, in the past, when I would have just given up and walked away. Now, I found myself wanting to understand her side of things.


    In walking away before, I had only ever made things worse between us, creating a rift that had led to her keeping the existence of my child from me. I didn¡¯t want to make those same mistakes again.


    I didn¡¯t want to push either Amber or Alice away.


    What I wanted was to have my family back with me.


    There wereplications of course. Olivia being one of the big ones. And Roman, though he admitted publically his engagement to Amber was a misunderstanding.


    But even with theseplications, Amber should be able to see that the best way for us to be was all together. It made the most logical sense.


    ¡°Why should you <i>be </i>sorry?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Alice gets these big ideas in her head.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ this one just happens to be true,¡± I said. ¡°We are still married.¡±


    She looked at me sharply, as her voice <i>too </i>took on an edge. ¡°Only because you haven¡¯t signed the divorce


    papers.¡±


    ¡°Why should we get divorced?¡± I asked. ¡°Now that we have Alice ¨C¡±


    ¡°Why would we teach Alice that marriage without love is eptable?¡± she asked, her brow scrunched, her voice filled with disbelief. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want her to end up in a marriage like ours.¡±


    <i>2/2 </i>

 Main Flame 83

    <b>Chapter </b>83


    Cut after cut dug into me. Did she even realize what she was saying?


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be so dire,¡± I said.


    She scoffed as she shook her head. ¡°What about Olivia? She¡¯s your fated mate, isn¡¯t she? And I cured her infertility. Are you two having children yet?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that,<i>¡± </i>I said. ¡°You are attempting to simply everything.¡±


    ¡°Things are simple, Julian. We¡¯ve both moved on.¡±


    Jealousy seared through me, hot and bright. She¡¯d moved on? With whom? Roman?


    ¡°I think we¡¯ve had enough for today,¡± she said and stood. ¡°I¡¯m going to take Alice home.¡±


    ¡°Now, wait a minute,¡± I said, standing with her. Before she could walk away from me, I grabbed her arm, keeping her near me. I was careful to keep my hold light though, not wanting to hurt her. ¡°We need to talk about this, and the future. Alice is my daughter, and that means ¨C¡±


    ¡°We can talk visitation,<i>¡± </i>she said. ¡°But if you think for one minute that I¡¯m going to let you steal custody of my daughter, then know that you have a fight on your hands.¡±


    Perhaps a remnant of the jealousy, anger rose within me next. ¡°She is the heir of the Thorn pack. You cannot deny her that birthright!¡±


    ¡°She deserves to be raised in a loving home!¡±


    ¡°And you think I can¡¯t give her that?¡± I demanded.


    She looked me right in the eye and said, ¡°No. I don¡¯t. I¡¯m not sure you even know what love is, Julian.¡±


    In my shock, I let her <i>go</i>. She stormed forward, calling for Alice, and then led Alice off the yground, away from me.


    I could hear my daughter. ¡°I want <i>to </i>say goodbye to Julian!¡±


    Amber replied, ¡°You¡¯ll see him again.¡±


    That was the only thing that gave mefort. Amber wasn¡¯t fleeing with my child again, she was just creating space.


    Amber had thrown that insult, primed to hurt. Of course I knew what love was¡­


    Didn¡¯t I?


    I was furious, but I didn¡¯t want Alice or the other children to see, nor did I really want to take it out on Amber. So I walked towards the woods, shifted, and let my wolf run off the aggression and the pain.


    When I finally returned to my hotel, it was dark outside. I walked into my room, ready to head to the shower, when I noticed my phone still on the charger.


    I had been so excited earlier to meet with Alice and Amber that I had forgotten all about it.


    Checking the screen, I saw 15 missed calls from Olivia.


    I sighed. I thought of ignoring her, but with so many calls, it could be an emergency. So I called her.


    She picked up right away.


    ¡°There you are, darling,¡± she said.


    I¡¯d asked her not to call me that so many times, but it never mattered. ¡°You called?¡±


    ¡°I was hoping I coulde visit you¡­¡± she said.


    ¡°Don¡¯t,¡± I said at once, with some guilt. I hadn¡¯t been truthful with Olivia about where I¡¯d gone.


    The past few months had been something of a chore. Olivia hadn¡¯t been happy with my many trips, my secret efforts to find Amber and Alice, nor had she been pleased by my overall distance, both physically and mentally.


    She could have children now, and wanted to have children with me. But I¡¯d had no interest in sleeping with her, or truly, in pursuing her at all.


    All I¡¯d been able to think about was Amber and Alice.


    ¡°That isn¡¯t a good idea,¡± I told her. ¡°Just stay in Thorn pack. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    Olivia¡¯s POV


    On the phone of the screen, Olivia could see exactly where Julian was. She had turned on tracking to his phone without his knowledge. It infuriated her that he wasn¡¯t where he told her he was going to be.


    But she would have thestugh.


    ¡°That¡¯s fine, darling,¡± she said. ¡°But I have a surprise for you¡­ You¡¯ll just have to wait and see¡­¡±

 Main Flame 84

    Amber¡¯s POV


    The next day after I entered the office, I told Anna everything that happened with Julian and the meeting with Alice. As I exined, I tried to be as non¨Cpartial as I could be, but my own feelings seeped through without my meaning to.


    It was hard not to be emotional and partial when I was talking about the future of my child.


    Her face was cloudy throughout my speaking. When I finished, she seemed absolutely furious on my behalf.


    ¡°I knew he¡¯d try something like this,¡± she said. ¡°He never gave you the respect and consideration you deserved, always making these choices for you <b>¨C </b>you¡¯ll be a housewife, you¡¯ll stay hidden¡­ I¡¯m sorry to say I¡¯m not surprised that he is now trying to dictate everything for your child <i>too</i>. It must be the Alpha way.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t even let Alice say goodbye¡­¡± I said, feelings some guilt over that. I still wanted the two to have a rtionship, but I didn¡¯t want to entirely lose her to him. What was so wrong with visitations? Every other weekends? Even summers, I would negotiate. But for Alice to move to Thorn pack permanently<b>? </b>


    I couldn¡¯t stand the thought, not after I¡¯d gone through so much to escape that pack.


    And who knew if and when Julian¡¯s opinion on Alice would turn? Yes, he supported her now, but if she started to do things he didn¡¯t like, would his attitude switch? Would he want to keep her hidden, or force her to be something she wasn¡¯t?


    I couldn¡¯t stand it if that were true, but by then, it would already be toote to do anything about it.


    There had to be something I could do. Julian¡¯s showing up here meant that if I tried to run again, he would only keep tracking us down.


    I could try to talk to him, but he was so damn stubborn. Once he thought he had made the most logical decision, it was very difficult to talk him out of it.


    On paper, it made sense. Alice would receive the most financial benefit from returning with Julian to the pack and being raised as his heir. But emotionally, would that be best? That was much more difficult to determine.


    My point that Julian didn¡¯t know what love was had been a low blow at the time, but it was a truth that I¡¯d secretly harbored for years. I didn¡¯t think him incapable. His mother was a kind soul, and surely he had inherited some of that. And there had been moments when we¡¯d been together where I almost saw a side of him that encouraged me to believe¡­


    But in the end, he had cast me aside so quickly, so viciously, it was like I had never meant anything to him at all, despite being his wife. To me, that had been the truth of it Of everything


    That had been what made me doubt he even knew what love was. Because the way he treated me? That


    was anything but.


    I wouldn¡¯t let my daughter learn those ways. Duty was important, as was pack, but it wasn¡¯t more


    important than love and self¨Crespect.


    Julian valued pack so highly that I worried down the line, he might even force Alice into some kind of arranged marriage or something. He¡¯d probably tell her, ¡®It¡¯s for the good of the pack!¡®


    Over my dead body.


    ¡°There has to be something we can do to convince him,¡± I said, though maybe that was wishful thinking. I really didn¡¯t want to have to run again, to keep running, to keep restarting our lives every time Julian got


    close.


    And again, I wanted Julian and Alice to have a rtionship. But not one where he totally controlled her


    life.


    And mine.


    ¡°Alice is happy here,¡± Anna said, after a moment considering. ¡°Maybe if you could show him that being


    here has benefits¡­¡±


    It was an idea. Though, in truth, I was ready to keep Alice far away from Julian. At least for now.

 Main Flame 85

    There was a knock on the door, and my assistant Ca poked her head through. ¡°Amber¡­ That man from


    yesterday is here for you.¡±


    My stomach dropped. I had just seen him yesterday, and already I was going to have to be faced with him


    again? Did he want to argue more? I didn¡¯t know if I was ready for that.


    Ca continued, ¡°He said he¡¯s here to start his training¡­?¡± Ca had a puzzled look on her face.


    Anna and I mirrored it as we looked at each other.


    Whatever he was really here for, there was no avoiding it until I faced him. For now, I had to be an adult


    and find out what he wanted.


    Standing from my desk, I said to Anna, ¡°Wish me luck.¡±


    ¡°Good luck,<i>¡± </i>she said.


    I walked around the desk and then out into the hallway, where I followed Ca to the waiting room.


    There, much like yesterday, Julian was standing, waiting for me. In was in his full suit today, with his


    hair carefully slicked back.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know what to wear,¡± he said. ¡°We didn¡¯t talk about a dress code.¡±


    My brow drew together in confusion. He seemed earnest in the way he talked, like he was genuine.


    ¡°A dress code for¡­?¡± I prompted.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t she tell you?¡± he asked, motioning to Ca who is returning to her desk. ¡°I¡¯m here for my training.


    We didn¡¯t talk about a specific time for it to happen, but I thought the sooner the better. If I¡¯m going to help you put this project into action, I should probably learn how to do things.¡±


    ¡°Things¡­?¡± I was still having trouble following along. We had talked about the project, about perhaps


    traveling to the different packs to help sick children. But that had been one of many conversations, thetter of which did not end with any kind ofradery.


    ¡°Whatever you need me to do,¡± he rified. ¡°I assure you I am capable, and I¡¯m ready and willing to learn


    whatever I don¡¯t already know. I am your most dutiful student, Amber. I want to be your assistant.¡±


    I blinked, unsure.


    ¡°You did still want toplete the project¡­?¡± he asked.


    I did. That much was true. But after everything else we had talked about.


    No, maybe this was the perfect opportunity. If I could show him how capable I was, and how good of a life Alice had with me, not tied up in the Thom capital, maybe I could convince him to consider visitations or


    shared custody, rather than taking Alice from me.


    We¡¯d already established that I couldn¡¯t escape him, even if I tried <i>to </i>run.


    Maybe this was the chance I needed¡­


    If we could get close, if he could see¡­


    Maybe he would soften his stance on this enough to see things my way.


    Yet even as I weed him into one of the back offices, I still wasn¡¯t sure this was real.


    I set him up at aputer, got him some credentials and logged him in. He sat at the desk while I leaned over him. He nced back at me, while I looked at him. We were close.


    Too close.


    ¡°Amber¡­¡± he said, a whisper. Something softened in the depths of his eyes. He looked at me with an affection that reminded me of a time long ago. He would often look at me like this, especially right before


    we explored our passion for each other.


    Blushing, I quickly leaned back.


    I couldn¡¯t get distracted here. We were bound to be in close proximity if he was serious about pursuing


    this project.


    I had to stay strong and remember my purpose.


    I had to convince him that staying with me was the best option for Alice. And if that meant allowing him


    to shadow me for the next few months, then I had to do that.


    Without getting my heart involved.

 Main Flame 86

    Chapter <b>86 </b>


    Amber¡¯s POV


    As expected of an Alpha, Julian was a fast learner and in no time at all, had learned to be a good assistant. He even befriended Ca, shadowing her for a while to learn the in¡¯s and out¡¯s of what she did.


    <b>For </b>a few days, he proved himself, as he imed, to be a dutiful assistant. Every night after work though,


    he would ask, ¡°Can I see Alice tonight?¡±


    Every night, I would think up an excuse, still worried about getting the two of them together.


    ¡°She has homework,¡± I said tonight, an excuse I had already used twice before this week.


    As his face darkened somewhat, I knew he was tired of hearing it.


    ¡°I¡¯ll only stay for a few minutes. Just to see her and say hi,¡± he said.


    Even that made me anxious. Knowing he nned on making her his heir, what if he snatched her when my back was turned and left for the capital. What if I was never able to get her back?


    Perhaps my worries were unjustified. Perhaps my fears were making me think of worst case scenarios.


    Julian had been nothing but kind to Alice since knowing her, even before learning she was his child. I


    knew he wouldn¡¯t hurt her.


    But¡­ I also knew he wanted to raise her in Thorn pack. When pushed, I didn¡¯t know how far he would go


    to <i>see </i>that happen.


    ¡°Maybe tomorrow,¡± I said, but was already thinking of ways to keep them apart.


    My ultimate n was to convince Julian Alice was better off with me in this rural little pack. I knew he had to spend time with her to see how well she was doing. But my fears were at war with my logical


    sense.


    I felt like I was holding onto sand, trying to keep control of everything. And with sand, the tighter you


    held it, the more you would lose.


    ¡°Tomorrow,<i>¡± </i>he said. ¡°She is my daughter, Amber.¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow<i>,¡± </i>I assured him.


    After he left, my heart was heavy. Maybe if I brought Alice to the clinic and let them interact here, that would put me more at ease. This felt like my home turf, and I was morefortable here. Especially if I


    ask Anna to cover the door.


    When I went home that night, Alice asked me about Julian again, just as she had every night since we


    went out.


    ¡°You said I¡¯d see him again,¡± she said. ¡°When, Mommy? When?¡±


    ¡°Soon,¡± I told her. ¡°Maybe tomorrow at the clinic.¡±


    Alice pouted and dashed from the room. I knew she was upset, but considered the matter settled.


    Still, I didn¡¯t like the thought of her being unhappy with me. I paced, trying <i>to </i>think of ways to make this up to her. At 6, she couldn¡¯t possibly understand all the dynamics at y here. To her, the only thing I was doing was keeping her away from the man she thought of as her dad.


    Maybe I could make her favorite dinner as an offering of sorts?


    As I was debating, Alice remerged from her room.


    ¡°Mom,<i>¡± </i>she said. ¡°I want to go get ice cream.¡±


    I thought of saying no. After all, she should at least wait until after dinner. But I was so eager to make this up to her, so eager to fix this small rift between us, that I decided to spoil her.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said. ¡°Let¡¯s get some ice cream.¡±


    She beamed.


    In the car, she directed me, not to the ice cream shop that was closest to us, but to the one shaped like an ice cream cone that was nearer the shopping center¡­ and the only hotel in town, where Julian had to be


    staying.


    Hopefully he wouldn¡¯t <i>see </i>us. Maybe if we ate in the car?


    Yet as I parked and we approached the cone¨Cshaped building, my stomach twisted. Julian was already


    here.


    ¡°Dad!¡± Alice shouted and ran <i>to </i>him for another hug.


    <i>2/2 </i>

 Main Flame 87

    Chapter <b>87 </b>


    ¡°Thank you for the invite,¡± he said to her, then turned his smile up to me. ¡°It was a nice surprise.¡±


    The¡­ invite?


    Alice nced back at me, then quickly away, looking guilty. A certain someone must have gone behind


    my back to see Julian. I was annoyed by this, but I could recognize my own part in it. By forcing them apart, I was only making Alice more curious.


    For now, I supposed the damage was done. As long as I stayed close to Alice, I was sure I could stop


    Julian from stealing her away if he tried.


    ¡°My treat,¡± Julian said, righting himself. ¡°What do you want, Alice?¡±


    ¡°Chocte fudge sundae!¡± she said brightly. She must have realized I was going to let her get away with


    what she¡¯d done, and I was¡­ at least, for now.


    Julian looked at me. ¡°And Amber?¡±


    I startled slightly, surprised to be included.


    ¡°I¡­ uh¡­¡±


    ¡°Chocte cone with extra sprinkles?¡± he asked, remembering the way I had ordered ice cream when we¡¯d gone out once, long ago, before we¡¯d even been married.


    How could he remember that?


    Despite my best efforts to keep my heart guarded and my feelings cold toward him, I warmed somewhat.


    ¡°Yes, that would be fine. Thank you,¡± I said.


    Julian went to order our ice cream, while Alice and I found a table.


    ¡°You are in trouble for this, youngdy,¡± I said.


    ¡°Okay,¡± she said, still smiling, with not a lick of remorse in sight.


    ¡°Later,¡± I added with a sigh.


    After a few moments, Julian returned with the ice cream.


    The extra sprinkles on mine added that extra kick of sugar that I so rarely allowed myself to indulge in, but what I could easily be addicted to if I wasn¡¯t careful.


    Before long, Julian had made Aliceugh, and for a moment, if I had forgotten who we were and all theplications between <b>us</b><b>, </b>I might have thought we were a happy little family on an ice cream outing.


    The sunlight warmed Julian¡¯s handsome forehead and his clear, blue eyes, reminding me of the ocean, a warm ocean. He looked at me, and I couldn¡¯t help but shiver all over.


    Quickly, I masked it. But his gaze didn¡¯t waver.


    ¡°Amber¡­¡± His deep voice was maic.


    I hurriedly said, ¡°Let¡¯s talk about work.¡±


    He paused for a moment.


    ¨C


    Julian started talking about the project, exining to Alice some of what I already told her ¨C that during


    her uing summer break, we would go around to a bunch of different packs and help treat sick


    children. Alice was more excited when Julian told her than when I did, because I had left out the part


    about Julianing with us.


    Honestly, I still thought he might back out. Even with all the training he had been diligently taking part <ol><li>in. </li></ol>


    With how excited Alice was now, I hoped he was genuine. It would hurt her greatly if he bailed on her


    after telling her he woulde.


    I still wasn¡¯t sure what exactly I wanted to happen.


    The rest of the snack went fine. I grew nervous as it came to say goodbye, but Julian and Alice simply


    hugged. Then Julian let her go and Alice came to stand beside me.


    ¡°Goodbye, Dad!¡± Alice called. I didn¡¯t correct her.


    Julian smiled. ¡°Goodnight, Alice. Amber.¡±


    Then we parted ways.


    That things went so well helped fill me with some measure of hope. I still was distrustful of Julian¡¯s ns


    for Alice¡¯s future, but thoughts of him simply stealing her away like some cartoon viin did slowly ebb


    from my mind.


    I wasn¡¯t ready to trust him, but I was actually starting to look forward to this project.


    Yet, that morning, as I walked out of my office to greet my first patient of the day, I froze in ce.


    Olivia was sitting in the waiting room.

 Main Flame 88

    Amber¡¯s POV


    Olivia was likely here to see Julian, so hoping to avoid her, I looked around for my morning appointment, to get that patient to the back before Olivia could see me. Unfortunately, Olivia was the only one in the


    office at the moment.


    This gave me a sinking feeling, like a dark intuition, I could almost predict what was about to happen¡­


    ¡°Oh, Healer!¡± Olivia said. Spotting me, she stood and walked over. ¡°Thank you so much for epting my appointment at thest minute.¡±


    I nced at Ca who gave me a thumbs up.


    Yes, I did takest minute appointments for people in need, but I¡¯d left Olivia in the hands of Healer Eric and others from the Thorn pack. With her infertility cured, those doctors should have been able to look


    after all of her needs without issue.


    Her appearance here felt like a trap, but since I didn¡¯t know what she wanted, I didn¡¯t see anyway of not


    walking right into it.


    ¡°What¡¯s the problem?¡± I asked her, with us both still out in the waiting room.


    Olivia lifted a brow. ¡°Isn¡¯t that something we should discuss privately? I doubt you make your other patients discuss their personal health issues right here in the lobby.¡±


    She was right. Even Ca was starting to look at me strangely.


    ¡°Very well,¡± I said. Turning, I led Olivia into the examination room that I had intended to use for my first patient of the day. That patient, I guessed, was Olivia.


    I held the door, waiting for her to enter as I always did with patients. Once she was inside, I closed the door to give us the privacy she insisted upon.


    Looking at her, I didn¡¯t detect any difort. She was standing confidently, with her hand on her hip and her head held high. With a smirk on her lips, she didn¡¯t appear to be in any kind of pain.


    ¡°Have you had some reaction to the fertility treatment?¡± I asked her. I was grasping at straws, trying to guess her issue. I didn¡¯t want her to be unwell, but I was hoping she had some actual medical issue foring to see me, and not what I suspected, that she was here to stir up trouble.


    I already had plenty of that all on my own without her help.


    ¡°No, nothing like that,¡± she said. ¡°In fact, your treatments worked like a dream.¡± Delicately, she ced her hand over her stomach, which was t as a board. ¡°I¡¯m carrying Julian¡¯s child. Soon, we¡¯ll have a baby all <b>our </b>own. Isn¡¯t it wonderful?¡±


    Of course she was. Of course Julian would want a child with Olivia, his fated mate, as soon as possible.


    Yet¡­ if she was pregnant, what was he doing here? Committing to a three month project to travel to different packs with Alice and me. Shouldn¡¯t he be at home taking care of Olivia?


    Inside, my heart seemed to shrivel and my wolf whimpered in pain.


    I thought of Julian, Alice, and me sitting around that table at the ice cream ce, and how we could have


    been a happy little family.


    Who was I kidding? Julian was never going to be a part of my family. In fact, he probably wanted to take


    Alice back to the pack so she could be raised by Olivia.


    The thought made me so angry that I very nearly started to shake. It was only by my strong will that I


    kept from showing my fury on my face. I¡¯d handled difficult patients before. I knew how to wear the mask of indifference even as my emotions raged just beneath the surface.


    ¡°You surely didn¡¯te all this way just to tell me that,¡± I said, though knowing Olivia and how much she


    seemed to dislike me, maybe she would travel this far just to see the look on my face when she told me. I


    kept my features schooled, hoping to deny her the satisfaction.

 Main Flame 89

    Olivia¡¯s face fell. ¡°He came here for something. I don¡¯t know what, but he lied to me about where he was


    going and what he was doing. I wasn¡¯t surprised to discover that he came to you, though I am disappointed that you didn¡¯t immediately send him on his way. I would have thought you didn¡¯t want to be the other woman anymore.¡±


    Anymore, she said, like she hadn¡¯t broken up with Julian for a time, in which he married me. Like he and


    I weren¡¯t still married.


    But what could I say to her to defend myself here? The only option, the truth, was that Julian hadn¡¯te


    for me but for Alice, our daughter. To admit to Olivia that her child would havepetition to be the heir of the pack felt like opening a door of danger.


    This was just one more reason that Alice shouldn¡¯t return home. Julian should just focus on his and Olivia¡¯s child, make her the heir. Keep Alice out of it.


    ¡°You will send him away, won¡¯t you? Now that you know I¡¯m pregnant,¡± Olivia said. Her face shifted then, losing its cockiness to take on a more pleading fa?ade. I had no idea if it was real, but I knew she could y pretend very well if she wanted to. I couldn¡¯t trust her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want him here,¡± I said, though the words felt like lies on my tongue. ¡°It would be better if he


    returned home.¡±


    Then you¡¯ll send him away?¡± Olivia asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that easy,¡± I said. Though I didn¡¯t want to tell her the specifics, I couldn¡¯t just pretend he would actually listen to me if I told him to leave. ¡°You know how stubborn he is.¡±


    She frowned. ¡°Yes. Unfortunately, I do indeed.¡±


    ¡°He won¡¯t listen to me.¡±


    ¡°Is he here?¡± she asked.


    He was, just in the other room, taking appointments and making phone calls as a dutiful assistant.


    She must have seen the answer on my face. ¡°Take me to him.¡±


    I¡¯d prefer you have your arguments somewhere else,¡± I said.


    ¡°You want him out of your hair? Take me to him,¡± she said again, more firmly.


    I debated just asking her to leave the clinic. I was under no obligation to take her to Julian.


    Yet, now that I knew the full truth of the dangers Alice would face if she were to return to Thom pack, 1 felt a kind of panic rising up within me.


    I hadn¡¯t wanted her in that environment to begin with, but believing now that she would live in constant fear of Olivia and her child, and have topete for everything, it made me even more dedicated to protecting her from that fate.


    So, for Alice¡¯s sake, I nodded and led Olivia to the office where Julian was working.


    When I opened the door, he looked at me with a smile. ¡°Amber. You¡¯ll be pleased to know that I finished filing those¡­¡± His voice trailed as he saw who was darkening the doorway behind me. ¡°Olivia. What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you mean to ask, how did I find you?¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave you two to talk,¡± I said, and started backing out of the office, allowing Olivia to step forward into my ce.


    ¡°Amber, wait,¡± Julian said, standing from his desk chair.


    Olivia immediately stepped into his way. ¡°How could you do this to me, Julian? To us?<b>¡± </b>


    I didn¡¯t want to hear anymore, so I closed the door.


    I only walked two feet down the hallway before I felt my knees go weak. I stopped, leaned against the wall, and closed my eyes.


    I wanted Julian out of Alice and my lives, but not like this¡­

 Main Flame 90

    Julian¡¯s POV


    <b>¡°</b>Us? What us?<b>¡± </b>I demanded.


    At first, I had felt some guilt for not telling Olivia the truth of where I was, or where I¡¯d been, but this was the exact scenario I had been hoping to avoid with my secrecy.


    Olivia felt that she owed a piece of me. In a way, maybe she did. She had once been pregnant with my child and then lost them when I hadn¡¯te home. I couldn¡¯t and wouldn¡¯t forget that. Yet ever since then, she had been lording that tragedy over my head as if she was trying to keep me on a leash.


    Whenever I stepped too far from what she wanted, she would remind me of this, of our lost child, of my shame in being unable to protect my unborn child.


    It was those feelings that culled me once again, keeping me still when I wanted nothing more than to bolt past her and find Amber. If I could only exin¡­


    But where would I even begin?


    Olivia had always been a point of contention between Amber and me. And why wouldn¡¯t she? I had cheated on Amber, drunkenly sleeping with Olivia and getting her pregnant. I didn¡¯t remember that night, but I¡¯d woken up in the bed next to her naked. And then the result the pregnancy <b>¨C </b>spoke for itself.


    ¡ª


    And with that pregnancy, I had showered Olivia with attention and care, not noticing that Amber, my own wife, had also been with child.


    I didn¡¯t know what Olivia had told Amber to get her to lead Olivia to me, but I could only imagine it was more hurts from the past. Hurts I had been trying so hard to make up for in the present.


    ¡°Why did you lie to me about where you were?¡± Olivia said.


    Because I didn¡¯t want her to follow me and make trouble for Amber and Alice.


    ¡°My whereabouts are not and have never been any concern of yours, Olivia,¡± I said firmly. ¡°You need to go back to Thorn pack and stay there.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a fine way <i>to </i>talk to me,¡± she replied.


    She was forgetting her ce again. Because of our past and the loss of our child, I often gave Olivia leeway in her behavior that I wouldn¡¯t give to others. But too often she pushed past the limits of decorum and


    my own self¨Crespect.


    So many times I thought of cutting her out of my life entirely only to hold myself back, thinking of our lost child.


    <b>¡°</b>You are not my Luna, Olivia,¡± I told her. ¡°We are not my lover. You are not my mate. We are only friends.


    And even that is tenuous at times, as you so often seem to forget.¡±


    <b>¡°</b>You are wasting your time here, Julian. Amber has no interest in you anymore. Why don¡¯t youe home with me, someone who wants and appreciates you? We¡¯ll start a new family off right¡­¡±


    New family?


    Ah, she was talking of bearing my children again. Why couldn¡¯t she understand that I had no desire for such a thing? Our first time had been a mistake. Even if Amber and I were no longer together, I still had


    no interest in Olivia in that way.


    ¡°You are kidding yourself, Olivia. Go home.¡±


    ¡°If Amber could hear you talk that way, what would she say? For you to totally disregard me, the mother of your future children.¡±


    I was tired of this argument, and these games she yed. She was not the mother of my future children, despite what she wanted. Despite even what the elder council wished.


    Yes, Olivia came from a good background, and yes, many people had already epted her as Luna.


    But she wasn¡¯t. And she wouldn¡¯t be. Not without my say so, which I wasn¡¯t feeling inclined to give.


    I didn¡¯t want to be cruel to her, not after the tragedy that we suffered together, but being kind had not gotten through to her. For her sake, as well as my own, I needed to be more direct and unfortunately more


    cruel.


    ¡°We have a shared past, Olivia, but it is not a shared future, especially with this kind of behavior. Go back to the pack, Olivia. Move on, if you have to, but know, I am not yours. And I have no desire to be, despite


    the¡­¡±


    My voice trailed, not because of the tears welling in Olivia¡¯s eyes, but because the door to the office opened again, revealing a very angry Amber.


    Olivia turned and, seeing Amber, darted from the room, covering her eyes. Amber stepped aside to let her past, but then immediately filled that doorway again, her re fixed solely on me.


    What did she have to be angry at me for? I was so confused.


    ¡°How could you talk to her like that?¡± she asked.


    I was bbergasted, my mouth dropping open. ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°More, how could you even suggest traveling with me when you have so many responsibilities at home?¡±


    she continued.


    ¡°Amber ¨C¡±


    ¡°Go, Julian,¡± she said, crossing her arms. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be here. You should be looking after Olivia.¡±


    ¡°But what about our project?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You have bigger things to worry about.¡±


    ¡°And what about Alice?¡±


    She nced back at me again, the fire in her eyes enough to sear pain straight onto my soul.


    ¡°Alice would be better off without you.¡±


    Amber¡¯s POV


    I didn¡¯t mean it. Not really.


    Alice loved Julian already, and Julian seemed like he was ready to step into the role of father well enough.


    But once the words were out of my mouth, I couldn¡¯t take them back.


    They had been a flub. What I¡¯d meant with them is that Alice would be better off without the pack drama. But wasn¡¯t Julian firmly twisted up in that?


    Or was it my own hurt shining through.


    Julian had gotten Olivia pregnant again. I¡¯d known it would happen when I cured her infertility but it still hurt so much that I had a throbbing pain in my chest.


    Olivia was the phantom that kept haunting our lives.


    But maybe that was what she thought of me.


    ¡°You should give me the divorce, Julian,¡± I said now. ¡°Go back to your pack and to Olivia, and make things right with her.¡±


    His confusion was palpable, written all over the face he usually kept as nk as a statue. There was hurt there too, though that was much further back, harder to see. Even looking, I wasn¡¯t sure I wasn¡¯t imagining it there on his features.


    ¡°At the very least, please leave the clinic,¡± I said.


    ¡°Amber¡­¡± he started.


    ¡°Please,¡± I said softer, my heart aching as my gaze dropped away.


    He tensed like he wanted to argue, but in the end he sighed. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll leave. For now. But this isn¡¯t over. Not this project, and not my being Alice¡¯s father.¡±


    I stood frozen<b>, </b>not engaging anymore. As the fire of anger dimmed within me, only a hollow sort of cold remained. The past few days, with Julian reentering our lives, had felt like an emotional whirlwind.


    Olivia showing up had just been thest straw.


    Julian started for the door, yet before he left, he angled toward me and said, ¡°I¡¯m not giving up, Amber.¡±


    Before I could figure out what he meant, he was gone.

 Main Flame 91

    Chapter <b>91 </b>


    Julian¡¯s POV


    I left the clinic out of respect for Amber. Seeing Olivia had clearly rattled her, and then overhearing what we said seemed to only make things worse somehow.


    Amber had been jumpy since my first appearance, and though I¡¯d been hoping to win her over to my side, I could understand why she had been nervous about me returning into her life, and entering Alice¡¯s.


    I had just started connecting with Alice, and wasying the groundwork to be a good father¡­ And with that, eventually, I had also hoped to woo Amber once again. We could be a family so easily.


    I had visions of moving both Alice and Amber back to Thorn pack. Of remarrying Amber<b>, </b>finally making her the Luna she deserved to be, while also dering Alice our heir.


    Amber hadn¡¯t been as receptive to those ns as I would have hoped, but I was still making progress, inch by slow inch. I had a long way to go to win her trust again. Or maybe for the first time.


    Olivia showing up had thrown the wrench into those ns somehow. I didn¡¯t know what was said, but I was certain Olivia must have said or done something to Amber.


    I had half a mind to track Olivia down and shake the truth out of her.


    Walking outside, I realized I might have my chance sooner rather thanter.


    Like she was waiting for me, Olivia stood outside.


    ¡°Drive me to the hotel?¡± she asked. She was holding a phone. ¡°It¡¯s hard to get a rideshare here. I think there might be one guy working the whole town.¡±


    ¡°I will drive you to the airport,¡± I said. ¡°Because you are not staying here.¡±


    ¡°My things are already at the hotel,¡± she countered.


    I narrowed my eyes. ¡°I will take you to get your things, then we will go to the airport.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going to the airport<i>,</i><i>¡± </i>she said. ¡°Not unless you areing back with me.¡±


    Though the clinic wasn¡¯t particrly busy this time of day, there was still the chance of being overheard. As annoyed as I was with Olivia, as much as I wanted to know what she had said to Amber, I didn¡¯t want to spread that information across the entire pack.


    I was still an Alpha. I had a reputation to protect.


    ¡°I¡¯ll drive you,¡± I said,mitting to nothing, knowing we could at least have some privacy in the car.


    We¡¯d only made it to the first stoplight before I started my interrogation. ¡°You said something to Amber.¡±


    ¡°I simply told her the truth,¡± Olivia said.


    I tightened my grip on the steering wheel. ¡°Which is<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    ¡°That she needs to give up on you and let youe home to your new family,¡± Olivia said.


    ¡°What new family<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    ¡°Why, me, of course, and whatever future children we might have.¡± Olivia gently patted her stomach.


    Because we were stopped at a red light, I turned my head to give her an incredulous look.


    ¡°Olivia, we are not a family.<b>¡± </b>


    <b>¡°</b>Not yet,¡± Olivia said.


    I narrowed my eyes. ¡°What exactly did you tell her? You told her this about the family<b>?</b>¡±


    She shrugged. ¡°I told her I¡¯m pregnant.¡±


    I saw red for a moment. ¡°What?!¡± There was no way she could be pregnant, at least not with my child. And


    for her to lie to Amber about that¡­! No wonder Amber was so furious, if she thought I was abandoning my


    pregnant partner to traverse the packs with her! ¡°You are not pregnant.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Olivia said. ¡°But it¡¯s practically the truth, so I don¡¯t consider it a lie. Once you are finally ready, we¡¯ll


    start our family.¡±


    ¡°That isn¡¯t happening,¡± I said firmly.


    ¡°But what about our child that we lost? Don¡¯t they deserve to have siblings?¡±


    They had a sibling. Alice.


    ¡°This is ridiculous, Olivia. Even for you. You are only trying to start trouble.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m trying <i>to </i>solve things,¡± Olivia said with a huff. ¡°You¡¯ve chased Amber halfway across the continent and she still doesn¡¯t want you. You are an Alpha, Julian, not a lovesick pup. It¡¯s time toe back and start a family with me. Focus on your own pack and its needs. Give up the chase.¡±


    Hoping to develop a rtionship with Amber was only part of the reason that I came here. Connecting with Alice, my daughter, had been my main goal since discovering that she was mine.


    I¡¯d kept that secret from Olivia, as I¡¯d kept other things secret. Though I did consider Olivia a friend, and we had a past connection together,tely she had grown to be manipted. I couldn¡¯t trust her not to use the knowledge of Alice against me somehow.


    Or against Amber.


    Or against Alice herself.


    But this was all the more reason I needed to convince Amber to allow me to take Alice back to the pack and make her my heir. Surely, Olivia would then give up her chase. And with an heir in ce, the elder council would stop pushing for me to marry Olivia.


    Perhaps, in time, they would evene to ept Amber as the true Luna of the pack.


    All of this was only additional benefits of having my daughter and my wife back in my life, which was


    what I wanted the most.


    But first I had to deal with Olivia. And that meant making sure she went back to the pack and stayed out of Amber¡¯s way.


    ¡°Come back with me, Julian,¡± Olivia said again, nearly pleading me.


    The light turned green and I drove forward.


    ¡°The answer is no,¡± I said. ¡°I have unfinished business here.¡±


    ¡°The elder council will be disappointed to learn what you¡¯ve been up to,¡± she said. ¡°Pursuing a girl that doesn¡¯t want you, when you have a perfectly good Luna waiting for you at home.¡±


    ¡°This isn¡¯t the elder council¡¯s business.¡±


    I didn¡¯t like that she was threatening me with that. The elder council could be a nuisance, as they often insisted on facets of my personal life that weren¡¯t their business. But I could handle them. I¡¯d kept them


    at bay this long, so I wasn¡¯t worried that I¡¯d be unable to in the future.


    ¡°You keep fighting against fate, Julian,¡± Olivia said. ¡°We are fated to each other. Why do you continue to


    fight so hard against that? Of course, I understand, you feel some guilt because you had been married to Amber and then she almost died¡­ But it¡¯s clear the girl wants nothing to do with you anymore. She even


    moved all the way here¡­¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know what you are talking about,¡± I said, though the truth behind the words stung. No matter


    how hard I tried, I could never seem to keep Amber from running.


    My behavior in the past had her spooked, and there didn¡¯t seem to be much I could do to turn that around.


    Not yet, anyway. I wasn¡¯t giving up. In time, I didn¡¯t care how long it took, I would convince her that my intentions for her and for Alice were genuine.


    Sitting in the center console, my phone lit up with a message. I couldn¡¯t see the message as I was driving but Olivia could.


    All of the sudden, she went very quiet.


    Then, after a long moment, she asked, ¡°Who is Alice, and why did she call you Dad?<b>¡± </b>

 Main Flame 92

    <b>Chapter </b><b>92 </b>


    Amber¡¯s POV


    After kicking Julian out of the office, I had every reason to suspect that he had reconnected with Olivia, especially after Ca told me the two of them got into Julian¡¯s rental car together. I fully believed he and Olivia were going to drive off into the sunset together and today was thest I¡¯d ever see or hear from either of them.


    I didn¡¯t have a clue how to feel about that.


    On one hand, that would be something of a relief, knowing Alice would be safe and I could raise her how I wanted. On the other hand, it would mean that everything he had said about being genuine would have been a lie.


    If he was gone, then he didn¡¯t really want Alice to be a part of his life, he just wanted an heir. Now that Olivia was pregnant, he didn¡¯t want Alice anymore and discarded her, just like he had cast me to the side all those years ago.


    I didn¡¯t want to believe that Julian could be so callous with the heart of a child, but perhaps being with Olivia had changed him to be even colder than he was when he¡¯d been with me.


    Even with my own upset, my biggest problem now was figuring out how I was going to tell Alice about any of this. She¡¯d already taken to Julian like a father. Losing that connection now felt too cruel.


    At the end of the day, I returned home feeling defeated.


    No sooner had I set my purse down than there was a knock on the door. When I opened the door, the first thing I saw was flowers, a beautiful wildflower bouquet nearly as wide as the doorframe.


    The florist peeked overtop of the flower pedals.


    ¡°Amber?¡± he asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s me,¡± I said, a little bewildered.


    ¡°These are for you,¡± he said and handed them over. Somewhere under the mountain of flowers and stems was a vase. I held onto it now as I hobbled back a step into the house, careful to bring the flowers through


    the door.


    ¡°Who are they from?¡± I asked, though I already had a suspicion.


    ¡°There¡¯s a card there, ma¡¯am,¡± the florist said. He tipped his hat then turned to leave.


    Needing both hands to manage this massive flower arrangement, I kicked the door closed behind me and then maneuvered the vase into the kitchen and down onto the kitchen table.


    The flowers were indeed beautiful, of varying colors though mostly purples and greens, especially when


    they had room to spread out and weren¡¯t scrunched up in someone¡¯s arms.


    I searched for a card and found it tucked in the bouquet, practically hidden in the bloom.


    Grabbing the card, I opened it.


    <b>It </b>read simply, Wait. And was signed by Julian.


    Wait? What did he mean by that?


    Did he mean wait to go on the trip for our project? With him gone, the project was set to fall apart. The Thorn pack was the head backer, after all, and I needed his extra set of hands to see the work aplished.


    Somewhat foolishly, I wondered if he meant wait¡­ before I tell Alice. Or wait, don¡¯t get the wrong idea.


    I was more confused than ever before.


    Yet when the school bus dropped off Alice a few minutester, I was presented with a choice.


    Tell her that Julian had left us without word or exnation, or¡­ wait.


    ¡°Woah! Those flowers are huge!¡± Alice said, skipping into the kitchen. Her eyes were huge with childlike


    wonder and excitement. ¡°Are they from Dad?¡±


    ¡°They are from Julian, yes,¡± I said.


    She giggled. ¡°I knew he liked us!¡±


    I clenched the note from Julian tightly and hoped I was making the right choice.


    ¡°What do you want for dinner tonight?¡± I asked her. ¡°Mac and cheese?¡±


    Per Julian¡¯s request, I could wait. But only for a little while.


    Julian¡¯s POV


    When I received an alert that my flowers had been delivered, I at least felt some relief. Gods knew what Amber must have been thinking. Anyone could have seen me driving off with Olivia, and word could have gotten back to her. And then there was everything that Olivia had told her, about being pregnant¡­.

 Main Flame 93

    Gods. It would be a wonder if Amber did up and leave again, taking Alice with her.


    I¡¯d only left a quick message on the card for the flowers. There was too much to say that couldn¡¯t be properly conveyed on paper. Amber and I needed to sit down for a face to face so that I could properly


    clear the air.


    That couldn¡¯t happen if Amber jumped to conclusions. Or if she ran.


    Maybe she wasn¡¯t going to run away. Maybe it was just my own worries ying tricks on me. But she¡¯d disappeared on me twice before, once almost dying in the process.


    I couldn¡¯t stand to have to chase her again. And what if something happened this third time that she didn¡¯te back from?


    The fear sat in my stomach like a lead weight. I remembered what it felt like to hear the news about the ne crash, to know that this part of my life had been ripped away. There could be no cheating death, no fixing mistakes that were so far out of reach.


    I wasn¡¯t going to let that happen again.


    Amber and I needed to talk.


    But first, I unfortunately had to deal with Olivia. If she was allowed to stay here, she¡¯d only cause more problems, but with the way she flopped down on the edge of the bed in her hotel room, it was clear she


    wasn¡¯t going to be packing up her things anytime soon.


    ¡°I just got here,¡± she said. ¡°I should at least stay the night.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll pay for the hotel,¡± I said. ¡°They will still get their money. But you are going to the airport right now.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care about the hotel,¡± she said. ¡°I want to see the town. I was already on a flight this morning. Who wants to take two nes in one day? Or deal with all those airports? You are being unreasonable.¡±


    I had thought I had convinced her to return to Thorn pack, but ever since she saw that text from Alice,


    something shifted in her mood. She¡¯d dropped the subject almost instantly, and became somewhat brighter. My threats even stopped working, she justughed them off.


    ¡°I¡¯m just following your lead, darling. You see something in this town, and I want to see it to. Something tells me there¡¯s more than just your ex keeping you here.¡±


    <b>I </b>straightened. She was talking about Alice. ¡°That¡¯s none of your business.¡±


    She shrugged like it didn¡¯t matter, but I could tell she was nning something.


    ¡°You will leave Amber alone,¡± I said.


    ¡°And Alice?¡±


    I narrowed my eyes. ¡°Her too.¡± The words came out a bit more forcefully than I meant them. Olivia was being a nuisance but I didn¡¯t hate her. We had a shared past and lost a child together. Yet I couldn¡¯t get over the rising suspicion I felt looking at her.


    Maybe the main culprit was my wolf. Despite Olivia being my fated mate, my wolf had grown attached to


    Amber and Alice. So had I.


    The idea of Olivia getting in the way of that¡­


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave in the morning,¡± she conceded atst. Perhaps she could sense my anger.


    I didn¡¯t want to argue anymore. ¡°Fine,¡± I said. ¡°The first flight. But I mean it, Olivia, don¡¯t start any more


    trouble while you are here.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t dream of it,¡± she said.


    I turned then and marched out of her room.


    With only one person on my mind, I knew where I had to go and what I had to do.


    I had to fix things with Amber.

 Main Flame 94

    <b>Chapter </b><b>94 </b>


    Amber¡¯s POV


    <b>For </b>dinner, Alice and I decided on pizza. So when the doorbell rang, I assumed it was the pizza delivery man. I went there, utched the lock, and threw open the door without checking.


    Then, turning to greet the delivery driver, I saw Julian standing there instead, and I froze.


    ¡°Amber, I was hoping we could talk,¡± he said.


    Though it took me a moment, I recovered quickly enough to tell him. ¡°I don¡¯t think we have anything


    more to say to each other.¡±


    ¡°I disagree.¡±


    I started to close the door.


    ¡°Wait!¡±


    Despite myself, I paused.


    ¡°Amber, please. At least give me the chance to exin.¡±


    ¡°And why should I?¡± I asked. ¡°Isn¡¯t Olivia waiting for you somewhere? I¡¯m sure she would rather have your time.¡±


    I was being petty and I knew it. But I was also furious. Not only did he get Olivia pregnant, he then left her toe out here and try to pursue me. If that was even what he was doing! I was still pretty sure, now more than ever before, that he had only resurfaced so he could im Alice and take her back with him.


    Over my dead body.


    In fact, I didn¡¯t want her to hear this conversation at all. As soon as he left, I was going to tell her that he


    went back home, and then we¡¯d move again.


    Gods, why couldn¡¯t anything ever be easy? Why couldn¡¯t he just stay away from us?


    Before I could start yelling, worried Alice might overhear, I stepped outside and closed the door behind me. This brought me closer <i>to </i>Julian, who looked down at me in confusion for a moment before realizing


    and stepping back himself.


    His closeness made my skin tingle pleasantly, and I had to force myself to remember all the things he was guilty of, reying them again and again in my mind. The more I reyed them, the angrier I


    became.


    ¡°I don¡¯t even want to talk about this with you, Julian. I¡¯m so mad I could spit fire. Just leave, okay? Before Alice sees you<b>. </b>Just get out of here and don¡¯te back.¡±


    Fot a brief moment, a look of hurt crossed over his face, yet then, in another blink, it was gone, his typical steely demeanor recing it. A determination rose within him, though, that much was clear from the firm way he was staring at me.


    ¡°Olivia isn¡¯t pregnant,¡± he said.


    Though he¡¯d said the words tly, they still hit me like a punch. I stared back at him, my mouth slightly agape, confused and stunned, unsure what to believe.


    Typically, I knew Olivia to not be a reliable source, if only from the nature of some of her choices, as well as her clear dislike of me. But she hadn¡¯t been the one to directly hurt me. Julian had made the choices that led to my heartbreak, to my leaving, to everything


    How could I possibly trust him in this?


    Yet my heart, and my wolf, felt like they were on his side. Treacherous, traitorous things. They had nothing to go on but feelings and desires. They wanted him to be innocent, so they trusted him.


    Olivia could be pregnant, no matter what he said. I had to keep that knowledge in the forefront of my thoughts. Until I had proof one way or the other, neither Olivia nor Julian could be fully trusted.


    ¡°Why would she tell me she was?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Because she knows why I really came here,¡± Julian said. ¡°And she is against me achieving my goals.¡±


    My confusion must have been clear on my face; he seemed startled by it.


    ¡°You do know why I came here?¡± he asked.


    ¡°The project¡­?¡± I knew that wasn¡¯t the only reason. He had wanted to track me down so that he could im Alice and take her away. Except he hadn¡¯t done that yet¡­..


    ¡°No, Amber.¡± Julian moved closer again, just a tiny little half¨Cstep. Yet those few inches felt like miles, as he came so much closer to me. ¡°I intend to make you my wife again.¡±


    212

 Main Flame 95

    <b>Chapter </b><b>95 </b>


    I blinked, ¡°What?<b>¡± </b>


    He smiled a little, endearingly. ¡°Not without any effort, of course. I want to start over, woo you like we just met.¡± There was a spark of hope in his eyes. ¡°This is me dering to you, I intend to pursue you.¡±


    ¡°But I thought¡­ you only came here for Alice¡­<b>?</b>¡±


    ¡°I want to provide for Alice, and be her father. I would love to take Alice back to the safety of my pack and raise here there among family and friends. But I want to do things at your side, Amber.¡±


    He inched closer still, moving more metaphorical mountains to stand right in front of me. Physically.


    Emotionally. Then his gaze dropped to my lips.


    He was close enough to kiss me, and I was stunned enough to let him.


    Inside of me was a whirlwind of emotion. I had tried long ago to bury all feelings for Julian deep down within myself, and yet here they were, foolish, hopeless things,ing back to life like they¡¯d never been


    buried at all.


    I wanted him to kiss me, to pursue me, to help me raise Alice.


    He leaned closer still. I could feel his warm breath on my face. I held my own, waiting, anticipating, as I turned my face upwards, making my lips more essible.


    Then, the door behind me opened.


    ¡°I knew it!¡± Alice said as she rushed to my side.


    I stepped back from Julian at once.


    <b>¡°</b>You¡¯re here!¡± Alice said, voice full of excitement.


    Julian recovered from the near¨Ckiss quicker than me. ¡°I¡¯m here,¡± he said, smiling kindly at our daughter.


    ¡°I knew Mom was taking <i>too </i>long to talk to the pizza man,¡± she said. Then, her eyes lit up as an idea


    struck her. ¡°You have <i>to </i>stay for dinner!¡±


    Julian paused, then looked at me somewhat sheepishly. ¡°Only if it¡¯s okay with your Mom.¡±


    Talk about being put on the spot!


    Alice and Julian both hit me with the doe eyes, and I could see now where Alice had inherited this trick


    from.


    ¡°Fine,¡± I said, in part because my mind was still reeling from that kiss, giving no effort to thinking this situation through.


    Alice cheered, which made Julianugh. My heart warmed, but I worried I might regret it.


    Olivia¡¯s POV


    Sitting behind the seat of her rental car, parked out on the street a few houses down from Amber¡¯s ce, Olivia watched everything unfold. Though she couldn¡¯t hear the words spoken, she could piece things together well enough.


    Julian and Amber were reconnecting.


    Irritation spiked within Olivia. Even from this distance, she could tell that Julian was showing more affection to Amber, who abandoned him, than he had to her in years, even though she has always


    remained at his side.


    She wasn¡¯t prone to helplessness, but in that moment, she felt a twinge of defeat. This made her so angry, she very nearly got out of the car to interrupt the scene herself.


    But she stopped herself, knowing such an action would only hurt her in the long run.


    She wanted to ruin this perfect family moment, but the smarter game was to wait, and to n for long


    term.


    Her eyes on the disgustingly almost¨Cperfect little family, Olivia reached into her purse for her phone. She found a familiar number, one she had cleverly hidden in her phone under ¡®Cleaning Service¡® and hit call.


    The line rang a few times, but then, ever dutiful, the man on the other end answered. ¡°Olivia. I thought you were going out of town.¡±


    As vicious ideas popped into Olivia¡¯s head, she found herself filled with hopeful determination. Julian would still be hers.


    She certainly wasn¡¯t going to lose him to someone like Amber.


    Into the phone, she said, ¡°I need a favor.¡±

 Main Flame 96

    Amber¡¯s POV


    ¨C


    ¡ª


    The pizza delivery person arrived soon after I well, Alice invited Julian inside. Before long, we were


    sitting around the kitchen table, eating pizza and talking.


    Alice was telling Julian everything he missed since west saw him, seemingly in one big breath.


    Julian, to his credit, was paying rapt attention, nodding at the appropriate intervals, and even asking


    questions when there were brief openings, about Alice¡¯s school and about her friends.


    I was d the two were enraptured in each other¡¯s conversation and not looking for me for much input,


    because my mind was running a thousand miles a minute, still going over everything Julian revealed.


    I still didn¡¯t have much proof that he was telling the truth¡­ All of this could be some kind of ploy to get me to lower my defenses so that he could more easily steal Alice away.


    ¡°You are looking for reasons to be fearful and angry,¡± my wolf said in my mind, scolding me. ¡°He has


    given you no indication he intends to steal Alice¡­¡±


    ¡°I trusted him in the past, and he made another woman pregnant,¡± I replied, also in my mind. My wolf


    wasn¡¯t there then, she didn¡¯t remember the hurt of those moments, or the ones that followed, when Julian


    pushed me away rather than exin things to me.


    Even now, I still didn¡¯t fully understand what had happened. Our marriage hadn¡¯t been perfect, certainly, but I thought, at least, that we had always tended to each other¡¯s sexual needs. Our bedroom had often


    times been explosive, and always thoroughly enjoyable.


    Of all the things we failed at being married, our sex life was not one of them.


    At least, that had been what I thought. Yet it hadn¡¯t been enough to keep him from running off and having a one¨Cnight stand with Olivia.


    A phantom hurt cut into me, a reminder of the pains of the past.


    My wolf fell silent. I still felt her disapproval, but it was somewhat muted now.


    Protecting myself and Alice was paramount in my life now. The time for love hade and gone. With Alice depending on me, I couldn¡¯t afford to be foolish. I couldn¡¯t let myself fall back under Julian¡¯s charms.


    Julian said something then, that I didn¡¯t really catch as I was so lost in my thoughts. Whatever it was, he said it with a grin, and it made Aliceugh andugh. Julian, watching her, seemed delighted at her reaction.


    My heart warmed, as much as I tried to keep it cool. And despite myself, a bit of longing welled up from the deepest parts of me.


    Like this, sitting around the table, eating andughing¡­


    This felt like family. A small, imperfect family, but a family nheless.


    And I hated how much it was everything I ever wanted, the life I had always wanted with Julian, when I cradled the small spark of hope during the harsher moments of our marriage.


    Someday, I had always thought back then.


    Now, I had it right in front of me. Or¡­ no, I didn¡¯t fully have this, did I? This was all still a shadow. Maybe,


    if Julian was being genuine, it could be real. Or maybe, if he wasn¡¯t, this would all vanish and I would be


    heartbroken again. And Alice? Gods, if he wasn¡¯t genuine, she would be devastated.


    Yet, before worry or misery could pull me under, Alice spoke up, mischievous eyes turning on me. ¡°Don¡¯t you think Mom is pretty, Dad?¡±


    I nched, my gaze drawn to Julian like it was out of my control.


    He seemed surprised by the question too. I didn¡¯t hear what they had been talking about, but it likely wasn¡¯t this. Alice must be up to something, changing the subject like this.


    Yet, rather than lightly scold her, or steer the conversation elsewhere, I was utterly enthralled with


    Julian, awaiting his response.


    His surprise cleared quickly, as he looked back at me. His features took on a warmth. His eyes softening, his lips straight yet giving the hint of a smile, like one was soon on the way.


    ¡°She¡¯s beautiful, Alice,¡± he said, though I barely heard him over the loud thumping of my heart.


    Though my cheeks had drained of color only a moment ago, I felt the heat returning to them now like a sh, so quickly I felt a little light¨Cheaded.


    Ch

 Main Flame 97

    apter 97


    All I could think to do was say, ¡°Thank you.¡± I forced my gaze away, worried that if I continued to look at


    him, I wouldn¡¯t want to stop.


    ¡°My pleasure,¡± Julian said. Then shifted, returning his attention to Alice. ¡°Alice, tell me again about this grumpy teacher of yours¡­ What was her name?¡±


    ¡°Ms. Crabapple!¡± Alice said and giggled, thoroughly distracted now from whatever game she¡¯d been


    ying with Julian and me.


    The rest of the meal went well enough, with Julian and Alice doing most of the talking. I chimed in now


    and then, but was morepelled to simply watch.


    When it finally came time for Alice to go to bed, and I told Julian he had to leave, my heart was sore and


    my emotions exhausted from the ringer this situation had been putting them through tonight.


    Alice hugged Julian goodbye, then hurried off to brush her teeth. With her getting ready for bed, I ushered


    Julian to the door.


    Julian¡¯s POV


    This night had gone perfectly. I was bonding with Alice, and reconnecting with Amber. I had made Aliceugh, and Amber blush.


    And now, as Amber was seeing me out, I was already thinking of ways I coulde back. I decided on


    the most straightforward.


    ¡°I had a great time tonight,¡± I said, once I was outside.


    Amber stayed in the doorway. She held the door with both hands, as if ready to close it on me if she


    needed to. With her using it like a shield, I guessed a kiss goodnight was out of the question. That was


    fine. With Amber, I had patience. If it meant I could eventually win her heart back, I would wait forever.


    Forgoing the goodnight kiss, I instead focused on my question. ¡°Can we do this again sometime?¡±


    Amber hesitated for longer than I would have liked, but eventually, after much consideration, she said, ¡±


    Okay. But not all the time.¡±


    I¡¯d take it. Frankly, I¡¯d take whatever I could get. I knew things would be difficult, so I was thrilled that Olivia¡¯s lies hadn¡¯t totally ruined things.


    ¡°Goodnight, Amber,¡± I said.


    ¡°Goodnight,¡± she replied and closed the door.


    I had a spring in my step as I walked back to the car.


    Later, at the hotel as I slipped into bed, I did so with a smile, hopeful for the steps I¡¯d been able to move


    forward tonight.


    Soon, I¡¯d win back my wife and have a family.


    I closed my eyes with a smile.


    The roar of a car engine jolted me awake. I sat upright, fingers curled like ws, wolf alert, ready to fight.


    When I heard the noise again, and recognized what it was, I realized it was just some jerk revving his


    engine in the parking lot.


    Forcing myself back down, I tried to close my eyes again. It took some time to find sleep once more.


    Olivia¡¯s POV


    Olivia had stayed up waiting, annoyed at howte he was. But the minute she heard that engine roar, she


    knew it was him. That cocky bastard always liked to make an entrance.


    Still, she waited for him toe to her door and knock before she bothered standing up, crossing the room, and opening it.


    ¡°Chase,<i>¡± </i>she said, not allowing any pleasure to show at the sight of him. He had enough ego that the room was already stuffy just with his presence. She couldn¡¯t help herself from dragging her eyes down his


    body though.


    Chase was in his early twenties, dressed head to toe in tight designer clothing. He worked out regrly, giving him a toned stature that he liked to unt. Tight leather pants. A button¨Cup shirt with half the


    buttons undone.


    His blonde hair was permanently tussled, his overpriced hair stylist made sure of that.


    He grinned wickedly at Olivia as he leaned heavily on the doorframe, allowing her to look her fill.


    <b>¡°</b>Miss me, love?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Olivia said stubbornly.


    His grin widened as he stepped into her. He didn¡¯t reply with words, instead, iming her mouth with his own, kissing her deeply and passionately.


    Following Olivia further into the hotel room, he kicked the door closed behind him.

 Main Flame 98

    Olivia¡¯s POV


    A couple of hourster, Olivia was putting her pajamas back on while Chase was resting naked in her bed. He was sitting up, his back against the headboard, watching her with azy gaze as she slipped back into her panties and then her pajama bottoms.


    ¡°Does this mean I don¡¯t get a round three?¡± he asked.


    Olivia rolled her eyes at him. ¡°You¡¯ll be moving into your own room now. I have the keys for you on the


    dresser.¡±


    ¡°Come on, love. I¡¯mfortable here. You wouldn¡¯t kick me out of your room for real, would you?¡±


    ¡°No one can see us together,¡± Olivia said firmly. While she certainly appreciated the eye candy Chase provided and liked to make use of his body, she had already had her fill of both of those things. ¡°Did <b>you </b>


    forget why I called you here?¡±


    Chase dropped his head back on the headboard and groaned. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Then prove it. Get up, get dressed, and get to your own room.¡±


    Chase rolled onto his side, dropping his chin into his palm as he rested his elbow on the mattress. ¡°I like


    it when you take charge like that. So sexy.¡±


    On any other day, perhaps Olivia would have fallen back into bed with him, but not today. There was too


    much at stake to waste time on some fling. Her endgame was Julian, and she would not blow that for


    some piece of ass.


    Even one that she enjoyed as much as Chase.


    ¡°I don¡¯t have time for this,<i>¡± </i>Olivia said as she pulled on her pajama top.


    Chase frowned a little as she covered herself. Pouting, he said, ¡°Fine. But surely you have a gift for me?¡±


    Olivia sighed and walked toward her suitcase. It became something of a habit, collecting gifts for Chase. After all, it was her only sure way to maintain his interest and his discretion.


    This time Olivia presented him with a watch. His eyes sparkled at the sight of it, recognizing its worth. She¡¯d spent $10,000 on this<b>. </b>He knew the brands and the value.


    ¡°My baby does care about me,¡± he said, reaching for the gift.


    Olivia held it just out of reach. To chase after it, he would have to get out of bed. As expected, he did so. He was nothing if not predictable in his greed.


    Gifts and sex were all it took to keep him happy. Olivia was content in offering both.


    1/11/2


    She understood the nature of their rtionship. She knew there was no love here.


    She also knew that for enough money, Chase would agree to do just about anything for her. She was


    banking on that now.


    Snatching the watch from her hands, he put it on his wrist and admired it. She admired him, naked except for the watch.


    Perhaps she could spare one more hour¡­


    No. She needed him well¨Crested for the n to work.


    ¡°Put on your clothes and get out,¡± she said. ¡°I need you at your best for tomorrow.¡±


    He cocked his head at me, appearing somewhat skeptical. ¡°Are you sure about this n?¡±


    ¡°Is the money I offered not enough?¡± Olivia replied. ¡°Then perhaps it would help if I told you that I¡¯m sure you¡¯d find all of this personally amusing¡­¡±


    Chase seemed to consider that. ¡°It would help if you told me this¡­ Amber? Was it? If she¡¯s not some old


    bat.¡±


    Olivia was loathe to give anypliment to that woman, but she knew what Chase needed to hear to be


    more amenable.


    ¡°You will not hate what I¡¯ve asked of you,¡± Olivia said.


    He hummed as his smile returned.


    Amber¡¯s POV


    In the office, I finished telling Anna about everything that happened the night before. I tried to keep my own opinions somewhat neutral as I described it, but I was certain some of my torrent of emotions slipped out.


    Anna looked at me with tant concern all over her face. ¡°Amber, tell me you aren¡¯t falling for him again.

 Main Flame 99

    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± I said, though amended quietly, ¡°At least, I¡¯m trying not to.¡±


    I could admit these things to Anna, my best friend, and it did feel good to talk about them allowed. If I talked with her about them, sorting through them, then maybe I coulde out the other side with everything resolved.


    ¡°When we were sitting around the table, I had glimpses¡­ like, this could be our future. We could be a family like this¡­¡± I said, even though I felt somewhat foolish.


    ¡°You really think he would honor that? After what he did to you before?¡± Anna lowered her head. ¡°<b>I¡¯ll </b>never forget finding you copsed on the sidewalk, Amber. And he just left you there, so that he could follow Olivia around. Don¡¯t forget he cheated on you¡­¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t forgotten, and I¡¯m not sure she isn¡¯t pregnant. I just¡­¡± I sighed a little. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Anna. I want to believe him. I know that¡¯s dangerous. I know it hurt me in the past. I just¡­¡± Another sigh. ¡°I¡¯m not being terribly logical about this, am I?¡±


    ¡°Not even a little,¡± Anna said. ¡°I just don¡¯t want to see you hurt again¡­¡±


    Our voices trailed as Ca knocked on the door and came in. She was blushing fiercely and stuttering


    some.


    ¡°We had a w¨Cwalk¨Cin, Healer Amber,¡± she said, and then giggled. ¡°I thought you might have some time to see him before your first appointment.¡±


    I did, but¡­ ¡°Are you okay, Ca?¡±


    She was always a ray of sunshine, but this morning she seemed like the entire sun. Either she had way too many espressos this morning or there was something else going on.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said, but continued smiling bright. ¡°The new client is¡­ well, he¡¯s¡­¡± She giggled again.


    Anna and I exchanged a nce.


    ¡°Must be a charmer,¡± Anna said.


    ¡°And handsome!¡± Ca added with enthusiasm. When we both looked at her again, she lowered her head, clearly embarrassed for her outburst. ¡°Sorry.¡±


    Well, whoever could so quickly win the heart of Ca was someone I had to see.


    ¡°Should I lead him to a room?¡± Ca asked me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± I said, guessing that leaving Ca alone with this man would only result in more hijinks and less work done<b>. </b>


    As I stood, Anna called out to me. ¡°We aren¡¯t done talking.¡±


    ¡°I know, I know,¡± I replied. I was d to have Anna, someone to help keep me on the straight path, listening to my brain and not my heart. My heart had caused me nothing but trouble in the past. My head


    was the only part of me I could trust anymore.


    Leaving the office, I followed Ca out toward the front waiting room. She giggled as she turned, stepping behind the reception desk. I continued forward and found the new client only a few steps beyond the desk.


    Standing confidently, he was dressed something like a rock star. Tight ck leather pants, an oversized t -shirt that with a wide neck that showed off his vicles, expensive¨Clooking designer boots. His arms were covered in chains and nes and some tattoos of snakes twisting up his arms, disappearing under his sleeves. On his wrist, he wore a very pricey¨Clooking wristwatch.


    ¡°You must be the famous Healer Amber,¡± he said smoothly, and held out his hand for me to shake. Some of his blonde hair fell into his eyes. He shook his head slightly, flipping it back, all without taking his eyes off of me.


    I shook his offered hand, relying on my professionalism.


    I could see why Ca would be beside herself. This man oozed charm, and he was handsome. His looks were not as appealing as Julian¡¯s, but I could still recognize how he would appear like an Adonis to some.


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. And you are?¡±


    He grinned widely. ¡°Chase<i>. </i>My name is Chase.¡±

 Main Flame 100

    ¡°Chase,¡± I repeated. ¡°Good to meet you. Please follow me to an examination room.¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± he said with a smile, though it took him a moment to release my hand.


    When he did, I turned and walked toward the hallway leading to the back.


    ¡°It was nice speaking with you Ca,¡± Chase told her. ¡°I¡¯ll see you again soon.¡±


    ¡°Y¨Cyes¡­ Yes! Likewise, uh, Chase,¡± Ca said, blushing even more deeply than before.


    I led Chase into the back and then into one of the examination rooms. Once he was inside, I closed the


    door.


    Chase wasn¡¯t like my usual walk¨Cins. Typically, people without appointments were deathly sick or in some kind of other medical emergency. Chase was smooth and confident, showing no hint of pain or


    distress.


    I kept my opinions to myself though, as I knew not all medical issues were clearly disyed on the


    outside.


    Chase wasn¡¯t from around here. Dressed like that, he was probably from one of the nearby cities. He clearly had the financial means to seek me out, so perhaps his issue was something internal and


    longstanding.


    ¡°Now we are alone,<i>¡± </i>Chase said. ¡°Just how I like it.¡±


    Was he trying to flirt with me? I fully ignored it.


    ¡°Tell me what brought you in today, Chase,¡± I said.


    He seemed somewhat surprised for a moment. Perhaps because his charms didn¡¯t work? But he recovered quick enough.


    ¡°I have a rare heart condition,¡± he said. ¡°It doesn¡¯t really bother me often, but I have been told it will affect my lifespan. Someday I¡¯m just going to¡­¡± He made a pop sound, then dropped a hand from vertical to


    horizontal.


    A crude way of saying he was going to suddenly die someday. And flippant. It had to be a show. A man like this, I imagined, like to y pretend a lot. I wondered if underneath, he wasn¡¯t a little bit afraid.


    I wouldn¡¯t call him on it though. If he wanted to maintain his cocksure attitude, that was none of my


    business.


    I was just a Healer.


    ¡°I was told there isn¡¯t much anyone can do. I¡¯ve been told I should just ept it,¡± he said and shrugged. ¡°I imagine you will probably tell me the same.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not one to give up,¡± I said. ¡°Please sit down on the examination bed and I will begin.¡±


    Again, he seemed surprised. Why? Did he truly expect me to just give up because others did?


    Nonsense.


    I waited until he sat, then lifted my stethoscope, cing one end over his heart to listen.


    ¡°If it¡¯s racing, it¡¯s only because I have a beautiful woman so close to me,¡± he said.


    I shushed him, ignoring his words and concentrating on his heart. It took some effort<b>, </b>and some assistance from my wolf, but yes¡­ there¡­ I could hear a slight tremor in his heartbeat.


    As I continued to listen, wanting to be sure, he huffed dismissively. ¡°You won¡¯t find anything like that. It¡¯s entirely undetectable without the use of machines.¡±


    ¡°I hear something,¡± I said.


    He blinked, startled. His smile slipped. ¡°Y¨Cyou do?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a tremor in your heartbeat,¡± I said, more confident now as I heard it again. I leaned back. ¡°How long have you been experiencing this?¡±


    ¡°I¡­ uh¡­¡± He seemed fully taken aback.


    Perhaps he didn¡¯t know the answer. I supposed it didn¡¯t matter. We found it now and regardless of what the previous doctors had done for him, I was ready to move forward to give this man back his life.


    ¡°Do you feel bouts of weakness sometimes? Or shortness of breath?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Uh, not often¡­ but¡­¡±


    His brow pulled together as he looked at me, like he was seeing me for the first time. But then, he nced down at his watch and shook his head. When he looked at me again, whatever vulnerability he had been feeling had vanished. He was smoldering instead.

 Main Flame 101

    ¡°It¡¯s never happened in bed,¡± he said, grinning


    weÐÂÍÆÌØ


    1 tuned away from him and headed toward the cabs that were on the side of the room. ¡°I need to tel some blood and run some tests to truly see what we are working with How long can you stay in town?


    ¡°For you? However long you want.¡±


    ¡°Good. I¡¯ll draw this blood and then we¡¯ll make an appointment for you for tomorrow afternoon I should have more details by then.¡±


    ¡°¡­ uh¡­ okay¡­¡±


    I seemed to knock him off his game again. That was an added bonus to what I was saying. The sooner he stopped trying to flirt with me, the better it would be for everyone involved. I had more than enoughplications in my life without adding him to the mix.


    He recovered quickly again though, showing his persistence. ¡°I look forward to seeing you as much as possible, Healer Amber.¡±


    ¡°Well, hopefully, we can find a cure and you won¡¯t have to stay here too long.¡± After donning gloves, I


    prepared a clean needle. Then I came closer to him again.


    Looking at me, he grinned mischievously. ¡°Even if brief, time spent with you will feel like a dream.¡±


    He was definitely trouble with a capital T.


    ¡°Hold out your arm,¡± I said, and he did so. As I drew the blood I needed, he stayed quiet. After withdrawing the needle, I noticed a bead of blood there. Strange. Usually werewolves healed so quickly that there wasn¡¯t even time for the blood to escape.


    I quickly grabbed a bandage and treated the mark, all while making note in my mind of this slow healing.


    That was likely another factor to consider here.


    When the wound was clean and bandage and the sample secured, I wrote a few notes in Chase¡¯s new chart and then helped make him an appointment on theputer. Though that was typically Ca¡¯s role, I didn¡¯t trust her to be able topose herself long enough around Chase to facilitate it.


    With the appointment made, I reached for the door.


    ¡°Healer Amber,¡± Chase said, staying close behind me. So close that I almost jumped.


    I was on duty now though, fully in Healer mode, so though his closeness did surprise me, I was able to contain all emotion under a veil of professionalism.


    I still wanted some distance between us<b>, </b>though, so I opened the door and stepped into the hallway.


    ¡°Wait,¡± he said, moving into the doorway. ¡°I have onest question before tomorrow.¡±


    I wouldn¡¯t ignore a patient¡¯s question, so I turned toward him, ready to listen. ¡°Yes?¡±


    Resting one arm on the doorframe, he leaned heavily against it. Grinning like a devil, he trailed his gaze up and down my body before returning his eyes to my face.


    Dressed as I was in my white doctor¡¯s coat, <b>I </b>couldn¡¯t imagine he was even seeing anything. I was mostly a formless blob with this thing on, yet he grinned like he could see what was underneath.


    I just stared nkly at him. He did realize he didn¡¯t have to flirt with me to get me to treat him, right? Maybe I needed to have a talk with him about that. Perhaps he was the type of guy who was used to needing to do things for other people.


    This was a transactional exchange. I healed him, he paid my fees. Done and done.


    There was no need for all¡­ this.


    ¡°Chase ¨C¡±


    ¡°Come to dinner with me tonight<i>,</i>¡± he said. ¡°Allow me to show you my appreciation for all you are doing.¡±


    My rejection was ready on my tongue when I noticed movement down the hallway.


    Someone was close enough to have overheard.


    I nced, and my heart leapt into my throat.


    That someone was Julian.

 Main Flame 102

    Julian¡¯s POV


    As I overheard Chase asking out Amber, two concurrent questions immediately filled my mind.


    One. What in the world was the most notorious yboy of my pack doing here in Amber¡¯s clinic?


    And two. Why was he talking to Amber like that?


    Amber didn¡¯t reply yet. Maybe she was about to, but she stilled when she saw me looking at them. I could only wonder what she was about to say. Gods, I wished I would have heard her reject him.


    She was going to reject him¡­ right?


    When Chase looked at me, he nched slightly.


    ¡°Well¡­ I look forward to hearing from you, Healer Amber,¡± he said quickly and then started to rush down the hallway to the exit. That hallway meant he had to walk past me though.


    As he came closer, he turned away, likely wanting to ignore me. I wasn¡¯t going to let him get away with


    that.


    ¡°Chase,¡± I said.


    He froze, then cleared his throat. ¡°Alpha Julian,¡± he said, and then scurried forward, disappearing down


    the hallway.


    Out front, I heard Ca call out for him, but he didn¡¯t stop to talk to her.


    ¡°See you tomorrow, Ca,¡± he said. Then I heard the front door open and close. Ca sighed dramatically.


    I kept my eyes on Amber.


    <b>¡°</b>You know him,¡± she said.


    ¡°Him and his parents,¡± I said, walking closer to her. ¡°He¡¯s from an affluent family, but he¡¯s such a wild child that I¡¯d heard they cut him off. He still seems to do well for himself though. I suspect his many, many girlfriends see to that.¡±


    I hoped she could read between the lines of what I was trying to tell her. Chase¡¯s offer of dinner was genuine, certainly, but anypanionship he offered her came with limitations. He was young yet, early to mid¨Ctwenties, but he already had a reputation so big most of the pack knew about it.


    He rose in poprity only after Amber was gone the first time, though, so perhaps she hadn¡¯t attended enough functions to truly encounter him in the wild after her return.


    As such, it was my duty to warn her against him. It wasn¡¯t just because of the jealous <b>anger </b>coiling


    around within me. Or the way my wolf was growling in my mind, protective and watchful


    ¡°He shouldn¡¯t be near our mate,¡± my wolf grumbled.


    ¡°You should stay away from him,¡± I said aloud to Amber. ¡°He¡¯s trouble.¡±


    ¡°I appreciate your concern,¡± she said very formally, her doctor¡¯s voice. ¡°But he is a patient of mine. He has a condition, and it is my life¡¯s work to see him healed.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s probably faking


    ¡ª


    ¡°He is not,¡± she said tly, promptly ending any fantasies and conspiracies that I might have been internally working on. ¡°His condition is real, I can verify that. I don¡¯t know the extent of it, but once I have the results of hisb work, I think I will be able to help him.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t sway her from that, as much as I wanted to. Healing people was Amber¡¯s passion. To deny her that because I was nervous about Chase¡¯s intentions would be grossly unfair.


    I was trying to woo Amber, not push her away by being overbearing. Too many rules had been part of our problem in the past.


    Don¡¯t tell people we¡¯re together. Don¡¯t talk to me in public. Stay home. Don¡¯t work.


    The orders made me cringe internally. Had I been a more devoted partner back then¡­ perhaps we never would havee to this, to me needing to win her back. I could have potentially stayed a part of her life. I could have already had my family, and been with them from the start.


    I hated the man that I used to be, the one who had cheated and pushed Amber away. I deserved every sharp nce, every cruel word, every moment of distrust.

 Main Flame 103

    415 BONUS


    If I wanted to win her back, I had to be better than I was. I had to convince her that I was worth taking a chance on again, and that things would be different this time.


    That meant I couldn¡¯t drop all kinds of rules on her the moment things started getting tough. <b>I </b>had to deal with things in a different way, with the push¨Cpull ofpromise.


    ¡°Just keep an eye on him, alright?¡± I said, even as I wanted to demand she stay away from <b>him</b>. ¡°He could need your help, sure, but he has a reputation back home. In asking you to dinner, I don¡¯t believe his intentions are genuine or pure¡­¡±


    She nodded. ¡°I can assure you that I have no intention of reciprocating his flirtations. I just want to heal him.¡±


    That should have made me feel better, but I had seen Chase go through the motions before. With a reputation like his, he was used to flirting with women who had their guards up against him. Almost always, he seemed to weasel his way past them.


    I didn¡¯t want to see that happen to Amber. To Alice! Chase would be a lousy father figure, but it would still hurt when he would inevitably leave them both behind.


    Again, I bit down the Alpha impulse to demand she stay away from him.


    To win Amber back, I had to try a different tactic. Something softer¡­


    Ah


    Stepping closer, I leaned into Amber. Unlike with Chase, where she had been steel¨Cfaced and professional, I watched as her eyes went a little wide, her cheeks filling with color.


    ¡°Julian¡­<b>¡± </b>she said, maybe in an effort to warn me, but when the name fell from her mouth, it was more like a sigh, begging me on.


    ¡°Forget dinner with him,¡± I said. ¡°Come to dinner with me instead.¡±


    led


    Her blush intensified, and the satisfaction I felt <b>at </b>that soothed every ruffled part of me. Even my wolf was calmed at the sight of it.


    Chase had not been able to get her to blush like that.


    ¡°Fine,¡± she said, and quickly nced away. <b>¡°</b><b>If </b>you¡¯ll excuse me, I have other patients to see.¡±


    ¡°<b>Of </b>course,¡± I said and stepped back from her, allowing her to go on her own way. Watching her, she nearly walked into a wall.


    A feeling of victory swelled inside of me.


    After work for the day, I returned to the hotel, eager to prepare for my dinner with Amber. Yet, as soon as I parked my car and stepped out of it, I saw Chase leaning against a red convertible nearby His arms were crossed and he was frowning at me.


    As I looked at him, he pushed off the side of the ridiculous sports car and walked over to me.


    I closed the door to my own car, then turned to face him. Instinctively, I rose to my <b>full </b>height and red. Chase was a rival, I could see that clearly, and I wasn¡¯t going to let him <b>win </b>the heart of the woman ! cared so deeply for.


    Chase stopped a few feet from me. ¡°I have something to say to you.¡±


    ¡°Then say it,¡± I replied.


    He lifted his chin with some defiance. ¡°I intent to romantically pursue Healer Amber. It¡¯s clear you also have romantic inclinations toward her. As you are Alpha, I thought it fair to tell you that I will not let you stand in my way.¡±


    <b>¡°</b><b>You </b>believe you could win her affections away from me?¡± I asked, a growl low in my voice.


    To his credit, he did not cow, though he did swallow a bit thicker than before. ¡°Yes,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m not new at romance, Alpha. When I tell you she will be mine, I mean it.¡±

 Main Flame 104

    Julian¡¯s POV


    Chase¡¯s confidence sent my annoyance spiking through every part of me. ¡°You don¡¯t know her at all, if you feel she is the type that could be so easily imed.¡±


    Amber was her own person, with her own hopes and dreams. She was not someone to be manipted with sweet words and fancy dinners. I was worried about Chase¡¯s charms, but I had to believe Amber was smart enough to see through them.


    Yet¡­ the more I thought of it, the more I considered those women from my pack who had their guards all the way up and still eventually dropped them for Chase.


    Chase smirked then, as if he could see my uncertainty even though I had been careful to keep it concealed behind an expressionless mask. He was arrogant, foolish young man antagonizing an Alpha like this¡­ I hated that it was effecting me. Even that smirk of his had me on edge of a rage, my wolf pacing restlessly inside of me, itching for a fight.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll im her all right,¡± Chase said. ¡°Over and over and over again. And she¡¯ll love every minute of it. She¡¯ll want me so much, she¡¯ll beg me for more and more.¡± Heughed. ¡°They always do.¡±


    He was purposefully needling me. He had to be. I didn¡¯t want it to work, but the growl at the back of my throat grew louder, more dangerous. It was a warning more than anything, telling Chase to back all the way off before I let my wolf out to handle him.


    My own im over Amber was burning inside of me. She was my wife. My mate. Who was he to try to


    take her from me?


    I tried to push back that voice, tried to remain calm. I was an Alpha King, not some brute who dered ownership of people. Amber would be with me because she wanted to be and for no other reason.


    She would never pick Chase, especially if she heard him talking like this.


    ¡°Have you bedded her in a while, Alpha? I bet she¡¯s aching for a good dick. I might not be Alpha, but rest assured, I have the goods she needs and the skills to give her pleasure she¡¯s never had before. How quickly do you think I could have her screaming my name? I¡¯m going to make her forget all about you.¡±


    My hands curled into fists. ¡°You will stay away from her,¡± my voice was part wolf now<b>, </b>rough and grumbling.


    Chase barreled ever forward, indifferent or ignorant to the danger of taunting an Alpha wolf in this state.


    ¡°She¡¯s got such a tight little body. It¡¯s a shame she hides it under that doctor¡¯s coat. I can¡¯t wait to grab that ass, and suck marks all over those perfect breasts,¡± Chase said, grinning wider. There was a spark in his eyes, mischievous. He was baiting me, but for what purpose?


    *15 BONUS


    I had trouble seeing clearly through the rage. With my thoughts filled with images of what he was describing, I felt sick to my stomach. My skin itched, as if begging me to shift and deal with this threat to


    my mate, my family.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯ll give her a good time for a while. I¡¯ll make it so she¡¯s so dependent on my dick and me that she can¡¯t imagine life without it,¡± Chase said. ¡°And then you know what I¡¯ll do?¡±


    My growl grew louder.


    ¡°I¡¯ll leave her. She¡¯ll be broken without me, won¡¯t she? But that¡¯s what I do. I¡¯m not a man to tie myself down. I¡¯ll love her and leave her brokenhearted. Even her little brat won¡¯t know what to do.¡±


    That¡¯s it.


    I saw red. One moment, I was barely holding myself back, standing next to my rental car, and in the next instant, I was towering over Chase. He was on the ground, holding both hands to one eye.


    I hadn¡¯t even thought through the punch. I just acted. My knuckles stung from the force of it, but the ache was healing quickly.


    Inside, my wolf was pleased. We¡¯d defended what was ours. We¡¯d returned this lesser wolf to his ce.

 Main Flame 105

    ¡°You will stay away from her,¡± I growled, my voice more wolf than man. That any of the words could be actually discerned was something of a miracle.


    Chase looked up at me with his own anger, but it was somewhat diminished now, just like his cockiness.


    How could he remain confident when he was on the ground after one punch, and I was unharmed?


    ¡°Julian!¡± Olivia called and rushed over to me. ¡°What¡¯s going on? Are you alright?¡± She must have heard themotion. We were drawing something of a crowd, with some of the other guests looking out the window.


    I didn¡¯t think we had been speaking all that loudly, but perhaps they had felt my menace. When an Alpha felt anger as intense as mine had been, I emitted something of an aura. It was useful on the battlefield, sharing my rage with others. In more civilian settings, it could be somewhat troublesome.


    Like now, drawing all this attention.


    Olivia reached for my arm, but I shucked her away. Turning, I started toward the hotel itself, leaving Chase behind.


    ¡°Julian!¡± Olivia said again, following along behind me. ¡°Julian, we should talk about this.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s nothing to say,¡± I said as I reached my door. I undid the lock, ready to storm inside. I hadn¡¯t anticipated Olivia would snake her way in before me. When she reached the bed, she turned and gave me a


    serious look.


    ¡°This wasn¡¯t like you, and I¡¯m worried,¡± she said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about this,¡± I insisted, though still I stepped inside. I¡¯d already given the other hotel guests too much of a show. This one, at least, could be held privately.


    ¡°It¡¯s Amber,¡± Olivia said. ¡°It has to be. Julian, when will you see that she¡¯s caused you much more trouble


    than she¡¯s worth?¡±


    I stopped just inside the open door and moved to the side.


    ¡°Get out,¡± I said, my anger refueling.


    ¡°But Julian ¨C¡±


    ¡°Out!¡± I snapped, with my full Alpha dominance behind the word.


    She froze, startled, but then started moving,pelled to obey my harshmand.


    I hated using that influence, but if she stayed, my rage would only grow. I needed to be alone to deal with myself.


    When she stepped through the door, I closed it behind her, locking myself away.


    Amber¡¯s POV


    After Julian canceled our dinner, I decided that I was focusing too much on him and not enough on Alice or my work.


    So I worked hard in the morning, so much so that I didn¡¯t realize it was time for Chase¡¯s appointment until I was already five minuteste and Ca tracked me down.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I said, stepping into the examination room where Chase waited. Then I looked at him. And I froze.


    He had an ugly bruise at the corner of his right eye and cheekbone. The white of his right eye was mostly red.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked,ing closer. Immediately, I went to the cab and grabbed the supplies I


    would need to treat such a wound.


    ¡°Oh, this?¡± heughed, until he lifted his fingers to the edge of the bruise. Touching it, he winced. ¡°I rar into a fist.¡±


    ¡°Someone hurt you?¡± I asked. Did he shower flirtations on the wrong person? Or was this something else. I tried to think of anyone I knew in this small town who might have done something like this to him. Even on their worst days, no one I knew here was quick to anger like this.


    This almost seemed like the work of a raging Alpha.


    At that thought, my stomach dropped.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Chase said, giving me somewhat of a sheepish smile. ¡°Alpha Julian and I happened to meet in the parking lot of the hotelst night. He must have thought my face was too pretty, because he decided to punch me. Knocked me straight to the ground.¡±


    I tried to imagine Julian doing such a thing. ¡°Why would he have done that?¡±


    ¡°Oh, that¡¯s simple,¡± Chase replied. ¡°He saw me flirting with you yesterday.¡±

 Main Flame 106

    Chapter <b>106 </b>


    Amber¡¯s POV


    ¡°He was in some kind of a rage,¡± Chase said. ¡°I didn¡¯t even see the punching really. He moved so fast it was like a blur. One minute we were talking, and in the next I was on the ground with this.¡± He gestured toward his bruised up face.


    Reaching up, I did what I could to clean the broken parts of skin. I did have some ointment that helped treat bruises, though it was tucked away in a different room storage closet. Most werewolves didn¡¯t suffer bruises or cuts for very long, as most of them had high healing factors.


    Chase, it seemed, was an exception, but that was all tied to his heart condition.


    ¡°You have to watch out for those Alphas,¡± Chase said. ¡°When they go off the handle, they really go off. And it hurt too. Still does.¡±


    ¡°You are lucky you didn¡¯t hit your head when you fell,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said. ¡°I would have been luckier if I didn¡¯t meet Julian at all in that parking lot.¡±


    I considered his words as a growing darkness opened up in the pit of my stomach. ¡°Are you sure it was Julian?¡±


    Julian and I had been through a lot. We had our own share of problems. But I¡¯d never known him to be overly violent. He did what he had to do, of course, as Alpha of the pack. Yet I¡¯d never seen him lose control of his anger. I¡¯d been told that even inbat, he maintained a steely persona.


    So I found it very difficult to believe that Julian would attack a man in a darkened parking lot that he knew


    to be sick.


    ¡°I thought you might not believe me,¡± Chase said. He shrugged like he didn¡¯t take that personally. ¡°Who would? He¡¯s an Alpha, who am I?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that,¡± I said. Julian wasn¡¯t a stranger. I felt like I knew the kind of man he was, cool and strong, not one to lose himself to his base feelings. At least, not outside of the bedroom. The thought made me blush a moment, but I quickly shook it away. Now was not the time for those thoughts.


    ¡°I can prove it,¡± Chase said. ¡°I thought I might need proof in case anything came up in the future. I don¡¯t want to think our Alpha would turn against me over something so petty, but a regr wolf like me needs to protect himself, right?¡±


    Chase pulled his phone from his pocket, then scrolled to something in his gallery. When he found what he was looking for, he turned the screen to me.


    On it was a video. ck and white, crude, it looked like security footage,


    ¡°I asked the woman in the hotel office for my own copy of the feed from the camera, just to keep safe,¡± Chase said. ¡°Not that I think Alpha Julian will make it go missing¡­¡±


    He let the words hang between us.


    The footage showed the parking lot. That was definitely Julian talking with Chase. There was no audio to


    the video, so I couldn¡¯t hear what had been said. Chase and Julian were having some kind of conversation¡­


    I wished I could hear what was being said. Julian¡¯s bodynguage was growing more and more tense.


    Then, like a sh, Julian shot forward, fist first. I blinked and Chase was on the ground.


    There could be no mistaking this then, I realized, with that pit in my stomach growing bigger.


    Julian had sumbed to his Alpha rage and attacked Chase.


    ¡°Honestly, I should have seen iting,¡± Chase said. ¡°There¡¯s been rumors about Julian for years.¡±


    At the end of the footage, Olivia appeared, reaching for Julian. That was where the video cut off.


    What had Olivia been doing there? Why was she reaching for Julian?


    I shook the thoughts away, trying to focus again on what Chase was saying.

 Main Flame 107

    Chapter <b>107 </b>


    ¡°What rumors?¡± I asked. I didn¡¯t remember hearing any rumors, but then<b>, </b>even when I¡¯d been a member of the pack, I hadn¡¯t been invited to any of the high society events. In public, I wasn¡¯t really supposed to let anyone know my connections to Julian.


    ¡°Behind closed doors, he¡¯s quick to violence,¡± Chase said. ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure I believed it until now. But it¡¯s what everyone says. Many of the social elites are terrified of the man. They are so scared that¡­ they don¡¯t let Julian around their children, worried he might hit them too.¡±


    I drew my brow together in confusion. Even after seeing this video, I couldn¡¯t imagine the Julian I knew attacking children.


    That had to be a mistake of some kind. Maybe Chase didn¡¯t remember the rumors correctly, or perhaps the rumors themselves were based on some kind of misinformation.


    Still¡­ if he was the kind to be quick to anger¡­ maybe I shouldn¡¯t let him spend so much time with Alice¡­


    ¡°Be careful around him, Amber,¡± Chase said. It would have made meugh if it wasn¡¯t so serious. Julian had given me the same warning about Chase.


    ¡°Stay still and let me treat you,¡± I said. Chase dutifully froze. I dabbed at his wound and did my best to take away the pain from such a nasty¨Clooking bruise.


    I needed more time with Chase¡¯s test results, so after doing my best for his bruises, I sent him on his way, asking him to return tomorrow.


    Once he was gone, I sought out Julian and found him working in one of the offices, typing away at theputer. He stopped when he saw me standing in the doorway.


    On reflex, I looked at his knuckles. He had used that hand to give Chase such an unpleasant wound, yet he showed no signs of what happened. Julian¡¯s skin wasn¡¯t even red. As an Alpha, his healing factor was better


    than most.


    I was d he wasn¡¯t hurt, but when I thought of the lingering wound he¡¯d given to Chase¡­


    When I remembered what Chase said about the rumors¡­


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked me, looking up at me from his chair.


    I decided to push a little, to see if Julian¡¯s temper was that vtile. ¡°Chase was just here¡­¡±


    Julian was on his feet in an instant. ¡°Did he do something?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said quickly. ¡°It was just his usual checkup.¡±


    Julian shook his head, anger sparking in his eyes. ¡°He¡¯s up to something, Amber. He¡¯s going to try to weasel his way into your life<i>,</i><i>¡± </i>


    <b>¡°</b>I don¡¯t think he¡¯s


    ¡°I need you to trust me on this,¡± Julian said, snapping at me. ¡°He¡¯s not a good person. Keep your distance


    from him.¡±


    I stilled, watching him for a moment. Then I spoke, slowly and clearly. I didn¡¯t want there to be any kind of misunderstanding with what I was about to say.


    ¡°I can take care of myself, Julian. I don¡¯t need you to tell me these things.¡±


    ¡°Not with him, Amber. He¡¯s a vile snake and he ¨C ¡±


    ¡°He is my patient,¡± I said. ¡°He has a disease and he needs my help. Whatever this is with you, I need you to back off of it.¡±


    Julian straightened. ¡°I¡¯m warning you, Amber. He¡¯s not ¡±


    <b>¡°</b>I think I¡¯ve heard enough,¡± I said. ¡°Those dinner ns we had for tonight? Consider them canceled.¡±


    His angry features immediately smoothed out with surprise. ¡°What? Why?¡±


    Whatever was going on with him, I couldn¡¯t let him near Alice while he was quick to anger like he was. If this was a temporary thing or a long¨Cterm issue, I¡¯d have to find out. For now, I wanted space.


    ¡°Just stay away from us for a while,¡± <b>I </b>said.

 Main Flame 108

    Julian¡¯s POV


    ¡°Amber, you can¡¯t mean that,¡± I said quickly, bordering on desperate. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I had to cancel our nsst night, but ¨C¡±


    ¡°Why did you cancel our ns?¡± she asked. She spoke like she already knew the answer.


    Still, I wasn¡¯t about to admit that I had to call off our dinnerst night because I had gone into an Alpha


    rage and couldn¡¯t trust myself to be around anyone.


    That would irrevocably harm our rtionship.


    ¡°I had reasons¡­¡± I said.


    I¡¯d never lost my temper like I had with Chasest night. But what he had been saying had been so vile,


    so low, I had acted without thinking. I couldn¡¯t let him get away with saying any of those things. And if


    he were to try to act on them¡­


    Just thinking about it made my blood turn to fire as my rage once more pushed on the edge of my


    consciousness.


    No. Not here<i>. </i>Not with Amber.


    I breathed deeply, forcing myself to calm.


    All the while, Amber watched me closely. Maybe she could see the change in me, I didn¡¯t know. I tried


    hard to hide it, but that didn¡¯t mean anything to someone who knew me as well as Amber did. She knew


    me maybe better than anyone.


    At least, she used to.


    I tried to think of reasons why Amber would turn on me now. Perhaps Chase had spoken to her about what happened. Worse, perhaps he had used that to somehow break through her walls.


    Gods, what if he already wormed his way into Amber¡¯s heart?


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to see you hurt,¡± I said. ¡°I know Chase from the pack. He¡¯s not a good guy, Amber. He¡¯s a yboy, with a different woman every night. If you let him into your heart, he will only hurt you.¡±


    She frowned at me. ¡°Who I let into my heart is none of your concern.¡±


    I grit my teeth, knowing that was true, but wanting so much for it not to be. To me, she was my wife and my mate, and that hadn¡¯t changed even after all this time.


    I knew she saw things differently, though. And I also knew that if I pushed the issue, I might lose her forever.


    Damn it. For now I had to back off.


    ¡°Besides,¡± she continued. ¡°My decision to cancel our ns tonight has nothing <i>to </i>do with Chase, and everything to do with you.¡±


    ¡°Me?<b>¡± </b>


    ¡°Yes,¡± she said. ¡°In fact, I¡¯m starting to reconsider this project entirely.<b>¡± </b>


    How could she say that? Wasn¡¯t this project part of her dream? Why would she be so willing <i>to </i>turn that away?


    She said it wasn¡¯t because of Chase, but I struggled to think that was true. Before Chase, things had been tense between us, but we were mending things. Since his arrival, everything seemed to be falling apart.


    Chase was themon denominator in all of this.


    He had to be the one to me.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that,¡± I said. ¡°Don¡¯t even say that.¡±


    ¡°Then don¡¯t make me<i>,</i><i>¡± </i>she replied. ¡°Give me the space I need now.¡±


    I hated this. Trapped between a rock and a hard ce, I didn¡¯t have much choice. ¡°Very well.¡±


    Olivia¡¯s POV


    Sitting on the foot of the bed, Olivia filed her nails, barely paying attention as Chase, in the bathroom,


    stared at himself in the mirror andined.


    ¡°I can¡¯t believe I let you convince me to go along with this,¡± he whined. ¡°You told me it would be amusing.


    I didn¡¯t realize I¡¯d be punched in the face.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just a bruise,¡± Olivia said. ¡°I¡¯m surprised it hasn¡¯t healed already.¡±


    ¡°You know why it hasn¡¯t<i>,</i><i>¡± </i>Chase said. ¡°I told you about my condition.¡±


    ¡°Oh, right.¡±


    Olivia had forgotten. The first time Chase had told her about his weak heart, she¡¯d assumed it was a line to get her to pity him enough to sleep with him. It was only over time that she came to realize he¡¯d been genuine. It didn¡¯t fully matter to her though, so she sometimes forgot.


    ¡°Well, even so. It will heal soon enough. You are being dramatic,¡± Olivia said.


    ¡°You wouldn¡¯t be saying that if it was your face,¡± Chase grumbled.


    Sighing, Olivia set the nail file away and stood. Slowly, she sauntered to the bathroom.


    ¡°Chase, this was a necessary evil,¡± Olivia said. ¡°We have to drive a wedge between Amber and Julian, and making her doubt his temper is the fastest, easiest way.¡±


    ¡°It hurts,¡± Chase said, touching the edge of the bruise.


    ¡°Stop touching it then,¡± Olivia said.


    Chase lowered his hand, but continued to stare at himself. He looked somewhat pensive as the pain


    ebbed from his features.


    ¡°This¡­ Amber. She doesn¡¯t seem all that bad,¡± Chance said.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡± Olivia snapped.


    ¡°Well, it seems like she actually wants to try to treat my condition. I¡¯d never had anyone want to actually try before¡­¡±


    Stepping closer to him, Olivia ced one finger under his chin and turned his face toward hers.


    ¡°Don¡¯t fall under her spell, Chase,¡± Olivia said. ¡°I need you to keep your eyes on the prize.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t forgotten the money, love,¡± Chase said.


    ¡°Well, maybe it would be easier to remember if I doubled it,¡± Olivia said.


    Just like that, the doubts swept away from his eyes. ¡°Double?¡±


    Olivia hummed in the positive.


    ¡°You spoil me¡­¡±


    ¡°This is important to me<i>,</i><i>¡± </i>Olivia pressed. ¡°I need you to be focused.¡±


    ¡°Focus is good<i>,</i><i>¡± </i>Chase said, leaning in. ¡°But maybe we could both let ourselves be distracted for a while.¡±


    Olivia lowered her hand, allowing Chase to kiss her.


    Muchter, after I had my fill of Chase and sent him on his way, after I showered away any trace of him, and changed into a tight dress and heels, I set my new n in motion.


    After checking my hair and make¨Cup in the mirror ¨C immacte, as always ¨C I grabbed a wine bottle out of the fridge, two sses from on top of it, and then stepped out of my room. It was a quick walk to Julian¡¯s room, where I knocked on the door.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need housekeeping today,¡± he called through the door.


    Infuriating. Did he even look through the peep hole?


    I knocked again, this time calling, ¡°Julian? It¡¯s Olivia.¡±


    There was silence from within for a long moment before he finally made his way to the door. He threw open the lock and opened it.


    Standing inside, he looked like hell. His hair was a mess, like he¡¯d been dragging his fingers through it, and he was informally dressed in a white t¨Cshirt and cks. His shoes and socks were gone, leaving him


    barefoot.


    It was odd to see him like this. Usually he was a pinnacle of suited fashion.


    ¡°What are you doing here, Olivia?¡± he asked, sounding tired.


    I held up the bottle of wine with one hand and the pair of wine sses with the other.


    ¡°I thought you might be feeling low and could use a pick me up,¡± she said. ¡°This isn¡¯t great wine, but I¡¯m sure it will do the trick. What do you say? Let an old friend in for a drink?¡±

 Main Flame 109

    Chapter <b>109 </b>


    Julian¡¯s POV


    My first instinct, as with most things Olivia wanted from me nowadays, was to say no. Yet, just as the rejection was on the tip of my tongue, Olivia continued.


    ¡°I know I¡¯ve been messing up a lottely,<i>¡± </i>she said, seeming pitiful yet sincere. ¡°But I swear it¡¯s only because I care so much about you. It¡¯s¡­ challenging for me, watching you when you are around Amber.


    It¡¯s like you be a different person, and it scares me. I swear I¡¯ve only been trying to protect you all


    this time.¡±


    ¡°You told Amber you were pregnant,¡± I said. ¡°That put a rift between us that I still haven¡¯t been able to


    repair.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that,<i>¡± </i>she said. ¡°Truly, I thought it was best at the time. Now I can see that I overstepped. I


    never wanted to hurt either of you. I thought¡­ well, I wanted to apologize tonight, with this. The wine is


    something of a peace offering.¡±


    After everything that Olivia had done these past few weeks alone, I was skeptical about this apology. But ¡­ I truly did feel at a low point. Olivia and I had once been close. Though there had been much between us


    to drive a wedge into that friendship, the thought of someradery right now wasn¡¯t the worst sounding idea to me in this moment.


    Still, I hesitated. Telling Amber she was pregnant was a low blow. It was difficult to get over that.


    ¡°I¡¯m ready to move on and let go,¡± she said. ¡°I promise, I won¡¯te between you and Amber anymore


    ever again.¡±


    ¡°You mean that?¡± I asked, not fully believing it. After all, she hadmitted all this time to waiting for me to want to marry her, despite my many attempts at requesting she move on from me.


    ¡°You know I love you,<i>¡± </i>she said. ¡°Those feelings aren¡¯t going to change, but¡­¡± She sighed a little. ¡°Seeing Amber repeatedly reject you hurt me, Julian. My actions here weren¡¯t to hurt you, but in an attempt to get her to finally see the damage she is doing <i>to </i>you by treating you so coldly.¡±


    Amber had been rejecting me¡­ but I still didn¡¯t think that warranted any of Olivia¡¯s actions.


    ¡°Please, Julian. For old times¡® sake. Hear me out,¡± she said. ¡°Let me in, and let me fully apologize, I want to mend the things that have strained between us. We had such a good friendship once. We could have that again.¡±


    I was tired. Emotionally, Physically. I was hurting inside after Amber¡¯s rejection, and I felt out of sorts since Alpha raging against Chase. Maybe a reset was in order.


    Olivia had been one of my oldest friends. If we could go back to that, without the drama getting in the way


    It would be nice to have someone to talk to.


    ¡°Fine,¡± I said. ¡°I will hear you out for the length of one ss. But that¡¯s it.¡±


    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯ll take it,¡± she said, suddenly hopeful.


    Slowly, I stepped back from the door and allowed her to enter. Once she was inside, I closed the door


    behind her.


    Still facing the door, I rubbed my hand down my face. What was I doing, going along with this? Was I


    really so desperate for someone to talk to that I was weing Olivia back into my life?


    Olivia ced the sses down on the desk in the room. As she worked to uncork the bottle, she said,¡±


    Seeing Chase here was something of a shock. I never thought a socialite yboy like him would be caught dead in the country.¡±


    I hummed, not really wanting to talk or think about Chase.


    ¡°Amber seems to like him,¡± I said, despite myself. The thought had been bouncing around inside of my mind so much that it only seemed natural for it to fall out of my mouth now.


    ¡°Oh,<i>¡± </i>Olivia said. ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure she knows what she¡¯s doing.¡±


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I said, but I wasn¡¯t so sure. She¡¯d been so distant with me today. It felt like all the steps I had


    moved forward during that pizza dinner with Amber and Alice had been entirely erased.


    She must have heard about my rage. From Chase? Gods, I should have talked to her about it, to clear the


    air. But how would I have exined myself? Would she have believed if I told her he baited me?


    Maybe I could have Olivia speak to her on my behalf, but would Olivia even consent to do that? And after


    all of Olivia¡¯s lies, would Amber even believe her?


    Gods, what a mess. And I had <i>no </i>idea how to fix it.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t I pour us a drink?<i>¡± </i>Olivia said. ¡°Some alcohol might clear our heads.¡±


    Curtly, I nodded.


    Olivia¡¯s POV


    Olivia poured two sses of white wine. Then, after waiting for Julian¡¯s back to turn, she reached between her breasts, plucking a pill from where she had earlier tucked it into her bra for safe keeping.


    Smiling to herself, she dropped the pill into Julian¡¯s ss and watched it dissolve.


    The pill was an aphrodisiac, specialized for werewolves, particrly Alphas who had a heightened immune system that would fight off most things, even medicines designed to help.


    With a pill like this in his system, Julian would be horny as hell, looking for relief wherever he could find <ol><li>it. What a coincidence, Olivia just happened to be in the same room. </li></ol>


    One thing would lead to another, and she was certain they would have sex. With that pill woulde stamina. They¡¯d have sex all night to ensure Olivia would get pregnant.


    She wanted a real child that was truly theirs. Not the deception ofst time. Not even adopting the brat


    Amber was raising.


    She wanted a child between Julian and her. Then he¡¯d never be able to pass her by again.


    And Amber would never be able to forgive his betrayal for a second time.


    When the pill fully dissolved, she picked up both sses, careful to hand the one with the pill to Julian.


    He took it from her hand.


    ¡°Things haven¡¯t been easy,¡± Julian said. ¡°Sometimes I think Amber doesn¡¯t even see how much I¡¯m


    trying.¡±


    Olivia tried to smile as nicely as she could, even as she looked on with impatience in her heart.


    Just drink, damn it.


    Wait he kept her waiting, continuing to talk about Amber.


    That was fine. She had all night, and she could be patient. She¡¯d waited this long.


    But one way or another, tonight was going to be the night she made Julian hers once and for all.


    Chase¡¯s POV


    Julian really had kept Olivia standing outside his door for a while, Chase realized as he watched the


    footage he had captured with his phone. Yet, that dy had given him all the time he needed to get the perfect angle from down here in the parking lot.


    The phone camera had focused, the lighting just right, to show Julian weing Olivia and her bottle of


    wine into his room.


    Chase smirked, his own nsing into focus. Olivia hadn¡¯t told him to do this part, but he was nothing if not thorough.


    Besides, Amber was a beautiful woman. In her heartbreak, she would need aforting shoulder to cry


    on,


    Chase would make sure he¡¯d be there to be that shoulder.


    Oneforting gesture would lead to another.


    With luck, maybe he¡¯d have Amber in his bed before the end of the week.

 Main Flame 110

    <b>Chapter </b><b>110 </b>


    Amber¡¯s POV


    I was having a really bad night. I couldn¡¯t seem to concentrate on anything but memories of that footage and of the things Chase said to me about Julian. I hadn¡¯t wanted to believe him, but the evidence was clear.


    Not only did Chase have the ck eye, but he also had the video to show the act.


    Julian hadshed out in an uncharacteristic show of violence. Only then did I learn that maybe that violence wasn¡¯t so uncharacteristic after all.


    Ug, I didn¡¯t know what to believe.


    But I was so tired of staying in, worrying about it.


    So I hired a babysitter, then went with Anna to the local bar. There was only one in town. It was a smaller kind of ce, a microbrew that had their own selection of beers. They had other drinks too, though, which I was grateful for, because I truly felt like I needed something stronger tonight.


    In preparation of this, Anna did the driving. The parking lot was packed, showing how busy the bar was. But, as it was the only bar in a 100 mile radius, it was typically pretty crowded.


    After some circling, Anna found a spot and parked.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we did something like this,¡± Anna said.


    As a professional Healer, I didn¡¯t want to gain any kind of negative reputation by frequenting bars, so I avoided them most of the time, choosing to drink a ss of wine at home if I felt the urge.


    I wasn¡¯t a big drinker anyway. I typically liked being in charge of my mind and my faculties.


    Tonight though, after stressing so much all day, I was ready for a taste of relief and an escape for a while. Tomorrow, I could go back to being responsible.


    Tonight I wanted rum.


    Walking into the bar, Anna and I saw many familiar faces. We knew almost everyone in the small town, so that wasn¡¯t unexpected. People said hi to us as we entered. A few of them had new ailments they wanted me to look at right there in the bar.


    Unfortunately, that wasn¡¯t unusual either.


    When I finally made it through the crowd, I noticed Chase sitting at the bar. He seemed distracted by something, yet when he spotted me he immediately perked.


    ¡°Healer Amber!¡± he called. He grabbed his drink, slipped off the barstool and came closer. ¡°What a


    pleasant surprise.¡±


    Unable to take myself fully out of my job at any time, I found myself inspecting his bruise. It seemed to be healing since this morning. A good sign. His healing factor was still quicker than that of a human, then, though remnants of the bruise would likelyst a couple more days.


    ¡°And who is your beautiful friend?¡± Chase said, eyeing Anna.


    ¡°This is the patient that charmed Ca?¡± Anna asked me.


    I nodded.


    ¡°Chase, this is Anna. Anna, Chase.¡±


    ¡°A lovely name for an alluring woman,¡± Chase said.


    Anna gave me a look, as if to ask, Is this guy serious?


    I gave her a returning look to tell him that he was.


    Chase called the bartender for us. ¡°Whatever they want, it¡¯s on my tab.¡±


    Anna considered him. ¡°Maybe he isn¡¯t so bad. But I¡¯ll get the second round.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,<i>¡± </i>Chase said.


    I hadn¡¯t expected <i>to </i>see Chase tonight, and that didn¡¯t really fit in with my ns toin about Julian. I didn¡¯t want to do that in front of Chase, especially when Chase likely still hard feelings about


    Julian and the punch. He¡¯d probably try to talk me out of my feelings for Julian.


    Anna would too, but I at least trusted her.


    Chase was still a wildcard in my eyes. I was happy to help him with his heart condition, but with the way he flirted, I felt like he wanted something more from me. I hoped I was wrong.


    X

 Main Flame 111

    Chapter <b>111 </b>


    The bartender came and took our order. I wanted a double shot of rum in my Rum Runner. She nodded at


    all of us, then went to make our drinks.


    ¡°So, what brings you out here tonight, Chase?¡± Anna asked. ¡°Our little bar here can¡¯tpare to what you


    must be used to in the city.¡±


    ¡°While it¡¯s true I¡¯m used to more options, this ce isn¡¯t without its charms,<i>¡± </i>Chase said. He paused a moment, ncing at me. ¡°Truly though, I needed to clear my head and I couldn¡¯t do that sitting in a hotel


    room.¡±


    ¡°Did something else happen?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I saw something. Something that confused me.¡±


    ¡°At the hotel?¡± Anna prompted.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Chase replied. ¡°I saw a woman entering a man¡¯s room while carrying a bottle of wine and two sses.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not so strange,¡± Anna said.


    ¡°Perhaps not,¡± Chase said. ¡°But I know them both, and¡­ Given what I thought I knew, I didn¡¯t think they would be a pair that were together.¡±


    I had a sinking feeling again, as if the floor was preparing to open and swallow me whole. ¡°What do you


    mean?<b>¡± </b>I asked.


    ¡°Amber¡­ Forgive me,¡± he said. ¡°But aren¡¯t you in a romantic rtionship with Alpha Julian?¡±


    I froze, the bar suddenly bing very quiet around me as all the blood rushed to my ears. ¡°What did you


    see?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Perhaps it would be better if I showed you,¡± he said. ¡°When it happened, I thought it so strange that I had better record it.¡±


    Chase was on his phone again, opening that gallery. He clicked on a video and turned the screen toward Anna and me. This time, the recording was one clearly taken on his phone. If there was audio, I couldn¡¯t hear it in the crowded bar, though the pair were far enough away that I wasn¡¯t sure Chase¡¯s phone could pick up audio anyway.


    I stared wide¨Ceyed and unblinking as the scene on the phone unfolded.


    Olivia was standing in front of Julian¡¯s hotel room door, then Julian himself. They were talking for a while. In my heart, I begged Julian to send Olivia away. But he didn¡¯t. Instead, after a moment, he let her inside.


    ¡°When did this happen?¡± I asked. To me, my voice sounded so far away.


    ¡°Half hour ago, maybe?¡± Chase said. ¡°I¡¯d really only just got here before you two arrived.¡±


    I stood up from my stool. The bartender was only just now cing my drink down in front of me. I downed it in a few strong gulps, gathering some liquid courage.


    ¡°I¡¯m going,¡± I said.


    Anna and Chase both looked at me with surprise.


    Anna said, ¡°You shouldn¡¯t have to see what they are doing in there.¡±


    Chase said, ¡°I didn¡¯t show you this to encourage that¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m going.¡±


    I needed to confront Julian myself. No cameras. No lies. Just me and him and the truth.


    Olivia¡¯s POV


    For the past forty minutes or so, maybe even more than that, Olivia has been watching and waiting for Julian to stop talking about Amber long enough to actually drink that drugged ss of wine she had given him.


    Instead, he was pacing, walking back and forth, jumping between only two topics of conversation no matter how hard Olivia tried to move the subject along.


    If he wasn¡¯tining about Chase, he was worried about Amber.


    ¡°Amber is fine<i>,</i><i>¡± </i>Olivia said, not for the first time. ¡°It¡¯s you I¡¯m concerned about. Drink. You¡¯ll feel better.¡±


    He looked down at the wine ss. ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right.¡±


    Finally!


    Ol¨ªvia leaned forward with anticipation as Julian lifted the ss to his lips.


    C

 Main Flame 112

    hapter 112


    Julian¡¯s POV


    I was about to bury my problems away once and for all in the bottle, but a loud knocking on my door stopped me just before the liquid could touch my lips. I lowered the ss, wondering who that could be.


    Olivia immediately grunted with annoyance, her gaze lifting to the ceiling as if silently praying to the Moon Goddess for help. What did she have to be frustrated about? Perhaps she was tired of listening to me prattle on about my problems.


    Wasn¡¯t that what friends did, though? Didn¡¯t she want to be my friend?


    The knocking on the door was even louder this time, a fierce pounding.


    I thought that I had better see who that is. It could be an emergency.


    Turning toward the door, Olivia immediately stepped forward like she intended to stop me. ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s nothing. The wind, maybe.¡±


    ¡°Open this door, Julian!¡± Amber shouted. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving until you open this door!¡±


    ¡°Amber?¡± I hurried forward, utched the door and opened it.


    Beyond the doorframe, standing outside, were a very angry looking Amber and Anna. They both pushed their way in while I was standing there, gaping. When they saw Olivia, their already foul moods soured even further.


    ¡°You liar,¡± Anna snapped at me.


    Amber was more subdued, though the disappointment on her face was palpable, and sliced into me like a de. ¡°You made it seem like you wanted to reconnect with me, but that was a lie, wasn¡¯t it? You told me Olivia was pregnant, but that¡¯s probably a lie too! Though¡­¡± She looked at Olivia. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be drinking if you¡¯re pregnant.¡±


    ¡°Tell her you aren¡¯t pregnant, Olivia,¡± I said,


    I¡¯d never really seen Amber like this before. She¡¯d been so distant with me for so long, that I¡¯d almost forgotten what it was like to truly feel her ire in this way. Plus, she seemed a bit off¨Ckilter and unsteady.


    Before Olivia could answer, I asked Amber. ¡°Have you been drinking?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not the only one,¡± she snapped, gesturing to the wine I still held. ¡°Don¡¯t throw stones in ss houses, especially when you are in your hotel room drinking with the woman you cheated on me with¡­¡±


    The words were like a p to the face and the least of what I deserved.


    ¡°Amber, I swear to you, this is entirely innocent,¡± I tried to insist. But she shook her head not listening to <ol><li>me. </li></ol>


    ¡°How can I possibly trust you, Julian? Especially with her,¡± Amber said.


    Gods, I was a fool, wasn¡¯t I? Thinking I could still be friends with Olivia while also romantically pursuing Amber. Of course Amber would feel uncertain, given the history between Olivia and I. After all, hadn¡¯t it


    been a night much like this when I had fallen into bed with Olivia.


    I still couldn¡¯t remember it, not past the drinking and then waking up naked in bed beside Olivia. Every


    time I tried to push my memory, searching for answers, I ended up with a headache.


    Maybe my mind was just trying to protect itself from the pain of the betrayal I hadmitted against my


    mate. I wasn¡¯t sure, but no matter what I did, I couldn¡¯t remember anything from that night.


    Here I was, about to start drinking again with Olivia, while in a hotel room, mere feet from an empty bed.


    No wonder Amber thought what she thought. I had practically pushed her to it.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t thinking,¡± I admitted to her. ¡°But this was just a friendly chat.¡±


    ¡°Is that how it startedst time, too?¡± Amber asked me.


    ¡°Now, wait a minute,<i>¡± </i>Olivia started.


    ¡°Stay out of this,¡± Anna snapped.


    ¡°I won¡¯t!¡± Olivia said. ¡°Who even told you I was here? Or do you always go snooping on people in the middle of the night.¡±

 Main Flame 113

    Chapter <b>113 </b>


    Anna ced her hands on her hips. ¡°Chase told us. He saw youing here. He even had a video.¡±


    ¡°Chase?¡± Olivia said, some outrage in her voice.


    I was also furious, realizing that Chase probably saw this as a golden opportunity to shove a wedge between Amber and me. He wanted her to think I was in here fooling around with Olivia, to help open the


    door for himself to move in.


    ¡°You can¡¯t trust Chase,¡± I said.


    ¡°Oh, enough of that,¡± Amber snapped. ¡°Chase was looking out for me tonight, showing me what I¡¯d been purposefully blind too. What I maybe had always looked away from. If you want Olivia so badly, go and be


    with her! Don¡¯te here! Just leave me out of it!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be with Olivia,¡± I said. ¡°I want to be with you.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe you!¡± she snapped. With a huff, she grabbed my wine straight from my hands. ¡°I¡¯m too


    sober for this.¡±


    At once, she downed the drink.


    Olivia outstretched her hand as if to stop her, but then immediately snapped it back.


    When the ss was empty, Amber dropped it down on the desktop with a tter. It was a miracle the ss didn¡¯t shatter.


    Amber¡¯s POV


    I was tipsy from the Rum Runner and the extra shot, but I was still too sober to be having this tired old argument with Julian. That was why I had downed that ss of wine.


    I thought it would help. Yet, after a moment, and then too, the alcohol seemed to hit me like a freight


    train. I started to wobble. Julian quickly reached forward, grabbing my arm to steady me.


    ¡°You alright?¡± he asked me, some worry in his voice.


    I didn¡¯t know. I felt¡­ odd. And hot.


    ¡°She clearly can¡¯t handle her wine very well,¡± Olivia said. Her voice seemed to shake some. Was she nervous? About what? ¡°I won¡¯t stand here and be insulted.¡± With that, she pushed her way past me and


    out the door.


    Anna followed her, as if making sure she was gone.


    The heat flickered out from inside of me, shooting down to my fingers and toes. Where Julian¡¯s hand was on my arm, the skin beneath was searing. Yet it wasn¡¯t painful. It felt so good, I wanted more and swayed


    into him.


    Only, I swayed too much and fell off bnce. Before I knew it, I was fully falling forward.


    Julian moved quickly. Wrapping his arms around me, he held me in his embrace, keeping me safe against the wide expanse of his chest.


    Gods, he had a lot of muscles. I couldn¡¯t stop myself from running my hands over them now.


    ¡°Amber¡­¡± Julian said, his voice a little more breathy than it had been only a moment ago.


    He was so warm. Even though I was warm too, it felt so good pressing my body against him. Two mes,


    burning bright.


    I hummed happily as I pressed as much of my body as I could against his.


    He swallowed thickly, and I looked up at his neck. Gods, I wanted to suck in a mark there, making him mine. It¡¯d be like a notice to keep other women ¨C especially Olivia ¨C away.


    ¡°You are acting strangely, Amber,¡± he said, his voice deeper now, a little rough.


    My vision was blurring somewhat. The heat was bing too hot.


    Even delirious, I knew I was about to pass out. I grabbed at his arms, desperate for his attention.


    I already had it though, his blue eyes fixed on me with worry¡­ and with heat.


    There were words on my tongue. Ones that I really needed him to know. Right now, right here, before anything else could be spoken.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want <i>to </i>share you,¡± I said, just before the whole world went dark.

 Main Flame 114

    Chapter <b>114 </b>


    Anna¡¯s POV


    Anna followed Olivia the whole way back to Olivia¡¯s room, to be sure that Olivia went inside and would not be bothering Julian and Amber anymore. Then, once she saw that door close, she returned to Julian¡¯s


    room.


    The scene she saw there shocked her more than anything!


    Amber was passed out, face first against Julian¡¯s muscled chest. Julian was holding her gently<b>, </b>keeping


    her upright and secure.


    ¡°What the hell happened?¡± Anna asked.


    ¡°I think the alcohol went straight to her head,<i>¡± </i>Julian admitted. There was some color in his cheeks,


    unusual for him. It made Anna wonder what she had missed for those few seconds she had chased Olivia


    up the hallway. ¡°She passed out.¡±


    ¡°Is she alright?¡± Despite working at the clinic, Anna really didn¡¯t know anything about medicine. She was


    entirely on the clerical side of things.


    ¡°How much did she have before you got here?¡± Julian asked. After I told him, he seemed pensive but


    calm. ¡°She just needs to sleep it off for a while.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not leaving her here,¡± Anna said.


    ¡°I can help you take her back to her house.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not. Alice will have enough questions without you.¡±


    ¡°I can help you get her to the car, but you are going to need to carry her inside by yourself. Can you do


    that?¡± Julian asked.


    Anna wasn¡¯t strong. For a werewolf, she was thin and weak, Stronger than a human, perhaps, but


    nowhere near strong enough to carry around her unconscious friend.


    <b>¡°</b><b>I¡¯ll </b>just stay here then, and keep an eye on things,¡± Anna started to say, but then cursed. ¡°Someone has to pay the babysitter. She didn¡¯t sign on for staying all night.¡±


    ¡°Amber can stay here,¡± Julian said. ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye on her.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, no way I¡¯m letting that happen.¡±


    <b>¡°</b><b>I </b>won¡¯t hurt her.¡±


    ¡°Like you didn¡¯t hurt her tonight by having Olivia in here? Like you didn¡¯t hurt her all those years ago, by cheating with Olivia the first time? Was that even the first time?¡± Anna shook her head. ¡°Like hell, she¡¯s


    safe here with you.¡±


    Julian frowned but didn¡¯t argue with her.


    ¡°I won¡¯t harm her, I can promise you that,¡± Julian said. ¡°You have to admit there aren¡¯t many options. Unless you want to go get Alice ande back.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s already in bed. I¡¯m not dragging her to some hotel room in the middle of the night.¡±


    ¡°Then trust me to watch Amber.¡±


    Anna was slowly realizing that she didn¡¯t have a lot of options here. As she couldn¡¯t carry Amber herself, the best course might be to leave Amber here, trusting Julian. Though that didn¡¯t mean she had to leave her friend unprotected.


    ¡°If you mean it, make a vow,¡± Anna said. ¡°A vow to the Moon Goddess. Tell me you won¡¯t hurt her.¡±


    A vow to the Moon Goddess was serious. Once it was made, the one who made the vow would be bound to


    his words. The Moon Goddess herself would intervene to ensure the bond wouldn¡¯t be broken.


    It was a mysterious power, and proof of the Moon Goddess existence and power.


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe this is necessary,¡± Julian tried to say.


    ¡°The vow,¡± Anna said, insisting on it. ¡°Saw you won¡¯t even touch her tonight.¡±


    Julian straightened. ¡°Fine. I swear to the Moon Goddess, that once I get Amber safely onto that bed, I will not touch her again.¡±


    Anna closed her eyes, feeling a slight thrum of power fill the room and then immediately dissipate. The


    vow had been made.


    ¡°Put her on the bed and step back,<i>¡± </i>Anna said. She was going to be sure Julian wasn¡¯t going to find any strange workarounds.


    With a frustrated huff, Julianplied, carrying Amber to the bed. Gently, heid her down upon it, and then stepped back. From here, he would be under the watchful gaze of the Moon Goddess and unable to


    touch her.

 Main Flame 115

    Satisfied, Anna gave up a silent apology to her friend, shot onest re at Julian, and then left the room.


    Julian¡¯s POV


    I had some idea of what Anna had been worried about, leaving Amber here with me, and the thought that she could think so low of me as to assume I would do something like that made me ill. It was no trouble at all making a vow to prove I wouldn¡¯t, other than the general insult at being suspected of being someone


    who would touch an unconscious woman.


    To protect Amber though, I supposed I could understand where Anna wasing from. In her ce, I probably would have done the same.


    I followed Anna to the door and then closed it behind her. Once she was gone, and I was alone with


    Amber, I turned to face the bed.


    Amber was resting peacefully, her face half¨Cturned into the pillows, her bodyfortably stretched out over the mattress. Fortunately, she had kicked off her own shoes. I wouldn¡¯t be able to help with her other clothing. I hoped it wasn¡¯t too ufortable to sleep in.


    At the moment, she didn¡¯t seem to mind.


    Her cheeks were still flushed, just as they had been before she passed out, when she had been rubbing her body against mine so seductively, while making such sweet whimpering noises.


    Thank the Gods I was a man of willpower and honor, able to hold myself back from the temptation of her body and her sounds, and the fire that had burned in those eyes.


    She¡¯d been angry with me, yet she¡¯d also wanted me. It had been a confusing, whirlwind mix of emotions, and I¡¯d been at an utter loss on how to react.


    <b>It </b>must have been the rum. Or the fast way she had downed that wine.


    I¡¯d seen her drink wine before, and she¡¯d never acted like she had now.


    It had been too long sincest I touched her in that way. With her rubbing against me, I had nearly embarrassed myself. I longed for her so desperately. Even now, I felt on edge.


    Perhaps the vow had been for the best after all.


    If she awakened in the night in a simr mood, reaching for me and begging, I wasn¡¯t sure I would have been strong enough to turn her away a second time.


    Shaking my head, I tried to press the thoughts away. Yet, even as my desire slowly dimmed under the force of my will, <b>I </b>could not keep my gaze from being drawn toward her.


    She was beautiful, resting soundly, her facex with her peaceful slumber.


    So many times in the past, I would watch her sleep just like this. Well, no. I supposed it was different then, because I would have gotten to hold her.


    Now, I sat down on the ground beside the bed. My cheek in my hand, my elbow on the bed, I watched her.


    There was some hair over her face. Without thinking, I reached out to brush it away. When I came too


    close, my hand stilled as if someone had forcibly grabbed my wrist and kept me there.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I said to the Moon Goddess, and pulled my hand away.


    After watching her a few more minutes, I headed into the bathroom for a cold shower.


    Amber¡¯s POV


    As I blinked my eyes opened, I immediately cringed against the headache pulsing in my brain. Lifting my hand, I was surprised to find that I was still wearing a long¨Csleeve. Usually I slept in t¨Cshirts or tank tops. It hadn¡¯t been that coldst night. I could tell because I still felt warm.


    After blinking a few times, I looked around. Where was I?


    This almost looked like¡­ a hotel room?


    At once, images ofst night shed through my mind. Was this Julian¡¯s hotel room? What was I still doing here?


    In a panic, I surged upright.


    Had I slept with Julian?!

 Main Flame 116

    Amber¡¯s POV


    In a panic, I tapped at my body. No¡­ no¡­ I was still wearing clothes. If I¡¯d slept with Julian, surely I would


    be naked<b>? </b>


    I nced around. The spot on the bed beside me was empty. I myself wasying on top of the nket, as if someone had just ced me here, rather than us diving beneath the covers for sex.


    But if we didn¡¯t sleep together, then what the hell was I doing here? And where was Julian?


    Last night was such a blur.


    A ss of water and a couple of aspirin sat on the bedside table. Despite my upset at being in Julian¡¯s


    room, my headache was an irritation. I reached for them, taking the aspirin and then downing the water.


    As I lowered the ss again, I finally spotted Julian.


    He was sleeping on the floor beside the bed. He didn¡¯t even have a pillow or a nket, but his eyes were


    closed, his chest rising and falling gently, blissfully unaware of the panic I was feeling at waking up in


    this ce, in the room.


    I scanned the room for my purse and saw it sitting on the desk beside an open bottle of wine and two


    sses. The sight of it made me angry somehow.


    Wait¡­ hadn¡¯t Olivia been herest night?


    Maybe I was misremembering but I didn¡¯t think so. I distinctly remembered seeing the video of Olivia


    entering Julian¡¯s hotel room. That was right, Chase showed it to me. And then I¡­ I ran over to his hotel


    room to confront him myself.


    My head throbbed and I rubbed it with my forefinger and thumb, praying that the aspirin would work


    sooner rather thanter.


    Regardless, I had to get out of here.


    Keeping my eyes on Julian, not wanting to wake him, I slowly started to make my way toward the foot of the bed. Inch by careful inch, I scooched down, making as little noise as I possibly could.


    So far so good. So I moved a little more.


    Then, just as I was cing my feet over the edge of the bed, the mattress squeaked.


    Julian¡¯s eyes snapped open and he looked right at me. ¡°Amber.¡±


    I hopped off the bed now, and rushed to grab my purse.


    Julian was beside me in an instant, moving so fast at his Alpha speed. ¡°Calm down,¡± he said. ¡°Let me <ul><li></li></ul>


    exin.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it,¡± I said, even though I kind of did. I wanted to know what happenedst night, but my emotions were worn out. I was embarrassed ¨C no, mortified ¨C over having stayed here. Did I drink too


    much? I hardly ever have more than a ss of wine!


    No more rum. Ever.


    ¡°Nothing happened between us,¡± Julian said quickly. He kept cutting me off as I tried to move around him for the door, forcing me to listen. ¡°You came here, rightfully scolded me for having a drink with Olivia. You don¡¯t my drink, and then you passed out. That¡¯s all that happened.¡±


    I paused a moment, and looked up at him skeptically. ¡°One ss?¡±


    He nodded.


    Even with the rum¡­ one ss of wine shouldn¡¯t have made me ckout drunk.


    ¡°I can usually handle my alcohol better than this,¡± I said, confused.


    Maybe I couldn¡¯t exin what happened with me, but the main point of rity I still felt was that Julian had epted Olivia into his hotel room. If they had too much to drink, who knew what would happen?


    My anger over that coupled with my irritation from having a headache. It all made everything worse.


    ¡°Let me out of here,¡± I said. ¡°Then you can get back to whatever you were doing with Olivia.¡±


    ¡°Nothing was happening with Olivia,¡± Julian insisted. ¡°She came over and we were just ¨C


    I definitely didn¡¯t want <i>to </i>hear about this.


    I faked like I was going right, and while he moved to block me I dodged left instead.


    <i>¡°</i><i>2 </i>


    :

 Main Flame 117

    ¡°Amber, please¡­¡±


    He could have stopped me with his speed, but he must have sensed just how pissed off I was. And how panicked. I couldn¡¯t be in here anymore, I couldn¡¯t be dealing with this. My heart was racing out of control, my blood pressure was sky high.


    When I opened the door, he let me walk through it, though he did follow me out onto thending.


    ¡°Please just hear me out¡­¡±


    Later, maybe I would. Right now? I just wanted to get away from him as fast as possible.


    My purse on my arm, I reached inside to get my cell phone. I hoped to call Anna for a ride, but it was dead. I was also worried about Alice, though I trusted Anna to take care of her. I was certain that was were Anna went when she left here, to relieve the babysitter and take care of Anna. Especially because Anna


    lived in the same duplex.


    Still, I wanted to check in. I needed a ride. And Anna might be the only other person who could fill in


    some of the holes I had fromst night.


    With the phone dead, though, I was out of luck.


    But then I saw Chase getting into his convertible in the parking lot.


    Looking over, he spotted me. ¡°Amber.¡± The longer he looked, the higher his brows rose. ¡°Aren¡¯t those the same clothes you were wearingst night?¡±


    ¡°Can you drive me home?¡± I asked him. I was so desperate to get out of here, there wasn¡¯t time to exin.


    ¡°Yeah, get in.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t calm down until Chase started the car and drove us out of that parking lot. He revved the


    engine a few times, which my headache did not agree with, but I couldn¡¯t be mad when he was


    essentially rescuing me.


    A few lights away, Chase nced at me and said, ¡°I don¡¯t know where you live.¡±


    I started telling him, but then I stopped, seeing the time on the dashboard. ¡°Is that right?¡±


    <b>It </b>was already after 9 am.


    <b>¡°</b>It is,¡± Chase said. ¡°I was on my way to our appointment when I saw you.¡± Heughed. ¡°For a minute, I thought you were doing house calls.¡±


    Gods, I already missed another patient this morning. ¡°Never mind going home. Take me to the clinic instead, please.¡± At the clinic, I had some spare clothes in my locker. Also, in one of the bathrooms we did


    have a shower just in case something should happen.


    I never imagined I¡¯d be using it the morning after I drank too much.


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am,¡± Chase said and made a U¨Cturn so fast that I pressed hard against the door of the car.


    We drove in silence for a while, before Chase spoke again.


    ¡°I wasn¡¯t sure about you and Julian being an item. I¡¯d heard about your marriage of course, once you came back to the pack and revealed yourself. Everyone was talking about how you came back from the dead. I guessed you were just hiding from him. I had thought the two of you were ex¡¯s thorough and through.¡±


    He sped through a yellow light so fast that I held onto the seat cushion for dear life.


    ¡°But I guess it¡¯s pretty clear you two are still together,¡± Chase said.


    ¡°What makes you say that?¡± I asked, mostly to distract myself from his reckless driving.


    ¡°Because you slept with him. Oh! Unless this was just a one¨Ctime thing? Like for old times¡® sake?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t ¨C¡±


    My voice cut off as he mmed on the brakes to keep from bolting through a light that was clearly red.


    Inertia pushed me forward for a moment, and then I flopped back against the seat.


    With the car stopped, Chase turned to look at me. He grinned at me, his eyes sparkling with mischief. ¡°If <b>you </b>are into one¨Cnight stands¡­ would you consider one with me?¡±

 Main Flame 118

    Chapter <b>118 </b>


    Julian¡¯s POV


    Watching Chase drive off with Amber made something shrivel inside of my soul. I was furious, but not in a way that I could act on. Instead that anger stayed within me, coiling around my mood and turning it


    darker.


    Even resting on the floor, I had felt a peacest night that I hadn¡¯t experienced in years.


    Not since thest time I had slept beside Amber.


    Even from the floor, with her on the bed, her closeness gave mefort I had long been denied.


    Gods, I had missed her.


    That yearning would continue, it seemed, perhaps indefinitely. Or at least until after Chase was done


    with her.


    I had tried to warn her against him. Again and again. Why would she get in that car with him?


    When she hade in herest night, she had been filled with passionate anger. She¡¯d been furious that I had risked our reconnection by allowing Olivia into my hotel room.


    That anger had sparked a hope in me. If she was angry, she had to care about me, about our rtionship, about our future. About all that I¡¯d risked for a perceived hookup.


    She didn¡¯t understand that Olivia and I were only acting friendly. I supposed I wouldn¡¯t either, if our situations had been reversed. Especially given what happened thest time I had been drinking with


    Olivia.


    I looked over at the desk where the bottle of wine and the ss Amber had emptied were sitting. Olivia¡¯s ss was half empty, resting on the windowsill.


    Walking over to it, I lifted the ss. There was the barest drop at the bottom. Swirling it around, I noticed how chalky it seemed. Lowering the ss, I picked up the bottle instead.


    This wasn¡¯t a cheap bottle of wine. There should have been no chalkiness. Unless this was a bad batch? That could have been why Amber didn¡¯t handle it well.


    She said she usually handled her alcohol better than this.


    Two rum shots and a ss of wine in such a short amount of time would have likely made her sick. But drunk enough to ck out?


    And then, there was that strange behavior she showed before she passed out. In an effort to contain my libido while she was still here, I had pushed those moments to the back of my mind, but they wereing forward with a vengeance now.


    She¡¯d been so hot, so seductive, pressing her body against me. Rubbing her breasts on my chest while trying to hook one leg around me.


    And that look in her eyes¡­ There was a fire in those depths, one I¡¯d seen before long ago.


    During our marriage, Amber and I had a lot of problems. Sex wasn¡¯t one of them. We burned for each other, near constantly. The me I sawst night was the same one I had seen in the past.


    It could have been all the alcohol removing her inhibitions, in which case, it was nice to know she still wanted me, even if she hid it under the surface.


    But¡­ I looked at the bottle again.


    There was some simrities between what happenedst night and what happened the night I had inadvertently had that one night stand with Olivia. Just as Amber couldn¡¯t rememberst night, I couldn¡¯t


    remember that night.


    Sometimes I wondered¡­


    No. It made no difference now. What was in the past was in the past. The child Olivia and I had created that night was lost. It would be something of a dishonor to their memory to question things now,


    wouldn¡¯t it?


    Ug.


    I ced down the bottle and turned away.


    One thing I knew for sure. I would not be drinking with Olivia ever again. Not even to see Amber jealous. Though I had enjoyed her signs of caring for me, it wasn¡¯t worth the fallout.


    Still, Amber¡¯sst words before passing out stayed with me, and would likely forever, even if she never


    remembered them.


    I don¡¯t want to share you¡­


    Amber¡¯s POV


    ¡°I don¡¯t do one¨Cnight stands<b>,</b>¡± I told Chase,


    ¡°So you are seeing Julian?¡± Chase asked.


    ¡°No,¡± I said firmly, frustration spiking. ¡°We didn¡¯t have sex.¡±


    <i>2/2 </i>

 Main Flame 119

    Chase¡¯s brow pulled together in a mix of confusion and skepticism. ¡°Amber. You literally did the walk of shame out of his hotel room wearingst night¡¯s clothes.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m telling you nothing happened,¡± I said.


    He considered this a moment, then shrugged. ¡°Shame.¡±


    I looked at him sharply. ¡°I thought you hated Julian. You warned me against him.¡±


    ¡°I do and I did,¡± Chase said. ¡°<b>If </b>you wanted to be in a rtionship with him, I¡¯d worry. But sex? Love, have all the sex you want.¡±


    The car behind him honked and looking back to the road, he pulled the car forward again.


    Julian was attractive¡­ Gods, those muscles of his, and that handsome chiseled face. Those eyes like twin oceans¡­ And those hands. The things those hands could do¡­


    Blushing, I pushed the thoughts away and turned toward the window.


    Chase must have seen though, because heughed andughed, all the way to the clinic.


    At the clinic, I showered and changed. When Anna heard I was here, she met me in the locker room as I was putting on my doctor¡¯s coat and pulling my damp hair up into a bun.


    ¡°I¡¯m so sorry aboutst night,<i>¡± </i>she said, and exined what happened leading to the decision of leaving me there with Chase. I understood her worry. Her inability to carry me. Not wanting Julian to take me home. Worrying about what Alice would think. Anna also exined that she relieved the babysitterst night and watched Anna, then took her to school this morning.


    All of it was understandable. I couldn¡¯t be mad at her. In fact, I was d she prioritized Alice.


    ¡°I made Julian swear to the Moon Goddess that he wouldn¡¯t touch you,¡± she said.


    I sighed, immediately more at ease. Though I hadn¡¯t felt like anything had happened, and while I trusted Julian not to be a brute in that way, it was still a relief to have that confirmation. Whatever small worry I had in the back of my mind was instantly squashed.


    Truthfully, the person I hadn¡¯t trustedst night wasn¡¯t Julian, but myself. Though I still didn¡¯t remember most ofst night, I had some embarrassing shes of¡­ heat. I remembered pressing myself against Julian, wishing he would touch me, marveling at his body.


    His body was a marvel, but I didn¡¯t need to appreciate it by feeling it with my own!


    ¡°Thank you, Anna,¡± I said, forcing my thoughts away from Julian. ¡°I really don¡¯t know how I got like that so quickly.¡± It was something that was still bothering me. Something definitely felt off, but I couldn¡¯t ce my finger on it. Perhapster, I would draw some blood samples from myself and run some tests.


    7


    For now though, work was waiting. And so was Chase.


    Hurrying, I entered the examination room where Chase was. Looking him over, more closely now, I could see that his bruise was mostly healed. That was good.


    I made a note in his chart. Perhaps things weren¡¯t quite as dire as Chase had been led to believe.


    ¡°You are looking well this morning, Healer Amber,¡± Chase teased, ying as if we hadn¡¯t already seen each other this morning, and like he hadn¡¯t rescued me from one of the more embarrassing situations of my life.


    I grunted in response. In doctor mode, he was easier to ignore. I scribbled in my notes.


    Then it hit me. Something so obvious. Something I was overlooking.


    A yboy¡¯s reputation. Those blood results. Something everyone wouldn¡¯t see.


    I flipped back through the pages of his blood results, making connections I hadn¡¯t seen before.


    ¡°What is it?¡± he asked me, suddenly serious now, perhaps picking up on my more serious mood. ¡°Amber?<b>¡± </b>


    I kept looking through his file. I wasn¡¯t entirely sure, I needed to run more tests, but¡­


    I think I knew how to fix his condition.


    But there was one question I had to ask first, and I needed him to be honest with me.


    Looking up at him, right in his eyes, I asked, ¡°What happened to your fated mate?¡±

 Main Flame 120

    Chase¡¯s POV


    Chase was immediately taken aback. ¡°How did you know about that?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I have to ask you,¡± Amber continued, her voice softening in a way he hadn¡¯t heard before,


    especially while she was donning that doctor¡¯s coat. ¡°Is she still alive?¡±


    His heart ached, as it always did when he thought of her. ¡°There¡¯s no guarantee that she was my mate. We were just children really, only thirteen when we felt a pull to each other. We were just friends for a long time, until I kissed her at sixteen. Sparks flew¡­ I never felt anything like it since.¡±


    Even Chase¡¯s wolf was hung up on Violet, a woman the wolf had never technically met.


    ¡°What was her name?¡± Amber asked gently, and it was so kind for her to ask that, that Chase¡¯s heart, for a moment, hurt in a different way.


    ¡°Her name was Violet,¡± Chase said.


    ¡°What happened to her?¡± Amber asked.


    Chase lowered his head. He hated thinking of Violet, not because he didn¡¯t love her still, but because any thoughts of her came with thoughts of this. ¡°She went swimming in theke alone. I don¡¯t know how


    exactly, but¡­ I was told she drowned. We were 17.¡±


    He never got to <i>see </i>her body. His parents told him it wasn¡¯t a sight for any young man and he should remember her as she was.


    ¡°I must ask another difficult question, please forgive me,¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯d never be mad at you, Amber,¡± Chase said, and found that he meant it. Maybe she only wanted to know about this part of his past for medical reasons, but she was still the only one who ever cared.


    His parents wanted to bury it and would scold him for even mentioning Violet. As Violet died before we were of age to start attending the high society parties, most people Chase interacted with now didn¡¯t even know Violet. Her parents moved away, and that was that.


    Ol¨ªvia, nor any of this other girlfriends, cared who he had associated with in the past. They only wanted him for his looks and his charms<b>, </b>and for favors, like Olivia had asked of him in even being here.


    He was getting much more than he bargained for.


    ¡°Was the funeral closed casket?¡± Amber asked. ¡°Did you ever see Violet¡¯s body at all?¡±


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t see her. They only had a picture of her at the funeral, next to the closed casket.¡± That remained consistently the worst day of my life. Even discovering my own diagnosis, and learning that I might soon die myself, was not as terrible as knowing that Violet had been taken from me and I¡¯d never


    see her again.


    When my parents had told me the news, I hadn¡¯t quite believed it, expecting Violet to walk through the


    door at any moment.


    The funeral had made things real.


    What made things worse, her parents weren¡¯t even there. Their grief was <i>too </i>much, my parents had told


    me then, and said the whole family moved to a different pack because of the tragedy.


    ¡°But as I said, we were only 17 when it happened. Our wolves were only barely manifesting then. We felt


    the pull to each other, but there was no confirmation that we had been fated mates.¡±


    Amber let the words hang in the air for a while, of which Chase was appreciative.


    Then she spoke again, ¡°I¡¯m sorry to bring up old memories, but it was essential. The separation of fated


    mates can cause a strain on a werewolf¡¯s heart, as well as his mind. Perhaps because your bond was not


    fully formed, your mind seems intact. Your heart, however¡­¡±


    ¡°Violet¡­ caused this<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    ¡°No,¡± Amber said quickly. ¡°Your heart is weak. Your slow healing is tied to that. But the anomaly that those other healers see in you, and the tremor in your heartbeat, that is tied to lost mate sickness.¡±


    The other healers had been so quick to dismiss me. They hadn¡¯t investigated further. They never asked the same questions as Amber, all just assuming I was a lost cause.

 Main Flame 121

    <b>¡°</b><b>If </b>we treat your weak heart and the lost mate sickness as two different entities, we should be able to develop a treatment n that would lead to a cure.¡±


    ¡°A¡­ cure?¡± Chase looked at her like she had grown a second head. Never in his life, since his diagnosis,


    would he have expected something like this. He¡¯d sort of epted that he would have a short but


    glorious life. Now¡­ he might live to see old age?


    Watching Amber, it was difficult not to feel a sudden, blooming affection for her. Olivia had been right


    when she had said that Chase would find Amber amusing. She was, and she was attractive too. But this


    was something else. Something new. Something he hadn¡¯t felt since Violet.


    He was suddenly looking at Amber in a new way, not as an easy mark or a quick hookup, but as a genuinely beautiful person. Someone to be admired. Adored.


    ¡°Come to dinner with me tonight to celebrate,¡± he found himself saying. He wasn¡¯t being as over¨Cthe¨Ctop flirtatious as before. This, he meant genuinely.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need something like that,<i>¡± </i>she said. ¡°I¡¯m only doing my job.¡±


    ¡°I insist, Amber,¡± Chase said. ¡°You¡¯ve done so much for me. Hells, here you are giving me my life back.¡±


    Amber considered a moment. ¡°Fine,<i>¡± </i>she said. ¡°But only if others from the staff cane too. We all work


    together here, so we all celebrate together.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t the romantic night Chase envisioned, but if it meant he could still spend some time with


    Amber outside of the clinic, then he was for it. ¡°Alright. Tonight.¡±


    Julian¡¯s POV


    When I went to the clinic to continue my training for the day, I was surprised when Ca at reception stopped me before I could go into the back hallway.


    ¡°Healer Amber told me <i>to </i>tell you, you have the day off,¡± Ca said. She smiled, likely thinking this was some kind of reward for my progress.


    She had no idea that this was Amber simply not wanting to see me today.


    I supposed I couldn¡¯t me her. After what happened, she probably needed some space. But that didn¡¯t mean I couldn¡¯t be professional¡­


    Who was I kidding? All I really wanted to do was fix things between us.


    I hated this distance, when things had been going so smoothly so far. But what could I do? I couldn¡¯t force her <i>to </i>listen to me if she wasn¡¯t ready to.


    And even if she would listen, I didn¡¯t know if that would have been enough to convince her that there was


    nothing between Olivia and me. After all, I had spent the night with Olivia in the past, when I had been supposed to return to Amber. That I couldn¡¯t remember it at all was no excuse.


    No. The only way to convince her was through action. Words weren¡¯t enough. If I wanted to prove that Amber was the one I wanted, I had to be there for her. Not just flirting with her, but being there in times


    when it really mattered.


    But how would I do that if she didn¡¯t even want to see me?


    ¡°Oh! You should stille tonight, though,¡± Ca said, still smiling brightly.


    ¡°Tonight?¡± I prompted, pulled from my spiraling thoughts.


    ¡°Chase is taking the whole office out for drinks and dinner,¡± Ca said. ¡°He¡¯s such a great guy. You¡¯re part


    of the office now, so I¡¯m sure you are invited. You shoulde!¡±


    I highly doubted Chase¡¯s invitation included me, but¡­ if he said everyone in the office, I was a part of the


    office¡­


    It could be a chance to get close to Amber again, while making sure Chase kept his distance.


    I forced a smile of my own. ¡°I¡¯d love to, Ca. Count me in.¡±

 Main Flame 122

    Olivia¡¯s POV


    Olivia tried to look busy standing in the parking lot ¨C walking around, smelling the flowers, taking a rest on a bench that she realized toote was for passengers for the local public transport bus. She did all this


    to hide the fact that she was waiting for Julian.


    Her schedule was prettyx today, but she imagined she wouldn¡¯t have to wait long. She had seen Julian


    leave, but knowing most of what had urredst night, that she had pieced together this morning by


    peering out of her room window, she guessed Amber wasn¡¯t going to want to see much of Julian today.


    Olivia had to talk to him, to set up some kind of cover story. She had intended to drug Julian with that


    aphrodisiac to seduce him. When Amber had downed the spike ss of wine instead, Olivia hadn¡¯t truly


    known what to do. So she had fled.


    But what had happened after she left? She imagined Julian and Amber slept together. Though with how


    quickly Amber had escaped this morning, jumping into the car with Chase of all people, Amber was


    willing to guess that the sex had not been all that good, or perhaps not all that sessful.


    Amber seemed too furious to even talk to Julian this morning, and he¡¯d certainly looked like a lovesick fool chasing after her.


    Olivia was certain that she could still salvage this situation, at least if no one suspected her of spiking


    the drink. So long as she was innocent of that, she could still manipte the situation as she needed to.


    Even if Amber and Julian had sex, with how they ended things this morning, it seemed to cause a rift


    between their repairing rtionship.


    Good. Let that tear fester and grow until Amber couldn¡¯t even bear to look at Julian.


    There was still the matter of their child¡­


    But if Amber wanted Julian gone from her life enough, perhaps she would also prohibit Julian from


    seeing his own child.


    Olivia could move in at that point, giving him a shoulder to cry on, and a warm spot to find his pleasure. If she became pregnant again, and if she could keep the baby this time, maybe she could make this work¡­


    She¡¯d done it before. She could do it again. Only this time, she¡¯d hold onto Julian with both hands.


    Okay, so it wasn¡¯t a perfect n. But until Chase and Amber became an official item, breaking Julian¡¯s heart so thoroughly he could finally forget her, Olivia could only do what she had to do.


    She waited a few more minutes<b>, </b>then stood and slowly walked back to the hotel. Just as she was going, Julian turned his car into the parking lot.


    Delighted, Olivia picked up the pace, eager to meet him before he could weasel his way away from her.


    She met him just as he parked and exited his car.


    ¡°Julian! How lucky to run into you,¡± Olivia began.


    ¡°What do you want, Olivia?¡± Julian asked, somewhat rudely. He had impatience written all over him, from the way he clenched and unclenched his hands to the way he shifted on his feet.


    ¡°I want to talk about what happenedst night,¡± Olivia said softly. She tried giving him a small, apologetic smile. It was surface¨Clevel only of course. She wasn¡¯t sorry about a damn thing that happenedst night. Well, aside from Amber showing up and ruining everything, but that wasn¡¯t Olivia¡¯s fault.


    ¡°We have nothing to talk about.¡± Julian turned from me.


    Gods, he was in a mood day. Olivia was going to have to move swiftly and concisely to get what she wanted.


    ¡°I want to mend things,<i>¡± </i>she said.


    ¡°We tried thatst night and it backfired spectacrly,¡± Julian said. He started walking away, back to his hotel room. ¡°Whatever you want, you can tell me on the phone.¡±


    I hurried to follow him. ¡°Will you answer?¡±


    He wouldn¡¯t and they both knew it. He didn¡¯t even try to deny it.


    Not looking back, he seemed content with silence.


    Olivia had to act quicker now. They were nearly to his door!


    ¡°Why don¡¯t we go to dinner?¡± Olivia asked. ¡°I can exin everything¡­¡±


    He unlocked his door, stepped inside, and to block Olivia from doing the same. Looking at her coldly, he said, ¡°I already have ns.¡±


    Then, he closed the door right in her face.


    She scoffed, offended, but he either didn¡¯t care or didn¡¯t hear.


    He¡¯d always been so caring before. When did he turn into such an unfeeling brute?


    Amber truly brought out the worst in him. He needed someone more emotionally steady like Olivia, who could handle the good and the bad.


    That was the beauty of a rtionship without love. Those silly feelings never got in the way.


    He couldn¡¯t be happy being in such turmoil? Couldn¡¯t he see the more logical, more sustainable benefit of a rtionship with Olivia?


    Perhaps he just needed more convincing.


    He said he had ns for dinner. If he was being genuine, then those ns were likely with Amber.


    That was troublesome. Olivia couldn¡¯t let the two of them spend too much time together, for fear that they might actually talk and reconcile their differences. They had quite a few things to wade through, but if they did¡­


    Olivia couldn¡¯t let that happen.


    Wherever he was going, Olivia would have to go too, and break up whatever little family dinner the two were likely nning on having.


    Olivia was getting pretty good at following people, and she still had the tracker on Julian¡¯s phone¡­


    Smirking, Olivia couldn¡¯t wait to see the look of Amber¡¯s face when she showed up.


    Amber¡¯s POV


    Anna was taking this event way too seriously, that much was clear. After picking out her own cocktail dress, she¡¯de over to help me pick out what I was going to wear.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a work function,¡± I argued.


    ¡°That someone else is paying for, for a change,¡± Anna said. ¡°Come on, Amber. Have some fun¡­¡±


    <b>¡°</b>You said the same thingst night, and look how that turned out.¡±


    ¡°Maybe, but Julian isn¡¯t going to be there. It will just be us and the others from the clinic. Well, and Chase,


    but he hardly counts,¡± Anna said.


    ¡°He¡¯s the one paying,¡± I pointed out.


    Anna shrugged. ¡°All the more reason to order champagne.¡±


    Anna¡¯s red cocktail dress and her clear excitement caught the eye of Alice, who, when she realized we


    were going out again, started to pout. ¡°I want to go!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s for grown¨Cups,<b>¡± </b>I said.


    Anna was no help at all. <b>¡°</b><b>It </b>is a family restaurant¡­¡±


    Somehow, ten minutester, we were all in Alice¡¯s room next, picking out an outfit for her.


    In the end, I didn¡¯t think Chase would mind, and everyone at the clinic already loved Alice.


    Admittedly, when Alice was included in the preparations, everything became a little more fun. She and Anna seemed to feed off one another¡¯s excitement, and it was contagious.


    I supposed, a night out with friends could be fun, especially knowing that Julian wouldn¡¯t be there.


    Before long, I was smiling too.


    Chase¡¯s POV


    ¡°A table for two please,¡± I said to the hostess as I arrived at the restaurant. I couldn¡¯t wait for tonight, to spend a pleasant candle¨Clit dinner with a beautiful and interesting woman like Amber.


    The bell on the door chimed. I was early, but eager, and turned, hoping to see Amber


    Instead, Julian walked through the door.

 Main Flame 123

    Julian¡¯s POV


    I thought I arrived promptly at the restaurant, but perhaps I was early, since I didn¡¯t see anyone else there yet. Well, anyone other than Chase.


    He was looking at me like the devil himself just walked through the door, and I knew it didn¡¯t have anything to do with the fact of my timing.


    It meant Ca hadn¡¯t told him that she invited me.


    Good.


    Concealing my inner joy at his being unprepared and bbergasted under a stone¨Cface, I walked toward


    him. ¡°Thanks for the invite, Chase.¡±


    Chase frowned even harder. ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Ca told me you were taking the entire clinic out to celebrate your recent good news,¡± I told him.


    ¡°Ca<b>¡­</b><b>?</b>¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure everyone is on their way and will be here in a minute,¡± I added.


    ¡°Everyone¡­?¡± Chase echoed again, looking utterly lost.


    The hostess cleared her throat. ¡°Table for two, Sir?¡±


    ncing back at her, he returned back to him himself, if only a little. He cleared himself and told her, ¡°No. Uh¡­ I suppose there will be considerably more of us than I thought.¡±


    He only requested a table for two? Did Ca mishear the invitation, or was Chase hoping that only Amber


    would actually arrive?


    I did a quick count in my mind. ¡°The number will be closer to twelve,¡± I told the hostess. ¡°Oh, well, thirteen


    with Chase.¡±


    ¡°Thirteen is an unlucky number,<i>¡± </i>Chase grumbled.


    ¡°Did you want to sit this out?¡± I asked him. ¡°I could pick up the tab instead if you just want to leave.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he said quickly, fullyposing himself now. His eyes were sharp again as he red at me. To the hostess, he said, ¡°Thirteen, please.¡±


    The hostess nodded. She remained professional, but not quite as friendly, her brow twitching ever so slightly. ¡°That will take a few minutes to prepare. Typically patrons call ahead when they are dining with sorge a number¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes, well, it¡¯s a bit of a surprise to me as well,¡± Chase said smoothly. He grinned at the hostess, and that seemed to smooth things over because she blushed. ¡°Take all the time you need, love.¡±


    ¡°O¨Cokay¡­¡± she said and hurried off.


    Chase turned back around toward me. ¡°It helps to have a pretty face, not that you would know.¡±


    I glowered. This insult was entirely adolescent, very much Chase. He might have been young, but he was still in his early twenties. Instead, he cast insults like a middle¨Cschooler.


    When I didn¡¯t engage with this nonsense, instead just ring steadily back at him, his smile wavered slightly but he continued.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t going to work, you know,<i>¡± </i>he said. ¡°This morning Amber couldn¡¯t get away from you fast enough. Now you believe by showing up here, she will somehow be impressed?¡±


    I continued ring, but didn¡¯t say a word.


    ¡°Your presence here isn¡¯t going to change anything,¡± Chase said. ¡°I am the one who is going to win


    Amber¡¯s heart.¡±


    His persistence despite my staring confirmed for me that he was simply baiting me again. Maybe he wanted me to take another swing at him, so that he could go crying to Amber about his bruises.


    I didn¡¯t regret the punch fromst time. Chase had certainly deserved it after the way he¡¯d been talking about Amber, and his face was so¡­ punchable.


    But I was an Alpha. This was a restaurant, and Amber and all of her co¨Cworkers were about to arrive.


    He likely wanted me to cause a scene for them all to witness, to see how much of an Alpha brute I was.


    That wasn¡¯t going to work a second time.


    It wasn¡¯t that I was emotionless. My jealousy still swelled up inside of me fiercely, and my wolf still growled in my mind. But this time, to cool myself, I thought of Amber herself. If she was here, if she could hear the way he talked about her¡­ What would she say?

 Main Flame 124

    Chase would only be able to keep up the lies for so long. Amber would eventually start seeing through the cracks.


    ¡°You won¡¯t win her because you lie to her,¡± I said. I knew personally how much secrets hurt her. ¡°She will see through you.¡±


    <b>¡°</b>Not with my charm,¡± Chase said.


    I shook my head. ¡°She might put up with you. She might even like you, as a friend. But she will never fall in love with you, not the way you expect. She¡¯s going to be the one you can¡¯t seduce.¡±


    ¡°Impossible,¡± Chase grumbled.


    It took all of my willpower not to smirk. By turning the insults around and questioning Chase¡¯s charm, I had sessfully turned the tables and put him on the back foot.


    He wasn¡¯t used to being challenged like this, that much was clear, from the way he stumbled through his words, trying to dispute me.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know what you are talking about,¡± Chase snapped, getting angry now, his perfectly cool and charismatic fa?ade cracking down the middle. ¡°Amber will pick me, and there isn¡¯t a damn thing you can do about it but watch. I¡¯m going to take what you love, Alpha, and I¡¯m going to make it all mine.¡±


    ¡°You are going to try<b>,</b>¡± I countered. ¡°But you aren¡¯t going to seed.¡±


    Amber didn¡¯t care about winning or losing. She had a big heart<b>, </b>she cared about people, and she would do what was best to protect her child.


    Since Chase only wanted her for the game of it, he was in for a wake¨Cup call.


    I had to be confident that Amber was going to see through him. That she wasn¡¯t going to tolerate his flitting presence in the life of her or our daughter.


    If I started to doubt, then the jealousy would take over¡­


    The bell on the door chimes, and Chase and I both look to see Ca and several other clinic employees enter the restaurant. Still there was no sign of Amber.


    I wanted to see her, to mend things, but with Chase here, I¡¯d almost be happier if she just stood him up.


    ¡°Julian! You made it!¡± Ca said, smiling wide. She¡¯d really dolled herself up tonight, with a shy cocktail dress and a lot of eye makeup. She batted her eyshes at Chase. ¡°Thank you so much for all of this, Chase. You are such a good guy.


    ¡°Yes, well¡­¡± He was still angry for a moment, but after closing his eyes and reopening them, his true feelings were buried under a thering of charm. ¡°It¡¯s my pleasure of course. Not only do we have cause


    to celebrate, but now I get to spend the evening with so many beautiful women.¡±


    Ca blushed deep red. She and several other women of the party started to giggle. Even the men seemed impressed with his charms.


    One of the men said, ¡°He¡¯s smooth as hell. Do you think I could pull of a line like that?¡±


    One of the women helpfully told him, ¡°Not a chance.¡±


    As the group mingled, the murmur growing into a steady roar of chatter, the bell on the door chimed


    again.


    This time, to my great dread, Olivia walked in.


    Gods, what the hell was she doing here? Had she followed me?


    ¡°Oh, what a coincidence!¡± Olivia said brightly, she stepped closer. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see you here, Julian. I hope I¡¯m not intruding.¡±


    ¡°Actually¡­¡± I started to say.


    ¡°A friend of Julian is a friend of ours!¡± Ca said. ¡°I¡¯m sure Chase won¡¯t mind.¡± She looked at him.


    I did too, when he didn¡¯t immediately answer.


    With Ca, he¡¯d always turned on the charm. Even annoyed, he should have recovered already.


    Yet looking at him, he seemed utterly lost for a moment¡­


    He was staring at Olivia, confused.


    Did they know each other?

 Main Flame 125

    Julian¡¯s POV


    Even more curious than the look Chase was giving Olivia, was the one she was giving back to him. After


    all the years I had spent knowing Olivia, whether when we had been together before Amber, or our tense


    friendship afterwards, I would say that I hade to know her fairly well.


    So I knew the look she cast toward Chase had meaning, telling him something with her eyes that she


    didn¡¯t speak aloud. And, though I didn¡¯t know Chase as well, he seemed to be speaking that same silentnguage back to her.


    My only problem was that despite Olivia¡¯s many attempts to have me learn thisnguage, I had never been bothered to. So while I could tell they were speaking with their eyes, I didn¡¯t have a clue what they


    were actually saying.


    Yet, for Chase to know what she meant, to be speaking back¡­


    ¡°You two know each other,¡± I said, ncing between Olivia and Chase as Olivia came closer to our group.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous,¡± Olivia said, just as Chase said, ¡°Yes.¡±


    Olivia¡¯s gaze added disappointment, bing something of a glower. That look, I did know well. She


    gave it to me whenever I did something she did not approve of, which was fairlymon, especially


    when it came to my decisions about Amber.


    Chase immediately looked away, dropping down his gaze like he¡¯d been scolded.


    ¡°I meant,<i>¡± </i>Olivia rified to me, and to the others who had been listening. ¡°Of course I know Chase. We


    attended the same types of high society parties back in our own pack. We¡¯ve been introduced, rubbed


    elbows a few times, and likely donated to the same causes. That kind of thing. But I wouldn¡¯t say I know


    him, in any true capacity.¡±


    Having her answer, I nced at Chase for his. I noticed with some amusement that Ca and a few of the


    other nurses were doing the same. They were probably enjoying the unfolding drama. Me? I felt like I was


    seeing more of a puzzle I¡¯d been trying to put together for years.


    But I still didn¡¯t have all the pieces.


    ¡°Right,¡± Chase said quickly, taking an obvious cue from Olivia. He looked back at her, then quickly away, focusing instead on Ca and the other girls. He tried to sh his charismatic smile, but it seemed off, nervous. ¡°That¡¯s what I meant to Olivia¡¯s not a stranger.¡±


    Ca immediately ate up the words. ¡°Oh, high society parties? Those sound lovely? What were they like?¡±


    Chaseughed then, as if he was returning to himself now that he had Ca¡¯s focus and flirtations. He seemed to thrive on being the center of attention. It recharged him like plugging a phone into an outlet.


    ¡°They were divine, Ca,¡± Chase said, and began regaling her with descriptions of decadence and luxury, from chandeliers made from crystal to eating rare foods that cost more than some people¡¯s yearly sry.


    As he did, I turned my own attentions back to Olivia. With most everyone else distracted, I whispered to her, ¡°What are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°I came here for dinner,<i>¡± </i>she said, clearly annoyed by my having asked. ¡°That¡¯s what people do at


    restaurants.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but for you to be here, at this particr restaurant, and to arrive so soon after me¡­¡±


    She rolled her eyes. ¡°This is a small town, Julian, and it is dinnertime. Where else did you expect me to go?¡±


    Maybe she was right. Perhaps I was being paranoid, but all the coincidences were starting to pile up, making me ask questions that I hadn¡¯t really thought of in a long time.


    Things like, what had happened that night where Olivia and I had our one night stand? And¡­ Did Olivia have other suitors that she kept me in the dark about?


    She was a conventionally beautiful women. She went to high society parties all the time, often without me. And she seemed to know Chase very well¡­


    I wasn¡¯t jealous at all, merely curious. If she was seeing other men, then¡­


    No, it was a dishonor to our deceased baby to start questioning their parentage.


    Olivia could be maniptive. And she did like her nning. But that didn¡¯t mean that she would do


    something like<i>¡­ </i>


    I had to push the thought from my mind. Going down that path would cause nothing but heartbreak for everyone, as well as reopen old wounds.


    ¡°If you¡¯ll excuse me,¡± Olivia said. ¡°I will ask the hostess to get me a table.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense!¡± Ca said, overhearing that part. ¡°Friends of Julian sit with us. Won¡¯t that be nice, Julian? What did you say your name was again, dear?¡±


    ¡°Olivia,¡± she said. ¡°But I couldn¡¯t intrude¡­¡± She smiled softly, sadly, looking something like a kitten caught out in the storm.


    ¡°It¡¯s no intrusion. You must sit with us. Right, Chase?¡±


    Chase hesitated, but for a moment, Olivia¡¯s eyes sharpened. After, Chase was quick to say. ¡°Yes, that would be wonderful. The more the merrier, I always <b>say</b>. Oh, hostess!¡± He turned to the hostess station.


    She seemed very annoyed by the addition. He was going to have toy on the charm even thicker than before to convince her not to hate him.


    With that settled, Olivia looked back at me, smiling. ¡°What a nice surprise. We¡¯ll all have dinner together.¡±


    Nice surprise wasn¡¯t what I would call this.


    Amber¡¯s POV


    In the parking lot, Anna and I had to circle twice before we finally found an open spot, with someone


    pulling out.


    ¡°They are busy tonight,¡± Anna mused.


    ¡°I hope Chase called ahead,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯s fine,¡± Anna replied.


    From the backseat, Alice was singing along with the song on the radio. Suddenly, she stopped to ask, <b>¡°</b>Is Daddy going to be here?¡±


    She meant Julian. We had yet to be honest with Alice about Julian truly being her father, but Alice had


    already taken to calling him such. She¡¯d done that for a while now, and though it had made me


    somewhat ufortable at first, I was used to it now.


    Even if I wasn¡¯t sure having Julian in our lives was any good for either of us.


    No, I wasn¡¯t going to think about him at all tonight. This was an opportunity to have a nice time with my


    friends and colleagues, I wasn¡¯t going to let stray thoughts of Julian ruin it.


    ¡°No, Alice,¡± I said. ¡°This is just for my work friends. Ca will be there. You like Ca.¡±


    ¡°I like Ca,¡± Alice said. Softer, she added, ¡°But I love Daddy.¡±


    My heart clenched a little.


    After pulling the car into the spot, Anna threw it into park and then cut the engine. Looking over, she asked, ¡°Ready?¡±


    I nodded, as Alice called, ¡°Ready!¡±


    As we all got out of the car, I made Alice hold my hand. Walking toward the entrance, we could already see a crowd gathered at the front near the hostess station. That was probably our party. Maybe our table wasn¡¯t ready yet.


    Opening the door, my suspicions were confirmed when I saw Ca and a few others.


    But then my heart dropped.


    Was that¡­? And Olivia?


    Alice tugged at my hand, shouting, ¡°Daddy! You¡¯re here!¡±


    Olivia sharply looked over, and straight at Alice.

 Main Flame 126

    Amber¡¯s POV


    Alice tugged insistently on my hand. Knowing she would run straight to Julian, I finally let her go.


    Despite all the problems Julian and I might have been facing, I couldn¡¯t keep Alice from her father, especially not when she was so happy and excited to see him here.


    To diminish my daughter¡¯s joy would cause me great pain. I could only hope Julian felt the same. Though


    he seemed to, smiling as brightly at Alice as she was smiling at him.


    Once I released her hand, she darted forward, rushing to Julian as I expected. Only, before she could


    reach, Olivia stepped in the way, she bent over, so that she was more on Alice¡¯s level, though she still


    towered over her somewhat.


    Alice stopped in her tracks. I started forward, slowing when I realized Olivia was only introducing herself.


    ¡°Hello,<i>¡± </i>Olivia said. ¡°I¡¯m Julian¡¯s friend, Olivia.¡±


    If Olivia was only being polite, I didn¡¯t want to pull Alice away too quickly and teach her that it was okay


    to be rude. Alice, not knowing Olivia, wouldn¡¯t understand the reason for my rudeness.


    ¡°I¡¯m Alice.¡±


    Olivia smiled. Though I was certain she was trying for kind, the smile had a bit of an edge.


    I wasn¡¯t sure how Alice would react to Olivia. Not being able to see my daughter¡¯s face as she was turned away from me, I still couldn¡¯t be sure.


    ¡°Alice<i>,</i><i>¡± </i>Olivia said. ¡°That¡¯s a pretty name for a pretty little girl.¡±


    Alice paused a moment. Then she said bluntly, ¡°You have lipstick on your teeth.¡±


    Olivia immediately straightened and covered her mouth with her hand. When she lowered it again, her smile had vanished and her brow was pulling together in clear annoyance.


    ¡°Well, your hair is full of knots<b>,</b><i>¡± </i>Olivia countered.


    Close enough now, I ced my hands on Alice¡¯s shoulders and eased her back.


    At the same time, Julian over around Olivia to her side. ¡°That¡¯s enough. She¡¯s only a child.¡±


    Olivia made a ¡°humph¡± sound, her re still on my child. ¡°Someone needs to teach that child some manners. Her mother certainly hasn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk about my mom!¡± Alice shouted.


    ¡°Olivia,¡± Julian said, more firmly. ¡°That¡¯s enough.¡±


    His more forceful tone of voice seemed to snap Olivia out of whatever vindictive mood she was feeling for Alice. Her annoyance was gone in a sh, and in its ce, she began to pout as she looked at Julian


    with her most pathetic doe eyes.


    ¡°I was only teasing,¡± she said.


    I didn¡¯t believe her for a moment, but whether Julian did or not, I couldn¡¯t be sure.


    Alice looked up at me and then over at Julian. ¡°Daddy?¡±


    Olivia smartly positioned herself away, picking up a nearby conversation with Ca and one of the nurses. Before she turned away though, she made sure to spare a second to re at me.


    Though I only stared back, the feelings of dislike were mutual.


    I still didn¡¯t know what she was doing here. Did Julian invite her? But who invited him?


    This evening had only begun and already it felt like a disaster. I couldn¡¯t just walk out though, not with all


    my employees here. It was my name on the door to the clinic. How would it look if I abandoned everyone who worked for me, when we were supposed to be celebrating?


    Julian knelt down and opened his arms. Alice tugged away from me once more and flew into Julian¡¯s


    arms, and he hugged her tightly.


    ¡°I missed you,¡± Alice said, and my heart broke a little. If she missed him after only a couple of days, what


    would it be like when he had left us for good?


    ¡°I missed you, too,¡± Julian told her. I had known Julian a long time. He could be difficult to read at the


    best of times, but in this case, I swore he sounded so sincere that my heart broke twice.


    When they pulled away, Anna distracted Alice by pointing out the nearby arcade games. Alice


    immediately wanted to try the w machine. After giving me a knowing look, Anna went with Alice to try her luck, leaving me with Julian.


    Immediately, I wished that I had gone to y the w game, because the first thing Julian said when


    Alice was out <i>of </i>earshot was, ¡°About the other night¡­¡±

 Main Flame 127

    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk about it,¡± I said.


    <b>¡°</b><b>If </b>you¡¯d let me apologize


    <i>¡± </i>


    ¡°What are you even doing here?¡± I asked.


    He straightened a little at my sudden change of subject, but answered, ¡°Ca invited me this morning¡­ before I left the clinic. She said I was part of the staff and shoulde.¡±


    In my mind, I cursed. I couldn¡¯t be angry at Ca. Without knowing the full context of Julian and my history, she couldn¡¯t understand why I wouldn¡¯t want Julian here. To her, he was a generous Alpha who had given up so much of his precious time for the good cause of helping to heal sick people.


    To her, he might as well have been a saint. At the very least, he was someone who worked at the clinic.


    She hadn¡¯t been wrong to include him for this celebration, but it still hurt having him here, especially after what happenedst night ¨C much of which I still didn¡¯t remember. And what I did remember made my cheeks burn in embarrassment.


    I pushed away all of those thoughts for now by instead motioning toward Olivia. ¡°And who invited her<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    Julian clenched his jaw. He didn¡¯t look pleased at all as he too nced at Olivia, still in light conversation with Ca and a few others who now joined them.


    <b>¡°</b>No one,¡± Julian said.


    ¡°Then why is she here?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,<i>¡± </i>Julian said.


    ¡°Amber!¡± Chase called as he stepped closer, firmly imnting himself between Julian and me. ¡°How good to see you. And what a surprise to find so many others have joined the celebration tonight¡­¡±


    My brow pulled together. ¡°Didn¡¯t we agree everyone shoulde?¡±


    He sighed, though he smiled as he did so, so I knew there was no hard feelings. ¡°We did, yes. I might have thought that you¡­ Well, it hardly matters now, does it? I¡¯m very much looking forward to spending time with everyone tonight. Tell me, was that your daughter who was here just now?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s Alice,¡± I said, realizing now that Chase had never met her. ¡°Would you like to meet her?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d love to,¡± Chase said.


    ¡°That¡¯s not a good idea,¡± Julian tried to say, but I was firmly done talking with him at the moment. Instead, I waved Chase over and together we walked toward the w machine. Julian watched our every move, though did not follow us.


    We arrived at the machine just in time to watch a stuffed animal slip from the metal w back down to the pile of other plush animals.


    <b>¡°</b>You almost had it!¡± Alice said with encouragement.


    Anna, at the controls of the machine, just shook her head. ¡°Sorry, Alice.¡±


    ¡°Perhaps I could try?¡± Chase asked.


    Anna and Alice both turned to look at us.


    ¡°Alice,¡± I said. ¡°This is Chase. The one who is treating us tonight. Chase, this is Alice.¡±


    Chase held out his hand to shake Alice¡¯s. Alice seemed confused as the rest of us for a moment. Usually


    people didn¡¯t treat children like adults.


    It made me wonder if Chase had ever really been around children before¡­


    Still, Alice seemed somewhat charmed by it and shook Chase¡¯s hand.


    ¡°Nice to meet you, Alice,¡± Chase said.


    ¡°Nice to meet you¡­¡± Alice repeated somewhat awkwardly.


    Then Chase turned toward the machine and said, ¡°Now, let¡¯s see about winning you one of these bears¡­¡±


    A few moments and far too much moneyter ¨C enough that Chase could have just bought her a far nicer bear at the store for less ¨C Chase finally pulled a plush animal from the machine and handed it to Alice.


    He looked relieved.


    Alice held it closely to her chest, both arms wrapped around it. ¡°Thank you!¡±


    Chase smiled. ¡°Happy to.¡±


    ¡°Party of fourteen! Your table is ready,¡± the hostess called.


    <i>We </i>all followed the hostess in a long train, to where they had pulled several of the dining room tables into a long row. People scurried for seats.


    When the dust settled, Alice sat between Anna and me, but there was an open seat on the other side of


    me and one across the table beside Olivia.


    Two hands fell on the chair beside mine.


    One belonged to Chase, and the other to Julian.


    They red at each other.

 Main Flame 128

    Julian¡¯s POV


    There was no way in hell I was letting Chase have this seat next to Amber, but with the way he was ring back at me, I suspected he was thinking the same thing.


    This was a battle of wills, then, but I was determined to win. No one had more will than the pack Alpha.


    ¡°I think you should find a different seat,¡± I said, politely insisting Chase get lost.


    Chase narrowed his eyes. ¡°I think you¡¯d be morefortable in the other chair, Alpha.¡±


    ¡°I had my eye on this one,¡± I said.


    ¡°This one isn¡¯t as nice as the other one,¡± Chase replied. ¡°An Alpha deserves the best.¡±


    ¡°I will generously allow you to take the better chair,¡± I said, saying some of the words through my grit


    teeth. ¡°But this seat is mine.¡±


    We seemed at an impasse, but I wasn¡¯t going to back down.


    ¡°Chase,¡± Amber said.


    My pride puffed up like a peacock, certain Amber was about to dismiss him and have me stay at the


    empty seat.


    ¡°Sit down here next to me,¡± she said.


    My pride shriveling up, I looked at her in confusion. She returned my nce coolly.


    <b>¡°</b>Julian, you can sit over there,¡± she said, and gestured to the empty seat across the table. Her eyes


    flittered away then and she didn¡¯t look back at me.


    I had been well and truly dismissed.


    I wanted to argue, to push my point, or to demand it as Alpha. But everyone was looking. Chase and I


    were the only ones still standing.


    Also, to push like that was beneath me. Though I wanted what I wanted, I was still Alpha, and I couldn¡¯t


    throw a tantrum like a toddler.


    ¡°Very well,¡± I said, giving up the seat. Chase grinned as he immediately pulled out the chair and sat down, moving quickly like he couldn¡¯t sit down fast enough. Like I might change my mind.


    I wanted to, certainly,


    Instead, I forced myself to back off and circle the table. The only other open seat was across from Amber


    but next to Olivia.


    Olivia grinned at me, seeming very pleased with herself and the situation, as I sat down. I did my best to ignore her, which wasn¡¯t terribly difficult thanks to Ca, who sat on Olivia¡¯s other side. Ca was something of a chatterbox and liked new people. Olivia, it seemed, had be the center of her interest


    tonight.


    Another positive, I supposed, was that from here, I could keep an eye on Chase, and on Amber. Being across the table gave me a good perspective, better than if I had been sitting beside Amber. From here, I could make sure Chase didn¡¯t try to start anything.


    Though, alternatively, being this far away made it more difficult to intervene if something were to


    happen.


    This entire situation left me deeply unhappy and terribly grumpy. I still hadn¡¯t been able to talk to Amber


    about the other night.


    Was that why she made sure I didn¡¯t sit next to her? She was still angry at me, and embarrassed about what had happened?


    I had to find a way to make this right. Even from over here, this distant, I wasn¡¯t going to just sit idly by while the entire rtionship I had been working on rebuilding with Amber fell apart right before my eyes.


    Amber¡¯s POV


    Sitting Julian farther from me was a blessing. He couldn¡¯t bring upst night now without telling the whole table about it, which I was certain he wouldn¡¯t do, no matter how desperately he seemed to want to


    talk about things.


    From beside me, Chase grinned at me. The waiter had brought us menus and he was pointing at things. Have you tried this before? What about this? What¡¯s the best thing on the menu at this restaurant?¡±


    I answered his questions as best as I could, while trying not to notice how hard Julian was ring at the


    two of us.


    asionally, Olivia would try to speak with him, but he¡¯d entirely ignore her, too busy watching Chase and me. Olivia¡¯s false smile was rapidly diminishing, even when she returned to talking to Ca.


    <i>¡± </i>


    The waiter returned and went one by one around the table, getting our orders. I pretended not to notice as


    Chase casually checked his own menu, lightly running his fingers over the prices. He wore a growing frown, though when he spotted me watching, he covered it with a smile.


    ¡°Chase, do you¡­?¡± I wanted to ask him if he had enough to cover this meal. While I knew he was a


    member of high society, the way he was grimacing almost made it seem like he was worried about


    money,


    At my words, he lowered his menu and smiled at me. ¡°Not to worry, Amber. I was just curious.¡±


    I mirrored his smile, but I wasn¡¯t sure that I believed him.


    I had a sneaking suspicion there was more going on with Chase than I knew.


    How much did I really know about him?


    This,bined with the way that Olivia was casting res at me from across the table, and the way Julian was staring, made me feel tense and unnerved.


    When Olivia broke from another conversation with Chase, she turned to me, and then to Alice.


    ¡°Alice, dear,¡± Olivia said. Alice, who had been hugging her new plush animal and speaking to Anna, jumped a little as Olivia called for her.


    ¡°Yeah?<b>¡± </b>


    ¡°Do you like makeup?¡±


    Alice nced at me before she answered, ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡±


    ¡°Surely your mother lets you wear makeup?¡± Olivia asked.


    Alice had never really showed any interest in wanting to wear makeup. Besides which, she was six.


    Alice looked at me again, this time seemingly like she needed a rescue.


    ¡°Alice is too young for all that,¡± I said.


    ¡°Nonsense,¡± Olivia replied. ¡°Girl¡¯s should be able to feel pretty. Wouldn¡¯t you like that, Alice? Don¡¯t <b>you </b>want to feel pretty? Maybe I can show you how to put makeup on, if your mother refuses.


    ¡°Olivia,¡± Julian said, a scolding tone in his voice.


    But Olivia just smiled at me daughter like she couldn¡¯t hear him.


    ¡°That wouldn¡¯t be appropriate,¡± I said,ing to Alice¡¯s defense. Not only did I not want Olivia spending any meaningful time with my child, Alice was far too young to be worried about makeup and being pretty. She was already pretty, and she was just a kid.


    Maybe, if Alice had shown any interest or curiosity about makeup, I would show her some and we could y dress up. But she hadn¡¯t. And I wasn¡¯t about to push her towards something more adult like makeup before she was ready. She was already growing up too fast.


    Olivia, however, seemed personally wounded by my rejection. cing her hand over her heart, she shook


    her head at me.


    ¡°You should be more epting, Amber,¡± Olivia said. ¡°After all, I¡¯m only trying to connect with Julian¡¯s


    child since we¡¯ll be in each other¡¯s lives so much from now on.¡±


    What the hells did she mean by that?


    Before I could discem, a strange sort of strangled sound came from beside me. Turning, I saw Chase


    nearly choke on his drink.


    Looking at me, his eyes wide, he asked, ¡°Is Alice really Julian¡¯s child?¡±

 Main Flame 129

    Amber¡¯s POV


    I froze, my blood going cold.


    I wasn¡¯t ready yet for people to know the full truth, especially Alice, who was within earshot.


    Chase wasn¡¯t going to let this go easily though, I could tell from the way he was looking at me with wide


    eyes, waiting for a response.


    While I didn¡¯t want Chase to know the full truth, I knew I couldn¡¯t t out lie either, not without hurting


    Alice, who would eventuallye to know who her real father was. For her sake, I had to find a way walk


    the line here between truth and lie, without leaning too far in either direction.


    ¡°Alice wants Julian to be her father,¡± I said to him, and hoped that would be enough.


    ¡°And I¡¯d be happy to be so,¡± Julian said then, from across the table. I¡¯d hoped he hadn¡¯t been paying


    attention, but of course he had. He¡¯d been watching Chase and me so closely. Also, with his amplified Alpha hearing, he didn¡¯t miss much.


    Olivia didn¡¯t take kindly to Julian¡¯s words, casting him a long sideways nce. ¡°How easily you rece


    the child we lost,<i>¡± </i>she said. ¡°Here you are, trying to rece them with another.¡±


    ¡°I will never forget them,¡± Julian said, but he lowered his gaze away from all of us. Leaning back in his


    chair, he seemed to iste himself for a moment, building up his internal walls to keep everyone out.


    I¡¯d seen this before. So often in our past, he had built up those walls to keep me out. It was strange to see that happening again, here and now.


    ¡°Our child deserved better,¡± Olivia said.


    ¡°I will never forget them<i>,</i><i>¡± </i>Julian said.


    I carefully watched the dynamics of the pair, how Olivia seemed to use the fate of their baby as a way to


    cow Julian, and how Julian seemed caught in her guilt maniptions.


    Because that was what this was. I could see it clearly. Julian clearly mourned the loss of their baby. Why did that mean he couldn¡¯t also care for Alice? He could love two children at once, even if one was lost and the other living.


    That didn¡¯t seem to satisfy Olivia though, who seemed convinced that Julian¡¯s love for their lost baby was all or nothing.


    What a sad existence, to be trapped in so much grief¡­.


    To see this situation unfold made me feel sympathy for Julian. At the same time, though, I could also see the distance pushing Olivia and him apart.


    They didn¡¯t seem as close as they once had, before I left the pack. In fact, looking at them and their stilted bodynguage, it almost seemed like Julian was friendly to her only because he was beholden to her for


    some reason.


    Because of their lost child?


    I wasn¡¯t sure. I didn¡¯t have clear answers. Nor was I willing to ask about it.


    Yet, the strangeness between Julian and Olivia wasn¡¯t the only dynamic at y here at this table.


    Curiously, Olivia seemingly kept shooting nces at Chase, who would nce away a momentter.


    Perhaps they knew each other from Julian¡¯s pack, but, even so, for them to act like this, as if they were


    trading secret nces in a crowded room, made some suspicions rise up within me.


    ¡­Did they know each other more than they were letting on?


    It wasn¡¯t my ce to ask, though it did make me think twice about building a friendship with Chase. If he


    was friends with Olivia, then did he trulye here under honest pretenses?


    Or was I simply being paranoid? After all, Chase really did have a heart condition, one that I was actively


    working to cure.


    Maybe I was simply chasing shadows.


    Maybe I just really wanted this evening to end. Though we hadn¡¯t even eaten yet.


    ¡°Amber,¡± Chase began, and I braced myself for whatever he was about to say.

 Main Flame 130

    Before he said a word more, however, Ca stood up. She was holding a ss of wine, and tapped the t edge of the knife to it, creating a chime that stopped the talking of the entire table and drew attention to


    her.


    ¡°It¡¯s time for some toasts,¡± she said. ¡°I think it will be fun if we go around the whole table. This is a


    celebration after all<b>!</b><b>¡± </b>


    I had my reservations, but the rest of the party seemed to want to go along with it. Seeing that, I kept myments to myself.


    ¡°Chase,¡± Ca said, holding her ss in his direction.


    He straightened, an easy smile on his lips. He clearly liked being the center of attention.


    ¡°When you arrived, none of us knew what to make of you,¡± Ca said, a small blush on her cheeks. ¡°We only knew that you wanted some help. Since then, you¡¯ve be a daily brightness in all of our lives¡­¡± She means her own. ¡°I¡¯m so d that Healer Amber has been able to help you, but I also have to say, that we will miss seeing you around.¡±


    ¡°Hear, hear!¡± called a few others from the table.


    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere anytime soon,¡± Chase said. ¡°Thanks to Amber, of course.¡± He grinned at me.


    Ca smiled wide. ¡°Too true! To Chase! And to Healer Amber, too! Cheers!¡±


    ¡°Cheers!¡± said the rest of the table and everyone sipped from their drink, even Alice, who had a sip of her apple juice.


    The toasts continued around the table, most giving unneeded praise to me, while alsoplimenting Chase. I hoped there would eventuallye a time when the rounds would get to me, so that I could raise my ss and celebrate the rest of my staff.


    I hoped they knew how vital they were to me. Without them and their professional and talented assistance, I never would have been able to aplish any of the things I had.


    I missed the next few speeches, thinking of the best words I could say to celebrate my employees at the clinic.


    Before it could be my turn though, Julian stood up. ¡°I¡¯d like to go next, if that¡¯s alright with everyone.¡±


    No one seemed to disagree. Ca even cheered him on.


    ¡°You got this, Julian!¡± At Olivia¡¯s sharp look, she sheepishly amended, ¡°Uh, Alpha Julian, I mean.¡±


    Julian cleared his throat and began. ¡°I¡¯ve known Amber for a long time, second only to Anna at this table.¡±


    He left out the fact that we were still married, for which I was grateful, though knowing it was a secret between us made my pulse quicken and my cheeks heat up.


    ¡°She has always been a kind, generous, and understanding woman,¡± Julian said. ¡°It has been my great pleasure to know her and be a part of her life, something that I hope will continue for the rest of our lives.<b>¡± </b>


    My heart beat so loudly I heard it in my ears.


    <b>For </b>the rest of our lives sounded so much like for as long as you both shall live, part of our wedding vows.


    Feeling a bit overwhelmed, I looked down at my hands.


    Chase, sitting beside me, must have been able to sense my shift in mood, as leaning toward me, he stretched his arm around the back of my chair and tugged me a little closer.


    He brought his mouth close to my ear and asked, ¡°Are you alright?¡± His breath was warm on my skin.


    I opened my mouth, ready to give some reply, most likely a lie, when ¨C


    Crack!


    A ss shattered, pieces raining down on the table.


    Julian¡¯s hand was a fist, with some of the ss shards sticking into his palm. He¡¯d totally crushed the


    wine ss he¡¯d been holding for his toast into his hand.


    All the while, his furious gaze was on me and Chase and our closeness.


    He didn¡¯t even seem to notice he was bleeding.

 Main Flame 131

    Julian¡¯s POV


    I felt the slightest tingle in my hand as I crushed the ss in my fist, but the majority of my thoughts and emotions were entirely consumed by rage as I watched the scene in front of me.


    Chase had put his arm around the back of Amber¡¯s chair. He had leaned in close to her, pressing his


    mouth so near her ear.


    Seeing how close he moved, how close she allowed him to move, sent red hot jealousy through me veins.


    My whole body had tensed, and I crushed the ss without having even meant to. And still, even with ss in my skin and blood dripping from my hand, I couldn¡¯t turn my eyes away from Amber and Chase.


    Amber was my wife, yet here Chase was, his arm around the back of her chair like he had any right to ownership. It made me so furious that I could have screamed, I could have dragged Chase out of this restaurant by the back his shirt, and beat him to a pulp out in the parking lot.


    Instead, I just stood there, furious, staring, while dripping blood onto the table.


    It could have been a momentter, or a thousand years, but Amber finally pushed Chase away and stood.


    She rounded the table to me.


    Others were talking, but they sounded so far awa hard beating of my heart within my chest.


    I was too filled with rage to hear anything but the


    Gently, Amber touched my arm. She tried to bring me away from the table. She was saying something.


    Blinking a few times, I forced myself to focus. Slowly, the sounds of the room became audible again. Or, at least, I could hear Amber. The rest I was still drowning out.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get this cleaned up,¡± she said, and tugged me away from the table and deeper into the restaurant.


    This restaurant had single stall bathrooms with locks on the door. Amber pulled me into one, then closed


    and locked the door behind us.


    Numbly, still trying to recover from my rage, I watched as she guided my hand under the running water of the facet. Carefully, she prodded at my hand, slowly removing piece after piece of ss from my palm. For some, she had to cut into me a little, as my heightened healing factor was attempting to mend my


    skin around the ss.


    I didn¡¯t need a degree in medicine to know that having ss shards within my palm was deeply


    unhealthy.


    Amber, in full Healer mode, was methodical in her process. She touched every part of my hand, massaging gently, as if attempting to feel if there was any ss left under the skin.


    She found a few more stray pieces. All the while, I stood still, allowing her to do as she wished while watching ndly.


    When she finally seemed satisfied, she washed my hand once more. Then, with a paper towel from the nearby paper towel dispenser, she lightly wiped the water from my hand. By the time she finished, my hand had fully healed. The water had even cleaned off the blood.


    She continued to look a moment more, thorough in her examination, as if wanting to be certain that I was


    well.


    In the quiet of the moment, I found the strength to set aside my rage and find my own gentleness.


    Here, where Amber didn¡¯t feel the need to escape, was the perfect moment to discussst night. At least, long enough for me to properly apologize.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to say anything,¡± I told her gently. ¡°But please, just listen.¡±


    She continued her ministrations, not saying a word. I took that as a good sign, and continued forward.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry aboutst night. I didn¡¯t think how repairing a friendship with Olivia might hurt you. I wasn¡¯t thinking at all. I never want to hurt you, Amber.¡± I sighed a little. ¡°I know I keep failing at that, but it¡¯s the honest truth. I only ever want to protect you and Alice, and make you my family again.¡±


    After massaging my hand to the wrist, she released it and let it drop. At the same time, she brought her own hands in front of her, where she weaved them together, almost forming a protective barrier between


    the two of us with her arms and hands.


    ¡°You keep trying with Olivia,¡± Amber said. ¡°Whether to be her friend, or whatever else¡­ Despite how she treats you, and me, and now Alice¡­¡±


    I grimaced slightly. I hadn¡¯t liked one bit the harshness Olivia took with Alice, and I was going to speak to her about it as soon as we were away from the party. At least, that was my intention. Even I could recognize that speaking with Olivia about children was somewhat difficult.


    Every path of conversation always led back to discussions about the child we had lost.


    ¡°I just want to know why,¡± Amber said, her voice lilting a little, showing a hint of sadness. ¡°Why do you always cater to her, even when it makes me so ufortable?¡±


    ¡°She and I have shared grief,¡± I confessed. For some reason, perhaps because Amber was my mate, I


    found it so much easier to open up to her in this quiet moment. Easier than it had ever been to open up to


    anyone else in my entire life. ¡°And I owe her for the child we have lost.¡±


    Amber looked at me with pity in her eyes. ¡°Why would you owe her for that? It was a terrible tragedy, but


    not one you personally caused.¡±


    With how close I felt to her in this moment, how vulnerable I was allowing myself to be, I very nearly


    opened my mouth and told her the full truth. That my overworking was the reason that Olivia had gotten


    into the car and tried toe to the office.


    The reason she crashed.


    The reason she lost the baby.


    All of it had been my fault, and not something I would have ever been able to repay.


    Yet, at thest moment, I held myself back, worried that saying the truth might make Amber think less of <ol><li>me. </li></ol>


    Would she be able to look at me the same, knowing that I had caused the death of an unborn baby? Even if it hadn¡¯t been intentional, the child was still gone. And it was because I had been working hard, avoiding Olivia, that it happened at all.


    Amber looked at me, her eyes somewhat sad. In grief? In sympathy? It seemed genuine and made my


    heart lurch.


    She was such a kind woman, so beautiful and pure. Gods, she might be my wife because I refused to sign the paperwork, but how I wished she was mine.


    ¡°Julian,¡± she said, her voice light in the quiet room. ¡°When will you learn to forgive yourself?¡±


    I wished I had a better answer for her. I wanted to say as soon as possible. I wanted to scoop her into my arms and show her that all of my love and all of my affection was fully for her.


    It was, but there was a part of me still tethered to Olivia, despite my best efforts to be free.


    That guilt¡­


    That owing¡­


    I did not see a future where my hands would be fully clean again.


    So I told Amber honestly, despite the way it made my heart clench, ¡°Never.¡±


    X

 Main Flame 132

    Amber¡¯s POV


    My entire chest ached for Julian and his clear pain. His grief for his lost child was so clearly written all over his face, that I felt a sort of shared grief along with him. Perhaps it was because of the closeness I felt to him in this moment.


    I couldn¡¯t remember a time when he had ever been so vulnerable with me.


    His words helped solve some mysteries I¡¯d been wondering over, though also created a few more.


    Olivia was clearly holding the death of her unborn baby over Julian¡¯s head. But the question now was, why was he allowing this? Why had he bent to her over this for so long?


    Then again, perhaps the answer was clear.


    Julian was an Alpha, a man used to being in control. It was in his nature to take responsibility for everything, even the things he would truly have no control over.


    Was this an instance like that? Where he simply internalized the loss of the child so poorly that he epted the me?


    I wished I knew more of what happened. The story of how the baby was lost was a well¨Ckept secret in the pack. There were whispers of a car crash, but no one dared confirm anything.


    Instead, the pack simply mourned the child, the loss of an heir so young, they hadn¡¯t yet been given life.


    It was a tragedy, one that I was poorly equipped to help Julian deal with. Selfishly thankful, I had not experienced the loss of a child. I could only imagine the pain, and knew imagining wasn¡¯t nearly as bad


    as the actual losing.


    Slowly, feeling close to Julian and wanting to offer himfort however I could, I lifted my hand and ced it, palm t on his chest, right over his chest.


    He seemed surprised by my action, looking down at my hand on his chest with a dull sort of surprise.


    I was surprised <i>too</i>. As angry as I was with Julian, and as hurt, I still feltpelled to try to help him through this however I could.


    Inside, my wolf was pleased, enjoying the refreshed connection with Julian. The rest of me simply felt so much pity<b>¡­ </b>


    How much he must be hurting.


    As slowly, Julian lifted his own hand and ced it over mine on his chest. ¡°Thank you,¡± he said.


    ¡°I wish I could do more,¡± I said, and meant it. If only I knew away to heal the pain of grief¡­ But that was


    one hurt I couldn¡¯t cure as a Healer.


    ¡°This is enough,¡± he said. He closed his eyes for a moment, and licked his lips. When he opened his eyes again, there was fresh determination within them. ¡°Amber, I-¡±


    A knock sounded loudly on the door. Someone tried the handle, but finding the door locked, scoffed.


    ¡°Julian? Are you in there? Are you alright?¡± That was Olivia¡¯s voice.


    Whatever Julian had been about to say was lost forever, as the determination in his eyes shriveled up


    and disappeared the instant we heard Olivia¡¯s voice.


    He lowered his hand, and I lowered mine.


    ¡°Thank you, again,¡± he said. ¡°And I am sorry aboutst night.¡±


    It was difficult to stay furious with him now that I had more understanding of what he was suffering


    through, and the allegiance he felt he owed to Olivia, even if only to maintain their friendship.


    I didn¡¯t like it, but I understood it. With grief, everything was a little messy¡­


    ¡°And thank you for helping with my hand,¡± he said.


    ¡°No more crushing sses,¡± I told him, trying to lighten the mood.


    He gave me a small smile, though it didn¡¯t quite reach his eyes. ¡°No promises.¡±


    ¡°Julian?¡±


    After onest longing look between us, he sidestepped me and moved to the bathroom door. There, before he unlocked it, he looked back at me and saw how I hadn¡¯t moved to follow him.


    X


    :

 Main Flame 133

    ¡°Are youing?¡±


    ¡°In a minute,¡± I said. I needed a minute topose myself after this onught of new emotions. If I wasn¡¯t wearing so much makeup, I¡¯d ssh cold water on my face. Instead, a moment alone would have


    to suffice.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see you out there,¡± he said, unlocked the door, and stepped out.


    ¡°What took so long?¡± Olivia asked.


    ¡°I had ss in my hand,¡± Julian replied stiffly, then continued on away from the bathroom. With the click


    of her heels, I heard Olivia scurry after him.


    Chase¡¯s POV


    Seeing Julian return with Olivia and no Amber in sight made Chase somewhat uneasy. He wasn¡¯t worried


    exactly. At least, he wouldn¡¯t admit he was, not wanting to give more weight to whatever he felt for Amber than absolutely necessary.


    She was supposed to be a mark. Someone Chase seduced and left broken hearted by Olivia¡¯smand.


    She wasn¡¯t supposed to be someone Chase actually found himself caring about.


    Yet, since opening up to Amber about Violet, he couldn¡¯t admit some of his perspective had changed.


    Amber had listened in a way that no one else in his life had. Yes, she was acting as his healer, but she


    still could have dismissed him as so many others had. But she didn¡¯t. She listened and even sympathized


    with him, if her caring expression was anything to go by.


    He didn¡¯t want to like her, knowing that would make what he had to do to her so much more difficult, but


    he found that he was struggling to maintain the kind of emotional distance he usually kept up with his


    lovers.


    Yet¡­ he still found himself leaving the table and walking to the bathroom. He still knocked and opened


    the door.


    His heart still clenched in his chest to find Amber there, dabbing tears from the corners of her eyes with a


    paper towel.


    She seemed surprised to see him, her eyes going a little wide. ¡°Chase?¡±


    He was surprised too.


    ¡°Alpha Julian came back without you,¡± Chase said. ¡°Ady should always have someone to escort her to


    the dining table.¡±


    It was a teasing reference to an old, traditional, silly rule of a bygone era, but it still seemed to lighten her


    mood, for which he was grateful.


    To continue the y, he offered her his arm. ¡°May I be that escort, my queen?¡±


    Amber rolled her eyes at him, a sure sign that she was starting to feel more like herself. Around Chase, she seemed to roll his eyes a lot.


    Yet, even so, she still epted his arm. ¡°I feel foolish,¡± she admitted.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t it feel good to be foolish every once in a while?¡±


    She didn¡¯t reply, but her mood continued to lift, so Chase took that as a victory.


    Then, he led her from the bathroom, and back to the table, where Amber broke from him to hold her


    daughter closely.


    As Chase sat, Olivia gave him a sharp look. He saw it, then immediately nced away.


    When Amber rejoined the table, returning to her seat, Olivia¡¯s sharp eyes shifted to Amber, and then to


    Alice.


    ¡°Alice,¡± she said. ¡°That¡¯s such a charming ne. Where is it from?¡±


    Alice looked at Amber. Strangely, despite the innocent question, likely Olivia simply trying to make conversation, they both seemed somewhat nervous.


    Why?


    Amber spoke up, ¡°It¡¯s something I got her.¡±


    ¡°How darling<i>,</i><i>¡± </i>Olivia said, her eyes narrowing a little. Like a shark in the water, Olivia would notice their tension, and with how she felt about Amber, she¡¯d push for more. ¡°May I see it?¡±


    ¡°No!¡± Alice shouted suddenly, clutching the pendant on the ne with both hands.


    The shout was so loud that it quieted the whole table, with everyone turning to look at the little girl.

 Main Flame 134

    Chapter <b>134 </b>


    Julian¡¯s POV


    Alice¡¯s outburst had pulled the attention of the entire table. It had been so extreme, over something as


    innocuous as a ne, that worry stirred within me.


    Did she simply adore that ne so much? Or did she hate Olivia enough not to want to show her


    anything? Or was there some other reason?


    ¡°She¡¯s protective of it,¡± Amber said. ¡°She doesn¡¯t like others to take it.¡± Amber said the words lightly, but


    there was a kind of tension in her face that made her mouth into a hard thin line and her eyes tight.


    This might have been the truth, but I didn¡¯t think it was the full truth. There was definitely something more going on here. But¡­ what?


    Thinking back, I remembered a time in my own pack when, after the g, Alice hade running to me.


    She had clung to me so tightly, that my suitcoat jacket had even suffered some pin¨Cprick holes where her


    fingernails had dug in.


    At the time, I had wondered how her little human fingernails had torn through the fabric. A child that


    young shouldn¡¯t have been able to shift, yet those markings had looked so much like ws¡­


    Since that night, a concern hadid dormant inside of me. This encounter, for whatever the reason, was stirring up those memories again.


    ¡°It¡¯s just a silly ne,¡± Olivia said. She held out her hand toward Alice. ¡°Give to me. I just want to see


    it.¡±


    Alice shrunk back in her chair, curling her body away from Olivia and around her ne. Anna touched her shoulder protectively and red at Olivia. Amber leaned forward, like a mother bear about to


    retaliate<i>. </i>


    Yet I beat her to it. ¡°She said no, Olivia.¡±


    ¡°So what if she did? She¡¯s a child


    <i>¡± </i>


    ¡°No,¡± I said, adding more Alphamand to my voice, to show her I wasn¡¯t fooling around.


    Alice was my child, and regardless of her reasoning for not wanting to allow Olivia to see her ne, if she didn¡¯t want to share, she didn¡¯t have to.


    ¡°Back off, Olivia,¡± I said.


    Olivia scowled at me, clearly taking mymand personally. I¡¯d hear about it at some point in the future, I was sure, during the next argument Olivia hoped to win.


    Let her be angry.


    Deheb 1/4


    I would not let her bully my child.


    ¡°Well,¡± Ca said, reiming the attention of the table. ¡°I think we all have some heirlooms that we treasure. My grandmother left me a mantle clock. It¡¯s a simple thing, nothing of great design or value, but it would be the first thing I¡¯d save if my apartment went up in mes.¡±


    Others at the tabletched onto this topic, each discussing something that was important to them, something left from their parents or grandparents. If it wasn¡¯t a family heirloom, it was something else that held personal significance, like a gift from a child or a friend or even a patient.


    The table had returned to its usual bustle, the outburst seemingly forgotten as the sudden tantrum of a six -year old.


    I hadn¡¯t forgotten it though, and made sure to keep an eye on Alice.


    Amber and Anna were whispering to her. I assumed they were speaking words offort, trying to help her feel better. Instead, she seemed deeply unhappy and ufortable.


    When our meals finally arrived, it was a blessing to have something to focus on. The food was good, and


    the conversation about heirlooms continued while we were eating.


    Alice, however, barely picked at her food, her face downcast, her eyes tired. Amber and Anna kept


    ncing at her with worried eyes.


    So did I.


    After dinner, I finally spoke up. ¡°Alice, I saw there¡¯s an ice cream bar for dessert. If your mother allows us, how about you and I go over there and make a couple of sundaes?¡±


    The thought of ice cream seemed to perk Alice up and she looked at Amber with pleading eyes.


    Amber looked at me as if sizing me up. Did she still not trust me with Alice? Did she think I would hurt my own daughter, or abscond with her? Had I not proved myself reliable?


    Did she not believe her when I said that I wanted to rebuild a family with her and Alice?


    My worries started topound ¨C until she must have seen and understood my sincerity and said, ¡°Very


    well. But only a small sundae.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± Alice said. She and I both stood.


    ¡°Don¡¯t take all day,<b>¡± </b>Olivia scoffed. She was clearly still mad at me. I didn¡¯t care.


    Holding out my hand, Alice immediately took it and together we walked to the ice cream bar.


    There, two self¨Cserve ice cream machines were positioned right next to each other, one vani and the other chocte. On the counter beside the machines sat several bowls of various toppings. Rainbow sprinkles, chocte kes, marshmallows¡­ It was a smorgasbord of children¡¯s dream food.


    So much sugar.


    I could see now why Amber had warned for Alice to only get a small sundae. They¡¯d almost certainly been


    to this restaurant before and had this exact same experience. Probably more than once.


    ¡°Chocte or Vani?¡± I asked, starting there.


    ¡°Chocte,¡± she said.


    Grabbing one of the small dishes that were stacked by the machines, I used the machine to get Alice a bit


    of chocte ice cream. As I did, I nced over at her.


    Alice was holding the pendant of her ne with both hands, looking down at it.


    ¡°That ne seems important to you,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    ¡°Is it because your mom gave it to you?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Sort of,¡± Alice said. She worried her bottom lip with her teeth for a moment, before sharing, ¡°It helps me


    feel calmer.¡±


    I frowned a little. ¡°Is that a problem you sometimes have?¡± I asked. ¡°Feeling calm?¡±


    ¡°Before the ne¡­.¡± Alice said and nodded. Looking up at me, she said, ¡°The ne helps.¡±


    I had so many more questions, but it didn¡¯t feel right to pry the answers from a child. For now, whatever the ne was, it seemed to be helping her, and for that, I could be relieved.


    ¡°I¡¯m d it helps,¡± I told her and passed her the bowl of chocte ice cream. ¡°Now¡­ the really important


    question.¡±


    She seemed worried a moment, so I quickly continued.


    ¡°Which toppings do you want?¡±


    The worry immediately cleared and she smiled. ¡°All of them!¡±


    Oh, her mother was going to kill me, but I couldn¡¯t say no to that smile.


    As Alice and I were on the way back to the table, Alice¡¯s sundae overflowing with toppings, I happened to


    nce toward the bathrooms again.


    There, curiously<b>, </b>I saw Olivia and Chase talking.


    No, not just talking. Not with that aggressive bodynguage, Chase crossing his arms while Olivia pointed at him a lot.


    600


    They were having a full¨Cout argument.


    I knew they had to know each other more than they were letting on. Part of me wanted to go over there and demand the truth. The other part of me, the bigger part, wasn¡¯t going to abandon my child to go do so


    Alice was and always would be my top priority.


    Whatever was going on with Olivia and Chase, though very suspicious, would have to wait.

 Main Flame 135

    Olivia¡¯s POV


    ¡°These things take time,¡± Chase said. ¡°I can¡¯t just rush this.¡±


    ¡°Why the hell not?¡± Olivia demanded. ¡°You rush it with everyone else you¡¯ve ever slept with. Why is this


    one different?¡±


    ¡°Because this one is not as receptive to my charms as the bored housewives of the high society,¡± he argued, with some passion. Enough to give Olivia pause.


    ¡°Careful, Chase,¡± she said, ¡°Or I¡¯m going to assume that you might actually be developing feelings for this


    bitch.¡±


    Knowing Chase, the idea wasughable. He was a yboy through and through, and was entirely unable to develop feelings for anyone. If he was capable, he would have gained those feelings for Olivia a long time ago. After all, why wouldn¡¯t he? She was the best he was ever going to have.


    Chase only cared about two things: himself, and money.


    Olivia had the money that kept Chase¡¯s affections and his loyalty. She was deeply annoyed now that it seemed like he was having second thoughts to the n they had already agreed to.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t about feelings,¡± Chase said, spitting out the word like it personally offended him. ¡°But I¡¯m not a brute, Olivia. I¡¯m not going to force myself on someone who doesn¡¯t want me.¡±


    ¡°Everyone has always wanted you right away before,¡± Olivia said. ¡°What¡¯s the damn hold up here?¡±


    ¡°The hold up,¡± Chase said, ¡°is that Amber isn¡¯t like the other women. She¡¯s careful. As a single mother, who can me her? She doesn¡¯t just fuck around¡­ Besides, didn¡¯t you say you wanted her to fall in love


    with me?¡±


    ¡°Yes, by using the power of your dick,<i>¡± </i>Olivia said tly, ring at him. ¡°Instead it seems like you are actually courting her.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s part of the process,¡± Chase replied. ¡°Someone like Amber isn¡¯t going to fall for the lines. She needs something seemingly more genuine.¡±


    That particr quip was a low blow for Olivia, who only really needed a good look at Chase to want him in her bed. Did he think that Amber was better than her somehow, because she was good at ying hard


    to get?


    ¡°You talk about her with a bit of awe in your voice,¡± Olivia said, her words growing cold. ¡°Do you even hear yourself?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like that,¡± Chase said quickly.


    ¡°Then prove it,¡± Olivia snapped. ¡°Do not forget your one and only objective here. You are to make that bitch your love ve, get her drunk off your dick, and then drop her t. While she¡¯s chasing after you, Julian will finally see her for the lowly slut she is and move on with someone better. Me.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a n without ws, but Olivia was growing more and more desperate. With Julian and Amber¡¯s rtionship seemingly growing stronger all the time, she had to do something <i>to </i>split them up once and


    for all, and fast.


    Rather than putting all her eggs in one basket, she was spreading them around. Chase was just one of many ns in the works, though presently his was the most expensive.


    ¡°Amber is a challenge,¡± Chase said. ¡°But the situation isn¡¯t impossible. I¡¯m sure I can win her over with just a bit more time.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m growing impatient, Chase<i>,</i><i>¡± </i>Olivia told him. ¡°If I don¡¯t start seeing some results, perhaps we will have to renegotiate the amount we agreed on for this task.¡±


    Chase stilled, his face going somewhat pale.


    Olivia took no great pleasure in threatening Chase. She was even mildly fond of him at least of his efforts in bed. But he was just one cog in the clock of her mastern, and she was tired of him being a


    money sink.


    ¡°Results,¡± Olivia said, doubling down. ¡°Today. Or I will send you back to the city and cut all funds, got it?¡±


    Chase lowered his head, showing some shame. Olivia scoffed. A man who sold his body and his morals to maintain his luxurious lifestyle shouldn¡¯t have any shame left.


    ¡°Answer me,<i>¡± </i>she said, annoyance showing.


    ¡°I got it, I got it,¡± Chase said quickly. There was a spark of defiance in his eyes, something that irritated Olivia further. Somehow, she still had yet to fully break his spirit, even if she did have it mostly chained at the moment. The chains were made of money. ¡°Are we done?¡±


    This brat.


    ¡°Go first,<i>¡± </i>Olivia said, barking her orders now. ¡°I will take longer so no one suspects.¡±


    Chase didn¡¯t talk back this time. He just walked away.


    Olivia watched him, frowning.


    He was nearing the end of his usefulness.


    Amber¡¯s POV


    At the table, with dinner finished and dessert wrapping up, I was ready to call a night to this whole sorted evening. What an emotional roller¨Ccoaster. I was utterly exhausted.


    Soon, everyone started to say their goodbyes as we stood from the table. Some people lingered, but many started for the door.


    ¡°Amber,¡± Julian said. He was moving around the table toe and speak to me, but Olivia caught him by the arm before he could make it.


    Wasn¡¯t that the way it always seemed to be?


    Julian could never quite get around Olivia toe to my side.


    Chase appeared beside me. With a wide grin, he offered me his arm once more. ¡°Does my queen need an


    escort to her car?¡±


    His charm made Alice giggle. That, coupled with the fact that she was still holding the stuffed animal he


    had won for her, thawed some of the iciness I felt for Chase.


    ¡°Very well,¡± I said, ¡°but only if you use your other arm to escort the princess.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± he said, and Alice giggled harder.


    I looked around, searching for Anna. She was still saying goodbye. That was fine, we could wait for her


    out in the car.


    As I nced, I saw Julian again trying to get by Olivia, but she was bing more insistent in whatever


    she wanted to talk to him about.


    Chase led Alice and I outside. Just beyond the door, Alice said, ¡°Oh, my shoe is untied. Wait a minute!¡±


    Chase released her and Alice bent down to tie her shoe<i>. </i>


    ¡°Thank you for this,¡± I said. ¡°I was ready to leave¡­¡±


    ¡°This was so much more than I had originally nned,¡± Chase said, somewhat sheepishly. ¡°But I¡¯m d you were here, Amber. Truly. It made everything bearable.¡±


    ¡°You are just saying that,¡± I said. ¡°I didn¡¯t do anything.¡±


    Chase¡¯s smile turned somewhat fond. ¡°You truly have no idea how much I care for you, do you? The depths of my feelings¡­¡±


    ¡°Chase, we¡¯ve only just met.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Amber, you are someone who has be so special to me in such a short amount of time. I can¡¯t even exin¡­ Maybe it would be better if I showed you.¡±


    ¡°What are you ¡ª<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    At once, Chase leaned in and kissed me.


    Julian¡¯s POV


    I couldn¡¯t get around Olivia easily. For whatever reason, she was being frustratingly persistent tonight, and she wasn¡¯t even trying to talk about anything importantly. What did I care how her dinner tasted?


    Finally, I was able to sidestep around her and make it to the door.


    Opening it, I stopped in my tracks.


    Chase was kissing Amber.

 Main Flame 136

    Chapter <b>136 </b>


    Amber¡¯s POV


    As hard as I could, I shoved Chase away from me. He stumbled back, his lips still parted like how he kissed me. Covering my mouth with my hands, I backed up a few steps, looking at him with a sort of betrayal in my eyes, before I turned away.


    ¡°Amber,¡± Chase said. ¡°Wait.¡±


    Other than saying those words, he did not try to stop me. I wasn¡¯t going to be stopped anyway. I had to get


    away. I couldn¡¯t stand to be near anyone right now.


    Chase had started to be a sort of friend. Why would he ruin everything by kissing me?


    When I get to the car, Anna and Alice were already there, with Anna trying to coax Alice into the backseat. Alice was seemingly upset with me, ring at me as she finally entered the backseat.


    I wasn¡¯t sure what I did to garner her anger, but at the moment, I didn¡¯t really have time to figure it out. Instead, I resolved to sit down with her once we were away from this restaurant and this situation, and I had time to deal with this hint of betrayal I was feeling from Chase¡¯s unweed kiss.


    Without even needing to negotiate, Anna took the keys and stepped behind the wheel of the car. As she backed the car out of the parking space, I dared a nce back over to the front of the restaurant. There, I


    saw Julian, watching me.


    Our eyes met through the car window, my heart sinking low.


    In that moment, I knew without a doubt that Julian had seen Chase kiss me. Surely he didn¡¯t think I had


    reciprocated¡­?


    But why would it matter if he did¡­?


    Julian was far too busy handling his drama with Olivia to give any thought to what was going on with <ol><li>me. </li></ol>


    From the backseat, Alice rolled down her window. I half turned, ready to scold her if she started to


    scream something out to Julian or Chase. Instead, she took the plush animal that Chase had won for her


    from the w machine and chucked it straight out of the window.


    ¡°Alice,¡± I gasped. She seemed to love that bear<b>, </b>clutching it closely all throughout dinner, pretty much since Chase gave it to her.


    Her eyes were sad and her frown heavy as she rolled up the window again.


    ¡°Alice,¡± I said again, softer. She didn¡¯t reply to me. She just lowered her gaze and didn¡¯t say a word.


    When we would get back to the house, I¡¯d make sure we had a chance to sit down and talk about this. But,


    for now, I simply turned myself forward in the seat and watched the road as Anna drove.


    Was the ride home always this long?


    Chase¡¯s POV


    Seeing Alice throw the plush animal he had won her out the window, Chase rushed forward toward it.


    Protectively, he snatched it off of the asphalt before another car coulde or it could be too damaged


    by the gunk of the parking lot. Gently, when he held it, walking off the main of the road, he brushed some


    of the small rocks and dirt away from the teddy bear¡¯s face.


    What he had hoped would be a pleasant evening, a chance for Amber and him to grow closer, as better friends if not an actual romantic couple yet, had taken a turn for the absolute worst.


    Not only had the entire office actually showed up for this outing, not only had that included Julian, but


    then Olivia herself had also made an appearance. Yes, Chase had jokingly agreed to a hangout with the


    entire office, but he didn¡¯t think they¡¯d all actuallye. And he hadn¡¯t meant to include Julian.


    He definitely hadn¡¯t meant to include Olivia. How had she even known to show up? Chase didn¡¯t tell her


    about this at all.


    Unless she was following Julian¡­


    Knowing her, she probably had some kind of tracker installed on his phone. The poor sod likely didn¡¯t


    even know about it.


    Haltingly, Chase made a mental note to check out his own pher. Julian was Olivia¡¯s nned


    endgame, but that didn¡¯t mean someone as conniving as her wouldn¡¯t want to keep track of all of her


    pieces on the chessboard.


    And Chase was a pretty important piece.


    Regardless of all else though, Chase really thought Amber would be more receptive to his kiss. Yes, he had tried sooner than he would have liked, spurred on by Olivia and the way she lorded money over


    Chase¡¯s head.


    But Chase had never truly been rejected like this before.


    He was charming and handsome, he¡¯d wooed his way into the bedrooms of several prominent and otherwise frigid members of high society ¨C even a few married ones.


    How was Amber immune?


    In fact, Amber had been so against his kiss, that a sh of betrayal had even crossed her face for his


    attempting to have done so. This made him feel like the worst kind of wretch.


    He shouldn¡¯t have even attempted it, and he wouldn¡¯t have maybe, if Olivia hadn¡¯t pressed him to seduce


    her more quickly.


    Looking at the plush bear, at its ever¨Csmiling face, Chase¡¯s own emotions sunk down into misery and self- loathing.


    Was this truly what he had allowed his life to be? Doing whatever Olivia wanted so that he could continue to have ess to her money?


    He wasn¡¯t opposed to being a kept man, especially if it meant keeping up his lifestyle of decadence and luxury, but typically that involved sex with the patron, or being her escort, ever at the ready to be on her


    arm.


    This was something much different.


    He¡¯d actually hurt Amber. They weren¡¯t friends yet but they were on the way to being something like that.


    He felt as if he had totally betrayed that friendship before it had even been given chance to blossom.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± he asked the bear, but he meant it of himself.


    Doing these things¡­


    He didn¡¯t recognize himself anymore.


    Julian¡¯s POV


    I stood outside the restaurant, entirely lost in my own thoughts. My jealousy and my rage was burning


    inside of me, but just as I had seen Chase try to kiss Amber, I had seen her shove him away.


    Any need I had felt to punch Chase¡¯s face in was slowly dissipating inside of me. Amber had taken care of it on her own, seemingly hurting him more than a punch ever could.


    Right now, Chase stood in the parking lot, looking at that bear Alice tossed like it held all the answers. He


    seemed more lost than even I did.


    As he was, Chase was too pathetic to fight, which meant I had to sit with my own anger, letting it simmer


    with no outlet.


    I had to do something, but what? If I tried to hit Chase right now, he¡¯d probably let me. There was no dignity beating someone who wanted to feel pain.


    Olivia stepped beside me then, her high heels clicking on the asphalt.


    ¡°I suppose we just witnessed a lovers¡® spat,¡± Olivia said.


    A lovers¡® spat implied that they were already sleeping together. And that kisses weremon between


    them.


    I had trouble believing that, but with my own jealousy and rage festering, I turned to her for exnation.

 Main Flame 137

    Olivia¡¯s POV


    ¡°They¡¯ve been all over each other every moment when you aren¡¯t looking,¡± Olivia said. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t notice. You are usually more perceptive than this. Although, with Amber, you¡¯ve always seemed to have a blind spot.¡±


    Julian looked at her with a nk expression. Despite knowing him for a long time, she¡¯d never been great at reading his expressions. As he was always so stone¨Cfaced, she couldn¡¯t tell if he was eating up every word she said or was entirely in disbelief.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure this was just one of their spats. I¡¯ve heard that happens with whirlwind romances,¡± Olivia continued. ¡°Theye in hot, the passion can be intense, in both love and anger¡­¡±


    Olivia chose her words carefully, hoping to elicit some of Julian¡¯s rage or any kind of flicker of emotion.


    Instead, he just stared back ndly.


    ¡°You¡¯ve had to have seen the spark between them,¡± Olivia pressed.


    Julian looked away. ¡°I don¡¯t know what to think,¡± he said, his voice devoid of all emotion. ¡°Excuse me.¡± He turned from her then and started to walk toward the nearby road, ducking straight the parking lot,


    opposite of where his car was parked.


    ¡°Where are you going?¡± Olivia called.


    She wasn¡¯t really expecting an answer, knowing Julian could be a statue when he wanted, and didn¡¯t like answering to her even on the best of days.


    This time however, surprisingly, he called back. ¡°I need to clear my head.<i>¡± </i>He continued walking then, to the sidewalk that stretched along the road, and he started to follow it.


    Olivia watched him until he was out of sight, unsure if the suspicions she¡¯d been purposefully trying to impose in Julian¡¯s mind actually took hold. The not knowing made the frustration inside of her grow. As she wasn¡¯t keen on ming herself for what happened, that left only one other candidate.


    Chase.


    The fool was still standing on the edge of the parking lot, clutching that damn stuffed animal. What did he think looking at it was going to solve?


    He was so ipetent, such a hot mess. It was a miracle that Olivia even continued to entertain him. Though, seeing him like this, she knew she had to move fast to bring him back in line or she might lose him as well to Amber¡¯s charms and those of her daughter.


    Olivia truly didn¡¯t know how Amber could aplish such influence. As far as Olivia could tell, the


    woman was entirely ordinary. Yes, she was an aplished healer, but what did that have to do with


    love and romance? Why did that have Julian and now Chase falling over themselves for her?


    What did Amber have that Olivia did not? By all ounts, other than healing ability, Olivia had


    everything Amber did, and then some. By a lot.


    The more Olivia thought about it, the angrier she became, until she was <i>so </i>enraged that she walked up to


    Chase and pped him cleanly across the face, knocking the dumb expression he wore right off of his


    features.


    He winced, reacting at once, as he lifted his hand up to his cheek.


    ¡°What the hell, Olivia?¡± he asked.


    She stared back at him, allowing her fury and frustration to burn in her eyes. ¡°You fumbled this yet


    again,<i>¡± </i>she snapped. ¡°How many chances do I have to give you until you start taking this seriously? You


    better start being careful or so help me ¨C¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m out, Olivia,¡± Chase said.


    She stopped. Blinked. ¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡±


    He clutched the plush animal with both hands. ¡°I¡¯m done. I¡¯m not going to do whatever you want anymore. This was thest time.¡±


    Who the hell did this asshole think he was, to deny Olivia anything?


    ¡°And what will you do for money, huh?¡± Olivia asked, her eyes narrowing, her hands turning to fists at her


    sides. ¡°You think any of the other women of the pack will be as generous as I have been?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± he said, but there were worry lines beside his eyes now. ¡°I¡¯ll figure it out.¡±


    ¡°And who do you think is going to pay for your medical bills? You think Amber is going to cut you a break


    after what you just did? She¡¯s curing your heart defect, isn¡¯t she? I bet such a thing is expensive. There¡¯s


    probably lengthy treatments and medicine you have to take for the rest of your life.¡±


    He paled, his face growing whiter the more she talked. ¡°I¡¯ll find a way¡­¡± he said, but sounded less


    convinced now.


    Olivia knew she was winning, and continued pushing forward. ¡°Sure, Chase. If you want Amber to stop the treatments and your lifespan to be shortened once again, who am I to stop you?¡±


    Sighing, he looked down at the plush animal.


    Though Olivia was no expert on reading Julian, she knew Chase¡¯s expressions quite well, as the man did little to hide his actual emotions. Everything, he wore clearly on his face.


    So she knew she had won.


    He had entirely given up, just as she wanted.


    He gently cupped the plush bear¡¯s face, before steeling his face and returning his gaze to Olivia.


    ¡°What¡¯s the n now?¡± he asked.


    Looking at that plush animal, Olivia tried to plot my next move. The very sight of it made her so angry.


    Why did Amber get to have everything? A sessful career, Julian¡¯s affections, as well as Julian¡¯s child¡­


    Wait.


    Perhaps that was the answer, the true way to separate Amber and Julian permanently.


    What if Olivia stopped going after Amber, and started focusing on the child¡­?


    Yes.


    Alice was the new target.


    Alice¡¯s POV


    As soon as the car parked, Alice flew out from the backseat and ran to the door of the house.


    Unfortunately, it was locked. Alice didn¡¯t want to talk to her mother tonight, not after what she had done.


    Kissing Chase?


    How could she do that to Daddy?


    Maybe her mother hadn¡¯t seen the look on Julian¡¯s face when she kissed Chase, but Alice sure did. She knew the sight of it had hurt him. It hurt her too! She wanted her mom to be with the man she had chosen


    to be her dad.


    Though she liked Chase, it was more as a friend or uncle. She didn¡¯t want him for a dad! That spot was already filled.


    Mom came to the door slower than Alice did, taking her time on the stairs up to the porch.


    ¡°Alice, we should talk,¡± Amber said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to talk,¡± Alice told her. ¡°I just want to go to my room.¡±


    ¡°But ¨C¡±


    ¡°Why would you kiss him?¡± Alice asked, tears rising in her eyes. ¡°He¡¯s not Daddy!¡±


    Amber¡¯s face looked stricken for a moment, but she swallowed hard, moved to the door and unlocked it.


    Alice immediately pushed her way inside, then rushed to her room. Behind her, her mom called out for her, but Alice ignored her.


    Mom had messed everything up tonight.


    Julian was her dad and that was that!


    Alice decided, if her mother wouldn¡¯t tell Julian that, than Alice herself would have <i>to</i>.


    In her room, she immediately began preparing, packing a few necessities into her backpack ¨C a nket, a couple of snacks, her notebook. Whatever she might need.


    Because tonight, she was going to sneak out and run away to see her dad.


    Chapter <b>138 </b>

 Main Flame 138

    Chapter <b>138 </b>


    Amber¡¯s POV


    Watching Alice rush ahead, unwilling to talk to me, my heart ached. It wasn¡¯t as if the source of her anger was any great mystery either. Alice had wanted Julian to be her father, so seeing Chase kiss me must have endangered that in her mind.


    She was too young to understand that things between Julian and me were tumultuous at best. Or that this ¡®kiss¡® she witnessed between Chase and me had not been consensual. It was no sign of anything toe, other than my growing anger and betrayal towards Chase himself.


    A six¨Cyear old didn¡¯t understand that. She only saw the dream she wanted for her family falling apart


    before her eyes.


    ¡°Give her some time,¡± Anna said from behind me. ¡°She¡¯s always been emotional. Once she calms down and has a good cry, then she will likely want to talk and you two can clear the air.¡±


    I wanted to believe that, but it was difficult knowing that my daughter was hurting. ¡°What a day,¡± I sighed and pushed into the house. Anna followed along behind me, closing the door behind her.


    Together, we moved into the kitchen, where I got two sses from the cab. Anna went right into the fridge and retrieved the bottle of wine.


    ¡°Did you know Julian was going to be there?¡± she asked me.


    ¡°No idea,¡± I replied. ¡°And he kept trying to talk to me aboutst night.¡±


    ¡°What did he say<b>?</b><i>¡± </i>she asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.<i>¡± </i>I didn¡¯t really hear him out at all. I didn¡¯t want to talk about it, and I still didn¡¯t. Olivia had also been a problem, interrupting before Julian could exin himself anyway. ¡°And what had Olivia been doing there? Julian at least has been volunteering. Olivia had no reason to be there.¡±


    ¡°Why is she even in town?¡± Anna asked, before pouring the wine into the pair of sses, one for each of us. ¡°The answer? To mess with you and try to get with Julian. That¡¯s all she¡¯s ever been after.¡±


    I had so many questions about what was happening with them. Maybe they were together, maybe they weren¡¯t. But they definitely had enough drama to tie them together. Even thinking about it, and trying to unravel it all in my mind, filled me with exhaustion.


    Anna put the cork back in the wine and returned it to the fridge. Then we grabbed our sses and moved to the kitchen table. We both sat down. Anna sipped from her wine right away but I let mine sit there a


    little while longer, not drinking it.


    Anna watched me for a moment before she asked, ¡°Did you know Chase would try to kiss you?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s flirted since the day I¡¯ve met him,¡± I told her, ¡°But I never gave him any indication that I reciprocated ¡­¡± I tried to think back, reevaluating each conversation, each interaction, trying to consider if I had identally hinting at wanting something more than I actually did.


    I shook my head,ing up empty. ¡°I just don¡¯t know. But I hate that Alice saw it.¡±


    ¡°She would have eventually seen it anyway,¡± Anna said. When I gave her a look, she rified. ¡°Maybe not with Chase, but with someone. Alice has an idea that you and Julian should be together, but you don¡¯t really want that yourself, do you? So, eventually, she would see you kissing someone else¡­¡±


    I guessed that made sense. I couldn¡¯t keep Alice in the dark forever about the rift between Julian and me. But she was still too young to fully understand, and I could see how she could be confused, seeing as how


    Julian treated her like a father.


    Which he was.


    cing my elbows on the table, I buried my face in my hands. ¡°Gods, what a mess.¡±


    ¡°It will be okay,¡± Anna said. ¡°Alice loves you. She¡¯ll get over this soon ande around, just you wait and


    see.¡±


    I wanted to believe that, but I just didn¡¯t know. Alice and I hardly ever fought. This felt like a new bridge to cross and I hated crossing it.


    X

 Main Flame 139

    Chapter <b>139 </b>


    ¡°I think I¡¯m going to go check on her,¡± I said. I stood up from the table, leaving my drink behind forgotten.


    Anna reached out and slid the ss over to her side. I¡¯ll finish up then head back to my ce.


    Nodding, I started down the hallway to Alice¡¯s room. When I came nearer, I saw that her light was out. Had she cried so hard she decided to just go to sleep? Or was she sobbing in the dark<b>? </b>


    My heart lurched in my chest, and I knocked. ¡°Alice, honey<b>? </b>Can we talk?¡± As I spoke, I turned the door knob and gently pushed the door opened. ¡°Alice?¡±


    I nced first at the bed, but it was empty. Then I did a quick check across the entire room, but I saw no downtrodden outlines of my daughter. Flicking on the light, I saw the closet door was open, a few of Alice¡¯s things were gone.


    No. No, no, no¡­


    This couldn¡¯t be happening. She had to just be in the bathroom. Yet, when I stepped back into the hallway, I saw the bathroom door was opened, the light turned off.


    ¡°Alice?¡± I called, louder, some panic in my voice. ¡°Alice, honey? Where are you?¡±


    There was no response, at least not from Alice.


    Anna called from the kitchen. ¡°Amber? What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°<b>I </b>can¡¯t find Alice!¡±


    Anna came to join me in an instant and we searched the entire house from top to bottom. Alice was nowhere to be found, but the front door was unlocked. Her backpack, jacket, and shoes were missing.


    She must have sneaked out while Anna and I had been talking in the kitchen.


    ¡°Did she run away?¡± Anna asked me, concern in her voice to.


    I tried to put myself in her shoes, imagining what she must have been thinking. To see Chase kissing her mom¡­ To hurt because she Chase wasn¡¯t the father she wanted¡­


    Then it all became clear. ¡°She might have gone to see Julian.¡±


    Anna¡¯s eyes went wide. ¡°Call him! Quickly!<b>¡± </b>


    My hands trembled as I reached for my phone.


    Alice¡¯s POV


    This small town only really had one main street where all the stores were. Everything from the grocery store to the gas station to the hotel was located in one direction or another on this main road. Alice just


    had to find her way there.


    Easy enough.


    To the main road, at least. She was pretty sure she went in the right direction of the hotel, but it was a pretty far walk from her house, especially on her small legs.


    Still, she was determined to make it there all on her own.


    She had to talk to her dad and make sure he knew that he was the one Alice wanted for her father, not


    Chase. Maybe that would be enough to keep him in her life.


    It was already dark by the time Alice had started on her trek, and though the streetlights and headlights of the passing cars were enough to light up the sidewalk, the long shadows of evening seemed full of


    dangers.


    Alice held her arms around herself as she walked forward, for the first time feeling a bit nervous.


    She wanted to be brave, but¡­


    Then, two men stepped out of the shadow. They¡¯d been standing behind a tree near the sign for the gas station. They had cigarettes in their mouths, the burning ends the first thing Alice saw.


    ¡°You lost, little girl?¡± one asked, his eyes like coal and his voice gravelly.


    Maybe he was fine, but he gave Alice the creeps, an unpleasant shiver running up her spine.


    Without answering, she took off in a run.


    ¡°Shit,¡± said the other man.


    Alice heard their footfalls following her and she pushed herself faster.


    Fortunately, she was almost to the hotel!


    Yet, just as she turned down the sidewalk leading to the doors of the rooms, she ran head first into a pair of legs.


    Looking up, she saw the legs belonged to Olivia.

 Main Flame 140

    Carrying an ice bucket, Olivia had been on her way to the ice machine. To find this brat in her path startled her and annoyed her, because she imagined the child¡¯s mother wouldn¡¯t be far behind.


    However, curiously, it wasn¡¯t Amber who came around the corner chasing after the girl, but a pair of shady¨Clooking men with over¨Cgrown bears and haircuts, and clothes with dirt worn in.


    Olivia had no love for this child. Truly, she didn¡¯t care what happened to her, but she could see an opportunity here, a chance to win Alice¡¯s trust.


    So she quickly grabbed Alice by the shoulders and tucked her behind her, carefully standing tall against


    these two men.


    ¡°Are you gentlemen lost?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s our daughter,¡± one of the men said. ¡°She ran away from us¡­¡±


    Gods, they couldn¡¯t do better than that? Even as kidnappers, these men proved wanting¡­


    ¡°I know this girl¡¯s actual parents<i>,</i><i>¡± </i>Olivia said. ¡°And I suggest you move along.¡±


    ¡°You are only one she¨Cwolf¡­<i>¡± </i>one of the men stepped forward.


    Gods, Olivia could have rolled her eyes at him. ¡°We¡¯re on camera, you dingus,¡± I said, gesturing to the security cameras around the exterior of the hotel. ¡°Plus I have a very shrill scream. I can have the whole hotel staff out here in less than ten seconds, I assure you.¡±


    The men nced nervously around. When one spotted the camera, he started to pull the other away.


    She did roll her eyes this time. Taking Alice¡¯s hand, I started to lead her to the more well¨Clit, and busier


    front of the hotel, where guests wereing and going and some of the hotel staff was still lingering


    around, even for this time of night.


    Alice looked up at me somewhat nervously. ¡°Did they leave?¡±


    Olivia shrugged.


    ¡°They won¡¯t follow us over here,¡± she said. ¡°Besides, I always carry a stun gun in my purse.¡± With her free hand, Olivia dipped into her handbag and lifted the handle of the stun gun just enough for Alice to look at it with wide eyes. ¡°Where did you pick up those lowlifes anyway? I doubt your mother isn¡¯t happy about


    that.¡±


    Alice pouted a little, and dropped her gaze. ¡°Mom doesn¡¯t know I¡¯m here.¡±


    Oh? Oh, really¡­


    Olivia¡¯s gaze immediately dropped to the ne around Alice¡¯s neck. She wondered how much Alice was really in on the scheme. Per Olivia¡¯s assumptions, did Alice know that the ne was generating a


    scent to convince Julian he was her father?


    Perhaps not. She was just a child after all. Though children could be as conniving and maniptive as an


    adult. Olivia would now. Her mischief making started early, to earn her parents favor and attention.


    ¡°Did you sneak out?¡± Olivia asked, almost impressed. At least, she would be, if she didn¡¯t hate Alice and her mother so much simply on principle.


    Worrying her bottom lip with her teeth, Alice nodded. ¡°I wanted to see Daddy<b>¡­</b><b>¡± </b>


    Daddy¡­? Oh, she meant Julian.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid he¡¯s not back yet. He went for a walk after the restaurant and I haven¡¯t seen him return yet,¡±


    Olivia said. Thinking quickly, she said, ¡°Though he¡¯s probably on his way. Why don¡¯t you stay in my room


    until hees back? We wouldn¡¯t want those two men to bother you again, would you?¡±


    She nervously nced behind her. The men had gone already, but she didn¡¯t need to know that. If she could get her out of public view, and get that ne off of her¡­ Then Julian would be free of his obligation to take care of Alice and Amber. He could finally be free to start his family with Olivia.


    ¡°It will be safe in my room,¡± Olivia said. ¡°And we can both keep an eye out the window, waiting for his


    return.¡±


    Alice looked at Olivia with a distinctck of trust, but with how much she was ncing behind herself,


    Olivia knew the dangers of the real world were much scarier to a six¨Cyear¨Cold than whatever dislike she


    felt for Olivia herself.


    Meanwhile, Olivia was eyeing the ne. The chain was long. Olivia could probably snatch it and yank it over Alice¡¯s head without the child noticing overmuch. But there was also a sp in the back. That


    could be the sneakier tactic.


    If Olivia could unsp that chain and let the ne fall down¡­


    cing her hand on Alice¡¯s shoulder, Olivia began to physically lead Alice back to her hotel room.


    ¡°Alright¡­¡± Alice frowned. ¡°But maybe we should call my mom¡­¡±


    Was the child already having second thoughts for running away? What a coward.


    ¡°I have a phone in my room,¡± Olivia said. ¡°We can use that to call your mom.¡±


    Blessedly, the child started to take a step forward.


    Olivia did her best to hide her grin. Soon, she¡¯d have Alice right where she wanted her. Behind closed doors, she could even tear off that ne. It might upset Alice, but she was a child. Who would people


    believe?


    The ne broke, Olivia would say. I have no idea why she is trying to me me for that¡­ But then,


    she always did hate me. Just like her mother. In fact, Amber probably put her up to it.


    A sense of satisfaction finally rose within Olivia. After all this time, she¡¯d finally be able to show Julian the kind of person that Amber truly was. And once that bell was rung, there would be no un¨Cringing it.


    Together, Olivia led Alice closer and closer to her room. Her hand inched across Alice¡¯s shoulder, moving


    closer and closer to the back of her neck where that sp kept her ne on.


    Olivia brushed that sped with her fingers. Close. So close.


    Soon, Julian would see the truth.


    Soon, he would be Olivia¡¯s once and for all.


    Suddenly, a wolf¡¯s howl echoed through the darkness of the night.


    Olivia stilled, recognizing that call. She wasn¡¯t the only one.


    Somehow, Alice seemed to know it too. She turned away from the door to Olivia¡¯s room and rushed to the railing. ¡°Daddy?¡± she called.


    I looked at her strangely. How could she have known that howl belonged to Julian? She¡¯d barely been


    with the pack long enough to learn it.


    Could it be¡­<b>? </b>


    No. This girl couldn¡¯t actually be Julian¡¯s child?


    There was no way. It had to be part of the trick. Olivia pushed the thoughts out of her mind.


    The wolf howled again, closer now.


    Turning, Olivia saw the moment the massive gray wolf pounced into the parking lot.


    Everyone stopped, turned and looked at him.


    Alice immediately rushed down the stairs.


    ¡°Daddy!¡± she called.


    Spotting her, Julian¡¯srge wolf rushed towards her at once. Before he reached her, he shifted. Opening


    his arms, he caught her in a hug.


    She buried her face in the crook of his neck, crying, ¡°I was so scared!¡±


    ¡°I have you now<i>,¡± </i>Julian said.


    For the first time, Olivia hated her werewolf hearing. She didn¡¯t like to hear this sap, the way Julian was


    protective of this child like she was his own.


    He seemingly forgot the child he was supposed to be raising with Olivia now. The one that tragically died.


    Instead, he found a recement in Alice.


    That was something Olivia would never forgive.


    X


    GE

 Main Flame 141

    Chapter <b>141 </b>


    Julian¡¯s POV


    The moment Amber called me and told me what was going on, that Alice was missing, had likely ran away, and was probably heading to the hotel to find me, I had felt like my entire world was hanging in


    the bnce.


    I¡¯d been so far from the hotel, already having walked several miles in the opposite direction. I hadn¡¯t been ready to sit still yet, wanting to clear my head from all the stray and worrisome thoughts that had gued me since the debacle at the restaurant.


    Since Chase kissed Amber¡­


    Since Olivia imed that Chase and Amber had been lovers¡­


    That phone call had sent me spiraling. I changed directions so quickly that I still felt dizzy. Then I shifted, racing back here as fast as my Alpha werewolf legs would carry me.


    Blessedly, I had found Alice and held her now. She seemed unharmed.


    If anyone would have tried to hurt her, I swear they would know the meaning of pain.


    ¡°Alice¡­ are you okay<b>?</b>¡± I asked, because though she seemed physically alright, she was crying.


    ¡°There were these scary men,¡± she said, briefly filling me in on some of what she had experienced. It was difficult to discern most of it through her panted breathing and her tears, but I understood she had been


    chased, and Olivia had intervened.


    Looking up, I caught Olivia watching us now. I would approach herter, to find out what truly happened. If she could identify these men, I could hunt them down.


    But that couldeter. For right now, I needed to do what was best for my little girl. That meant keeping her safe. And also telling her mom where she was.


    I shuffled Alice over so that I could hold her with one arm while I fished my phone out of my pocket with


    my other.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Alice asked, sniffling.


    ¡°Telling your mom where you are,¡± I said. ¡°And that you are okay.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t<b>!</b>¡± she said, and tried to reach for my phone. I moved quickly, pulling it out of her reach.


    Amber had guessed that Alice woulde to me, but I didn¡¯t consider she might be running from Amber


    <i>too</i>. That didn¡¯t seem right. By my estimations, Amber seemed like a great mom who would do anything for her daughter, and until now, Alice had always seemed happy.


    ¡°Did something happen?¡± I asked her. ¡°Are you mad at your mom?¡±


    Alice slouched a little. ¡°Maybe¡­¡±


    I gave her a look. I hadn¡¯t really gotten to try out more fatherly looks yet, but this definitely was one. I was being stern, pushing her for more information without having to say anything or pry it out of her with


    words.


    The look worked because she sighed and answered. ¡°She kissed Chase¡­¡± Alice grumbled, frowning.¡±


    Chase is okay, but he¡¯s not who I want to be my dad.¡±


    My anger for Chase resurfaced. He¡¯d cut so many wounds with that careless kiss, even making a few on himself, I suspected. No wonder Alice had thrown that bear out the window.


    As much as I would have liked to bad¨Cmouth Chase to get Alice onto my side, the truth of the matter was


    that while Amber was secretly still my wife, she didn¡¯t believe herself bound to me in any way.


    As such, as much as I hated it, she could still kiss whoever she wanted.


    In this case, it was clear that Chase had forced a kiss on Amber, but¡­ I didn¡¯t know what to believe, really.


    If she and Chase did get together someday¡­ Well, whatever happened wouldn¡¯t change things between


    Alice and me.


    She would always be my little girl.


    ¡°Alice¡­¡±


    ¡°You are my dad,¡± she said, and hugged me tightly around the neck, burying her face in my shoulder.


    I hugged her back, squeezing her as tightly andfortingly as I could without hurting her.


    ¡°I am,¡± I said. ¡°But I don¡¯t need to be kissing your mom to have that right. You are my daughter, no matter


    what else happens. Even if your mom and me aren¡¯t together. You are my daughter, and that will never


    change. No matter what.¡±

 Main Flame 142

    ¡°Daddy¡­¡± she whispered, her voice muffled against my shoulder.


    ¡°Your mother will be worried,¡± I said. ¡°May I let her know you are okay?¡±


    She paused a moment, and then I heard her, softly, ¡°Okay¡­¡±


    Ten minutes after a quick phone call, Amber and Anna pulled into the parking lot. The car hadn¡¯t even fully stopped before Amber threw the door open and rushed forward.


    She raced across the parking lot, her own tears falling as she found Alice and me at the base of the stairs.


    ¡°Oh, Alice!¡± Amber cried, and took Alice into her arms now. The mother and daughter cried together for a


    while, both overwhelmed with their emotions.


    Minutester, when they finally parted, Amber and I sat on the bottom stair of the outdoor stairwell, with Alice tucked safely in the space between us.


    Amber spoke first, as she wiped away her own tears.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t have to run, Alice. Anytime you want to see Julian, you only have to ask.¡±


    ¡°I agree,<i>¡± </i>I said. ¡°I will always have time for you.¡±


    ¡°And I would never keep you from him,¡± Amber said. ¡°Even if he and I have our own disagreements, you aren¡¯t part of them, alright? You can see Julian anytime.¡±


    It warmed me to hear her say so. I had been somewhat worried that she would try to keep Alice away


    from me, given some of our arguments, but I knew she wouldn¡¯t lie to Alice about this. For Amber to


    promise Alice that she could see me anytime she wanted, meant that it was true.


    Good. I never wanted to be at odds with Amber about our daughter. Though I suspected there were still


    many long arguments in our future about Alice¡¯s care and education, we could face those challenges


    together, with the assurance that Alice would not be caught in the middle.


    Alice leaned into me while smiling at her mom. ¡°Okay¡­¡±


    Olivia¡¯s POV


    Olivia watched from the window as the trio reunited. From here, they looked like the perfect little family. It got on Olivia¡¯s nerves to no end.


    ¡°We have to break them up,¡± Olivia said. ¡°And Alice is the weakest link. Amber is using that child¡¯s existence as a way to cling onto Julian and keep him close.¡±


    Deeper inside of her room, Chase reclined on the bed, his head and shoulders resting against the headboard, his hands behind his head, his elbows up in the air.


    ¡°Are you so sure?¡± Chase asked. ¡°She¡¯s a good kid. And with the timeline, it¡¯s entirely possible she is


    Julian¡¯s child.¡±


    ¡°I refuse to believe that,¡± Olivia snapped, turning enough to shoot him a re. ¡°We have to cut the ties of this family. I will not lose Julian to such a farce.¡±


    Chase pushed forward, sitting upright on the bed. As his hands dropped down to his sides, he gave his own hard look to Olivia. ¡°I will not hurt a child, if that¡¯s what you are thinking.¡±


    ¡°You will do what I tell you,¡± Olivia said fiercely, but then she took a breath and somewhat regained herposure. ¡°But I¡¯m not entirely certain that is what is necessary¡­ yet. For now there might be other


    ways.¡±


    ¡°Which are¡­?¡± Chase asked, brow raising.


    Olivia looked away from him, returning her gaze back out the window and down to the precious little family below.


    ¡°There¡¯s more to Alice¡¯s ne than Amber wants to admit,¡± Olivia said. ¡°If we steal it, events might be


    set in motion that spare us further actions¡­¡±


    Olivia knew the ne was magical.


    Which left only one question in her mind ¨C what secret was that ne hiding?


    :

 Main Flame 143

    Chapter <b>143 </b>


    Chase¡¯s POV


    Chase didn¡¯t believe that for a second. Alice¡¯s ne was gaudy, if anything, but magical? And being used by Amber to keep Julian in her life?


    If that was true, why would Amber flee the pack to begin with? Why move out to this boring middle¨Cof- nowhere town and live a quiet life? Why not go after Julian and his fortune while she was still within his


    pack?


    Olivia was beyond the point of seeing reason. Her jealousy and the many years of waiting for Julian to


    be her had clouded her reason and made her vicious. As long as Chase had known her, she¡¯d always


    been vindictive, always plotting and conniving, but never so impatiently, or so recklessly.


    To go after the child in this situation was low, even for her.


    What would she do when her n to steal the ne resulted in nothing? Would she then decide Alice needed to be out of the way permanently<b>? </b>


    Chase knew he was a vile, greedy asshole for agreeing to go along with Olivia¡¯s ns for this long. But


    even a lowlife as he considered himself to be had some lines. Hurting children was one of them, and he


    wouldn¡¯t cross it.


    ¡°What power could a ne possibly have?¡± he asked her. ¡°How could Amber be using a ne of all things to twist Julian into wanting to be with her?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m certain that the ne is helping Alice generate a scent that Julian detects as belonging to his pup,¡± Olivia said.


    Chase didn¡¯t know such a thing existed. That Olivia hade to that conclusion so readily made him


    wonder if that was something she herself looked into once upon a time.


    He decided not to pry further into that line of thinking, honestly not wanting the answer.


    With Olivia though, he already knew it was likely she had. Perhaps that was why she was so quick to assume the worst of Amber. She was merely projecting onto Amber the things that she herself would do in the same situation.


    ¡°If we remove the ne, then the false scent should dissipate, and Julian will see once and for all that the child isn¡¯t his,¡± Olivia said.


    ¡°But what if Alice is <b>his</b>,¡± Chase said again.


    She continued to refuse to ept that as a possibility. ¡°It¡¯s just not possible,¡± Olivia <b>said </b>¡°Any unborn baby would have died in that ne crash, whether Alice manifested her wolf or no. Most likely she became Roman¡¯s lover shortly after he saved her, to help secure a ce for herself in his pack.¡±


    Chase tried to imagine Amber doing such a thing. He didn¡¯t know her terribly well but what he did know told of a proud woman who was protective of herself and her child. Chase truly couldn¡¯t imagine her bing anyone¡¯s lover either on a whim or for a selfish purpose.


    She wouldn¡¯t even sleep with him for fun.


    ¡°But ¨C¡°I started to say.


    Olivia clucked her tongue, silencing me. ¡°I won¡¯t hear anything more about this. If the ne isn¡¯t disguising that brat¡¯s scent, then it has no real purpose, does it? So removing it should not be a big deal for you, Chase. It shouldn¡¯t cross any of your precious moral lines.¡±


    Chase wasn¡¯t so sure.


    If that ne was magical ¨C which Chase could admit was a possibility, as both Amber and Alice were so protective of it ¨C then who was to say what its actual purpose was?


    Would removing it really be so easy and innocent? Would it truly not harm Alice to do so?


    As if she could see the conflict on his face, Olivia spoke up, ¡°You have no choices here, Chase. You will do


    as I say. Unless, of course, you¡¯d like all of high society to know you are broke. And then there¡¯s those


    medical bills¡­¡±


    +15

 Main Flame 144

    How long was she going to lord money over him?


    Until she no longer needed him, he suspected.


    Knowing he didn¡¯t have any other choice, he sighed a bit in defeat and said, ¡°I assume you have a n.¡±


    She replied with a vicious grin. ¡°I have several.¡±


    Amber¡¯s POV


    Eventually I took Alice back home. She seemed happier then, and promised to talk to me rather than running away again.


    Still, even after I tucked her in bed, I couldn¡¯t find any sleep myself. I kept having to check her room, worried each time I opened the door that she might be gone again.


    After a long, restless night, I readied myself for work. I could only truly rx when I dropped Alice off at school, knowing her teachers and the school employees would be keeping an eye on her. Yet now was no time for sleep.


    I had plenty of appointments today. As the only healer in this town, I couldn¡¯t just call out.


    When I walked into the clinic, Ca, for the first time ever since I¡¯d known her, gave me something of a


    dark look.


    ¡°Good morning, Ca,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± she replied.


    Weird.


    But I pressed on. The rest of the staff was friendlier, but each of them seemed to gossip and whisper behind my back. They all fell quiet as I turned toward them though, looking for exnation. Before I could ask, they scurried off in different directions.


    By the time I walked into the office I shared with Anna, I was both exhausted and confused, entirely at my wit¡¯s end.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on around here?¡± I asked. If the employees wouldn¡¯t talk to me, perhaps they would to Anna instead.


    ¡°I was hoping you wouldn¡¯t notice.¡±


    ¡°I noticed,¡± I said.


    Anna huffed a breath. ¡°Everyone thinks you and Chase are an item. I¡¯ve tried to set them straight, but it¡¯s


    the talk of the office.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why Ca¡¯s mad at me?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid so,¡± Anna said. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen her so gloomy. I think she actually likes that guy.¡±


    ¡°She can do better than him,¡± I said. Though, thinking back, Ca never had much luck in love. ¡°He¡¯s a yboy. She deserves someone more stable.¡±


    Anna hummed.


    Just then, there was a knock on the door to the office. I looked up, bracing myself for whatever the day might have in store for me this time.


    I was relieved to see it was only Julian standing there.


    ¡°Julian? You are early,¡± I said. Typically he didn¡¯te in to volunteer until mid¨Cmorning.


    ¡°I know,¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s because I wanted to talk to you about something.¡±


    ¡°Should I leave?¡± Anna asked.


    ¡°No,¡± Julian said. ¡°It¡¯s nothing like that.¡±


    I waved him forward and he came into the office.


    He continued, ¡°I was just hoping that we could start nning our project again. Alice is almost done with school for the summer, and I thought it might be a good time for all three of us to go and help people¡­ and maybe bond some¡­¡±


    His voice trailed. Likely he meant, bond as a father and daughter. I couldn¡¯t imagine he meant to include me in the mix, but¡­ then again, he had said things about wanting to be a family.


    Would it truly be so bad to go and help people and see how things developed for our small trio?


    Anna gave me an expectant look. Julian was looking more like he was wearing his heart on his sleeve, asking for something more than just if we were going on the trip we already agreed to.


    Yet, just as I was opening my mouth to give him an answer, Ca appeared beside him at the door.


    ¡°Healer Amber,¡± she said dryly. ¡°Chase is here for his morning appointment.¡±

 Main Flame 145

    Amber¡¯s POV


    ¨C


    Everyone in the room froze, including ¨C and maybe especially ¨C me.


    After that kiss yesterday, I hadn¡¯t expected Chase to show his face again <i>so </i>soon. Though these appointments had been made in advance, I thought he might have postponed or canceled out of shame.


    Truly, though, these appointments were more about his health than our personal discourse. He had every right to be here, and I had every obligation to continue treating him, regardless of my present personal


    feelings.


    ¡°You could turn him away,¡± Julian said. Ca gave him a look.


    ¡°No, I can¡¯t,¡± I said. ¡°Above all, he is my patient.¡±


    Rising from my seat, Julian moved out of the way as I came to the door. Soon I was standing with Ca in


    the hallway.


    ¡°Trouble in paradise?¡± she asked me.


    ¡°No paradise,¡± I told her. ¡°That kiss was not something I wanted.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± She seemed thoughtful for a moment, and then slightly apologetic as her shoulders wilted


    somewhat. ¡°Healer Amber¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± I told her. Though I valued her as a friend and coworker, I was far too tired to start delving into apologies and forgiveness. It was much easier for both of us just to wave it all away. ¡°Forget


    it ever happened.¡±


    She smiled at me again, the first I¡¯d seen from her today. ¡°Okay. He¡¯s in exam room 2.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Ca.¡±


    As Ca and I parted, I moved toward exam room 2 with even footsteps, Internally, I was preparing myself for what was about to ur, while reminding myself to maintain the level of professionalism that I had always strived for as a Healer.


    Regardless of what happened between Chase and me, I was still his Healer, and he was still a patient with a serious heart condition. He needed my aid, at least for a few more days as the treatments took hold, and then a few more days after that, in case there was any side effects from the treatments.


    Too soon, I reach the door. After pausing to deeply breathe in and out, I opened the door and stepped inside.


    Chase was leaning against the examination table at the far end of the room. His arms were crossed, his hands grabbing his elbows. His eyes were on the floor, even as I entered the room and closed the door


    behind me.


    ¡°Good morning, Chase,¡± I said, and he startled somewhat, like he hadn¡¯t expected me to enter¡­ even though he was here for an appointment to see me. ¡°How have you been feeling?¡± I said, to both breath the


    ice and set the tone for this appointment.


    I had no intention of being anything other than his Healer in this moment. Not a friend. Not whatever


    else he had in mind.


    Just his Healer.


    ¡°The heart¡¯s good,¡± he said, which was a dodgy answer for sure, but at its heart, was what I wanted to


    know.


    ¡°Good,¡± I replied. I moved to the counter, where one of the nurses had already set up the day¡¯s treatment for Chase. It was just a couple of injections to be given in sequence. Truly, the nurse could have handled this encounter entirely, but I didn¡¯t want to ke out on my role to inspect patients, even if I was personally upset with them.


    We were quiet a moment, as I prepared the injections, and then moved closer to Chase.


    Finally, he lifted his head and looked at me. Something in his eyes made me pause in my step. It was a


    kind of remorse, darkening his gaze.


    ¡°I am sorry about¡­ everything,¡± he said carefully. ¡°All I¡¯ve done since I got here was overstep. Really, I¡¯m very appreciative for everything you are doing for me.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry,¡± I told him. ¡°I will still treat you as your doctor.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I figured he would,<i>¡± </i>Chase said. ¡°But what I¡¯m hoping is that you would still want to be friends.¡±


    Chapter <b>146 </b>

 Main Flame 146

    Chapter <b>146 </b>


    That was a much more difficult question to answer. Chase and I had been moving toward something like friendship before the kiss ruined everything. Now, I wasn¡¯t so such what I wanted, especially if he was going to try something like that again.


    ¡°Let¡¯s just focus on getting you well,¡± I said.


    He turned toward me. ¡°What if I promise not to try to kiss you again?¡± he said, then shed me a grin I


    was slowly growing more ustomed to. ¡°Unless you want me to, of course.¡±


    I gave him a t look in reply. ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen.¡±


    ¡°It was a joke.¡± His smile started to falter.


    With a sigh, I shook my head and said, ¡°If you promise not to try to kiss me again, I¡¯ll think about it.¡±


    ¡°Great,¡± he said, his grin returning full force. ¡°It¡¯s a deal then.¡±


    Lifting the injection, I stuck him in the arm with the needle before he could make any morements.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± he said, wincing.


    I rolled my eyes. The man¡¯s healing factor might have been low, but he was still a werewolf. Their pain threshold was so much higher than most. He likely didn¡¯t even feel the prick of the needle.


    He just wanted attention, like a toddler with a tummy ache. Well, I wasn¡¯t going to kiss it better, if that


    was what he wanted.


    Surprisingly, he didn¡¯t tease about that.


    Instead, after a moment, his expression fell again, back to that same remorseful look.


    I¡¯d thought I¡¯d seen thest of it, given that we more or less had made up from the day before. Yet in that instant, he seemed somehow even more glum than he had before.


    This made me wonder if there was something else going on with him.


    After the second injection, he gave no indication that he even felt it.


    ¡°Chase,¡± I said, when I¡¯d finished and the needles were safely discarded. ¡°Is everything alright?¡±


    He startled, looking at me sharply. ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t it be?¡±


    ¡°Well, it¡¯s just¡­ You are acting somewhat strange¡­¡±


    Heughed then, too hard and too loud to be genuine.


    ¡°You¡¯re imagining things<b>,</b>¡± he said. ¡°We done?<b>¡± </b>


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said. ¡°You¡¯ll need to return tomorrow¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got my appointment times stored in my phone,¡± he said. He held it up as if <i>to </i>show me, but then it buzzed in his hand. He quickly put it away.


    To me, there definitely seemed to be something going on, but without calling him out again, I wasn¡¯t sure how to get him to talk. And calling him out hadn¡¯t worked the first time, why would it work again?


    ¡°Thanks, doc,¡± he said, on his way to the door.


    Out in the hallway, he bumped into Julian. I held my breath, expecting a fight. Instead, Chase just stumbled away and kept walking toward the exit, mumbling, ¡°Sorry,¡± under his breath.


    Julian traded confused nces with me as we both watch Chase leave.


    ¡°What was that about?¡± he asked me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,<i>¡± </i>I admitted. ¡°He was acting strangely from the start.¡±


    ¡°Because of yesterday<b>?</b>¡±


    ¡°He apologized for yesterday¡­¡± I said.


    <b>¡°</b><b>I </b>wonder¡­<i>¡± </i>Julian started.


    I looked at him when he didn¡¯t finish. ¡°What?¡±


    He didn¡¯t specify. Instead, he just gave me a sad kind of look. ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know. And I kind of hope


    I¡¯m wrong.¡±


    ¡°But¡­?¡±


    He lightly shook his head. ¡°I¡¯ll keep it to myself for now. It¡¯s not the kind of thing I want to be right about.¡±


    I guessed, for now, I had to ept that. But I hope he would share what he suspected sometime soon.


    Chase¡¯s POV


    Chase opened his phone, reading the message from Olivia.


    Did you fix things with Amber yet?


    He closed it without replying.

 Main Flame 147

    Olivia¡¯s POV


    A few days progressed without any updates. Julian and Chase both seemed to avoid Olivia, and she had half a mind to show up at Amber¡¯s clinic just to remind everyone she was still in town.


    She hated being ignored.


    But, instead, she decided she needed to take charge of this situation once again. If Chase was in the wind, then she needed to step forward herself, or nothing will ever get done.


    So, she did what she assumed any woman would do in her position. She drove to Alice¡¯s school and parked in the parking lot amongst the teachers and other employees¡® cars. It was midday, so school was


    still in session.


    Olivia dressed professionally, with a tight gray pencil skirt<b>, </b>ck heels, and a white button¨Cdown shirt. She even wore sses with clear lenses toplete the look, making her look nothing but respectable


    and intellectual.


    Walking to the front door, she was surprised to find it locked. Odd. Was thismon at schools now? Looking over, she saw a speaker with a button, a call system, presumably to the front desk.


    Olivia pressed the button.


    A crackling voice came through the speakers. ¡°Yes? Can I help you?¡±


    Olivia had prepared to talk to a person, not a machine, but she only allowed herself to be annoyed by this for a moment before speaking up.


    ¡°Yes? I¡¯m Alice¡¯s step¨Cmother. I¡¯m here to take her out of school early for the day.¡±


    ¡°One moment please.¡±


    The speaker cut off.


    Olivia leaned from one foot to the next, waiting not so patiently for a reply. There wasn¡¯t much for her to look at, so she turned to nce out over the cars.


    The school must not pay its employees very well. All of the cars were underwhelming at best, pieces of junk at worst.


    As she was judging how sad these people¡¯s lives must be, the door unlocked behind Olivia, and a woman in a sad green dress came outside. Her hair was in a messy bun. Compared to Olivia, she looked like a disheveled mess.


    ¡°Oh, um, ma¡¯am?<b>¡± </b>the woman said.


    Olivia lifted a brow, but introduced herself. ¡°Yes, hello. I¡¯m Olivia, Alice¡¯s step¨Cmother. Is there some sort


    of problem?<b>¡± </b>


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid so, ma¡¯am,¡± the woman said. ¡°Alice¡¯s mother Amber has already taken Alice out of the day.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Olivia said. What the hell would Amber have done that for? To get more information, she knew she


    had to y nice.


    Oliviaughed then, lightly. ¡°Oh, how embarrassing! We must have just missed each other. A


    mimunication, certainly.¡± I pulled my phone out of my purse, like I was going to text Amber. ¡°I could


    have sworn she asked me to pick up Alice.¡±


    The womanughed too, somewhat relieved. ¡°Ah, you must be going on the trip with her.¡±


    Trip?!


    Olivia didn¡¯t let her surprise on her face, instead keeping her expression kind and weing, hoping the


    woman would continue to view her with friendliness.


    ¡°Yes, of course I am,¡± Olivia said. ¡°How could I not? An opportunity like this!¡±


    The woman did rx, smiling wide. ¡°For real! Traveling around to help provide healthcare to the poorer packs? Truly, Healer Amber is a gift from the Gods.¡±


    Olivia¡¯s smile grew tight. ¡°Yes. Well, thank you. I need to be getting on my way.¡±


    ¡°Of course,<i>¡± </i>the woman said. ¡°Have fun!¡±


    Annoyed, Olivia turned and stormed back to her car. As she reached the driver¡¯s side door, she had the


    phone to her ear.


    Chase¡¯s phone went to voicemail.


    ¡°Chase, you son of a bitch. If you don¡¯t fix things with Amber and Alice right now, so help me, I will ruin you. No more chances.¡±


    Amber¡¯s POV


    I stood in the bedroom, packing thest of my clothes into a suitcase. We were leaving tomorrow for our trip to help people. Alice and I were both excited. While I was packing, she was running around my


    bedroom.


    ¡°When¡¯s Daddy going to get here?¡± Alice asked.


    ¡°Any minute,¡± I told her. Though we weren¡¯t leaving until the morning, Alice had asked to see Julian tonight, so we had invited him to have dinner with us. The fridge was mostly empty, so we were going to order a pizza.


    I hadn¡¯t called yet, waiting for Julian to arrive first.


    Then, the doorbell rang.


    ¡°Daddy!¡± Alice shouted and rushed out of my room and into the living room.


    ¡°Wait for me!¡± I called. ¡°Alice, don¡¯t you open that door without me!¡±


    She was a good kid, so, even though she pouted at having to wait, she still waited patiently for me toe to the door.


    When I was there, I unlocked it. Alice immediately stuck her head around it, and then hurried outside to hug Julian waiting there. He scooped her up into his arms.


    ¡°I missed you!¡± Alice said, even though we had just seen him the day before. We¡¯d seen Julian every day since Alice had run away.


    I hadn¡¯t been willing to chance what happened from happening again.


    Besides, we were going to be seeing a lot of Julian on our trip. It made sense to be ustomed to it


    now.


    I invited Julian in and together, the three of us headed to the kitchen.


    ¡°What kind of pizza do we want?¡± I asked them. As they debated, I made a list. Then I picked up the phone to call. While I did, Julian asked Alice about how school was going, and what she was looking forward to


    most about our trip.


    The school answer was met with mixed messages. Alice liked her friends but didn¡¯t like homework.


    The trip was a brighter topic for her. ¡°I can¡¯t wait for us all to be a family,¡± she said.


    Julian gave me a kind of look. As I was on the phone, I could easily avoid it.


    While I was still talking to the pizza person on the phone, the doorbell rang again.


    Thinking it was probably Anna or another friend who needed somethingst minute before our trip, I asked Julian, ¡°Can you check who that is?¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Julian said and stood. He asked Alice to stay in the kitchen with me and then walked out into the living room to get the door.


    Again, I focused on the phone call. ¡°Sorry about that, someone was at my door. Can you repeat my order so far? I lost my ce¡­<i>¡± </i>


    Julian¡¯s POV


    I didn¡¯t mind helping Amber out by getting the door. Maybe she invited Anna over for dinner<b>, </b>or someone from the clinic had run over some files or something. Since Amber hadn¡¯t seemed too concerned about it,


    neither was I.


    I was in too good a mood to be worried. Not only were Amber and I about to go and help the less fortunate, but we were also going to get to go spend time together with Alice, a perfect family of three.


    During this time, undoubtedly, Amber woulde to see how good of a team she and I made, and would want to stay together for the long term, not just as partners in this project, but maybe¡­


    Gods, I wanted to be her husband again, in more than just legal terms.


    Opening the door, I had a smile on my face.


    That smile immediately fell when I saw who was behind it.


    Chase.

 Main Flame 148

    Chapter <b>148 </b>


    Julian¡¯s POV


    Seeing Chase outside the door made doubts creep into my mind.


    What was he doing here? How did he know were Amber lived? Did he oftene over?


    Were he and Amber really having an affair after all?


    No. I couldn¡¯t believe that. I had to keep remembering how Amber had pushed Chase away, and how, though they had seen each other at the clinic since then, Amber had continued to treat Chase with professional friendliness rather than any romanticism.


    Chase seemed just as surprised to find me at the door. He cleared his throat. ¡°Is¡­ uh¡­ Amber there<b>?</b>¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s on the phone,¡± I told him.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡±


    ¡°I could pass on a message,¡± I offered, eager to know just what the hell he was doing here.


    He didn¡¯t seem overly happy about this, lowering his gaze for a moment and frowning, as if to himself. For a minute, I thought about just closing the door in his face.


    Amber might have been cordial with him nowadays, but that didn¡¯t mean I liked him at all. I hadn¡¯t liked him back in my pack where he¡¯d made a name for himself as the most prolific yboy in high society, and I certainly didn¡¯t like him now that he had set his eyes on Amber.


    But, as she had told me many times now ¨C basically whenever Chase came up between us ¨C Chase was Amber¡¯s patient, and her duties as a healer came before even her personal feelings. She also insisted that


    Chase wasn¡¯t so bad.


    I could respect she wanted to <i>do </i>the best for her patients, but I drew the line at actually trying to sympathize with the guy.


    We all made our choices in life, including Chase. Sure he might be in some trouble, though even Amber admitted she didn¡¯t know what that trouble was, but that didn¡¯t make it my concern. He got himself into whatever he was into, so he and he alone should be the one to try to get himself out of it.


    ¡°Well, really I was hoping to see Alice,¡± Chase said.


    At once, my eyes narrowed. I had trouble enough trusting this man around Amber, but he expected me to trust him around my child?


    ¡°She¡¯s busy,¡± I said, and I was short about it.


    He nodded, apparently understanding my concerns. Only then did I notice the reusable grocery store bag


    that was hanging from his arm. As he looked at me, he opened it up, then reached inside of it and retrieved that same plush animal he had won for Alice at the restaurant.


    The one she had thrown out the window after she had seen Chase kissing her mother.


    ¡°I wanted to give this back to her,¡± Chase said, and held out the plush <i>toy </i>for me <i>to </i>take.


    I hesitated. Thest thing I personally wanted to do was facilitate some kind of reunion between Alice and Chase. She could stay mad at him and I would be happy.


    But¡­ was that really what was best for Alice?


    And who was I to deny a child a toy she had clearly adored?


    Alice had admitted to me since then that she regretted losing the teddy bear, and here it was, back for her to love again. For her, I had to take it and give it back. Even if it did repair the friendship between her and


    Chase.


    With a sigh, I took the bear. <b>¡°</b>I¡¯ll give it to her.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Alpha,¡± Chase said.


    ¡°Is that it, then?¡± I asked.


    ¡°If neither of them wille to the door¡­¡±


    ¡°They won¡¯t,¡± I said firmly. ¡°I told you, they are both busy.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± Chase nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±


    ¡°You should go now<i>,</i><i>¡± </i>I said.


    ¡°I will¡­ I am¡­ Just¡­ maybe tell them I said goodbye?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t make this harder than it has <i>to </i>be, Chase.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡± His gaze dropped down. ¡°Right.¡± Then, without another word, he turned and walked off the porch.


    When he was back on the sidewalk, I closed the door of the house and locked it. Carrying the plush bear, I


    returned to the kitchen, just as Amber was hanging up the phone.


    Alice spotted the bear at once and gasped. At the noise, Amber looked over. Seeing the bear, she raised her gaze to me in concern.


    ¡°Chase?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Were you expecting him?¡± I asked, trying to sound calm.


    <b>¡°</b>No,¡± she said. ¡°Though he must have heard we were leaving and wanted to reach out.¡±


    ¡°Chase brought that¡­ for me?¡± Alice asked, her eyes wide. ¡°I thought I lost it¡­¡±


    ¡°No. Apparently, he kept it,¡± I said and had to pass over the bear then. I had no immunity <i>to </i>those doe


    eyes.


    She took the bear and held it close, wrapping both arms around it.


    Amber and I joined her at the table then.


    ¡°I was mean to him¡­¡± Alice said. She could have meant the bear, but I knew she meant Chase. She turned her gaze to her mother. ¡°Mom¡­ could we see Chase again? So I can apologize?¡±


    Amber nced at me. I tried to keep my expression neutral.


    I didn¡¯t trust Chase, not by a longshot, but if my daughter wanted to apologize for her own peace of mind, I wouldn¡¯t speak against it. Amber knew the situation best, so, even though I felt the dark head of


    jealousy start to turn, I was able to hold it back, trusting her.


    At least, I really wanted to trust her. For now, that had to be enough.


    ¡°Not tonight,¡± Amber said, reading something on my face. ¡°But why don¡¯t I invite him to the train station tomorrow to see us off? Then you could say goodbye, and he could wave to you and Mr. Bear from the train tform.¡±


    Alice perked up at once, ¡°Okay.¡±


    As happy as Alice was, I was equally relieved. Meeting Chase in a public ce like that meant there would be less opportunities for mischief. And if it was to say goodbye¡­


    Well, I¡¯d be happy <i>to </i><i>see </i>Chase out of our lives once and for all.


    ¡°Okay,¡± Amber said. ¡°I¡¯ll send him a message, to see if that works for him.¡±


    Chase¡¯s POV


    As Chase started the long walk back to the hotel, he felt riddled with defeat.


    And also a shred of relief.


    While he had hoped to see Amber and Alice himself, to say goodbye, their refusal to see him meant that he couldn¡¯t carry out Olivia¡¯s ns<b>. </b>And he couldn¡¯t be med for that failure either, which meant she wouldn¡¯t have to follow through on her threats to ruin him.


    Grabbing his phone, he opens a message to Olivia, about to inform her what happened, when a different <b>text </bes through.


    This one from Amber.


    Sorry we missed you. Alice thanks you for the return of Mr. Bear.


    <b>+15 </b>BONUS


    Chase switched over messages, about to reply, when another came in from Amber.


    We are leaving tomorrow from the train station at 1. Maybe you could meet us there at noon to say


    goodbye?


    As happy as Chase was to receive that message, at the same time, he was miserable. This reunion would


    give Olivia onest chance to carry out her ns through him.


    At this point, he was nothing but her puppet.


    And he hated it.

 Main Flame 149

    <b>Chapter </b><b>149 </b>


    Julian¡¯s POV


    Even the addition of the bear at the dinner table could not ruin the otherwise perfect evening that I spent


    with Alice and Amber.


    We gorged ourselves on pizza, then watched a movie. On the couch, Amber and I sat on the ends with Alice between us. Halfway through, Alice started to doze, eventually falling asleep on my arm.


    When she started snoring, Amber stopped. ¡°We should get her to bed,<i>¡± </i>she whispered.


    Having never tucked my daughter in before, I was thrilled to oblige and <i>scooped </i>her up into my arms, with her head resting against my shoulder. She so easily curled into me, her little hands gripping my shirt. My heart ached with how precious she was, my treasure sleeping soundly.


    I followed Amber down the hallway to Alice¡¯s room. While Amber moved to the wall to plug in the nightlight, I carried Alice to the bed. The bed was made, so it took some shuffling to get the covers drawn back, but once they were, I gently lowered Alice down.


    Even with her legs kicked under the nkets, her back resting on the bed, and her head on the pillow, she didn¡¯t want to let me go, her little fists still holding onto my shirt like her life depended on it.


    Gently, I brushed my fingers through her hair. ¡°Shh,¡± I told her. ¡°It¡¯s okay. Starting tomorrow, we¡¯ll be on


    our trip, and you will see me every day.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know how asleep she was, if she was caught somewhere between dreaming and wakefulness, or


    if she was in full¨Csleep mode yet still somehow able to hear me. Regardless, my words seemed to reach


    her and she calmed.


    With a sigh, she turned her face more fully into the pillow. At the same time, she released me, cradling the pillow instead.


    With her eyes closed, she looked so peaceful, yet at the same time, so helpless. It was incredibly difficult


    to force myself back, <i>to </i>not sit beside her bed and keep watch in case the monsters tried to enter her


    dreams.


    Her dad would protect her. She could depend on me.


    I didn¡¯t know if she knew that yet, and that broke me. Someday, she would see me as her champion.


    But, today, Amber was waiting for me at the door. I had to trust the nightlight to keep the monsters away in my stead.


    I touched Alice¡¯s cheek. ¡°Goodnight, princess<b>,</b>¡± I told her. Then I forced myself away and walked out of the room. Amber gently closed the door behind us, as we moved out into the hallway.


    Chooter 149


    ¡°We <b>could </b><b>finish </b>the movie?¡± I asked her, somewhat hopeful, though I knew better than to get my hopes <b>entirely </b>raised.


    I had a long way to go yet earning Amber¡¯s trust. It was <b>still </b>too soon.


    I could tell from her look alone, the way she was side¨Ceyeing the door that she was trying to think of a


    way to get me to leave.


    Not wanting to overstay my wee, I quickly amended, ¡°Actually, I better get a good night¡¯s sleep before tomorrow and our trip. I¡¯m not sure how well I¡¯ll rest on the road.¡±


    I could sleep anywhere, if I was tired enough. But this was the excuse I gave and she seemed relieved for having heard <b>it</b>.


    She showed me to the door. I had to drag myself through it, not wanting to leave my family.


    But I had to. I couldn¡¯t argue with Amber to make her want to be my wife again. That kind of finesse needed a softer touch, and over the next few months, I would put the effort in. I would spend the time to romance her properly, showing her the attention and love I should have shown her from the beginning.


    ¡°Thank you for tonight,¡± I told her, once I was out on the porch.


    <b>Chapter </b>150

 Main Flame 150

    <b>Chapter </b>150


    ¡°Thank you for visiting,¡± Amber replied. ¡°You made Alice very happy.¡±


    ¡®And you?¡± I asked.


    She didn¡¯t say no. Instead, she said, ¡°Goodnight, Julian,¡± and closed the door.


    I walked down the porch with a spring in my step, looking forward to tomorrow.


    Amber¡¯s POV


    After Julian left, Anna came over to help me finish packing. Though once she was actually in my half of


    the duplex, we did little actual packing and more talking.


    ¡°I think Julian wants us to be a family<b>,</b><b>¡± </b>I said.


    Anna gave me a strange look. She always had mixed feelings about Julian, not liking the way he treated me in the past<b>, </b>so I wasn¡¯t sure what to expect from this conversation.


    She surprised me by asking, ¡°That¡¯s what you want too isn¡¯t it?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± I shook my head. ¡°It¡¯s easy to say I want that, and it¡¯s easy for Julian to promise we¡¯ll be a family. But it¡¯s so much harder for it to actually happen, especially with Olivia around.¡±


    ¡°She won¡¯t be on the trip,¡± Anna pointed out.


    I wasn¡¯t so sure. Olivia always seemed to show up at the worst possible moments where Julian was, like


    she was tracking him or something.


    But, even if she didn¡¯t physically appear during the trip, the thought of her would still haunt us.


    ¡°While I do feel close to Julian, closer than I¡¯d ever been, even when we were actually together¡­¡± When he kept me as his secret wife, tucked away. ¡°With how much he feels he owes Olivia, I don¡¯t think he would


    ever put me, or Alice, first.¡±


    He might have thought he would. He might even make promises about how things would be different


    this time.


    But I knew the truth.


    If Olivia were to need him, he would feel obligated to go to her, regardless of whatever else was going on


    in his life.


    When he already hadmitments like that, I didn¡¯t know if I could ever fully trust him.


    I never wanted to feel like I was second again. And I wasn¡¯t going to let Alice go through that either.


    ¡°Maybe, just see how things go,¡± Anna said. ¡°Be open to it.¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°I already know how this ends.¡±


    Chase¡¯s POV


    When Chase returned to his hotel room, Olivia was already waiting for him inside. He had no idea how


    she managed that. He certainly didn¡¯t give her a key. She must have charmed someone at the front desk.


    He really just wanted to get some sleep, tired of the moral uncertainty he was feeling, but Olivia¡¯s


    presence denied him that, as did her words.


    ¡°Tell me everything that was said.¡±


    So he did, and then he showed her the text messages. As she read through, her smile grew and grew.


    ¡°This is perfect,¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯m just saying goodbye,<i>¡± </i>Chase said.


    <b>¡°</b>No, Chase. You aren¡¯t just doing that. Can¡¯t you see the opportunity here? Goodbyes culminate in hugs.


    When you go in to hug Alice ¨C oops! The sp opens on her ne and it falls to the ground. Julian


    gets a whiff of her true smell and realizes this isn¡¯t his daughter. The entire trip is canceled.¡±


    As she was talking, her eyes went a bit wild. She¡¯d always been ruthless, that was nothing new, but this¡­


    manic sort of desperation made Chase feel incredibly ufortable.


    Like this, she was unpredictable. And he knew that ruthlessness of hers could so easily turn against him,


    even if he did everything she asked.


    His eyes turned to ice as she raised her re to him. ¡°You will not screw this up, Chase. Or you won¡¯t like


    what happens next.¡±

 Main Flame 151

    Julian¡¯s POV


    In the morning, I finished packing up my things. With how long I¡¯d stayed, I hadn¡¯t realized just howfortable I had made myself in this hotel room. I had to go through three times just to make sure I hadn¡¯t left a razor in the bathroom or a sock kicked under the bed.


    When I was confident that I had indeed collected everything, I carried my luggage down to the parking lot and started loading the rental car. The train station was a drop¨Coff point for the rental agency, which was perfect for me. I could return the car before getting on the train.


    A train was not my preferred way to travel. It was too slow and too open. I could buy every ticket for the train, hoping to keep it just us, but still there would be people milling around the train station, and it would be so easy to get on and off without being seen.


    I had tried to voice my concerns to Amber, but she and Alice often traveled by train in my absence, it seemed. I would indulge her for now, but I already had my private jet on standby, just in case she changed her mind.


    As I lifted thest of my luggage into the truck, a hand touched my arm, stopping me before I could m the trunk lid closed. I already knew who those long, red fingernails belonged to without even needing to look.


    ¡°I¡¯m asking you once more, Julian,¡± Olivia said. ¡°For the good of the pack you are neglecting, please return home with me.


    I imagined without me here that she wouldn¡¯t feel the need to bother this town anymore and would return to my pack.


    I supposed I shouldn¡¯t have been surprised that she would try once more with me.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t finished what I set out to do,¡± I said.


    ¡°Reim Amber?<i>¡± </i>Olivia said. She was attempting to keep her tone light but there was a hint of disgusted usation in there.


    ¡°I came here with a project proposal,¡± I said. ¡°I have yet to see that through.¡±


    Yes, winning Amber back and spending time with Alice had also been parts of that n. Big parts. But initially, I did break the ice by presenting that proposal. We were going to help the less fortunate. I wasn¡¯t going to back out now, for any reason.


    ¡°Please reconsider, Julian,¡± Olivia said.


    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯ve made up my mind.¡±


    <b>¡°</b>I just¡­ I have a bad feeling about all this. Like something is going to happen,<i>¡± </i>she said.


    I stilled, looking up at her. ¡°What kind of something?¡±


    <b>¡°</b>Just something really bad¡­¡± she tried to give me a smile but it was hollow. ¡°You shoulde with me so that nothing bad happens to Amber or Alice¡­¡±


    Now that sounded like a threat.


    Olivia wasn¡¯t ustomed to being rejected by anyone, even me. Perhaps she felt pushed into a corner and was grabbing at straws. I knew she didn¡¯t have the gift of premonition. Likely she was just trying to scare me into going back with her.


    What she mustn¡¯t have realized was¡­ By saying Amber and Alice were in danger would only make me


    want to stay by their sides even more so.


    I would protect my mate and child from any and all dangers. There was nothing Olivia could imagine


    that I wouldn¡¯t keep Amber and Alice safe from.


    ¡°No, Olivia,¡± I told her. <b>¡°</b>I will keep them safe from any dangers. There is nothing to fear.¡±


    I firmly removed my arm from her hand, closed the lid of the trunk, and moved to the driver¡¯s side door.


    Olivia watched me for a moment, yet just as I was pulling the door open, she spoke, ¡°Like you kept me safe that night our unborn baby died?¡±


    I froze again, as a familiar guilt bubbled up inside of me.


    This time, knowing Amber and Alice were waiting for me, I was able to push through it.


    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯m sorry that happened, Olivia. Truly. But it doesn¡¯t change what I need to do now.¡±


    I opened the door and got into the car.


    ¡°Julian!¡± she said as I mmed the door closed. She stood there, watching, as I started the ignition and put the car in drive, leaving the parking lot, the hotel, and Olivia behind.


    Amber¡¯s POV


    Anna drove Alice and me to the train station. After pulling into one of the temporary loading/unloading spots, she came around to help us pull our luggage out of the trunk. Once that was done, she pulled me into <b>a </b>tight hug, and then knelt down to do the same to Alice.


    It¡¯d been a while since we¡¯d been separated, but I knew it was only temporary. And there was no one <b>I </b>trusted to keep an eye on the clinic and things here than Anna. Also, I knew she would call me the moment there was any issue, should one ur in my absence.


    Standing again, she smiled. ¡°Have fun, okay<b>? </b>You¡¯ve been working yourself <b>to </b>the bone since¡­ well¡­¡±


    <b>2/3 </b>


    She didn¡¯t say <b>it</b><b>, </b>but I knew¡­ Since the ne crash. Since leaving Julian. Since I found out about Olivia


    being pregnant.


    So many bad memories.


    ¡°I¡¯m still working,¡± I reminded her.


    ¡°You can have fun too,<i>¡± </i>she said.


    The train station was busy at all times of day. Most people in this pack preferred riding the train to


    taking an airne, so it was even busier than the small airport in town. As it was also centrally located, it


    wasn¡¯t unusual to see various people from town out on their walks or visiting the nearby parks.


    Thiste morning, I saw Ms. Flora from the school. She was in some exercise clothes, likely taking a


    walk. Spotting me, she came over.


    ¡°Oh! Amber, how nice! I didn¡¯t realize you were leaving now. I¡¯m so happy I get to say goodbye again.¡±


    <b>Ms. </b>Flora was a bit of a free¨Cspirit, somewhat easily distracted, but she was also a kind soul who was


    good with the children. Looking around, she said, ¡°But, oh? Where¡¯s your sister¨Cinw?¡±


    ¡°My¡­ what¡­<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>To my knowledge, Julian didn¡¯t have any siblings, and even if he did, Ms. Flora shouldn¡¯t


    know that I was still married to Julian. And even if she did know that too, why would she bring that up


    now<b>? </b>


    ¡°Oh! She came by the school yesterday to collect Alice for you, but, of course, you¡¯d already collected Alice


    yourself.¡±


    My blood started to run cold. I repeated, for my own sake, because I couldn¡¯t quite believe what she was telling me. ¡°Someone came to take Alice out of school?¡±


    ¡°Your sister¨Cinw, yes,¡± Ms. Flora continued, as friendly as before, not seeing the shift in me as I


    suddenly tensed all the way from the top of my head to my toes. ¡°Between us, she seems a little high- strung. Hopefully this trip will be able to help her to rx<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    <b>¡°</b>Ms. Flora,¡± I said, trying to remain calm. She was a nice woman who meant well. What I needed was information. ¡°I need you to tell me everything that happened when this woman came to the school. And¡­


    I need you to tell me what she looked like.¡±


    As Ms. Flora described her, I knew immediately who it was.


    That sounded exactly like Olivia.


    <b>3/3 </b>

 Main Flame 152

    Julian¡¯s POV


    At the train station, I returned the rental car and then lugged my luggage over the sidewalks to the main outdoor concourse of the train station. There, I spotted Alice and Amber with their luggage. Alice smiled and waved when she saw me, but there was something off about Amber.


    Her stance was rigid, her arms crossed over her chest. She kept ncing around suspiciously, inching away whenever anyone got to close.


    Immediately, her posture put me on high alert. I hurried to them, to be near, to shield them from whatever


    she was afraid of.


    ¡°Hi, Daddy!¡± Alice said brightly, stretching her arms out for a hug. At once, I had to return it. Kneeling down, I circled my arms around her, holding her tightly for a long moment before letting her go.


    ¡°Are you looking forward to our trip?¡± I asked her, not letting my heightening tension show, for her sake.


    ¡°Yes! I¡¯ve never been to these packs before¡­ Do you think the people will like me?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll love you. I¡¯m sure of it.¡±


    As I stood, I turned my attention back to Amber. This close, I could see her bubbling nerves even more prominently as she looked around with increasingly frantic movements.


    ¡°Amber?¡± I said, a question, hoping that would be enough to prompt something of an answer, wanting tomunicate in a way that wouldn¡¯t upset Alice.


    ¡°Did you talk <i>to </i>Olivia today?<i>¡± </i>she asked me.


    ¡°She stopped me by my car,¡± I told her. I had made the mistake of keeping secrets about Olivia before. I


    would not do so again. ¡°She tried to talk me into going back to my pack with her. I said no.¡±


    ¡°Was she acting strangely?<i>¡± </i>she asked me.


    ¡°Insistent, perhaps,¡± I said. ¡°She spoke like she had some kind of premonition that something bad was going to happen.¡± I hugged a harsh breath. ¡°But she has never had that gift.¡±


    Amber looked at me, and, strangely, the suspicion she had been casting to everyone else on the concourse, she was also showing to me.


    I was taken aback a moment, shocked by it. What had I done to earn this sudden mistrust? Last night, when I had left Amber¡¯s house, everything had seemed fine.


    ¡°Did something happen?¡± I asked.


    Amber nced down at Alice, who was busing herself with the doll she was carrying.


    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯m not sure if we should go on this trip anymore,¡± she said.


    I inched closer to her. Keeping my voice light so Alice wouldn¡¯t overhear, I said, ¡°I will protect you, Amber and Alice, from anything. Olivia doesn¡¯t have premonition. She was just attempting to scare me into doing what she wanted.¡±


    ¡°What if she¡¯s right in this case,¡± Amber said, surprising me.


    ¡°What do you mean?<b>¡± </b>


    ¡°What if she knows something bad is going to happen, because she orchestrated it.¡±


    Amber¡¯s POV


    I watched Julian like a hawk. I didn¡¯t want to suspect him of being in on whatever Olivia was nning, but how could I not at least eye him with some caution. After all, Julian always had a kind of alliance with Olivia. He admitted he felt guilt over the loss of their unborn child.


    Could she have manipted him to take part in whatever her scheme was?


    My blood continued to run cold, my heart pumping ice water into my veins since having spoken with Ms.


    Flora.


    What had been Olivia¡¯s intent in trying to get Alice out of school? Had she wanted to kidnap her? To harm


    her?


    How much did Julian know? Howcent was he in this scheme?


    His words do little to ease my growing suspicions. <b>¡°</b>You truly think she would try something?¡±


    She already had tried something. And now, by Ms. Flora¡¯s admission, Olivia knew the details of this trip. Ms. Flora had been well¨Cmeaning, but she¡¯d told Olivia far too much.


    Now<b><i>, </i></b>it took everything within me not to grab Alice and take her home where I was certain I could keep


    her safe.


    The only thing that kept me here was a hope that Olivia had just been trying to scare me. And an even dimmer hope that Julian might mean what he said and want to protect Alice and me.


    ¡°Something has frightened you,¡± Julian said. ¡°Whatever it is, hear my vow. Nothing will harm <b>you </b>or Alice while <b>I </b>am around. You have my word.¡± He ced his hand over his heart as if to indicate that I had <b>that </b>too, though he didn¡¯t say those words aloud.


    <b>Gods</b><b>, </b>I wanted to believe him.


    <b>¡°</b>Olivia is plotting something, Julian,¡± I said. ¡°I know because she already acted on it.¡±


    He blinked. ¡°Tell me everything.¡±


    So I did, exining what Ms. Flora had told me, about the woman iming to be my sister¨Cinw hade to the school to try to check out Alice for the day. And that this woman fit Olivia¡¯s description perfectly.


    As I spoke, Julian grew more and more tense, his body stiffening, his muscles tensing, his hands forming


    fists at his sides.


    His face showed his shock for only a moment before that hardened too.


    ¡°She came to the school¡­¡± he said, repeating my words while sounding so very far away.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    A low growl escaped him then.


    Alice, hearing it, nced up at him. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Daddy<b>?</b>¡±


    Immediately, he cut it off. ¡°Nothing, Alice. Keep ying with your doll.¡±


    He nced around a moment, taking in the rest of the concourse, before ncing back to me.


    ¡°I have a private jet waiting,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯re too exposed here. We¡¯d be safer on the ne.¡±


    As much as I wanted to trust in Julian, I couldn¡¯t risk Alice. Telling me we were going on a private jet to our location could be a lie. A train had tracks, it could only go one of two ways. A ne could go wherever it wanted once it was in the air.


    <b>¡°</b>No,¡± I said firmly<b>. </b>¡°It¡¯s either the train or we aren¡¯t going.¡±


    He gave me an incredulous look. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious. You think I¡¯m involved in this somehow?¡±


    ¡°You owe her. You told me that yourself.¡±


    ¡°I would never risk you and Alice ¨C¡±


    ¡°How do I know that? You¡¯ve put us second before.¡±


    Maybe it was wrong of me to bring up the past, especially when a sh of hurt crossed his gaze, but how could I not? My daughter was being threatened, and I could see shadows all around us. I wanted to believe in Julian but he had given me hundreds of reasons to doubt him.


    ¡°That was a long time ago,¡± he said.


    <b>¡°</b>Maybe not long enough,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Amber, I am telling you that I have nothing to do with this, and I will protect you ¨C


    ¡°Ah, there <b>you </b>are!¡± Chase called to us from nearer <b>the </b>parking lot.


    <b>¡°</b>Uncle Chase!¡± Alice replied, brightly waving. She started to move forward, but Amber and I moved quicker. Each of us ced a hand on one of Alice¡¯s shoulders, keeping her firmly in ce at our sides.


    Alice nced up at both of us with confusion and surprise.


    Chase kept his easy grin as he hurriedly closed the distance instead.


    ¡°I¡¯m d I¡¯m not toote,¡± Chase said. His gaze fell to Alice. ¡°I would hate to miss the chance to hug my favorite girl goodbye.¡±


    <b>+15 </b><b>BONUS </b>


    <b>Chapter </b><b>153 </b>

 Main Flame 153

    <b>+15 </b><b>BONUS </b>


    <b>Chapter </b><b>153 </b>


    Julian¡¯s POV


    I didn¡¯t want to frighten Alice, so I kept my hand on her shoulder firm but light. Yet<b>, </b>every other muscle in my entire body was ready. I felt coiled like a snake, ready to pounce the minute Chase showed any sign of suspicion.


    I didn¡¯t trust him on the best of days, and today, right now, was far from that. After what Amber had told me, with someone, likely Olivia, having showed up at Alice¡¯s school to try to take her out of it, I was on edge.


    This only made the instances I saw of Chase and Olivia interacting during our celebration more suspicious.


    I thought I knew Olivia better, and would have never thought that she¡¯d target a child. Even now<b>, </b>despite Amber having been so sure that it was Olivia who had done the act, I struggled to wrap my mind around it.


    Yet, with Alice, I wasn¡¯t willing to take any chances. Not with Olivia. And certainly not with Chase.


    Chase held his arms out, as if expecting Alice might run into them. Maybe she even would have if Amber and I weren¡¯t holding her back.


    Chase, noticing, lifted his gaze to Amber, ignoring me entirely.


    <b>¡°</b>What¡¯s wrong?¡± he asked.


    <b>¡°</b>Nothing,¡± Amber said quickly. ¡°We¡¯re just being a little cautious today. You can say goodbye without touching.¡±


    Chaseughed like she was joking. ¡°Cautious? Of me?¡± A momentter, he must have realized she was serious because he abruptly stoppedughing. ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± he said.


    ¡°Just say goodbye from there<b>, </b>Chase,¡± Amber insisted. ¡°Please.¡±


    ¡°This is ridiculous, Amber,¡± Chase said, his smile starting to waver. <b>¡°</b><b>If </b>you want to use me of something, you can do so, but don¡¯t punish Alice for whatever you think I¡¯m up to. I just want to say goodbye. Who knows when <b>I¡¯ll </b>see either of you again?<b>¡± </b>


    Never, if I had my way.


    ¡°<b>You </b>don¡¯t need to hug her to say goodbye,¡± I grumble.


    <b>¡°</b><b>Stay </b><b>out </b>of this<b>, </b>Alpha,¡± Chase said. ¡°This doesn¡¯t concern you.¡± He was dismissive <b>of </b>me at <b>first</b><b>, </b><b>but </b><b>then </b><b>seemed </b><b>to </b>realize something and shifted his gaze to me. When he did<b>, </b><b>it </b>turned into <b>a </b><b>re</b><b>. </b><b>¡°</b>This is <b>your </b><b>doing</b><b>, </b><b>isn¡¯t it</b><b>? </b><b>You¡¯ve </b>turned Amber and Alice against me.¡±


    <b>1/2 </b>


    +15 <b>BONUS </b>


    I neither confirmed nor denied, just red right back.


    ¡°Amber, whatever he says, you can¡¯t believe him,¡± Chase said, returning his attention to Amber. ¡°I know <b>I </b>have a reputation back home, but that¡¯s a version of me that¡¯s riddled with gossip and untruths. You know me better than that. Hells, I¡¯ve told you all of my dark secrets.¡±


    ncing at Amber, I saw some conflict on her face. rmed, I quickly told her, ¡°I suspect he knows Olivia


    more than either of them are admitting to.¡±


    That seemed to steal Amber¡¯s resolve. ¡°Just say goodbye from there, Chase. If you are genuine, this will


    <b>not </b>be a forever goodbye, and we can hug on a happy reunion.¡±


    ¡°Why wouldn¡¯t I be genuine?¡± he asked. ¡°It¡¯s one hug. What could be so wrong about that?¡±


    ¡°Alice<b>, </b>I¡¯m sorry, honey,¡± Amber said. ¡°But you will have to say goodbye to Chase like this, okay?<b>¡± </b>


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± Alice said, confused but obedient to her mother. She was looking at Chase somewhat strangely


    <b>now </b><b>too</b><b>. </b>


    It was odd that he was so insistent about hugging her. I was d I wasn¡¯t the only one to think <b>so</b>.


    ¡°Goodbye, Uncle Chase,¡± Alice said.


    For a moment, Chase just grinned at her. He otherwise froze, as if he was thinking through something.


    Gods knew what that could be.


    I stood at the ready though, uncertain and cautious.


    Maybe he was just offended. Maybe he was saddened to have to say goodbye like this to Alice and


    Amber. Maybe he was being entirely genuine right now.

 Main Flame 154

    <b>Chapter </b><b>154 </b>


    <b>But </b>I <b>didn¡¯t </b>think so<b>. </b>Neither did my wolf<b>, </b>crouching in the back of <b>my </b>mind, ready <b>to </b><b>fling </b><b>himself </b><b>to the </b>front <b>at </b><b>a </b>moment¡¯s notice.


    Then, slowly, Chase¡¯s grin took on a harsher edge. His eyes went a little wild, shifting from friendly to desperate in a sh. His gaze dropped from Alice¡¯s face down to the ne around her <b>neck</b>.


    In <b>a </b>blink, he pounced.


    Using his werewolf speed, he was quick, but he wasn¡¯t an Alpha.


    I moved quicker.


    Shifting midair, I mmed into his side with the full weight of an Alpha werewolf. He flung to the side like <b>a </b>ragdoll ¨C but not before he hooked his fingers around the chain of Alice¡¯s ne.


    But the chain he tugged already shattered, bits of medal scattering across the floor of the <b>concourse</b>.


    People panicked, running in all directions.


    In full¨Cwolf form, I squared up, standing protectively in front of Alice and Amber, even stepping on some of the medal pieces.


    Chase was on his side on the other end of the concourse, clutching his ribs as he struggled to stand up.


    The pendant of Alice¡¯s ne was there beside him on the cement. Chase brushed it aside as he rolled over onto all fours<b>, </b>shifting into his own wolf as he did so.


    His wolf was smaller than mine, likely slower too. He couldn¡¯t hope to beat me in one¨C<b>on</b>¨Conebat.


    <b>If </b><b>that </b>was his n.


    Chase <b>wasn¡¯t </b>a <b>fool </b>though, and he didn¡¯t strike me as someone brave enough to fight me head on. I had to stay on my guard, as he likely had a few more tricks up his sleeve.


    Slowly he started to move, as if trying to circle around me, but I cut him off again and again, always keeping myself between my family and this threat.


    <b>My </b>vow to Amber hadn¡¯t been one of deception. I would protect her and Alice with my life.


    Though I <b>didn¡¯t </b>anticipate anything so dramatic here. Chase was a weakling and a coward<b>. </b><b>With </b><b>a </b><b>few </b>well¨Cced bites, he should submit.


    <b>Then </b>we would have our answers.


    <b>What </b><b>had </b>Chase <b>hoped </b><b>to </b>aplish here? Was he <b>trying </b>to <b>kidnap </b><b>Alice</b><b>? </b><b>Why</b><b>? </b>


    <b>Was </b>Olivia involved<b>? </b>


    Those answers wouldeter<b>, </b>once Chase was subdued. For now, I growled and pushed my wolf body to his full intimidating height. I showed my teeth, growling and snarling, showing Chase I meant business.


    He had no chance ofing out ahead here. One way or the other, he was going to submit, whether willing or with my teeth digging into his neck.


    My vision was nearly red, my wolf so close to raging. Wanting to protect our family, it only wanted to eliminate the threat against them.


    While I could agree with that, the Alpha in me, the man who had run the pack for years, knew that information was also an important means of protection.


    Killing Chase wouldn¡¯t give us any answers. I needed to know who he was working with, to discover all the dangers lurking in the shadows and keep my family safe once and for all.


    That promise of further protection was the only way <b>I </b>could hold my wolf back at this moment. If Chase made one more wrong move though, that light tether would snap and my wolf would break free.


    Hopefully he knew that. Hopefully he wouldn¡¯t do anything stupid.


    For now, we just scowled at each other, growling as the concourse fully cleared out, with the expectation of Amber and Alice behind me.


    For a moment, everything was silent except for the growling and the pounding of my heart, ready for a fight.


    Then, a scream shattered that quiet.


    My heart shattered too.


    That pained scream ¨C belonged to Alice.

 Main Flame 155

    <b>Chapter </b><b>155 </b>


    Amber¡¯s POV


    The moment the ne shattered, I scrambled, trying to collect all of the pieces as quickly as I could. I didn¡¯t care about the massive wolves squaring up against each other right in front of me. Concern for my daughter was the most important thing.


    But there were too many pieces, and they had been scattered all across the concourse from where Alice clutched her neck, softly sobbing, to where Chase hadnded. Near him, I saw the pendant of the ne, perhaps the most important piece.


    I nearly ran across the concourse to grab it, by Alice¡¯s fingers tangled on my shirt, holding me back with her mere touch.


    Looking at her, I saw her panic.


    ¡°M¨Cmommy¡­¡± she said, her voice shaky with panic. Her eyes were wide, looking at me for help.


    But I was entirely helpless. What could I do? What could I say? Just like all the times before, my heart broke into tiny pieces, knowing I wouldn¡¯t be able to stop what came next.


    <b>¡°</b>Just stay calm, honey, okay? It¡¯s going to be okay. Breathe and stay calm.¡±


    It was far toote for that. She was already scared, and with two big wolves near us, how couldn¡¯t she be? My nervous energy likely wasn¡¯t helping, but everything seemed to be falling apart. I tried to be calm, for her sake, but it was like trying to keep a rowboat right side up in a hurricane.


    Too soon, Alice grabbed her stomach and bent over in pain.


    ¡°Alice,¡± I cried, rushing toward her. I clutched her against me. She held on like her life depended on it, especially as she began to elicit grunts and grumbles in pain.


    I held on too, even as her fingers turned to ws and tore into my clothes, into my skin. She was my daughter, she was in pain, and she needed me.


    I didn¡¯t care about my own hurt. Helping her through this was all I could do.


    Then, she made the worst sound in the world ¨C she screamed bloody murder, her pain clear.


    Tears fell from my eyes<b>. </b>I was so helpless. Gods, stop hurting this little girl!


    This scream drew the attention of Julian, who immediately shifted back to human form toe closer. What¡¯s going on?¡± he demanded. ¡°Did Chase hurt her?¡±


    In <b>a </b>sense. ¡°Alice isn¡¯t well,¡± I exined. ¡°Her wolf found her early. Her shifting is <b>so </b>painful.¡±


    Julian¡¯s eyes went wide with panic. ¡°The ne<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    <b>1/4 </b>


    ¡°A magical trinket that restrained her wolf,¡± I said. I grit my teeth as Alice¡¯s ws drew blood from my


    arms.


    Alice screamed again.


    Helplessness crossed Julian¡¯s face. I¡¯d never seen him like this in as long as I¡¯d known him. ¡°There has to be something we can do!¡±


    I mirrored his expression. ¡°There¡¯s nothing¡­¡± I hated admitting that. All my searching, all my medical knowledge, and I still didn¡¯t have any answers that could help my most precious patient, <b>my </b>own


    daughter.


    The ne had only bought me more time. It had never been a full solution.


    I should have been using this time to find an answer. Somehow. Even if I didn¡¯t know where to start.


    Gods, I failed my daughter!


    Holding her, I started to feel fur under my hands. She was shifting!


    Chase¡¯s POV


    Oh, Gods. What had he done?


    Olivia had told Chase that the ne was magical, but she¡¯d also said Amber was only using it to deceive Julian into thinking Amber was his child. She¡¯d said the ne only changed Alice¡¯s scent. She never said anything about Alice bing a werewolf!


    She was <b>too </b>young!


    But then¡­ Chase had known better from the start, didn¡¯t he? He had be a genuine friend of Amber, and hade to know enough about her to fully believe that she would not fall to such underhanded


    tactics to keep Julian.


    If anything, she had been trying to push him away, and Julian had been the persistent one in staying.


    Yet still, Chase allowed himself to be manipted, going along with this n, even though he knew it was faulty. Even though he already suspected the ne had more purpose than to shift the young girl¡¯s scent.


    Even if he suspected stealing the ne would hurt Alice, he still went along with it.


    Why<b>? </b>


    Money. Greed. A life of <b>luxury </b>that he had grown ustomed to, that he needed Olivia for now that his parents had <b>cut </b>him off.


    He liked hisvish things, his dinners at the club, his expensive jewelry and clothes<b>, </b>his sports car. If he


    <b>2/4 </b>


    lost Olivia¡¯s support<b>, </b>then he would lose it all. His entire life would change.


    Yet now¡­ shifting back to human form, sitting there on the concourse, watching as Alice screamed and her parents looked on helplessly, an ache welled up inside of Chase.


    Guilt. Regret. Self¨Cloathing.


    What kind of man had he allowed himself to be?


    What would Violet think of him now?


    She would have been disgusted, just as he was disgusted with himself.


    Under his human hand, Chase felt the jut of medal into his palm. Grabbing the pendant, he lifted it to look at it. He could still detect some measure of magic within it, but¡­ it was not nearly as much as it had been.


    The ne was what kept Alice safe, free of this pain.


    By tearing it away, Chase had brought this on to her. He had destroyed her only means of safety, of relief.


    He dropped the pendant from his hand, letting it fall back onto the concrete.


    Gods forgive me¡­


    Then, suddenly, Alice¡¯s screams cut¨Coff, shifting into wolf whimpers and mournful howls.


    ¡°Alice!¡± Amber called, as the small wolf pup shoved out of her mother¡¯s arms and darted toward the


    railroad. She zipped over it and into the nearby forest, disappearing into the trees.


    Amber was on her feet at once. Her arms were dripping blood, but still she shifted into a gorgeous silver


    wolf and ran full¨Cspeed after her daughter.


    Chase started to stand up, somehow wanting to make this right.


    Julian immediately stepped into his path. His eyes burned with the fire of hatred. It so nearly matched


    the hatred Chase felt for myself.


    ¡°You will stay away from my family,<b>¡± </b>Julian said, his voice cold, serious and deadly. He was not mincing


    words here, and Chase knew Julian meant all he said. ¡°If I ever see you again, I will rip your throat out myself.¡±


    A chill ran down Chase¡¯s spin, causing him to freeze in ce.


    Then, Julian turned, shifted into his wolf, and barreled into the woods, chasing after Amber and Alice.


    Chase watched them go, afraid to move for a long moment.


    His life as he knew it was over, that much was clear. He couldn¡¯t go back to his pack, not with Julian there<b>. </b>Though this hadn¡¯t been a formal exiling, the intention was clear.


    Lab <b>3/4 </b>


    Chase had done everything Olivia had asked to try to maintain his lifestyle, and because of that choice, he was going <b>to </b><b>lose </b>even more than he would have anyway.


    And worse, now he had to live with the knowledge that he had hurt Alice, a young girl who had been nothing but kind to him.


    He had cared for her too, yet that still hadn¡¯t stopped him from her.


    So he would run. He could go to the farthest stretches he could.


    But he didn¡¯t think he would ever be able to run from the guilt over what he¡¯d done.


    <b>Chapter </b><b>156 </b>

 Main Flame 156

    <b>Chapter </b><b>156 </b>


    Amber¡¯s POV


    +15 <b>BONUS </b>


    Panic and fear gripping my soul, I was desperate to protect my daughter, even from herself<b>, </b>so I chased her into the forest. I¡¯d follow her for as long as she needed to run. Every time <b>I </b>nearly caught up to her, she changed paths<b>, </b>careful to avoid me.


    Her wolf was frightened and fast, and with her small size, she could zip through ces that I had to push my way through- under bushes and through logs.


    I would chase her forever though. She was my daughter and she needed me. I would never let her get away and be hurt. I would do whatever I had to do to keep her safe, even from herself.


    Finally, I managed to corner her inside the stump of an old, rotted¨Cout tree. Her wolf was small, still a frightened pup. As I towered over her, she shrunk against the stump, whimpering and grunting, still in pain. Still afraid.


    I chuffed a few times in response, trying to beforting. Yet, every time I tried to edge nearer, the pup would panic and push itself further into the stump. It was starting to hurt itself now, the wood rubbing the skin raw.


    So I froze, not wanting to hurt her further, but I couldn¡¯t back off, afraid she might run away and I would lose her permanently.


    Before long, as I was caught in my indecision, Julian came through the brush in his massive Alpha wolf form. As an Alpha, he wasrger, both taller and longer, than a regr werewolf. And his aura demanded obedience and respect.


    My fear for Alice kept my own wolf from immediately submitting to who she viewed as her mate. Alice, though, started to cower in the presence of her father. Her wolf lowered down, belly and snoot into the


    <b>dirt</b>.


    A soft sort of noise escaped from Julian¡¯s throat. Alice immediately returned the sound, all quiet and pathetic. My heart ached.


    <b>Yet</b><b>, </b>thefort seemed to work, as Alice slowly started to shift back into her human form. In human <b>form</b>, she curled up into a small ball, dirt and dried blood on her skin.


    <b>¡°</b>Mommy¡­¡± she sniffled.


    <b>Immediately</b><b>, </b><b>I </b>shifted back as well. Rushing to her, I pulled her into the safety <b>of </b>my arms and <b>kept </b><b>her </b><b>there</b>. The cuts she had left on me had already mostly healed. While they were <b>still </b><b>sore</b><b>, </b>I <b>did </b><b>not </b>so <b>much </b>as <b>wince </b>as she <b>grabbed </b>over that raw skin with her blunt human fingers.


    She trembled as I held her<b>, </b>crying and shaking.


    469


    <b>¡°</b>It¡¯s okay now,¡± I promised her. ¡°You are safe.¡±


    And while this was the truth, I didn¡¯t know what tomorrow would bring. Without the ne, the <b>fear </b>of


    her shifting was very real again. And there was nothing I could do anymore.


    It had taken so long to track down that ne¡­


    <b>To </b>find another one felt more impossible than finding a cure.


    If only I knew where to even begin. If I had a starting point, I would work diligently to cure her. With other


    medicines and cures, I¡¯d always had other research to build on, to utilize and push farther<b>, </b>to develop my


    own solutions and treatments.


    With a condition like Alice¡¯s, there just wasn¡¯t enough information.


    My heart cracked down the middle. What kind of healer was I, when I couldn¡¯t even cure my own


    daughter? When I was instead forced to watch her suffer in pain?


    As a healer, I was helpless. As a mother, all I could do was hold my crying, frightened daughter in my


    arms as my own fear rippled through me.


    Behind me, Julian shifted back to human form too. I felt the change in the air, even without seeing it, as his domineering aura was greatly subdued. But then, I felt him too, even as he came up behind me, dropped to his knees, and closed his arms around both Alice and me.

 Main Flame 157

    I leaned into him, findingfort in the hard line of his chest and the strength of the arms that encircled <ol><li><b>us</b><b>. </b></li></ol>


    For a moment, as broken as things were, I felt a fleeting sense of peace with our small family together. But then, that moment passed, and I just felt sad.


    Like this, Alice soon cried herself to sleep. As she rested in my arms, I shifted a little so that I was sitting on the ground with her in myp. Julian shifted too, sitting beside me but no longer touching. He was still close enough to feel though, the warmth of his body keeping the chill of the forest at bay.


    Julian and I both watched our daughter sleep, before his gaze lifted up to me.


    ¡°How long as she been suffering from this?¡± he asked.


    A brief thought passed through my mind, something a little wild, about keeping the full truth from him. But, with things as they were, that didn¡¯t seem fair to anyone. Not to Alice or to me or to him.


    ¡°When that ne came down,¡± I said, ¡°both our wolves manifested to keep us safe.¡±


    ¡°She wasn¡¯t even born yet,¡± he whispered.


    <b>¡°</b><b>No</b>¡­¡± I said. ¡°Our wolves kept us safe in that crash. We would have surely died without them. Yet, for Alice, manifesting a wolf so young did note without consequence. I cannot wish it undone, because she would be dead without her wolf, but¡­ To see her in such pain¡­<b>¡± </b>


    I bit back a sob.


    Julian wrapped his arm around me, tugging me closer against him. He rested his chin atop my head, tucking my face into the crux of his shoulder and neck.


    ¡°It¡¯s not your fault<b>,</b><b>¡± </b>he said.


    <b>¡°</b>Isn¡¯t it?¡± <b>I </b>asked. ¡°<b>If </b>I wouldn¡¯t have gotten on that ne¡­¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s my fault,¡± he replied. ¡°Because I am the one that pushed you into leaving.¡±


    That didn¡¯t sit right with me. Julian wasn¡¯t the one who had forced the ne down. Though, neither <b>was </b><b>I. </b>


    I supposed I could see his point then, that neither of us were to me.


    <b>¡°</b><b>I </b>just wish there was more I could do,¡± I said. ¡°All my healing abilities, and I am no closer <b>to </b><b>a </b><b>cure </b>than <b>I¡¯ve </b>ever been.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll help <b>you</b><b>,</b>¡± Julian said. ¡°You aren¡¯t going to be alone in this anymore.<b>¡± </b>


    Julian¡¯s POV


    I¡¯m already making a mental list of who to reach out to. I¡¯d get a whole medical board together to research


    Alice¡¯s illness. I¡¯d pump everyst dor I owned into finding a cure. There was no lead I wouldn¡¯t


    exhausted, nothing I wouldn¡¯t do to help.


    Yet, even as I was making those ns, part of my mind was still piecing things together.


    Amber must have been too, because she said, ¡°I have no idea why Chase would want to hurt Alice.¡±


    I didn¡¯t either. The rumors of him spoke of a yboy, someone who was careless with women¡¯s hearts


    and wallets. It said nothing about him being callous or malicious, especially toward children.


    He could have just been hiding it. There could be more to Chase than any of them know.


    Or¡­ he could have been put up to it.


    I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about Chase and Olivia arguing in the restaurant. I wished now, that I had gotten


    closer so that I could have overheard what they¡¯d been saying.


    Olivia didn¡¯t have premonitions, yet she¡¯d issued me a warning something could happen.


    Had she been speaking of this?


    <b>Had </b>she known this was going to happen?


    Had she nned it?


    I needed answers, and though I¡¯d threatened to tear his throat out, there was only one person who could


    tell me what was going on.


    Chase.

 Main Flame 158

    Eventually, the dirt was itchy on our skin and Alice began to whimper in her sleep.


    ¡°I should get her to the clinic and check her over,¡± Amber said.


    I helped her stand, steadying Alice in her arms. I would have carried her myself, but I had a different path


    to take. Amber seemed to understand that too.


    ¡°I will meet you at the clinicter,¡± I told her.


    With this, our ns were officially postponed. Hopefully they were not entirely canceled, but I wasn¡¯t


    going to push the issue, especially right now, with everything so tense.


    At the edge of the forest, Alice went to the parking lot, while I shifted into wolf form. Immediately<b>, </b><b>I </b>


    picked up on Chase¡¯s scent and followed it.


    Typically, in towns and cities, werewolves stayed in our human forms. It wasn¡¯t ideal to be a wolf, especially one asrge as mine, on a sidewalk or near cars and streets. My lumbering form made things


    less convenient for other pedestrians or drivers.


    At the moment, I didn¡¯t care about propriety.


    I had a scent and I was trailing it to my prey.


    People moved out of the way for me, startled by my massive form. No one cursed or challenged me though. They just left me to my business.


    I followed Chase¡¯s scent back to the hotel, and then to his room, right as the door opened. He was carrying all of his luggage, his back to me, as he stumbled out of the hotel room.


    I growled lowly, and he jumped. As he turned and spotted me, he dropped all of his bags and took off in a sprint<b>, </b>running for his car.


    He didn¡¯t make it more than three <b>feet </b>before I pounced, shoving him down to the ground. He rolled, his


    back to the ground as he held up his hands defensively in front of him.


    As I shed my teeth he cowered further in fear.


    ¡°I was leaving! I swear! You¡¯ll never see me again<b>!</b><b>¡± </b>


    I shifted halfway back into my human form, into something monstrous and terrifying, a form half¨Cman, half¨Cwolf<b>, </b>with long ws and teeth, but with the ability to speak.


    I didn¡¯t often take this form, as it wasn¡¯t as physically ferocious as my wolf<b>, </b>but it was a <b>visually </b>terrifying form on its own. I nned very much to use that to my advantage now.


    <b>1/3 </b>


    ¡°Talk¡­¡± I say, my voice a ghastly growl, the rumbling threat of half¨Chuman, half¨Cwolf vocal chords.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know what the ne did,¡± Chase said, his voice shaking, his eyes wide with fear. ¡°I swear <b>I </b>


    thought it was just


    ¡°You did not n this alone¡­¡±


    He swallowed thickly, showing a small bit of bravery.


    Only until I showed my sharp teeth.


    He spoke very quickly after that.


    ¡°O¨COlivia told me to. She m¨Cmade me do it. I didn¡¯t want to hurt the kid, but she promised the ne


    was only being used to cover up her scent, to trick you into thinking Alice was yours¡­¡±


    I growled, low and dangerous. ¡°I¡¯m supposed to believe that¡­?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s what she told me, I swear!¡± Chase said.


    ¡°Why would you go along with it?¡± I snarled. ¡°Amber and Alice trusted you¡­¡±


    In addition to fear, for the first time, I saw true guilt crumple his expression. ¡°I didn¡¯t meant to hurt them


    <b>¡°</b><b>You </b>didn¡¯t care if you did¡­¡±


    Chase sunk further into the pits of his own loathing. ¡°Olivia was convincing. We¡¯d been lovers for some time now, she knows which buttons to push¡­¡±


    They were lovers, then. As I suspected. I didn¡¯t care what Olivia did with her free time, but it certainly raised questions. She¡¯d lied to me about wanting me and me alone. Though this was something of a relief, it was also an indication that she was hiding more things.


    There was never only one lie.


    ¡°She offered me money,¡± Chase continued. ¡°I needed it bad¡­ Real bad¡­ My parents disowned me, and all my other girlfriends have caught on to each other. Olivia was the only one who didn¡¯t care. She was going to keep me anyway. Without that money I¡­¡±


    ¡°You would have had to work for a living¡­¡± I said angrily. ¡°You endangered my daughter¡¯s life for fancy


    dinners and nice cars and suits¡­¡±


    Chase hung his head, looking ashamed. Yet even this was not half as much shame as he should have <b>felt</b>. He should have been begging for forgiveness<b>, </b>and asking me how to make things right.


    Instead, he was averting his eyes<b>. </b>He was probably still thinking of running away.


    I would have been within my rights to kill him for what he¡¯d done, but¡­


    Olivia had manipted me too. Not in the same way, I¡¯d never be influenced by money. But she had used the death of our child to guilt me into doing things her way.


    I felt no sympathy for Chase. A man ruled by money was a vile sort. But¡­ he was young yet, and if he truly did start to work hard, perhaps he could turn his life around.


    Besides, even after what he¡¯d done, I didn¡¯t think Alice would like it if he died. She had been fond of him.


    It was for her<b>, </b>that I would allow him to breathe at least one more day.


    <b>¡°</b>You will get your bags and leave this town. You will go to the far northern packs were you will have to work to survive. You will not cross paths with Amber, Alice, or me ever again. If you do, I will make good my threats¡­ and tear out your throat¡­¡±


    I snapped my teeth at him, emphasizing the threat.


    He cowered at once. <b>¡°</b>Yes! Yes! I understand!¡±


    Stepping back, I allowed Chase to sit upright. At once, he ran to grab his luggage, then scurried out to the


    parking lot like a rat in the sewer. The threw his bags in the backseat of his convertible, then hopped in


    the front, started the ignition, and tore out of the parking lot so fast his wheels skidded on the pavement.


    I watched, careful to notice which way he turned, to be certain he was leaving town.


    I listened carefully until the sound of his loud engine and screeching tires were outside my earshot, <b>even </b>


    as a wolf.


    Then, I shifted back. My feet were barely human when I started walking for Olivia¡¯s door.


    When I reached it, however, <b>I </b>noticed it was already opened.


    Did she know I wasing? Had she been expecting me?


    Bracing myself for this confrontation, I reached out and shoved open the door.


    To my surprise, all of Olivia¡¯s things were gone from the room. Instead, there was a housekeeper there,


    making the bed, with some fresh towels stacked atop the desk.


    The housekeeper froze as I stepped into the door.


    I scented lightly, but I did not sense anyone else in the room.


    ¡°Where is Olivia?¡± I asked the housekeeper<b>, </b>expecting a trap or subterfuge of some kind.


    The housekeeper looked hopelessly back at me. ¡°You mean the woman who had been <b>renting </b><b>this </b><b>room</b><b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    <b>Had </b>been¡­? ¡°Yes. Where is <b>she</b>?¡±


    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯m sorry<b>, </b>Sir, <b>but </b><b>I </b>don¡¯t know. She checked out two hours ago.¡±

 Main Flame 159

    <b>Chapter </b><b>159 </b>


    Julian¡¯s POV


    With Chase headed north and Olivia totally missing, I took a moment <b>to </b>call my Beta back in the packnds and inform him of what was going on here. After exining things, my Beta agreed to put out an alert, <b>to </b>close the borders to Chase and Olivia. If either were spotted in the packnds, they were to be imprisoned at once until I could return and deal with them.


    This didn¡¯t totally put my mind at ease, as Amber and Alice weren¡¯t within the packnds where I could keep them safe. I could reach out to the Alpha of this pack, but there would be no guarantee that we could even track Olivia down.


    Olivia was smart, and she had the financial means to disappear.


    Moving forward, all of us would have to be careful.


    After this call, feeling that I had done all that I could, I headed to the clinic to check on Alice. I didn¡¯t <b>have </b>


    a car anymore, <b>so </b>I walked as briskly as I could back across town to where the clinic was.


    Inside, Ca waved me through immediately. She was working on something at her station. I didn¡¯t have time to see what it was or worry why she was so distracted, not with my daughter¡¯s health on the line.


    I found Amber and Alice inside one of the exam rooms. Alice was being checked over by one of the healers Amber had brought on to help the clinic in her absence. We were supposed to have been long gone by now. Instead, here we were.


    Amber made eye contact with me when I came in, but she didn¡¯t ask any questions. Instead, she slid her gaze back to Alice and the healer examining her.


    My eyes went there too. The healer was bandaging up some of the many scrapes, cuts, and bruises all


    over Alice¡¯s small body.


    The shifting truly had seemed to have done a number on her. She looked like she had been in a fight with a wolverine. Immediately<b>, </b>some of the rage red to life inside of me once more. Maybe it had been


    wrong of me to let Chase go, after all. Perhaps I should have just killed him and been done with it.


    Every protective instinct inside of me was ring to life, begging me to do something and <b>stop </b>the <b>pain </b>Alice was still going through as she whimpered lightly.


    <b>¡°</b>Please be more gentle<b>,</b><b>¡± </b><b>I </b>said, snapping despite myself.


    The healer looked over at me. ¡°I am being gentle.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s crying,¡± I said.


    <b>¡°</b><b>It </b>will <b>hurt worse </b><b>if </b><b>it¡¯s </b><b>left </b><b>untreated</b><b>,</b><b>¡± </b>the healer said. She looked at <b>Amber </b><b>for </b><b>support</b>. <b>I </b><b>did</b><b>, </b><b>too</b>. <b>As </b><b>a </b>


    healer herself, Amber should have been able to tell this new person that her daughter deserved better


    <b>care</b><b>. </b>


    Instead, Amber looked at me. <b>¡°</b>I¡¯m sorry, but the healer is right. Alice knows this too. It has to hurt <b>a </b>little bit now to save a lot of hurtter.¡± Amber¡¯s own eyes held pain, even if the words were delivered as a healer would say them.


    This had to be hurting her as much as it hurt me.


    Yet neither of us were hurting as much as Alice herself.


    <b>¡°</b>It¡¯s okay<b>, </b>Daddy,<b>¡± </b>Alice sniffled. ¡°I¡¯m a strong girl. I won¡¯t cry anymore¡­¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that, Alice,¡± I said at once, my heart breaking. ¡°I know you are touch and strong. <b>You </b>can <b>cry </b>all you want, okay? I just¡­ I wish you didn¡¯t have to do this¡­¡±


    ¡°We all do,¡± Amber added.


    The healer continued to work and eventually finished. As they turned to leave, I realized I had been a bit of a jerk. I stopped them before they were through the door. ¡°I¡¯m sorry<b>,</b>¡± I said. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to lose my temper. <b>I </b>just¡­ she¡¯s so special to me.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± the healer said. ¡°A father should be protective of his children. I simply wish there was more I could <b>do</b>.¡±

 Main Flame 160

    +15 <b>BONUS </b>


    <b>Chapter 160 </b>


    After the healer left, I stepped closer to Alice, determined to be close if she should need me, even as she drifted to sleep.


    As Alice dozed, I quickly and lightly exined the situation to Amber. She needed to be alert in case


    Olivia was still lurking nearby.


    I still couldn¡¯t believe she would go this far. Chase wasn¡¯t the most reliable source, after all. But, <b>at </b>the same time, I knew it was true.


    There had always been something a little bit off about Olivia, a bit edgy. She never liked Amber, and then she¡¯d been interested in Alice¡¯s ne since she saw it. The fact that she had seemed to disappear was another point against her.


    Amber nodded as I spoke, unquestioning. She believed this too then.


    When I was finished exining, Amber looked absolutely exhausted. ¡°Why don¡¯t you take a break,¡± I told her. ¡°Go get some coffee or a nap. I will stay here and watch Alice.¡±


    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯m afraid to leave her.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere,¡± I said. ¡°You need your strength. Take a break.¡±


    Amber¡¯s POV


    I wasn¡¯t keen on leaving Alice behind but Julian had proved himself to be firmly on our side by so fiercely defending us from Chase.


    I was feeling a little strung out, the adrenaline cooling now. I didn¡¯t want to sleep in case I was needed, <b>but </b>some coffee would help.


    ¡°Watch her, please,¡± I said. ¡°I am just going to go get some coffee and be right back.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t take my eyes off of her,¡± Julian promised.


    With that assurance, I gave Alice onest sad look before walking out of the room. The moment I closed the door behind me, the tears started.


    It was so difficult to see <b>my </b>little girl like this. After finding that ne, I had let myself believe the worst was behind me, but now? It was just as bad as before.


    Every time she shifted, she was tortured. Gods<b>, </b>I would give anything to keep my little girl from experiencing so much pain.


    <b>¡°</b><b>Amber</b><b>?</b><b>¡± </b>Anna asked. I turned away as she came up the hallway<b>, </b>not wanting her <b>to </b>see my <b>tears</b>, especially when I realized she wasn¡¯t alone. Ca was with het.


    <b>1/2 </b>


    <b>¡°</b>I just need a minute,¡± I told them both. ¡°Please. Then I¡¯ll be able to talk.¡±


    <b>¡°</b>You don¡¯t have to talk, Healer Amber,¡± Ca said. ¡°We just want to give you something.¡±


    <b>¡°</b><b>I </b>don¡¯t need anything,¡± I started.


    ¡°Amber,¡± Anna said patiently. ¡°Look.<b>¡± </b>


    At Anna¡¯s insistence, I looked up, and my breath caught in my throat.


    There, in front of me in the hallway, Anna and Ca were standing side by side, with Anna holding out a chain ne<b>, </bplete with a pendant.


    It was Alice¡¯s.


    <b>¡°</b>How can this be?¡± I asked, moving closer. I lifted my hand and touched the delicate chain.


    ¡°When Ca and I went to collect your luggage from the concourse,¡± Anna said, ¡°We tried to find all the pieces to the ne too.¡±


    ¡°We got most of them,¡± Ca said. ¡°Some were beyond repair, but I fixed as much as I could.¡±


    ¡°Ca makes jewelry,¡± Anna said. ¡°Remember when we saw her at the craft fair<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    ¡°I did my best to repair this¡­¡± Ca gave me a sad sort of smile. ¡°It¡¯s not exactly like it was, but¡­¡± She hung her head a little. ¡°I¡¯m not a mystic. I wish I could repair the magic¡­¡±


    Touching the cool medal, I can feel that most of the magic had gone from the ne, but some still remained. Maybe it would be enough. At the very least, it was better than nothing.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I told them both, meaning it with all of my heart.


    <b>Ca </b>smiled a little wider.


    ¡°Alice deserves better than what happened today,¡± Anna said.


    <b>I </b>agreed. She deserved a cure. It was past time we found her one.

 Main Flame 161

    Amber¡¯s POV


    Returning into Alice¡¯s exam room, I approached her bedside while holding the ne.


    Julian zeroed in on it at once. ¡°Is that¡­?¡±


    ¡°The magic is not as strong, but, yes. Anna and Ca collected and tried to repair it. I just hope it helps somehow.¡±


    Julian helped me lift Alice up and then slowly I lowered the ne over her head. Immediately, she seemed to rx more fully, the crinkle in her brow smoothing out, her frown lifting slightly.


    It wasn¡¯t perfect by any means, but it did seem to be helping, which was a relief.


    ¡°She¡¯ll still be in danger if her emotions overwhelm her,¡± I said. ¡°But this should give her some sense offort.¡±


    Julian nodded, though his own face remained hard with tension. I couldn¡¯t tell him not to be concerned or protective or to want to fight for his daughter. I felt all of those things too. So, for now, together, we just stood at Alice¡¯s bedside, stewing in our own unhappy feelings while making sure our daughter was safe.


    After a time in the silence, Julian said to me, ¡°We should continue on with our trip.¡±


    I nced at him. ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous. With Alice unwell again, I can¡¯t chance it. And Olivia is still on the


    loose.¡±


    ¡°Olivia being on the loose is precisely why we should go,¡± Julian said. ¡°She¡¯s been here. She knows where everything is. If we were on the road, she wouldn¡¯t be able to track us as much.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I said. ¡°I can¡¯t think of anything right now. Ask me another time.¡±


    To my surprise, he backed off, not bringing it up again as we watched our daughter sleep.


    It wasn¡¯t untilter, after Alice woke up and we took her home, after Julian excused himself to take a long phone call from his Beta, that the topic came up again. This time, it wasn¡¯t Julian who brought it up, but


    Alice.


    We were sitting side by side on the couch in the living room, with Julian just returned from the kitchen, his phone still in his hand, when Alice said, ¡°When are we going on our trip?¡±


    <b>¡°</b>I think the trip is canceled, honey,¡± I said, as gently as I could.


    Still, her eyes went as wide as saucers. ¡°Because of me?¡±


    My heart twisted in my chest. ¡°No, honey. Oh, no.¡±


    ¡°Because of my wolf?¡± she asked next.


    ¡°No,¡± I said, though that was part of it, I wouldn¡¯t tell her. ¡°There are still bad people out there.¡±


    She frowned deeply then. <b>¡°</b>Like Uncle Chase?¡±


    +15 <b>BONUS </b>


    She should stop calling him Uncle, after what he had done, but I would wait until she was in a better emotional ce to talk to her about that. After all, the stuffed animal he gave her was still packed away in her suitcase.


    What a mess.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said. ¡°Unfortunately, like Chase. And Olivia.¡± I didn¡¯t want to frighten Alice by telling her she should be afraid, but if Olivia was bold enough to approach the school<b>, </b>then she might try approaching Alice. It was better for Alice to know who to be cautious around.


    To my relief, and a bit to my rm, Alice didn¡¯t seem surprised by my inclusion of Olivia. Maybe her intuitive sense ¨C or her wolf ¨C had been keeping her on guard against Olivia all this time.


    Julian spoke up then, ¡°Would you want to still go on the trip, Alice?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Alice said, coiling her fingers together on herp. ¡°I wanted to go really bad.¡± She turned her doe eyes from me to Julian and back again. ¡°Could we still go?¡±


    ¡°We have to talk about it,¡± I said.


    She perked up immediately. ¡°Oh, Mom! We have to go! Please! I really, really, really want to.¡±


    X

 Main Flame 162

    Her sudden insistence did brighten my mood somewhat and Iughed. It was hard to say no to that face.


    ¡°Let Julian and me talk about it,¡± I said.


    ¡°Right now?¡± she asked, already hopping from the couch. Before I could stop her, she raced to the hallway.¡± Talk right now, okay?¡± Then she disappeared around the corner.


    I sighed in fond exasperation. She seemed to be feeling better to have this much energy and be this upbeat. Typically after shifting, she would be miserable for a long time. I didn¡¯t know what the change was this time ¨C the existence of the ne, the excitement of a potential vacation<b>, </b>or the fact that Julian was here.


    Either way, this change was a massive relief, and left me feeling more open to talking to Julian, who walked closer to the couch. I stood up to talk to him, not wanting to be seated while he loomed over me.


    ¡°I still think it¡¯s a good idea for us to go,¡± he said. ¡°Now more than ever.¡±


    ¡°Because Alice wants to go?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he replied. ¡°But also because after this happened, I put some of my team on research, searching for ways to help cure Alice. There¡¯s nothing truly substantial yet, just threads that could eventually lead to something more. But some of the neighboring packs have been mentioned in the texts the researchers are looking into.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve seen those texts,¡± I said. ¡°They are rumors, nothing more than gossip.¡±


    ¡°Isn¡¯t that worth checking, though? Maybe the stories are just that, but maybe they are actually what leads us to a cure.¡±


    Maybe. I could admit that even a longshot lead was better than none at this point. Things I had discarded in the past might be worth another look.


    But that didn¡¯t protect us from the people who were still out there, potentially wanting to do us harm.


    ¡°But Olivia is still out there¡­¡± I said as I wrapped my arms around myself.


    Julian swayed closer to me. At his full stance, his posture was all confidence. Looking at me, deep into my eyes, he promised, ¡°Amber, I will keep you and Alice safe.¡±


    I had so many reasons for not believing him, but after his actions today, with how quickly he shifted to protect us and how fiercely he had been ready to fight for us¡­ Maybe I had been too quicktely to misjudge


    him.


    Truly, he was a good man. A good father, who wanted to protect his daughter. While I still didn¡¯t fully trust his feelings for me, I knew he would do his best to protect Alice, and that was good enough for me.


    As Julian looked at me, his eyes softened a little, taking on some sadness. Like he could read my thoughts, he asked, ¡°What do I have to do to win back your trust?¡±


    I wished I had an answer that would suit us both. If only I had a switch in my heart that I could turn on and off. Real life was moreplicated, and my feelings were in a constant storm.


    +15 <b>BONUS </b>


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I said.


    He inched closer. I didn¡¯t move way.


    His arm brushed alongside my own and I found myself swaying into him without thought, seeking thefort of his warmth and presence.


    ¡°We should go,¡± he said. ¡°It would be good for all of us.¡±


    This time, I couldn¡¯t argue. I only replied, ¡°Okay.¡±


    Olivia¡¯s POV


    Olivia, disguised in a wig and sunsses, watched from beyond the chain link fence of the small town airport as Julian led Amber and Alice across the tarmac to his private jet.


    Alice seemed excited, Amber seemed content. And Julian looked pleased.


    It made my blood boil.


    ¡°Enjoy this,¡± she growled beneath her breath. ¡°Because soon I will have my revenge.¡±


    X

 Main Flame 163

    Julian¡¯s POV


    The private jet was split into severalpartments. Because we were leaving so early in the morning, Alice was still sleepy, so I put her in one of the small bedrooms near the rear of the ne. Alice sat the ¡®living room¡® area in the center of the ne, on one of the soft sofas there, while I moved to the office area nearer the cockpit. O


    There, I immediately called back to my Beta to check in, just as I had done nearly every morning since leaving the pack. Even while I was here, my pack was still very important to me. I wasn¡¯t going to neglect them while I pursued more personal matters.


    The nature of my call this morning however was a little bit of both professional and personal developments.


    After informing me of what was going on with the pack, and after a few decisions from me, my Beta said, ¡°<b>I </b>have some updates from our research team on the things they¡¯ve been digging into on your behalf¡­¡±


    ¡°About Alice?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No,¡± he replied. ¡°About Olivia.¡±


    ¡°Ah.¡±


    Olivia¡¯s betrayal had sparked some curiosity within me about how much she had been lying to me over the years and what about. I¡¯d also wanted to coordinate the information Chase had given me, not truly trusting him at all, even if I hadn¡¯t detected any lies when he had revealed the information to me.


    People would say anything when they were afraid, and I was very certain that I had both intimidated and frightened Chase through and through.


    ¡°Tell me,¡± I prompted.


    ¡°We looked deeper into Olivia¡¯s finances, and we can confirm now that there has been a substantial transfer of funds from Olivia¡¯s ounts to Chase for the past three years, but most especially in the past few months.<b>¡± </b>


    That information gave credence to Chase¡¯s ims. For him to receive that money meant that he likely had been in a rtionship with Olivia, at least in the part of a kept man. That it had increased in the past few months likely indicated that she wanted more from him than before, and he was raising his prices.


    ¡°Good work,¡± I said.


    ¡°That¡¯s not all, Alpha,¡± my Beta continued, surprising me.


    ¡°Oh. Please<b>, </b>continue.¡±


    ¡°We searched deeper into Olivia¡¯s ounts. For a woman who does not work and has limited investments, our researchers found it odd that her money continued topound, increasing exponentially month to


    month.¡±


    That did seem strange. ¡°What did you find?¡±


    ¡°There are many strange deposits from unverified ounts,¡± my Beta said. ¡°We are still looking into it, but we have reason to believe that she is either taking part in moneyundering or embezzlement. Possibly both.¡±


    Olivia had been a woman I had trusted for many years. Before Amber, I had thought she was my mate.


    To hear all this¡­ Gods, did I even truly know her at all?


    For her to target Alice, I had thought that perhaps something had happened to her, like losing our child might have triggered some kind of jealousy in her mind and heart that made her lose touch with her own sensibilities.


    But this¡­ This went back even further than that.


    Maybe she¡¯d always been this vicious, and I¡¯d just been blind to it.


    It made me wonder, what else about her had I been unable to see?


    ¡°Keep digging in,¡± I said. ¡°If we can get enough evidence, we can bring down whatever she¡¯s orchestrated.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Alpha,¡± my Beta said. ¡°Uh¡­ There is one more thing.¡± He hesitated. Clearly there was more, but he was holding back on me. This was strange. My Beta was dutiful, exceedingly good at his job, and someone I trusted implicitly. For him to hold back like this meant that what he was about to say had to be really bad.

 Main Flame 164

    Somehow even worse than all the other horrible things he just told me.


    ¡°Out with it,¡± I said. ¡°I would hear everything you have to report.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Alpha. Sorry, Alpha,¡± he said and continued, ¡°Our research has turned up a slew of rtionships in Olivia¡¯s past, both distant past and¡­ otherwise. Including after her pregnancy, and¡­ before.¡±


    ¡°Before?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Alpha. The timeline of some of these rtionships would indicate that¡­¡± He cleared his throat.¡± There are three other men she was seeing around the time she became pregnant.¡±


    I froze. At once my stomach dropped and twisted and then simultaneously, perhaps to protect myself, <b>I </b>suddenly felt no feelings at all.


    I knew what this meant. My Beta was being very clear even if he was delicately refusing to say the bottom line out loud.


    The odds were good that I was not the father of the baby Olivia had lost.


    And I had no idea how to feel about that.]


    In a way, I was relieved, as some of the guilt lifted up and off of me. But on the other hand, a child was still lost, and whether they were of my blood or not, I still cared for them.


    To discover now that they might not have been mine¡­


    I ran a hand over my forehead, already feeling a migraineing on.


    Olivia must have known the chances of me being the father were slim, if she was seeing three other men consistently on the side. Had she targeted me because I was the Alpha? Had she been attempting to trap me with a child?


    Was that why she still continued to linger around me, pushing for us to have a baby, even while she had Chase and others on the side to entertain her?


    I would continue to mourn for the lost child, but the relief was palpable now as I realized I owed nothing to Olivia any longer.


    ¡°Keep looking into it,¡± I told my Beta. ¡°But good work on this. Make sure to send my appreciation to the


    rest of the team.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Alpha. Thank you.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I told him and hung up.


    For a long moment, I just sat there, staring down at the phone on top of my desk.


    This was a lot of information to take in.


    Yet<b>, </b>suddenly, I felt an overwhelming need to check in on Alice.


    Standing, I left the office and walked through the living room toward the back of the ne. Amber watched me curiously, leaning over in her seat to follow me with her gaze down the hallway.


    I clicked open the door to the bedroom, just a crack, to see inside. Alice was gently sleeping in the bed, with the covers pulled up to her chin. Closing the door again, I returned to Amber.


    ¡°She doing alright?¡± Amber asked me.


    ¡°Totally out,¡± I replied.


    Taking a chance, I sat down beside Amber on the sofa, despite the plenty of other seating around the room. She didn¡¯t seem bothered by it, not even making ament or giving me a look.


    Instead, he nced out one of the nearby windows, lost in thought.


    ¡°You alright?¡± I asked her.


    She startled slightly, then turned to me and gave me a tight smile. She probably thought it was supposed to be reassuring, but I could see the worry in it.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± she said, after a moment. ¡°I just¡­ I get nervous on nes.¡±


    Immediately, I felt like the world¡¯s biggest asshole for even pushing for the jet. Of course she would be ufortable, having survived a ne crash. She¡¯d been on nes since then but it must have been hell for her each time.


    ¡°Is there anything I can do?¡± I asked her.


    Her eyes turned a little hopeful. ¡°Distract me?¡±


    Immediately, my gaze dropped to her mouth and I thought of kissing her.

 Main Flame 165

    Amber¡¯s POV


    I never really got over the terror of the ne crash. Even being on nes since then where everything went fine, did not cure me of the quickening of my pulse or the way heart seemed to stay lodged in my throat.


    Looking at Julian right now, though, with the way he was leaning into me, his eyes on my lips¡­ Yes, this was helping.


    I¡¯d asked for a distraction, and Julian was providing in the best possible way.


    Gods, I wouldn¡¯t mind having him closer. It¡¯d been too long since I felt the press of his soft lips to mine. I remembered the feeling well, of losing myself to his mouth and his hands.


    We¡¯d been terrible at nearly everything else in our rtionship, but not the physical. Our sex had always been fantastic. Our make out sessions alone had practically taken me to other nes of existence.


    To have those lips on mine again, even for a moment.


    I was already starting to melt, leaning into him as he was leaning into me.


    With his breath was warm on my lips, I started to close my eyes.


    With my eyes closed, I remembered all the pain and hardships I had gone through. How hard I had tried to be the perfect wife for Julian, and how he had kept me hidden in the dark. And when Olivia had gotten pregnant, he wouldn¡¯t even talk to me.


    He had pushed me away so thoroughly that I had considered our marriage over. I¡¯d gotten on that ne and


    I pulled away from him. Collecting myself, I faced forward on the sofa, while moving over a few precious inches, creating more space between us.


    I couldn¡¯t forget that past. No matter how much he had seemingly changed since then, what happened happened and could not be undone.


    From the corner of my eye, I saw a sh of disappointment cross Julian¡¯s face, but he covered it quickly by facing forward like I did. We both stared at a random point on the wall.


    ¡°I never stopped loving you, Amber,¡± he said.


    More doubt crept up inside of me. ¡°You told me our marriage was about nothing but sex and money.


    He paused a moment. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean that when I said it.¡±


    ¡°You sounded like you meant it.¡±


    ¡°I was trying to push you away.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    He fell quiet again. I waited for him to answer. On the ne, it wasn¡¯t like I could go anywhere anyway.


    ¡°I thought I felt more for you than you did for me,¡± he finally admitted. ¡°So I put up my walls.¡±


    I scoffed with disbelief. ¡°You didn¡¯t even tell anyone I was your wife.¡± Yet here I was, supposed to believe that he thought he loved me more than I loved him? I just didn¡¯t buy it.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you were genuine, but I didn¡¯t want to lose you.¡®


    I shook my head. ¡°Tell the truth,¡± I said. ¡°You just wanted to be with Olivia without consequence.¡±


    ¡°That is not true,¡± he said tly, some angering into his voice. ¡°That was a mistake ¨C¡±


    ¡°But it still happened,¡± I said. The old scabs over my heart felt like they had been ripped off, and now I was bleeding into my words. ¡°You still chose her over me, just like you almost did again. You have never been able to see through Olivia, and now it has endangered all of us.¡±


    He was quiet again, and this time I was frustrated by that. I wanted him to tell me I was wrong. Yet, when I looked at him, I saw his face stricken with guilt and with grief.


    My heart sunk. Had I gone too far?


    ¡°If you¡¯ll excuse me,¡± he said, standing. ¡°I¡¯ll go back to my office.¡±


    ¡°Julian¡­¡± I felt like I should apologize, but the words got bunched up uselessly in my throat.


    Maybe those things had been true in the past, but he was here now, trying with Alice and me, and making amends where he could. I shouldn¡¯t have pushed him so hard. I should have¡­


    ¡°I always loved you, Amber, whether you could see it or not,¡± he said as he stood there, unmoving beside the sofa. ¡°Whether I could see it or not, too.¡®


    Then, without another word, he pushed on, walking to the office, where he closed the door behind himself, leaving me alone.


    He had sessfully distracted me from my fear of flying, but not in the way I wanted. Instead of a happy distraction, now I was riddled with guilt and regret, thinking of ways to try to make amends with him.


    We¡¯d have our chances, I imagined, over the next few weeks, but I still felt bad that I had gone so far.


    I wanted to believe that he loved me and that he always had, just as he said, but it was difficult. His actions of the past did not match these words. But that didn¡¯t mean those actions persisted.


    He was here now, trying with Alice and with me.


    Perhaps he should have seen through Olivia sooner, but he saw her for what she was now.


    The only question was, did he realize these things toote for us?


    I didn¡¯t know the answer to that. My heart was still behind its own walls, and I wasn¡¯t sure if it would ever reveal itself again long enough for me to even want to take a chance with Julian again.


    The ne jostled suddenly with turbulence, and I remembered where I was. I clung onto the arm of the sofa with both hands and did not think of Julian again the rest of the flight.


    When we finallynded, I could have kissed the ground. Things between Julian and me were still awkward.


    Though he had emerged from his office, he only asked me how I was before moving forward. He held Alice in his arms though as we stepped off the ne.


    I was d he wasn¡¯t taking out his frustration with me on our daughter.


    There was a small group of people waiting for us on the tarmac as we crossed toward the airport.


    ¡°Healer Amber!¡± called a man in a suit with a purple sash across the front. The four other men and women with him were also smartly dressed. ¡°Please allow me to introduce myself. I am Mayor Gibson and this is the town council. We are so d to have you here.¡±


    They were all smiles. One of the gathered, a woman in a floral dress, immediately started crying when I


    looked at her.


    I stepped forward then, rmed and confused. ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m just so overwhelmed¡­¡±


    ¡°We are relieved,¡± the mayor added. ¡°With your presence here among us, we already sense the end of this pandemic that has haunted us for so long. Our children have been so sick¡­¡±


    ¡°Please help them,¡± the woman cried. ¡°Oh, Healer Amber please¡­¡®


    ¡±


    For a moment, I was filled with regret for having put off this journey for so long. But there was nothing to be done for it now. I couldn¡¯t change the past. I could only move forward.


    And that meant helping here and now.


    Filled with determination, I told them, ¡°Lead me to the hospital. Let me see what we are dealing with.¡±


    Behind me, Alice coughed.

 Main Flame 166

    Amber¡¯s POV


    Mayor Gibson had a car waiting and gestured for me to join him. I had every intention to, but first, I


    turned toward Julian and Alice.


    If the disease affected children, thest ce I wanted Alice to be was near where all the sick children


    were.


    Julian seemed to have a simr idea. We spoke with our eyes, without needing words. He ced his


    hand on Alice¡¯s shoulder and guided her a step backwards closer to him, away from me.


    ¡°Alice and I will go for a walk around town,¡± he said. ¡°We¡¯ll take in the sights.¡± When Alice looked up at


    him, an unsure expression on her face, he added, ¡°And get some ice cream.¡±


    That sealed the deal and she smiled instead.


    Realizing this wasn¡¯t going to turn into a fight, relief filled me.


    ¡°We¡¯ll check in at the hotel and get everything settled there as well,¡± Julian said. ¡°Meet us thereter.¡± He


    lifted his cell phone. ¡°But please check in when you can.¡±


    ¡°I will,¡± I said, then kneeled down to hug Alice. ¡°Keep an eye on Julian, okay? We don¡¯t want him


    wandering off on us.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll stick to his side like glue!¡± Alice promised.


    ¡°Good<i>,</i><i>¡± </i>I said, giving her a smile. Then I let her go, stood, and followed Mayor Gibson to the car.


    The hospital was small, which wasn¡¯t unusual given the lesser size of the pack. Under any other


    circumstance, given the poption, they wouldn¡¯t have need for a bigger hospital, but with this sudden


    pandemic they now faced, the size of the hospital simply wasn¡¯t enough.


    There weren¡¯t enough rooms for all the sick children, so gurneys lined the walls of the hallways, with sick, coughing children resting on them.


    There weren¡¯t enough beds either, so some had to be sat up in chairs, or stretched across a few chairs lined up together.


    It was a pathetic sight and turned my stomach to see it.


    It made me wish I hade much sooner than I had. I should have been here days if not weeks ago.


    But I was here now. I had to keep that thought in the forefront of my mind as I delved into the work.


    The mayor led me <i>to </i>the Head Healer, a middle¨Caged man who seemed so exhausted, he swayed on his feet. His mind was still sharp though, even if his body needed rest, and he quickly filled me in on


    everything they¡¯ve aplished thus far.


    <b>It </b>wasn¡¯t much.


    If this was a sinking ship, all they¡¯ve been doing is using buckets to scoop the water out. Treating the symptoms was not a permanent solution.


    They didn¡¯t even have a name for the illness.


    What they needed was a cure.


    <b>¡°</b>You must have some leads on what this could be,¡± I asked. ¡°Have you done any research?¡±


    ¡°We haven¡¯t had time,¡± the Head Healer said. ¡°You can see for yourself how many patients we have. It¡¯s all we can do just to try to keep them from getting worse. But hopefully, with you here now¡­¡±


    ¡°Your reputation proceeds you, Healer Amber,¡± Mayor Gibson says. ¡°If there¡¯s anything you can do to help our children, this pack would forever be in your debt.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t need your debts or rewards,¡± I said. ¡°I just want to help these kids.¡± Looking back to the Head


    Healer, I said, ¡°I need you to tell me everything. Every symptom. Every method you¡¯ve tried to hold this


    disease back. I need an extensive list, do not hold anything back.¡±


    The Head Healer nodded. ¡°Of course. Whatever I can do to help.¡±


    ¡°Does this hospital have ab?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s a small one,¡± Mayor Gibson said. ¡°But yes.¡±


    Good. That at least gave me a ce to think, and hopefully the equipment I would need to work on a cure.


    ¡°Show me,¡± I said.


    Julian¡¯s POV


    Holding Alice¡¯s hand, we walked down the streets of the small down. We passed through a residential


    neighborhood, with a park. But there were no voices, no childrenughing and ying on the swings.


    The yground was entirely deste, like a monument dedicated to all the sick children.


    Main Street was no better. Stores were closed. Even the bank had shut its doors. Perhaps the adults were


    worried about spreading the mystery illness. If no one knew the cause, they might even have cause to be


    <b>so </b>precautious.


    ¡°Where is everybody, Daddy?¡± Alice asked me.


    ¡°They are all home sick today<b>,</b><b>¡± </b>I told her.


    ¡°Everybody<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    ¡°Seems so.¡±


    Unfortunately, that also meant the ice cream shop was shut tight, with a sign reading ¡®closed¡® hanging on


    the door.


    ¡°No ice cream?¡± Alice asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Alice,¡± I said. I had known they were struggling, but I didn¡¯t realize things had progressed to this point. ¡°Why don¡¯t we just go settle in at the hotel. We can watch some cartoons instead.¡±


    Children are prone to arguing, especially when the promise of ice cream had been broken, but Alice must have been able to sense something was amiss in this town. Instead of arguing or whining, she just held a little tighter onto my hand and said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    I didn¡¯t want Alice to be frightened, so I scooped her up into my arms. She giggled as she <i>got </ifortable, wrapping an arm around my shoulder. Her good humor didn¡¯tst long though.


    ¡°What cartoons do you want to watch?¡± I asked, hoping to distract her. ¡°Or maybe we could rent a movie?¡±


    ¡°I like the one with the princess¡­¡± Alice started but then coughed again. I hadn¡¯t thought much of itst time, everyone coughs now and then. A new ce meant new allergies, so it wouldn¡¯t be unusual for anyone to have a bit of congestion.


    This, however, was more than a simple clearing of her throat. The cough was loud and deep, and wet, as ifing from deep within her chest. She covered her mouth with her hand, and when she pulled her hand back, there was red splotches in her palm.


    Blood.


    Alice was coughing up blood?!


    ¡°Daddy<i>¡­</i>¡± Alice said, her voice wobbling. ¡°I don¡¯t feel so good.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know where the hospital was, and there wasn¡¯t anyone to ask. But I had seen the way the car went, carrying Amber and the mayor. Pointing myself that direction, I started to run.


    Halfway there, fortunately, a police car pulled up alongside of me. Apparently, running wildly while holding a child was not typical behavior.


    ¡°Please!¡± I said, before the policeman could even utter a word. ¡°My daughter is coughing blood!¡±


    ¡°Daddy?¡± Alice asked, her voice weak and afraid.


    <b>¡°</b>It will be okay, honey,¡± I told her. Then to the officer, I said, ¡°Can you take us to the hospital?¡±


    The officer cursed under his breath as he exited the car to open the door to the backseat for us.


    ¡°Not another one,¡± he muttered. ¡°Get in.¡±


    As soon as Alice and I were secured in the backseat, the officer went behind the wheel again and floored


    it, the car jolting forward at high speed. The policeman flicked a switch and the siren started wailing.


    Alice continued coughing. More blood.


    I held her, the only thing I could do.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I promised. ¡°It¡¯s going to be okay. Your mom is going to fix everything.¡±


    I was frightened for Alice, as I was for all the children of this town, but I believed in Amber.


    She would solve this.


    With Alice sick now, she had to.

 Main Flame 167

    Amber¡¯s POV


    The hospital¡¯sb left a lot to be desired. It was tiny, the size of a broom closet, with only a quarter of the supplies that I¡¯d worked with in other ces. Beggars couldn¡¯t be choosers though. This was all I had to


    work with, so I had to seed with just this. Somehow.


    So far, the Head Healer had provided me with the files of the earliest patients to get the disease, some of which, unfortunately, had sumbed before the healers truly understood what they were dealing with.


    They still didn¡¯t know, only that it was a deadly pandemic. They were throwing every method of healing they had at it, some working better than others. I had that list too. Everything they¡¯ve tried against the effects.


    So far, I had a few ideas of what this disease could be, but without running the necessary testing, I couldn¡¯t be sure. Tests took time, something these kids didn¡¯t have much of. But giving these kids treatments without being certain of the disease could have unintended negative side¨Ceffects.


    If only I had a case where I could be certain of the child¡¯s vitals before they became sick. If I could specifically track the changes, and the speed at which those changes urred, then ¨C


    A knock on the door startled me from my train of thought.


    ¡ª


    Without looking up from my notes, I said, as politely as possible, ¡°I asked not to be disturbed.¡±


    To find a cure, I needed time to think, and that meant quiet. I knew people were stressed and tensions were high, but if I could not have a moment to myself, then I wouldn¡¯t be able to ¨C


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to trouble you, Healer,¡± said the nurse at the door. I recognized her voice as the one to show me theb. ¡°But the Head Healer thought you needed to be notified of our most recent patient.¡±


    More patients. My heart sunk. How many children were left in this town that remained unaffected by this mysterious disease? Too few, it seemed. Far too few.


    I started to reply. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but ¨C ¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s your daughter.¡±


    I dropped my pen. My mind went nk but my body moved of its own ord. Standing, I rushed to the nurse. ¡°Where is she?¡±


    I followed the nurse down <i>to </i>the waiting room, where a few chairs had been lined up with a nket thrown over them. Aliceid there, with another nket over her.


    ¡°There weren¡¯t any rooms<b>,</b><b>¡± </b>the nurse said apologetically, but I was beyond hearing her now.


    Julian stood near Alice¡¯s head, while one of the assistants collected her vitals. I rushed there and


    demanded of Julian, ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°Nothing,¡± Julian said. ¡°We went for a walk, but the ce is like a ghost town. All the stores were closed. We didn¡¯t even see anyone. Then, suddenly, she started coughing up blood.¡±


    ¡°Mommy, I¡¯m scared,¡± Alice said, her voice so weak that it broke my heart. I knew, from examining the files of the other children that she would fall unconscious soon, as her body gave it¡¯s all to fighting off the


    disease.


    ¡°Stay strong, Alice,¡± I told her, holding her gaze. ¡°Keep fighting until I can find a cure, okay<b>?</b>¡±


    Alice¡¯s eyelids fluttered. ¡°I¡¯m so sleepy¡­¡±


    As the assistant hooked up her heart monitor, I ordered an IV to help stabilize Alice.


    Things had been dire before, but the pressure was even worse now. I had to find a cure. My daughter¡¯s life depended on it.


    As another healer arrived, I told him, ¡°I¡¯m trusting my daughter to your care.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± the healer said, clearly taking this role seriously.


    Then, I started toward the stair, eager to get back to my research. I made it to the stairwell before I noticed Julian was following me.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± <b>I </b>confronted him. ¡°Stay with Alice.¡±


    ¡°The healer will watch her now,¡± he said. ¡°You need an assistant.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t wrong. There were a lot of files for just one person to wade through. That being said, Julian


    was no healer. Would he even know what to look for?


    ¡°I¡¯ve been training for this,¡± he said. I realized that was true. All those days of training at the clinic, he had


    been preparing for this exact scenario, to assist me with research and development of possible cures.


    But with our daughter¡¯s life on the line¡­ Could he handle what needed to be done?


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I won¡¯t disappoint you,¡± he said. The determination sparked like electricity in his eyes. Perhaps it was


    because our daughter was sick, that he was so fixated on helping. I couldn¡¯t me him.


    Even though I felt panic within me, I was able to bottle it up to focus on what needed to be done next. One what I could do.


    Julian might have felt the same.


    ¡°Very well,¡± I said. Together, we rushed up the stairs, with Julian following me to theb.


    Theb was small for one person. Two meant we were working shoulder to shoulder most of the time.


    Yet, as we worked, I found, to my surprise, that Julian was a dependable assistant. He evaluated the files quickly yet efficiently, pointing out more things that were helpful than those that were not.


    With the nurse giving us regr updates on Alice, we were truly able to concentrate on our tasks.


    As much as I never wanted Alice in this position, her acquiring the disease was helpful. Because I knew her vitals before the disease, and in coborating with Julian, could assess how quickly the symptoms came on, I was able to narrow down the possibilities.


    In this windowless room, I lost track of time. Nothing was more important than finding a cure, not eating or drinking or sleeping. Eventually though, as my eyelids grew heavy, my body started to be more sluggish than I would have liked, my pen moving slowly across the paper.


    At one point, Julian wrapped his arm around me, and tugged me against him. I went more willingly than I


    would have liked, my head falling down onto his shoulder.


    ¡°Rest,¡± he said.


    ¡°There¡¯s no time,¡± I told him.


    <b>¡°</b>Just for a moment,¡± he said. ¡°Your body will give out if you don¡¯t, and then you will be of no help to


    anyone. Alice needs you rested.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t ying fair, saying things like that. But I knew he was telling the truth. As a Healer, it was easy to give out medical advice, but it was much more difficult to ept it for myself.


    ¡°Rest,¡± he said again, and this time, I found that I was just too tired to deny him again. His arm was so


    firm around me, I felt safe against him. Listening to his steady breathing, feeling the gentle rise and fall


    of his chest against mine, I soon found myself lulled to sleep.


    It was dreamless and couldn¡¯t havested more than an hour or two.


    When I blinked my eyes awake, Julian was in the same position, lightly trailing his fingertips up and


    down my spine.


    How easy it would have been <i>to </i>fall back into darkness.


    But I couldn¡¯t now, because my mind was fully back online,


    And I had an idea for a cure.

 Main Flame 168

    Amber¡¯s POV


    While I started to bringponents together for a cure, I sent Julian out to find and retrieve Mayor Gibson. I was mostly certain of the cause of this disease, but I would need a few answers from the mayor


    to be one hundred percent sure.


    Fortunately, the cure could be made using another medicine as the base, so I didn¡¯t need <i>too </i>manyponents. The basic supplies of the tinyb would suit my purposes in this case.


    Which was a major relief.


    The hospital would still have to be restocked immediately though. Perhaps Julian¡¯s ne could go to his pack to collect some supplies. That could wait for now though. It seemed as if there would be enough.


    Assuming my hunch was right, and the cause was what I suspected.


    Just as I was finishing the cure, Julian returned with the mayor in tow. As a machine was currently mixing the ingredients, I left Julian to watch over things and ushered the mayor into the hallway.


    Two people in theb was crowded. Three was unbearable.


    ¡°Alpha Julian said you needed to ask something of me,¡± Mayor Gibson said. ¡°Whatever I can do to help,


    please¡­¡±


    They seemed genuine, which told me I didn¡¯t need to be confrontational in this conversation. <b>For </b>the mayor to be like this, he likely didn¡¯t realize what he¡¯d done.


    ¡°This pack produces a lot of textiles, doesn¡¯t it?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Mayor Gibson replied. ¡°We are the leading textile producer on the continent.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s quite a feat for such a small pack. You must have a lot of automated factories to get that to


    happen.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Cutting edge,¡± Mayor Gibson replied. ¡°In fact, we just built a new factory justst year.¡±


    ¡°All that automation,¡± I said, leading, ¡°How do you have enough power to support everything?¡±


    ¡°This factory is special,¡± Mayor Gibson said. ¡°It has its own nuclear nt, making it entirely self- sustaining.¡±


    I was dreading that answer, and hoping for it at the same time, ¡°Nuclear nts produce a lot of waste. Where are you sending it all?¡±


    The mayor paused a moment. ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­ That¡¯s up to the discretion of the factory owner.¡±


    That seemed strange. I was no city nner, but I was under the understanding that typically something like that, which would affect public health, would be closely monitored. ¡°Perhaps you should find out,


    Mayor Gibson.¡±


    ¡°<b>You </b>can¡¯t think that is responsible for this?¡± he asked, a bit of defensiveness rising in his voice.


    <b>¡°</b><b>I </b>think some corners might have been cut to ensure that your pack remains the number one textile


    producer,¡± I said, no longer feeling the need to y nice. ¡°There¡¯s an entire hospital of sick children here,


    Mayor Gibson. It never urred to you to investigate your new factory which opened only a couple months before the first sick child appeared?¡±


    He paled slightly. ¡°We did allow for some regtion cuts to get that factory online as quickly as possible.¡±


    ¡°Test the water line,¡± I said. ¡°And the ground. The air. See where that radioactive waste is going. If there is a choice between being first and saving your children, I trust you will pick the correct option.¡±


    The mayor became sheet white. ¡°If you will excuse me.¡±


    As he turned to leave, I called after him. ¡°Get me the results as soon as you can, mayor. The cure will be


    waiting for the confirmation.¡±


    Mayor Gibson nodded and then he hurried away, faster than I¡¯d seen him move before. As he reached the


    stairwell, he already had his phone in his hand.


    When I turned back to theb, Julian was standing in the doorway looking at me. ¡°Waste from a nuclear


    nt?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve been careless,¡± I said. ¡°I studied up on the packs we would be visiting while we nned this trip. I knew about the new factory but I didn¡¯t make the connection until I really sat to think about it. The


    children¡¯s symptoms¡­ Adult werewolves could fight the contamination but children cannot. Even Alice and her wolf are both too young to be able to hold it off.¡±


    Julian¡¯s face twisted into a barely¨Ccontained rage. ¡°If anyone¡¯s greed is the cause of harm for our child¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m giving them one chance to do the right thing,¡± I said. ¡°The cure will not work if the contamination is


    not stopped. The kids will just keep getting sick.¡±


    A low growl escaped the back of Julian¡¯s throat. ¡°If they do not shut down that factory, I will go there


    myself and see it done.¡±


    An angry, Alpha father could see anything done, I had no doubt he would tear that ce to rubble if it meant helping our daughter. In this case, I wouldn¡¯t even stop him. Instead, I might be right there at his side.


    Fortunately, that wasn¡¯t necessary. Not even an hourter, Mayor Gibson called me on my phone to tell me, ¡°The factory has been closed. Preliminary tests of the air and water show contamination. You were right, Healer Amber. Please do what needs done, and I will do the same.¡±


    With that confirmation, I told Julian, and together we split the main potion cure into various vials, which we then distributed to each of the healers. We moved like a wave through the hospital, injecting the cure into each sick child. Before we even reached thest child, the first was waking up, feeling better.


    One even hopped out of bed with enough energy to want to y.


    When we reached Alice, I carefully gave her the injection, then held Julian¡¯s waiting hand. We both held our breaths as we watched her face.


    Slowly, the pain in her features evened out and she blinked her eyes opened.


    ¡°Mommy? Daddy?¡± she said, blinking a few times. ¡°Do I still get ice cream?¡±


    Julian and Iughed a little in relief.


    ¡°Of course, Alice,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll break into that ice cream shop if I have to,¡± Julian said.


    I gave him a look that I hoped conveyed he shouldn¡¯t be teaching our daughter such things. ¡°Or go to the grocery store.¡±


    ¡°Or that,¡± he said, lowering his head slightly, sheepishly, properly scolded.


    We sat together for a while, before I was needed elsewhere. ¡°As soon as she¡¯s cleared, take her back to the


    hotel,¡± I said. I hated seeing her rested on chairs.


    Julian agreed.


    Hourster, after most of the children had been cleared, the healers wanted to have a celebration. I


    declined. They looked even more tired than I felt.


    ¡°Our celebration will be some well¨Cdeserved sleep,¡± <b>I </b>told them.


    ¡°Perhaps we could celebrate in a few days,¡± the Head Healer agreed.


    Leaving the hospital, I headed outside and was surprised to find a car waiting for me. I didn¡¯t think much


    of it though. After all, Julian could have called someone for me, or the hospital did. They all knew how


    tired I was.


    So, without giving it much thought, I climbed into the backseat of the sedan. The partition was up between the backseat and the front, but I didn¡¯t think much of that either. Likely Julian would be calling me soon to tell me what was going on.


    Except¡­


    As the car started forward, the doors suddenly locked. That was strange.


    I knocked on the partition. ¡°Excuse me? Hello?¡±


    There was no answer.


    Feeling uncertain now, I tried to open the door, but the lock wouldn¡¯t budge.


    What was going on?


    Was I trapped?!

 Main Flame 169

    Chapter <b>169 </b>


    Julian¡¯s POV


    I had no real idea of how long Amber would be needed at the hospital yet, so I knew I didn¡¯t have any right to worry. But when hours went by and there was still no sign of her, I couldn¡¯t help the concern that began to w at the inside of my chest.


    By now, I had been to the grocery store and checked in at the hotel. Alice already ate her ice cream and was sitting on the pull¨Cout sofa watching cartoons on the small, boxy television sitting atop the dresser.


    She hadn¡¯t said anything but I could tell she was watching the clock as well. We were both waiting for Amber to join us, or to at least check in with a phone call.


    Unable to sit still with my worry pulsing through me, I stood up from the couch and began to pace the length of the hotel room, checking out the window every time I was near the door. There was no sign of Amber, or of anyone really.


    I was fairly certain that we were the only one¡¯s staying at the hotel. The light was still on in the lobby, so I knew the front desk attendant was still there, still waiting for customers. I had told her to expect Amber, and she seemed excited to meet her.


    Amber was something like a celebrity most ces, but here where disease had be so prevalent, she was even more so ¨C especially with news of the children¡¯s cure spreading now.


    I checked my phone. No new messages, no missed calls.


    I hated to bother Amber while she was working, but I was worried about her. So I found her contact in my phone and pressed call.


    The call didn¡¯t connect, going straight to voicemail. I couldn¡¯t be totally surprised, and I wasn¡¯t rmed. With how long we were at the hospital, her phone likely died without any time on the charger. I wondered if she even noticed.


    Trying not to let my worry overwhelm me, I looked up the number for the hospital and called there instead


    ¡°Yes, hello,¡± I said, after the receptionist answered. ¡°This is Alpha Julian. I¡¯m trying to get in touch with Healer Amber. Is she still there?¡±


    ¡°Oh, Alpha Julian! Hello! Uh, no, sir, Healer Amber just left in the car you provided.¡±


    I paused. ¡°Car? What car? I didn¡¯t order any car?¡±


    ¡°Oh, but I¡¯m sure you must have?¡± the receptionist suddenly sounded unsure. ¡°It was one of those sleek luxury sedans Nobody in town has one of those, except for the taxi ce, and they only use it on special asions. We all assumed that you called for it.¡±


    +15 <b>BONUS </b>


    ¡°I didn¡¯t,¡± I said, my mind suddenly running a hundred miles a minute. Who else could have ordered that car? The Mayor? The owner of the factory<b>? </b>There could be a lot of people angry at Amber <b>for </b>what she exposed¡­


    It could have been a good Samaritan, someone who just wanted to be sure that Amber got home safely.


    I had a bad feeling though. Something wasn¡¯t right. There was a nervousness inside of me, pressing ufortably against my bones, itching my nerves.


    ¡°Sir? Should I contact the police?¡± the receptionist asked, fully rmed now.


    As was I.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I told her. Hanging up the phone, I looked at Alice. ¡°I hate to say this, Alice, but we need to go out again.¡±


    Alice looked up. ¡°No more cartoons?¡±


    <b>¡°</b><b>Not </b>right now.¡±


    ¡°Are we going to get Mommy?<i>¡± </i>she asked.


    A re of determination scorched through me. ¡°Yes.¡±


    Amber¡¯s POV


    I tried for the handle next, yanking on it, but no amount of force made the door pop open. Giving up on that, I went to the lock again, trying to dig it out from its confinement and force it upright, but no amount of force seemed to cause it to give way there either.


    Then, suddenly, I was pushed back into the seat as the car jolted forward at a new quickening speed.


    The lights of the town disappeared out the window as the car zoomed through the countryside.


    Gods help me, I had no idea where I was or where we were going.


    Leaning forward, I knocked on the partition again, that separated me in the backseat from the driver in the front seat.


    ¡°Hello?!<b>¡± </b>I called, desperate now. ¡°Please! You have to stop!¡±


    The driver didn¡¯t listen to my pleas, as the car only seemed to pick up speed, veering through the countryside and into the forest.


    Trapped, I started to feel panic, with fear rising up within me at a record pace, I pressed back into my <b>seat</b><b>, </b>wing at the leather, trying to remain in control of my thoughts and my emotions.


    Like this, I feel too much like I did on the airne as the pilots lost control of the engines. The ne circled, spiraling out <b>of </b>control as it mmed down into the water. I¡¯d screamed then, as did the


    passengers beside me.


    <b>I </b>could hear their same screams now, even as my own was lodged in my throat.


    I wasn¡¯t in the sky<b>, </b>I wasn¡¯t in an airne, but the fear was the same.


    Trapped. Helpless. Just like then.


    What could I do? I didn¡¯t know.


    In the hospital, I always had answers, but out here, barreling toward a fate I didn¡¯t know or understand, I could only feel fear. I was locked up with it, unable to do much more than hold on and pray.


    Moon Goddess, please!


    In my fear, my heart reached out for my mate. Despite all of our problems, despite everything that stood between us and happiness, I still longed for him. To hear his voice, to hold him once more, for him to whisper in my ear, I¡¯m here and I will protect you.


    He had promised. Promised!


    My mate. My Alpha.


    Julian!


    In the distance, I heard a howl.


    It was familiar, one my heart recognized before my mind did.


    It was Julian. He was here!


    I didn¡¯t know how and I didn¡¯t care. My heart continued to reach out for him, begging for him to be nearer.


    Like he could hear my heart¡¯s plea, suddenly there was a loud thud on the roof of the sedan. Four dents pressed down, bowing the inside.


    Another howl sounded, this time so close, that my wolf begged me to answer. Yet, I was too frightened to shift, <i>too </i>trapped in my fear to do anything but cling on and hope with all my heart that Julian would fix this, would save me, would hold me until I felt like myself again.


    The driver started to swerve the car. Not being buckled in, I slid wildly from one side of the car to the other.


    Julian growled loud enough for me to hear through the windows.


    The driver must have been trying to shake Julian off, but Julian wasn¡¯t letting go. He must have shifted, holding on with his ws.


    Don¡¯t leave me! My heart begged. Don¡¯t go!


    I couldn¡¯t see Julian, couldn¡¯t hear more than growls on the wind and the screeching of tires.


    Yet, almost like a whisper in my ear, I still heard Julian¡¯s voice, as if his heart was reaching out to mine.


    Offering a promise.


    <b>I </b>will save you.

 Main Flame 170

    Chapter <b>170 </b>


    Julian¡¯s POV


    In this moment, in wolf form, clinging to the top of this speeding sedan with both my front and back ws, I felt a rage stronger than that which I had ever known before.


    In the past, when the airne had taken Amber from me, I had been powerless to stop it. Here and now, <b>I </b>


    had a chance to intervene.


    The driver was turning the car erratically, swerving all over the road likely in an attempt to unhinge me


    from the roof of this car. But I would be damned before I let go.


    I would not lose Amber again.


    This wasn¡¯t an airne. It was a car. And I wasn¡¯t miles away. I was here. Now.


    Nothing would keep me from saving the woman I loved. My mate. The mother of my child. The mother of my future children.


    So I held on. No, I would stop this.


    Grinding my ws into the roof of the car, I crawled my way to the front side, then reaching to the side, I punched in through the window. The driver shifted at thest moment, evading my blind pursuit, so I grabbed the steering wheel and ripped it out of the front console.


    Any normal person would have eased up on the gas when they lost control of the vehicle. This driver, however, seemed to be following his own wild set of rules. He only pushed the elerator more, adding


    speed to the already racing car.


    Straight ahead of us, the road veered to the right. Beyond it, beyond the guardrail was a massive cliff that plunged down into a tree¨Cfilled ravine.


    Shit!


    I gave up my pursuit of the driver then, allowing myself to slip back a ways to the backseat of the car.


    There, I punched out the window and reached in for Amber. At the same moment, she reached back.


    When her hand sped mine, I yanked, pulling her through the window and into my arms.


    Unfortunately, at that exact same moment, the car crashed through the guard rail and flew over the edge


    of the cliff.


    We seemed to hover in the air a moment before gravity imed us and started to drag us back down to


    the earth.


    Looking over, I could see the fear in Amber¡¯s wide¨Ceyes. She seemed entirely lost to it.


    Was this freefall forcing her to relive the past? Trapped in that airne?


    Did she think she was going to die?


    <b>I </b>wouldn¡¯t let that happen.


    Clutching her to me, I turned so that she was entirely shielded by my shifted Alpha werewolf body. I was massive like this, able to fully cover and protect her.


    Bracing myself, I prepared for the pain. I was ready for it.


    Whatever I had to do to keep Amber safe, I would.


    My body cracked through three trees before colliding with the earth. The car must have veered to the right, as things grew dark, I saw the explosion.


    Feeling the heat from the licking mes, I rolled to the side, hoping to protect Amber.


    Then, blessedly, I was saved from the shooting pain throughout my entire body by passing out.


    Amber¡¯s POV


    I blinked a few times, surprised to find myself not only alive, but rtively unharmed. Julian, it seemed, had taken the brunt of the damage from our fall.


    Pulling myself out from his now¨Cloosened embrace, I looked up into his shifted wolfy face. His eyes were closed, his features ck. He passed out¡­ from the pain?


    Despite my shock, my healer brain took over and I immediately began to search him for injury. Was he even still breathing?


    To my relief, <b>I </b>find that he was. Thank the Gods. Not dead.


    There was a ton of damage to his back, which was covered in cuts and deep splinters. Seeing a task now,


    I set myself to removing each wooden splinter one by one. It was made easy using the light of the burning car behind me.


    I tried hard not to think about what was creating those mes I was using for light, or how easily that could have been me inside of it, burning to death if the collision hadn¡¯t killed me.

 Main Flame 171

    Chapter <b>171 </b>


    The forest was quiet now, except for the crackle of the fire and the thunder of my own beating heart.


    Julian¡¯s werewolf healing ability worked with me, pushing out the splinters as quickly as I removed them. Before long, his back was only covered with dried blood and fur. Though in a moment, even that was dissipating as he shifted back to his human form.


    At some point, he must have awakened again. As I sat there, frozen, my shock taking hold, he sat up and


    turned to me. When he cupped my face in his hands, I blinked and refocused onto his eyes.


    ¡°Are you injured?¡± he asked me.


    ¡°N¨Cno,¡± I said. At least, I didn¡¯t think so. The shock could be hiding an injury<b>, </b>so I gave myself a quick once


    over. Julian did as well. Then we both looked at one another again. ¡°I¡¯m okay,¡± I said.


    That didn¡¯t feel honest. Physically, I was well, but the rest of me was trapped in a wild vortex of fear and agony, reliving the ne crash again and again.


    ¡°Amber,¡± Julian said, and when I finally heard it, I knew it wasn¡¯t the first time he said my name. ¡°Stay


    with me, can you do that?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,<i>¡± </i>I admitted.


    ¡°Can I help?¡± he asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,<i>¡± </i>I said again.


    He thought a moment, his brow furrowing. ¡°Can I try something?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I told him. I didn¡¯t want to keep feeling like this. If he could do something to distract me, to rattle


    me out of this fear spiral I was in, I would have agreed to anything.


    Tugging my face closer, he leans down and kisses me.


    I gasp, startled, and somehow pleased. My heart aches, but for new reasons as my mind shifts from the terror of freefall to the joy of kissing my mate again.


    He was such a good kisser, always so careful with me and so attentive to my needs. Even now, he moved slowly, gently licking at the seam of my lips without pushing for more. It was only after I parted my lips, weing him, did he slip his tongue into my mouth to tangle with my own.


    I wed at his shoulders, instantly transported to the home we once shared. The forest, the burning car, felt like a different lifetime now, like it had happened to someone else.


    Always, I had been here, safe, with my husband. With him kissing me. With him reminding me that I am


    his and no one else¡¯s.


    I was alive and so was Julian. We had survived this, survived everything.


    I clutched him tighter. One of his hands slide around my wait to tug me closer to him. I practically crawled into hisp.


    I didn¡¯t want the kiss to end, but eventually I had to breathe.


    As we separated, he pressed his forehead to mine and we breathed together.


    Alive.


    As one.


    Too soon, he pulled away. ¡°I have to check the driver,¡± he said.


    I didn¡¯t want him to go, but I understood the necessity. With great effort, I utched my fingers from his


    shirt.


    ¡°Stay here,¡± he told me, as he slid away from me.


    My legs were so weak, I didn¡¯t think I could follow him even if <b>I </b>wanted to.


    He was only gone for a moment, but when he returned, he was carrying a man¡¯s wallet. Theck of a physical person, I knew, meant the driver was dead.


    Julian¡¯s face was filled with concern.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked.


    ¡°The driver didn¡¯t make it,¡± Julian said. ¡°He was thrown from the car before the explosion so I was able to search him for identification.¡±


    ¡°And?¡± I prompted.


    He looked down at the identification card in the transparent sleeve of the wallet.


    ¡°He¡¯s from my pack.¡±

 Main Flame 172

    We were a long way from my pack. For the driver, the person attempting to kidnap Amber, to be from there felt like more than a coincidence.


    As Alpha, I had many enemies, but none were more prevalent, especially against Amber, than Olivia. Still, to think her capable of something like this¡­? How would she even arrange it? Did she truly have this


    kind of influence?


    I couldn¡¯t make assumptions, not when it came to something as important as Amber¡¯s safety and her life. For now, until I could reach out to my pack for more information, I had to stop specting and worry more about our overall survival.


    Fortunately, the police had already been informed about the situation, and with the fire from the car, it wasn¡¯t long until emergency had locked in on our location.


    I kept Amber close to me, holding her tightly to my side. She didn¡¯t talk much though, and I knew she was likely going through it. As if this situation wasn¡¯t traumatizing enough, it had to have reminded her of the ne crash she survived those years ago.


    I could protect her from the physical things, but I was helpless to stop her mind from wandering back to those darker times. The most I could do was keep her close and guide her toward the emergency vehicles as we heard their sirens.


    Scooping her into my arms, I carried her up the side of the mountain back to the top where the car had veered off the road. There, we connected with the police and the ambnce. Immediately, she and I both piled into the back of the ambnce.


    The doors closed, and the paramedics took us back to town. They looked over both Amber and me in the back. My healing had already closed all of my wounds and stitched my broken bones back together.


    I was relieved to hear that I had saved Amber from any damage from the fall. She had some dried blood on her from a few scrapes and bruises, but her wolf had healed her too.


    Amber was quiet as she was inspected, stoic as they prodded her for any lingering injuries.


    ¡°She¡¯s in shock,¡± one of the paramedics said, stating what I had already guessed. They produced a nket and wrapped it around her shoulders. I stayed there too, glued to her side with my arm around her, holding her tightly as she trembled.


    As we reached the hospital, she looked at me. ¡°Alice?¡±


    ¡°Safe,¡± I assured her, and then showed her a few minutester. After helping her down from the back of the ambnce, I led her into the building, where Alice was sitting behind the reception desk, between the receptionist and one of the nurses.


    When she saw us, she hopped down from the chair, rushed around the desk, and hurried toward us.¡± Mommy! Daddy!¡±


    Amber came to life then. Bending down to one knee, she opened her arms and caught Alice as she hurried forward. As Amber hugged her daughter tightly, Alice nced over to me. ¡°Daddy, what


    happened to your clothes?¡±


    I¡¯d been so caught up in protecting Amber, in getting her where she needed to be that I hadn¡¯t looked down at myself. My clothes were mostly in tatters, destroyed in either the chase, the fall, the crashing


    through trees, or the lick of the mes from the car explosion.


    ¡°I just had a little bit of trouble. I¡¯m fine though,¡± I assured her.


    She gave me a quizzical look, like she didn¡¯t quite believe me.


    I looked like hell, so I couldn¡¯t really me her.


    The reunion seemed to do wonders for Amber. Holding Alice, she seemed to breathe more steadily than


    she had before. As she leaned back, she took her daughters face in her hands and kissed her nose. Alice


    giggled as she yfully pushed Amber away.


    ¡°Mom¡­ people are looking!¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright,¡± Amber said as she stood up again. After taking Alice¡¯s hand in hers, she looked at me. ¡°I


    think we are okay but we should be checked out by healers once more, just to be certain.¡±


    <b>Chapter </b><b>173 </b>

 Main Flame 173

    <b>Chapter </b><b>173 </b>


    As she was the Healer here, she knew what needed to be done. I trusted her.


    ¡°You go ahead first,¡± I told her. <b>¡°</b>I want to call my pack and get them started on investigating.¡±


    Her look turned more serious then. I didn¡¯t want to get too much into the details in front of Alice, so I was d she seemed to understand what I was talking about.


    I had to get to the bottom of this, finding out as much as possible about the driver as I could.


    Finally, Amber nodded, then went with Alice more towards the back. I went to the receptionist and asked if there was a private room I could use to make a phone call. Embarrassingly, pulling my phone from my pocket, I realized it had smashed in the crash. ¡°I¡¯ll need to use a phone too. I can pay the long distance.¡±


    The receptionist kindly directed me to one of the administration offices. As it was after hours, the office


    was empty.


    Standing in front of the desk, too amped up with adrenaline to even consider sitting down, I picked up the receiver of thendline there, pushed the button to dial out of the hospital, and then called the


    familiar number of my Beta.


    It was after hours in my pack too, but my Beta was diligent and picked up right away.


    ¡°Alpha?¡±


    ¡°Something hase up here, and I need you to look into a name for me. Find out whatever you can


    about him. His rtions, his friends, who he might be working for, any kind of criminal background¡­¡± I


    gave the name.


    ¡°At once, Alpha.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, and hoped we would have the answers soon.


    After getting checked out at the hospital, I hired a taxi to take the three of us back to the hotel. Alice was dozing before we even reached the door to our room. Amber and I tucked her under the covers of the pull


    out sofa, then we both moved <i>to </i>the location of the twin beds on the other side of the room.


    There was a screen that was presently bunched up but could be opened to separate the two sides of the room. As Amber went into the bathroom first, I opened the screen to give us a bit of privacy from sleeping Alice,


    When Amber came out of the bathroom, I went in, showered, and changed for bed. My clothes of the day went right into the trash can.


    Back out in the bedroom, Amber was still awake, sitting upright on the side of her bed with her legs dangling <b>over </b>the side.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± I asked her, keeping my voice light, not wanting to wake Alice.


    She didn¡¯t move to nod or shake her head. She was entirely frozen. Trapped in her thoughts again?


    Moving closer, I kneeled down directly in front of her and looked up into her eyes. ¡°Amber? Are you okay<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    I dipped my head until I was in her line of sight and she could focus on me.


    <b>¡°</b>No,<i>¡± </i>she finally admitted.


    The single word cracked my heart in half.


    ¡°What can I do to help?¡± I asked.


    She stared at me a moment, her face void of all emotion.


    Then she swallowed and tears filled her eyes.


    ¡°Hold me?¡± she asked.


    I did not need asking twice.


    I moved at once, leaning toward her, I pulled her into my arms. She tugged me too so that we were holding each other, lying down in the bed.


    Running my fingers through her hair, I kept on holding her until she fell asleep. My n had been to sneak out of her bed once she¡¯d done so, but I was sofortable, before I knew it, my eyes closed too.


    We fell asleep together, holding one another.


    <b>It </b>was the best night sleep I had in years.

 Main Flame 174

    <b>Chapter </b><b>174 </b>


    Amber¡¯s POV


    For the next few days<b>, </b>Julian held me whenever I asked him to, without any questions or need for exnation. He was simply there, ready to be my rock or my anchor, keeping me steady against the storm raging through my mind and heart.


    Despite knowing I was safe, I couldn¡¯t convince my body I was. It was still producing adrenaline, fueling my fight or flight instinct until exhaustion eventually won out. I tried to be present for Alice, and for the people of the town that wanted to celebrate the cure.


    They even threw a great parade in my honor, with Alice and me on the final float. Alice threw candy to the once¨Cagain healthy children.


    After, the mayor pulled me aside and promised changes to be made regarding factory regtions and


    waste management.


    All of these were good things, and yet, I didn¡¯t feel present in these moments. I felt like I was watching them happen to someone else while the real me was trapped in some kind of nightmare.


    Ever beside me, Julian watched me. He smiled when appropriate, gave praise and thanks when needed,


    but when his eyes were on me, they were filled with concern.


    No one else but he and Alice knew me well enough to understand that I was not myself, and Alice was too young to understand why. That meant that only Julian knew the terrors I was fighting in my own mind, the memories of the ne crash mixing up with the horror of the freefall, tangling up in a living


    nightmare.


    It was over now. I was safe.


    I knew that and yet I didn¡¯t.


    I had no idea how to move on and let go of the fear.


    At night, after putting Alice to bed, Julian would hold me. His arms seemed to be the only thing that reminded me of safety. With his closeness, I could breathe and rx.


    Despite our kiss that night of the crash, he never pushed me in these moments. He let me fully take the lead, holding him as I needed him.


    I was grateful for this. That kiss had been wonderful, had grounded me at that time and reminded me that we were both alive. But in the wake of it, of the kiss and the ident, I was remembering things that


    might have been better left in the past.


    None of this would have ever happened if Julian had been faithful to me, physically and emotionally. Because he wanted to keep our marriage secret, because he had pushed me aside for Olivia, I had gotten


    on that ne that crashed. And from there, everything, like a chain reaction, had led to this second ident.


    It was difficult not to feel resentment, even as I tookfort in the cradle of his arms.


    Thisfort had to be temporary. When I was strong enough, I would have to push Julian away<b>, </b>for good this time.


    Yes, he could remain part of Alice¡¯s life, now and forever, but I¡¯d never allow him back into my heart.


    But maybe it was already toote.


    Maybe we really were just trapped in a never¨Cending cycle of hurt.


    I had no idea how to get us of it. We seemed destined to care for each other to our folly. How many hurts did we have to face before we finally epted the truth ¨C we simply weren¡¯t meant to be?


    Even knowing that, or perhaps because of knowing that, I clung to him extra tightly that night.


    Julian returned my embrace with equal feeling, even kissing the top of my head.


    Closing my eyes, I could have cried. Instead, I listened to his steady heartbeat until I fell asleep.


    Julian¡¯s POV


    I found no sleep that night, despite holding the woman I loved in my arms. Though I knew I physically helped her body rx, I could see the lingering pain in her eyes. I could only wonder if my closeness was doing more harm than good.

 Main Flame 175

    Chapter <b>175 </b>


    After all, wasn¡¯t all of this really my fault?


    The driver had been from my pack, which meant that he was likely after Amber to hurt me.


    I might have saved her life in the end, but she had only been in danger because of me, because of my love


    for her.


    How was I to forgive myself for that?


    An hour passed while I held Amber mulling over my regrets and trying to decide what I should do next.


    What could I do, to earn Amber¡¯s trust again?


    After an hour, my new phone started to gently ring from my bed. Besides Amber, only one person had


    that number.


    My Beta.


    Maybe he had some answers atst.


    Eager for the truth, I slowly and carefully eased a sleeping Amber out of my arms, turning her so that she


    was cuddling a pillow instead. Then, grabbing the phone, I walked through the living room and out of the


    room itself.


    The hotel rooms opened to the outside. In this outdoor hallway, knowing no one else was staying at this


    hotel, I feltfortable answering the phone.


    ¡°Alpha,¡± my Beta said. ¡°We have more information regarding that individual you asked us to look into.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m ready to hear it,¡± I said. ¡°What have you learned?¡±


    ¡°For the past several years, the man has been working as a chauffeur,¡± Beta said. ¡°Olivia¡¯s chauffeur.¡±


    I gripped the phone tighter. It started to creak in my hand.


    ¡°Is it possible she could have arranged what happened?¡± I asked, but I already had my own growing


    suspicions.


    Beta didn¡¯t speak to that. Instead, he said, ¡°There¡¯s something else. Digging further into his past shows


    that he was once an airline mechanic.¡±


    Everything around me froze. <i>Or </i>maybe it was just that I couldn¡¯t focus on anything but the voiceing through the phone. ¡°Which airline.¡±


    The Beta told me, and I recognized it at once as the same airline Amber had used when she fled my pack ¨C fled me ¨C six years before. The ne that had mechanical failure and crashed, killing everyone but Amber and nearly killing her as well.


    ¡°Was he working that day?¡± I asked, trusting that I didn¡¯t need <i>to </i>exin.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Beta said. ¡°In fact, he left early, after Amber¡¯s ne took off. He resigned during the investigation. That was when Olivia took him in. There¡¯s evidence to show that she was protecting him. Money transfers, paperwork going missing, investigations that abruptly ended¡­ That sort of thing.¡±


    ¡°You are telling me, that Olivia not only had her fingerprints all over this recent abduction, but in that ne crash as well?¡± I said. Saying it allowed, even with evidence, still felt so surreal. 1


    But then, this was the same woman who had tried to get Chase to hurt Alice, a young girl. Knowing that,


    was there anything she wasn¡¯t capable of?


    ¡°We are stillpiling evidence, Alpha, but everything so far does seem to point that way.¡¯


    ¡°We have to find Olivia,¡± I said. ¡°Call in every favor I¡¯m owed. Reach out to other packs. I don¡¯t care what


    needs to be done, but she cannot be allowed to continue like this.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Alpha.¡±


    No sooner did I end the call than the door behind me opened and Amber appeared. Seeing the phone in my hand, she stepped forward, closing the door behind her.


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± she asked.


    ¡°We have to go back to my pack,¡± I said firmly. ¡°For your own protection, Amber. I have to keep you somewhere safe until we can stop this danger that¡¯s hounding you.¡±


    Her expression went very t as she responded, ¡°No.¡±

 Main Flame 176

    <b>Chapter 176 </b>


    Julian¡¯s POV


    ¡°No?¡± I parrot, startled by her rejection. ¡°Amber, you don¡¯t understand. Olivia was behind this attack, and she could be behind everything else too. Until we can capture her, I need to keep you somewhere safe.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve made promises to other packs,¡± she said, stubborn as ever. ¡°There are people who need my help, like the children here needed my help. If we hadn¡¯t dyed our travels, maybe I could have saved more of them before¡­¡± Looking down, she sighed. The guilt was clear on her face. ¡°I won¡¯t hide away and let more people be hurt.¡±


    ¡°What about you?¡± I asked. ¡°What about Alice?¡±


    ¡°Keep Alice at your side,¡± Amber said. ¡°I know you will protect her better than any bodyguard in your


    pack could.¡±


    That was true, but¡­ ¡°What about you? You both need protection.¡±


    ¡°I refuse to hide away,<i>¡± </i>she replied. ¡°I promised that I would help cure people, and that is what I intend to


    do.¡±


    ¡°But Amber¡­¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t be talked out of this, Julian. Trust me not to be foolish here. I have no intention of finding myself in any more danger<b>. </b>I¡¯ll stay at the hospitals this time. I won¡¯t go anywhere without youing to retrieve me. You and Alice will be the only ones I implicitly trust. But I¡¯m going, and that¡¯s that.¡±


    If she truly believed she had the blood of children on her hands, I didn¡¯t know what I could say to talk her out of it. I could force her back to my pack, but that would not reestablish the trust that had been fractured between us for years. This newfound understanding was so fragile. A move like that could


    break it forever.


    For now, the only thing I could do <i>to </i>keep from losing Amber forever was to agree to her terms.


    Reluctantly,


    ¡°Very well,¡± I told her.


    She nodded and disappeared inside.


    That night, I slept alone.


    The next morning, we went back to the airport and took my private jet to the next location. The next pack we nned to visit was farrger, the secondrgest pack in the kingdom after my own pack. They¡¯d recently changed Alphas, the previous one challenged after a ss disparity nearly tore <b>the </b>pack apart.


    Because of that ss disparity, which was still not restored, many of the poorer ss had trouble


    receiving good healthcare.


    I¡¯d met the new Alpha a few times in passing. While we weren¡¯t much more than acquaintances, he seemed like a good¨Cenough person. At least, he seemed to want to do the right things for his pack.


    I hoped my initial assessment of him was correct, as I moved <i>to </i>the office of my jet and attempted to reach out to him. I needed allies in the fight to keep Amber and Alice safe.


    I reach an assistant first, who patches me through to his Beta. Then, after they verify my identity, I finally


    get this new Alpha, Rafael, on the phone.


    ¡°Alpha Julian,¡± he said, his tone friendly. ¡°I¡¯ve received word that it¡¯s your private jet delivering Healer


    Amber to us. I thank you for this service.¡±


    ¡°I am Healer Amber¡¯s escort,¡± I said. ¡°As well as her assistant, in this case. And also her bodyguard.¡±


    ¡°She shouldn¡¯t need a bodyguard,¡± Rafael said. ¡°Our pack is safe.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid I¡¯m going to need some assurances on that,¡± I said. ¡°Healer Amber has a target on her back.¡± As loathe as I was to go to anyone else for help, especially another Alpha, one that I hardly knew no less, I


    couldn¡¯t take chances with Amber¡¯s life. ¡°I need your help to keep her safe.¡±


    Rafael¡¯s stunned silence lingered a moment, before he said, atst, ¡°Interesting. It¡¯s not like you, Alpha


    Julian, to reach out for help.¡±


    ¡°Amber is determined to help people, even to her own detriment,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s for both <b>of </b>our sakes that I reach out to you for assistance here. I can just as easily reroute this ne back to my pack.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Rafael said, less friendly now. ¡°Well, this isn¡¯t a difficult choice for me. Healer Amber has quite a reputation, and we need a quality Healer to help ease some of the strain on our clinics. Yes, of course, I will agree to provide addition protection. I¡¯ll even see to it personally.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said.


    ¡°I will not see our honored gueste to harm while she is within my packnds,¡± Rafael said. ¡°We¡¯ll have to work together in this, though. I fear there is more to this than you are saying.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s one woman in particr who is hunting her,¡± I admitted. As much as I didn¡¯t want to admit my own shorings, Rafael was right that we would need to work together to keep Amber safe. With how I ordered my Beta to reach out to other packs, it was only a matter of time before the full truth would be revealed anyway. ¡°Her name is Olivia.¡±


    Amber¡¯s POV


    A civil war and ss disparity led me to thisrge pack. Typically, I would focus only on the small packs thatcked resources. But with so much trouble in this pack, even with resources, there were still people who needed my help. I couldn¡¯t turn my back on them, so as the nended, I exited, feeling freshly


    7


    determined to focus on work and less on Julian and my past.


    As before, when we left the ne, there was a weing party waiting for me. This time, I recognized


    the new pack Alpha at the head of the crowd. His picture had been all over the newstely. An ambitious sort, the people were eager to see what he would aplish.


    I must have remembered his picture well, because as I stepped off the ne and he approached me, I


    couldn¡¯t help but feel like I knew him from somewhere.


    But that couldn¡¯t be.


    Rumors said this man had ties to the previous line of Alphas, that were usurped when I was just a baby. I


    would have no reason or cause to know anyone like that.


    ¡°You must be Healer Amber,¡± Rafael said and bowed a bit in greeting. Reaching out, he took my hand and sped it in both of his. It was an overly familiar gesture, but I found I wasn¡¯t put¨Coff by it. Instead, I


    found somefort in it, like I was greeted by an old friend.


    How strange.


    ¡°And you must be Alpha Rafael,¡± I said.


    ¡°I am,¡± he said. ¡°But don¡¯t let the title fool you. I am as approachable as theye. I hope we can be friends, Amber. May I call you Amber?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that¡¯s fine.¡±


    He smiled, and I did the same, like his was contagious.


    ¡°May I tell you something?¡± he asked, then went ahead before I could tell him that he could. If he¡¯d waited, the permission would have been given anyway. ¡°I feel as if we¡¯ve met before. Not just that, but we were also friends. Is that impossible?¡±


    ¡°It should be,¡± I said. ¡°But I feel the same¡­ It¡¯s so strange.¡±


    ¡°It is,¡± Rafael agreed.


    We smiled at each other a moment.


    Behind us, Julian started to growl.

 Main Flame 177

    Amber¡¯s POV


    ¡°I hope you will allow me to personally escort you to the clinic,¡± Alpha Rafael said.


    ¡°That would be wonderful, thank you,¡± I said. Turning to Julian, I was surprised to find him ring at Rafael, when the man had been so nice to us, and shown us such curtesy, To Rafael, I said, ¡°Please excuse


    us for just a moment.¡±


    Then I pushed Julian slightly, urging him to back up so we could quietly speak.


    ¡°What is going on with you?¡± I asked him, keeping my voice low so that we wouldn¡¯t be obviously overheard. The werewolves could still hear us, I was sure, but I was hopeful they would give us some


    measure of privacy.


    ¡°I don¡¯t trust him,¡± Julian said, still ring at Rafael. ¡°He¡¯s being too familiar with you.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s just being friendly,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s nice.¡±


    ¡°You have to be careful,¡± Julian said, shifting his gaze to me. It softened as he did so. ¡°You said you


    wouldn¡¯t trust anyone.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t have to trust anyone to treat them with respect,¡± I said. ¡°But you are acting hostile for no reason.¡±


    Julian frowned deeply, but didn¡¯t dispute my words.


    ¡°Alpha Rafael is going to show me around the clinics where I¡¯ll be working. Why don¡¯t you take Alice and


    get settled in at the new hotel.¡±


    ¡°And leave you alone with him? I don¡¯t think so.¡±


    ¡°You are being stubborn,¡± I said.


    ¡°After what happened, I¡¯m trying to protect you,¡± Julian insisted. ¡°You can¡¯t ask me to leave you alone


    right now<i>.</i><i>¡± </i>


    Perhaps he was right. Perhaps I was letting my guard down too soon with Rafael. This strange feeling


    that I knew him was getting the better of me. Could I even trust it? Should I? Perhaps it¡¯s just another


    trick.


    I didn¡¯t want to believe that. I liked this feeling ofradery I shared with Rafael. But I couldn¡¯t deny the truth of it. I¡¯d truly only known him for a minute. That wasn¡¯t long enough to trust him.


    ¡°Fine,¡± I said. Moving toward Rafael again, I said, ¡°Alpha Rafael. Have you met Alpha Julian?¡±


    <i>¡°</i>On a few asions,¡± Rafael said. The look he gave Julian was no warmer than the one Julian was giving him right back,


    I didn¡¯t need them to be friends but it would certainly make things easier if they weren¡¯t enemies,


    As Alice came down from the ne, she immediately caught Rafael¡¯s attention. His smile warmed in an


    instant


    ¡°And this must be your lovely daughter,¡± Rafael said.


    I waved Alice closer. She took my hand, but half¨Chid behind me, looking up at Rafael with curious eyes.


    ¡°Alice, this is Rafael Alpha of this pack. Alpha Rafael, this is my daughter, Alice,¡± I said.


    Delighted to meet you little miss Rafael said and held out his hand for Alice to shake. Alice looked at


    him strangely. People didn¡¯t usually greet her this way, but then she epted his hand and shook it. After, she seemed reluctant to let him go.


    like you¡± she said suddenly. ¡°Can I call you uncle?¡±


    Rafael positively beamed. ¡°I would love that! But only if I can refer to you as my little niece.¡±


    Alice noddedically, her head bobbling enthusiastically.


    ¡°Wonderful¡± Rafael said. ¡°Thene along, my niece. Your chariot awaits.¡±


    Julian¡¯s POV


    On the phone, I had been willing to give Alpha Rafael the benefit of the doubt. He seemed friendly enough, and like a good person who had his pack¡¯s interests in his heart. He¡¯d even promised to help


    protect Amber.


    That offer to help had not included being so overly familiar with Amber, or taking Alice on as his adopted


    niece!


    <b>And </b>Amber was allowing all this, while I followed behind, grinding my teeth in anger and frustration.


    What was it about this man that made her trust him so quickly, sopletely, that she would even entrust him to hold our daughter¡¯s hand?


    It took everything in me not to surge forward and rip Rafael¡¯s arm off.


    When we reached the cars, Rafael gestured for Amber and Alice to join him in his while I was to go in the following car


    Like hell would I allow that to happen! I pushed through everyone who stood in my way until I was in line to enter the car with my mate and my daughter.


    ¡°You don¡¯t mind if I ride with my family, do you, Alpha Rafael?¡± I asked, perhaps a bit too sharply.


    Rafael stared back at me, his features hardening. ¡°I don¡¯t mind if that is what Amber wants. Though I would ask you, Alpha Julian, to remember whose pack you are now in, and whose help you requested


    <b>+15 </b>BONUS


    only this morning.¡±


    ¡°That help does not require separating me from what¡¯s mine,¡± I growled, unable to stop myself. ¡°In fact, it requires the opposite of that.¡±


    Rafael pitched his voice lower. ¡°You would do well not to growl at me in my own packnds, Julian. I have been tolerant of your clear dislike, but I will draw the line at disrespect.¡±


    ¡°I am only protecting what belongs to me.¡±


    ¡°Does Amber know you view her as her property?¡± Rafael asked. ¡°Does she agree to that?¡±


    ¡°I certainly do not,¡± said Amber, as she climbed back out of the car. She pushed on my chest again, but I


    wouldn¡¯t let her move me this time.


    This was a standoff, Alpha to Alpha. To move away was to surrender.


    ¡°Julian, if you start a fight with this man, I will not forgive you,<i>¡± </i>she said.


    That was enough to give her my attention. ¡°He¡¯s too friendly,¡± I said again, not caring enough to keep my voice quiet.


    ¡°And you are overstepping,¡± she replied. ¡°I have not belonged to you in a long time.¡±


    She was my mate, and I wanted to remind her. But with the fierce look in her eyes, I knew she would argue, and this wasn¡¯t a conversation I wanted to have in front of anyone else, especially Rafael.


    Dismissing me, she turned to Rafael instead. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Sometimes he can be a brute.¡±


    For her to do this, to scold me and not Rafael, she was showing him her favor while rejecting me.


    ¡°I¡¯m only sorry it upsets you,¡± Rafael told her while helping her back into the car. When she was sitting once more, he red at me. ¡°You would probably feel morefortable in the following car.


    Dismissed as I¡¯d been by Amber, I could only fall back for now, doing as Rafael wished.


    As I turned away, I heard Alice from within the car, ¡°Don¡¯t be mean to Daddy, Uncle¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, little one,¡± Rafael said. ¡°We only had some adult matters to sort out. Everything¡¯s fine now.


    Only it wasn¡¯t. At all.


    Though I had to stand aside for now, I would not roll over and allow this new Alpha to move in and steal my family. I had worked too hard to earn their trust once more.


    Once I could be alone with Amber, I would help her see that this Alpha was trying to separate us.


    She would surely understand things if I could speak with her privately.


    I would not lose this fight to Rafael, my new rival.

 Main Flame 178

    :


    <b>Chapter </b><b>178 </b>


    Amber¡¯s POV


    After showing us around, Alpha Rafael gifted us a suite at the nearby hotel. The suite itself had three rooms, so that Julian, Alice, and I could each have our own privacy while staying in this pack<b>, </b>yet still be close enough together to have each other if needed. The three bedrooms were connected <b>to </b>a living roomplete with a kitchte. Truly, we could live there forever if we needed to, a small apartment.


    I knew Julian wanted to speak with me. He¡¯d been quiet since the car ride, not speaking a word as <b>we </b>toured the clinics that needed my help. He spoke to Alice, not to me, as he promised her they would spend the days together while I was working, which I would start doing in the morning.


    He waited though, until after we tucked in Alice together, closing the door to her room, to speak to me.


    <b>¡°</b>Come into my room so Alice won¡¯t hear us,¡± he said.


    He wanted to argue then. Fine. I was ready for that. I had more than a few things on my mind, ready to fling back at him, since he was acting like such an ass.


    I marched into his bedroom. He followed me, then gently closed the door behind us. Spinning on my heel, I pointed a finger straight into his chest as I said, ¡°You cannot act like this every time a man is nice to


    me.<b>¡± </b>


    ¡°Acting like what?¡± he asked.


    I threw up my hands. He couldn¡¯t be this obtuse. ¡°Like you own me! You have no right to be so possessive <b>or </b>to fling that around with other people who don¡¯t even know us.¡±


    ¡°I feel like I must remind you that you are still my wife and mate,¡± he said.


    ¡°Because you won¡¯t let me go. We could be divorced right now. Let¡¯s go to the courthouse.¡± I was talking a big game, mostly out of frustration. I didn¡¯t know if I meant the words for real. I didn¡¯t think I did. I just wanted to sting Julian<b>, </b><b>to </b>wake him up to reality<b>, </b><b>so </b>he could see how much of a possessive jerk he was being.


    The words did not have the <b>correct </b>effect.


    Instead, anger shed over Julian¡¯s eyes. I blinked and suddenly he was right in front of me, moving so quickly I didn¡¯t even perceive him. He grabbed me roughly by the upper arms, keeping me from backing


    away.


    ¡°Is that what you want? You want to be rid of me<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>he growled. His eyes narrowed. ¡°So you can be with


    him<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    I should have realized my words might have triggered an Alpha rage, but in the moment¡­


    <b>No</b>¡­


    Maybe this <b>was </b>the oue I truly wanted and I had been lying to myself before.


    I was <b>my </b>own person with <b>my </b>own free will, but I liked when Julian wanted to im me like this. After thinking I had lost him to Olivia¡­ After thinking he didn¡¯t truly care for me¡­


    <b>Seeing </b>him like this was a reminder that deep down, we did belong to each other. He wanted me, and I wanted him, and that want ran deeper than physical attraction. It was more than sex. More than


    anything.


    Two hearts beating as one.


    Even if we could never really figure out how to make things work, we still were bound.


    Just as I wanted to be.


    ¡°Let me go,¡± I said, though I wanted the opposite.


    His lip twitched, an almost snarl. <b>¡°</b><b>No</b>,¡± he said fiercely, and I didn¡¯t think he was just talking about his hold on me. He also meant his hold over my heart. Our marriage. Our mating bond.


    All of it.


    He wasn¡¯t going to let go.


    Passion ran so closely to anger. I was furious enough to want to p him, but kissing, I decided, would be


    better.


    I surged forward, sping my lips to his. He was surprised into stillness for only a moment, before dropping his hands to clutch my hips instead, yanking me toward him.


    I sighed in relief, feeling the entire length of his body pressed against mine. He used this opportunity to sweep his tongue into my mouth, where I weed it with my own.


    I wed at his clothes, while he tore at mine.


    Abruptly, he pushed me down onto the bed.


    For a moment<b>, </b>my thoughts almost returned to me. I had a hint of a thought, at the very back of my mind,


    <b>that </b>maybe this was a bad idea.


    But then his hands went to the buckle and zipper of his pants. He opened it and pushed them <b>down</b>, shoving his boxers down too<b>, </b>revealing his hardened desire for me.


    All other thoughts disappeared except my own want, my own need, to have him devour me.


    I kicked off what was left <b>of </b>my own clothes, baring myself <b>to </b>him as he bared himself to me.


    When I was naked, he pounced on me with a growl, pinning me to the bed with every square inch of his


    hard body.


    All of the problems between us had never included this. With sex, we knew just how to make each other crazy. He knew just how to touch me to elicit the sounds he wanted to hear. And I knew just the sounds <b>I </b>needed to make to drive him wild.


    I wed my fingernails down his back as he sucked marks into my neck. The headboard banged against


    the wall so hard it made a dent and then a hole in the ster.


    Neither of us cared.


    He did not slow.


    His hand found one of mine andced our fingers together.


    We both held on as he drove us again and again toward the edge of pleasure, and then finally<b>, </b>over the precipice into ecstasy.


    The pleasure was too much after so long of an absence.


    I cked out with Julian¡¯s name on my lips.


    When I woke up again, the world was dark. Julian had cleaned me and dried me and I was wearing one of his t¨Cshirts in his bed. He was beside me, asleep. He wasn¡¯t touching me though, except for my hand that rested in the space between us, our fingers interlocked.


    Just as they had been when he¡¯d made me his.


    A moment¡¯s bliss filled me at the memory. Our mating bond thrummed pleasantly, restored between us.


    The good mood did notst, however. In the next moment, panic overwhelmed me.


    What had I done?


    Carefully<b>, </b>I unwound our fingers, then slid out of the bed. I paused twice, watching his face for any difort or sign he might be waking. When his expression didn¡¯t change, I hurried to the door and slipped out of the room.


    There, I all but ran to my own room, breathing only when I was within it, the door closed safely behind me.


    On a loop in my mind, I repeated the words, What have I done? What have I done?


    And more<b>, </b>What do I do now?


    I couldn¡¯t allow what happened tonight to change anything between Julian and me. I had given myself over to pleasure, but that didn¡¯t mean anything was resolved.


    We still had the same problems.


    There was only one answer for what I had to do now..


    Pretend like tonight didn¡¯t happen.


    Even though, with bliss like that, I was sure to not forget it anytime soon.

 Main Flame 179

    <b>Julian¡¯s </b>POV


    <b>I </b><b>was </b>surprised when <b>I </b>woke up <b>to </b>find my bed empty, and even more surprised when I came out of the


    <b>room </b><b>to </b>read a note on the table in themon area that Amber had already gone into <b>work</b>, starting <b>at </b>


    the clinic. She asked me to please watch Alice.


    The note was short and <b>to </b>the point, with no mention at all about what had happened between us the


    night before<b>. </b>


    While I was fully confident that Amber had thoroughly enjoyed herself, I wasn¡¯t sure what could have


    changed for her<b>, </b>as she seemed to be running from it now.


    Did she regret what happened?


    Or was I thinking too much about this? Maybe she was just busy. We came to this pack to help with the clinics that were being overrun, after all. It made sense for her to bury herself into her work. She was also


    something of a workaholic most of the time.


    I knew that about her, so I couldn¡¯t be mad. And I would stop specting aboutst night until I got the chance to speak to her face to face. Surely then, I¡¯d be able to tell about the steps that had been made in


    <b>our </b>rtionship.


    <b>As </b>eager as I was to see those new steps in fruition, I could be patient. For Amber, I could wait.


    At least, that was what I told myself that morning.


    That evening, after she had texted to tell me she was workingte, I found it more difficult to be patient.


    She <b>didn¡¯t </be home until after I had put Alice to bed and fell asleep on the couch waiting for her. She was gone before I woke up the next morning, still on the couch, but with a nket draped over me.


    By that evening, when she waste again, I was starting to worry about Alice. We ate pizza at the table, and though she seemed happy talking to me, I caught the way her gaze kept ncing to the side as if looking for her mom and wishing she was here.


    I felt the same.


    The next morning<b>, </b>nearing lunchtime, after still not seeing Amber at all, I put on Alice¡¯s coat and my own, and we both went to the clinic. I was hoping <b>to </b>catch Amber to have lunch together, which at this point would have been better than the nothing Alice and I had been experiencing for the past day.


    As we walked into the clinic, I saw Amber in the hallway. For a moment, I thought she was speaking with <b>a </b>patient, but then my stomach dropped. That man was no patient, he was Rafael, the pack Alpha.


    Ugly jealousy reared its head within me, sending sharp ufortable vines coiling through my chest.


    Wildly, I wondered if this was the real reason Amber had been working so much. What if she only came here to spend time with Rafael?


    Furious, I wanted to confront them, but I couldn¡¯t do that with Alice in tow, so instead I just stewed. At


    least until I saw a friendly face in the receptionist. Alice had bonded with her thest time we¡¯d been at


    the clinic. The receptionist was a mother of four and a former professional nanny.


    Heading there, I asked if she could watch Alice for a moment while I surprised Amber. The receptionist


    seemed delighted, as did Alice. So leaving her there under the former nanny¡¯s watchful eye, I returned to


    the hallway and to where Rafael and Amber were talking.


    Walking right up to them, I ignored Rafael entirely and said to Amber, ¡°We need to talk.¡±


    Amber nced at me. ¡°I don¡¯t think we have anything to talk about. Besides, I¡¯m already in a


    conversation.¡±


    I looked at Rafael then. ¡°I need to talk with Amber. You don¡¯t mind giving us a moment, do you?¡±


    Rafael¡¯s jaw clenched as he openly red at me, indicating that, yeah, he very much did mind. But


    whether he would openly admit to that was another matter.


    As an Alpha, the idea of diplomacy was constantly beat into our heads. While some Alphas yearned for


    the days of old where wars and battles over territory ran rampant, the reality of today meant that peace


    talks and negotiations were king.


    The wars still happened, on asion, but they were not viewed in the same proud lens. Instead, the loss


    of life was frowned upon.


    For this reason, and maybe others, Rafael held his tongue. Instead, he looked at Amber.


    ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± she said, after looking at me with some frustration. The feeling was mutual there. To Rafael, she continued, ¡°Give us a minute please.¡±


    Rafael nodded then, though took the time to re at me before walking toward the front desk. I wasn¡¯t happy with him saying hi to Alice, though Alice beamed upon seeing him.


    Damn it.


    ¡°What¡¯s this about, Julian?¡± Amber asked me, when Rafael was out of earshot. ¡°I¡¯m busy with the clinic.


    You see the waiting room. You know how crowded it is.¡±


    ¡°You haven¡¯t been <i>too </i>busy to talk to Rafael,¡± I said.


    ¡°He¡¯s the pack Alpha,¡± she replied. ¡°I have to talk to him. It¡¯s part of the job.¡±


    She was being defensive, but I supposed I could understand, since I was being aggressive to start with.


    I stopped, sighed, and ran a hand down my face.


    ¡°If that¡¯s all, I have to get back to work,¡± she said, and started to turn away from me.


    Immediately, I reached out, pping my hand on the wall in front of her. She red at me as she turned around to go the other way, but I pped my other hand on the wall on her other side, totally boxing her <ol><li>in. </li></ol>


    She pressed her back to the wall, keeping her hands at her sides while she looked up at me, annoyance in


    her face.


    Yet, under that annoyance was something else, something more raw. I couldn¡¯t put a name on it though,


    not yet.


    ¡°You are avoiding me,¡± I said.


    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯m not,<i>¡± </i>she replied, but her eyes darted away.


    ¡°Amber.¡±


    <b>¡°</b>Just leave it, Julian.¡±


    I had no idea what could have made her so cold to me so quickly. The only thing that had happened was


    something that should have brought us closer together. Unless¡­


    The realization made my heart clench. ¡°Is this about the other night?¡±


    Her eyes found their way back to me, and for a moment, I started to think whatever this fear was in her,


    we could work it out. That night didn¡¯t have to be something to be afraid of. It was passion and love and


    ¡°That night was a mistake,¡± Amber said.


    The words were a knife through my heart.


    Rafael¡¯s POV


    While I enjoyed seeing Alice and talking with her, my eyes were consistently drawn back to the hallway where Julian and Amber were talking.


    I hadn¡¯t thought much of the way he shouldered his way into our conversation, and now, watching them,


    I thought even less about the way he seemed to be treating Amber.


    He was being way too domineering in the way he was treating Amber, boxing her in like that. Even the slight blush on her cheeks was not enough to stop the growl rising in my throat.


    He had no right to treat her that way.


    She deserved better.


    ¨C

 Main Flame 180

    Julian was acting like a brute, but I hated to admit to myself, <b>I </b>liked it. Having those strong <b>arms </b><b>on </b>either side of me, boxing me in, made me want to spend hours back in his bed room, rediscovering each other under the sheets.


    But, closing my eyes, I forced those thoughts away. That line of thinking was what got me into this mess to start with. I let my desire do the talking, and while that night with Julian had been incredible, it had


    been a mistake.


    Maybe I had been wrong to admit that out loud though, with the way it made hurt sh through Julian¡¯s eyes. A quick pain, mirroring his, echoed through my own heart.


    Hurting him hurt me, and I hated it.


    Julian lowered his hands then, giving me an out. ¡°Try to be back earlier tonight,¡± he said, his voice somewhat hollow now. ¡°Alice misses you, and you shouldn¡¯t punish her for our¡­ mistake.¡±


    <b>¡°</b>Julian,¡± I said at once, eager to fix this. I hadn¡¯t meant it quite like that. I just¡­ we rushed into things. We <b>hadn¡¯t </b>thought this through.


    There were so many reasons we shouldn¡¯t have slept together. Surely he could see that too<b>? </b>


    He didn¡¯t want to talk anymore though, it seemed, not even after the way he barged in here. Instead, he turned away and walked to the reception area where he collected Alice.


    ¡°Where¡¯s Mommy<b>?</b>¡± Alice asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m <b>sorry</b><b>, </b>honey<b>,</b><b>¡± </b>Julian told her. <b>¡°</b>Your mom¡¯s really busy today.¡±


    My heart sank further<b>. </b><b>No </b>matter what, I had to make sure I was back at the hotel at a reasonable time tonight.


    Julian¡¯s POV


    Finally, Amber came home in time for dinner.


    <b>¡°</b>Mommy!¡± Alice cried, racing to greet her at the door.


    Amber immediately dropped to her knees and hugged her daughter. A reconciliation like this was long overdue between the mother¨Cdaughter pair.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got some chicken in the oven,¡± I said.


    Amber gave me a strange look. ¡°You cooked?¡±


    +15 <b>BONUS </b>


    ¡°Uh. <b>Not </b>exactly. We went out for lunch. <b>I¡¯m </b>just reheating the leftovers.<b>¡± </b>


    ¡°<b>Is </b>there enough for three<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>Amber asked, seeming a bit sheepish.


    <b>¡°</b><b>There </b>is,¡± I assured her. Even if there wasn¡¯t, I would make do, giving myself less to ensure she and Alice were happy. ¡°Alice and I ate like kings today.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m a princess, not a king!¡± Alice said.


    I smiled at her. ¡°Of course, Princess. That¡¯s what <b>I </b>meant.¡±


    Alice nodded, satisfied.


    As I prepared the leftovers, putting the chicken on the te, there was a knock on the door.


    <b>¡°</b><b>Are </b>you expecting someone?¡± Amber asked me.


    <b>¡°</b><b>No</b>,¡± <b>I </b>said. <b>¡°You</b>?¡±


    She shook her head, but then turned and went to the door.


    <b>I </b>peeked over as I ted the dishes, seeing a messenger deliver a letter to Amber through the door. After closing the door, Amber walked back towards the table while slowly opening the envelope.


    ¡°What is it?<b>¡± </b>I asked her.


    ¡°Something from Rafael,¡± she replied, which immediately put me on edge, though I tried to hide it. This evening, so far, had been going well. Thest thing I needed was to get frustrated again and say something to ruin it.


    Instead, <b>I </b>continued ting the food, waiting for her to tell me what the letter said.


    After the table was set and we all sat down, she finally exined.


    ¡°It¡¯s an invitation for dinner tonight<i>,</i><i>¡± </i>she said.


    All three of us nced down at the table with food already on it.


    ¡°We already have dinner,¡± he said.


    ¡°Well. If this <b>isn¡¯t </b>enough,¡± she said, like she was actually thinking about going. ¡°Though the invitation only includes Alice and me.<b>¡± </b>


    I looked at her like I couldn¡¯t recognize her, because that was how I felt when she was talking like this. <b>It </b>was almost as if she was an entirely different person, someone who would discard me and the actual food I¡¯d already cooked to go have dinner at some mansion with some Alpha.

 Main Flame 181

    ¡°Amber, you can¡¯t be thinking of wasting all this food,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not,¡± she replied. ¡°I was just weighing the options.¡±


    ¡°What options? The only choice is to stay here,¡± I said. ¡°With your daughter.¡± With me. I <b>couldn¡¯t </b><b>say </b><b>that </b>


    part aloud, not trusting it wouldn¡¯t blow up in my face.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say I was going. I was just thinking about it.¡±


    ¡°Why even think about it?¡± I said, a touch on the harsher side. Maybe it was the jealousy. Or maybe I¡¯d been feeling more possessive of her since we¡¯d slept together.


    I didn¡¯t know, but¡­ it felt like the harder I tried to hold onto Amber, the more she pushed me away. And it was entirely frustrating, so much so that I had trouble holding onto my tempter.


    Amber, too, was ring at me, like she was as mad at me as I was at her.


    Meanwhile, Alice sniffled, looking between us with herrge doe eyes. Then, unfortunately<b>, </b>the tears started to fall.


    <b>¡°</b>I¨CI d¨Cdon¡¯t want y<b>¨C</b>you to g¨Cg¨Cgo, Mommy!¡± Alice said, holding both hands out for her mom.


    Amber and I both cooled at once, like a cold bucket of water had been thrown over our heads. Amber moved to hold Alice, while I sat down, trying to make myself less intimidating and imposing.


    Gods, I felt terrible. I had been angry at Amber for distancing herself from me, but I didn¡¯t mean to frighten or upset Alice.


    ¡°D¨C<b>don¡¯t </b><b>f</b>¨Cfight,¡± Alice said, crying into Amber¡¯s shoulder.


    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯m <b>sorry</b><b>, </b>Alice,¡± Amber said,bing through her daughter¡¯s hair. ¡°Everything¡¯s okay. We¡¯re going to stay right here and eat the dinner Julian prepared. Right, Julian?<b>¡± </b>


    ¡°That¡¯s right, Amber,¡± I said softly, for my daughter¡¯s sake. ¡°Everything¡¯s okay now. No one is fighting.¡±


    For a while, Amber and I yed nice in front of Alice, talking as friends, all smiles for Alice¡¯s benefit. Halfway through dinner though, Amber pulled away.


    ¡°I forgot, I should call Rafael and ask for a raincheck,¡± she said. At my darkening look, she insisted, ¡°It¡¯s only polite after his invitation. I don¡¯t want him to be expecting us when we aren¡¯t going. I¡¯ll be right <b>back</b><b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    Amber <b>stood</b>, grabbed the phone from her purse, and, to my surprise, simply went out into the living room area to make her call. Something that private, I thought she would take in her room.


    Seeing she wasn¡¯t hiding anything helped me rx somewhat, though I still felt on edge at the presence


    of Rafael at all, through phone call or in person, invading our little private hotel space.


    Amber¡¯s POV


    ¡°Rafael, I¡¯m sorry, I should have called sooner,¡± I said, the minute I was able to get the man on the phone.¡± Alice and I are going to need a raincheck.¡±


    I meant to say that next time, Julian should be included too, but Rafael cut me off before I could.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± he said. ¡°I thought you might be busy tonight. I know it wasst notice.¡±


    ¡°Still, I am grateful,¡± I said.


    ¡°Good,¡± Rafael replied. ¡°In that case, please know that the offer is always open to you. You are wee to


    That was generous, but¡­ ¡°Julian¡­¡±


    <b>¡°</b>You and Alice,¡± Rafael said, cutting me off again.


    I didn¡¯t need to say the words to be understood, it seemed, nor did he have to say more than he did.


    While Alice and I were always wee, Julian was not.

 Main Flame 182

    Amber¡¯s POV


    After putting Alice to bed, when I came back out into themon space, Julian was waiting for me. His arms crossed, he leaned against the only counter space in the kitchte, by the sink. While I had tucked in Alice, Julian had handled the dishes. His sleeves were rolled up, some drops of water lingering on his arms from where he¡¯d missed drying with the towel.


    I was d he had waited for me before going back into his own room. We had a lot to talk about<b>, </b>at least where it pertained to Alice.


    ¡°We can¡¯t fight in front of her,¡± I said. ¡°Never again. Whatever is going on between us, we cannot let it affect Alice. She has too much going on already, with her illness. As her parents, it¡¯s our job to protect her from fights like this.¡±


    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to upset Alice, and I will make certain I never do it again. Her happiness is everything to me.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m d we understand each other.¡±


    ¡°We do,¡± he said. ¡°At least about that, but not about anything else.¡±


    <b>¡°</b>Julian, don¡¯t start¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why we can¡¯t talk about this,¡± Julian said, pushing away from the counter.


    ¡°Because, with the two of us, whenever feelings get involved, we stop thinking logically and be selfish,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s never worked out for us, so why do we insist on continuing to try<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    ¡°That¡¯s not true,¡± Julian said. ¡°Being together hasn¡¯t always been bad for us.¡±


    I shook my head. How quickly he could forget! While he was out living his life in the past, I was the one at home, forced the shadows.


    ¡°Our past isn¡¯t exactly a healthy one,¡± I reminded him.


    He couldn¡¯t counter that, so I was d he didn¡¯t try.


    ¡°If we just took a chance, I think things would be good this time,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯ve learned a lot since before. I could be so good for you. The other night was just a hint of that¡­¡±


    Our night together had been something I would never forget, a night of intense passion and pleasure. Whenever I needed to find my own release in the future, I was certain to tap into those memories.


    The noises Julian had made¡­ The way he moved, pining me to the mattress with his body, thrusting down into me¡­


    My mouth went dry again, just thinking about it.


    No I couldn¡¯t think about that now. My weakness for his body was what got me into this mess to start with! All those years ago, when Julian had approached me at that club¡­ When our eyes locked and our bodies reacted¡­.


    Too much time had passed between then and now. We were different people now, changed by our experiences and simply by the passing of time.


    ¡°Things aren¡¯t like how they were before we were married,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m a mother now, and that means i can¡¯t be as reckless as I once was<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    ¡°But, Amber ¨C¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Julian, but that¡¯s the way things have to be.¡±


    He looked at me for a long moment, then approached me step by step. He walked right up to me, stopping only six¨Cinches from my chest. Towering over me, he looked down at me. There was passion in his eyes, intensity, focus<b>. </b>His smolder was scorching me from the inside out.


    But I stayed very still, not moving a single muscle, not to go closer or further away. Maybe I was like a frightened animal, skittish<b>, </b>afraid to run away but just as afraid not to and end up in the jaws of the hungry wolf.


    ¡°Look me in my eyes and tell me you don¡¯t want me,¡± he said. ¡°Tell me you feel nothing for me. Only then, will I be satisfied enough to let you go.¡±

 Main Flame 183

    <b>Chapter </b>183


    <b>I </b>was still looking in his eyes. I hadn¡¯t been able to look away, his intensity trapping me like prison walls, holding onto my own focus.


    Maybe lying would save me, it would end this push¨Cpull game we¡¯d been ying. That was likely the right move for me to make. Yet, looking at him, when I opened my mouth, the words would not manifest.


    I couldn¡¯t lie, not even to end this thing that needed to end.


    I couldn¡¯t have Julian, but nor could I bring myself to let him go.


    Instead, I nced away and backed up a step. ¡°Let¡¯s just focus on work from now on, okay<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    ¡°Amber.<b>¡± </b>


    ¡°I¡¯m going to bed,¡± I said abruptly, walked around him, and retreated into my room.


    I hated to think I was running away, but I knew in my heart, that was exactly what I was doing.


    Julian¡¯s POV


    The next day, after setting Alice up with one of her tutors, I took a much needed visit to Rafael¡¯s estate, to


    speak with the man myself.


    We were overdue for a one¨Con¨Cone chat, Alpha to Alpha. We should have spoken privately when I first arrived, to set boundaries. Now, because we¡¯d skipped that conversation, Rafael didn¡¯t seem to understand the nature of my rtionship with Amber, or how she was still my mate.


    <b>I </b>needed to make a few things clear.


    The butler at the door sneered at me as I introduced myself.


    ¡°I need to speak to Alpha Rafael,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯m <b>sorry</b>, Sir<b>,</b><b>¡± </b>the butler said. ¡°Alpha Rafael is not at home.¡±


    ¡°Is that Alpha Julian, Geoffrey?¡± Rafael said from within, clearly home. ¡°Let him in, it¡¯s fine<b>.</b>¡±


    Geoffrey the butler¡¯s expression did not change, not even after having been caught in his lie. Instead, he simply stepped back, allowing me space to enter. ¡°The Alpha is in the parlor.¡±


    <b>¡°</b>Over here, Julian,¡± Rafael said. In a room off the entryway, Rafael sat up from an antique sofa. He snapped the old book he¡¯d been holding closed as he turned to me. ¡°I¡¯d been hoping you woulde by.


    We <b>have </b>a lot to discuss<b>.</b>¡±


    I was d we could be on the same page about that, because I doubted there was going to be much else we agreed on.


    Determined, I walked right into the parlor<b>, </b>saying, ¡°You have to stay away from Amber and Alice.¡±


    Both of Rafael¡¯s brows lifted high on his forehead. ¡°Do <b>I</b><b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    ¡°Maybe you didn¡¯t know,¡± I said. ¡°But Amber is my mate, and Alice is my child.¡±


    Rafael tipped his head. ¡°She¡¯s your mate?¡±


    ¡°And my wife,¡± I said.


    He hummed, unimpressed. ¡°I read the papers, Julian. I know about your past. How you chose another


    over your mate, how Amber then almost died in a ne crash, how she returned as a star Healer, and how you chased her away again. Maybe you are still mated, but it doesn¡¯t sound like a healthy rtionship to


    me.¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s taken,¡± I said firmly.


    ¡°Perhaps,¡± Rafael said. ¡°But the man who ims to be her mate treats her like a brute.¡±


    ¡°I do not,¡± I said.


    ¡°I saw you in the hallway at the clinic. You didn¡¯t even try to hide how you mistreated her. And now, <b>you </be here, on your own. Does Amber know you are here? Does she know that you are attempting to


    intimidate me?<b>¡± </b>


    Something must have shown on my face.


    <b>¡°</b>No, I didn¡¯t think she did,¡± he said, grating on all


    <b>don¡¯t </b>like that.¡±


    He squared up a little, and I did the same.


    f my nerves. ¡°You are too controlling, Julian, and I


    <b>It </b>was clear we didn¡¯t like each other. That was fine.


    If he wanted to settle this, I¡¯d rather use my fists anyway.

 Main Flame 184

    <b>Chapter </b><b>184 </b>


    Julian¡¯s POV


    <b>While </b>I was ramping up for a fight, Rafael looked at me coolly, his own anger freezing over like ice.


    ¡°Before wee to blows,¡± he said, ¡°You should remember whose pack <b>you </b>are in right now. Whose house you are in. It is only by my good graces that you have not been physically removed.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to fight?¡± I asked, confused.


    ¡°There¡¯s no point,¡± Rafael said. <b>¡°</b>You have no power here. From my perspective, you are nothing more than a child throwing a tantrum in a store when he doesn¡¯t get what he wants.¡± He hummed. ¡°I wonder


    what Amber would think if she could see you now.¡±


    He had been attempting to cow me, and I hated to say that it was actually working. Suddenly I felt some measure of shame. I had stormed into this Alpha¡¯s home and postured against him, threatening him in


    his own pack, his own home.


    I didn¡¯t like Rafael, but this was not how things were done. I was acting like a stereotypical Alpha who


    thought more with his brawn than his brain.


    Amber, if she was here, would be absolutely embarrassed for me.


    ¡°If you wish to make a formal challenge¡­¡± Rafael said.


    ¡°No,¡± I said. I had no desire <b>to </b>create <b>a </b>conflict between our two packs. My pack was thergest in the kingdom, but Rafael¡¯s was a close second. For our two packs to fight, to go to war, there would be mass


    casualties on both sides.


    As much as I loved Amber, I couldn¡¯t start a war just because I was jealous.


    ¡°Very well,¡± Rafael said. ¡°How about a drink?<b>¡± </b>


    I checked the clock. It was ten in the morning.


    He shrugged. ¡°These kinds of conversations tend to go better with alcohol,¡± he said.


    ¡°Or worse,¡± I replied. In my youth, I¡¯d been in more than one drunken brawl.


    ¡°Fair enough.¡± Rafael set aside his book then walked to the wall where a dry bar was built right into the bookcase. He poured himself two fingers of scotch. ¡°There¡¯s something you need to understand, Julian. This should put you at ease, though it will not make me like you.¡±


    ¡°What is that<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>I asked, on guard. I had no idea what he was going to say and braced myself.


    He looked at me and said, ¡°<b>I </b>have no romantic interest in Amber. What I feel for her is a sort <b>of </b><b>sisterly </b>affection.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯m supposed to believe that?¡± I asked.


    He sipped from his ss. ¡°Think what you want. I¡¯m telling you how it is. She is not my mate. She is simply someone I admire and like as a person.¡±


    I stared at him, trying to take the measure of him, to determine if he was telling the truth or not. He seemed earnest, which confused me.


    ¡°Why then would you invite her over here without including me on the invitation?¡± I asked.


    Point¨Cnk, he said, ¡°Because I don¡¯t like you. I believe I¡¯ve made that clear. You are too domineering, too controlling, and I think she deserves better than you. So you may think of me as an enemy to your rtionship, if you wish, but do not think of me as a rival.¡±


    Rafael¡¯s POV


    My words confused Julian, that much was obvious from the scrunch of his brow and his downturned lips, but I hoped he would eventuallye to see that I was telling the truth.


    Amber was beautiful, but I had no interest in her. When I met her, the pull I felt was more familial than romantic. But I firmly did believe she deserved better than this mess before me.


    Now that I had said my peace, I saw no more reason to extend this conversation. Turning from him, I refilled my drink. It didn¡¯t need refilled but it gave me something to do, an air of indifference, as I said, ¡± You can go now. I trust we won¡¯t need to revisit this conversation.¡±


    Even though I said that, I imagined we would be having this conversation again, in some capacity. Maybe he wouldn¡¯t use me of wishing for a romantic rtionship with Amber again, but I¡¯d certainly use him of being an ass if he continued to mistreat her.

 Main Flame 185

    <b>Chapter </b><b>185 </b>


    Geoffrey, the gem, was already waiting by the door. ¡°This way, Sir,¡± he said, presumably to Julian. I couldn¡¯t see with my back to them.


    Julian grunted, but stepped away, following Geoffrey to the door. There, Geoffrey showed him out and closed the door behind him. Good butlers were hard to find, but I had the best. I made a mental note to


    increase his sry.


    Then, I finished my drink.


    When it was empty, I set it to the side and pulled out my cell phone. I had a lot of numbers saved in my phonebook, mostly acquaintances orworking contacts, people I had met in my path to the top. Supporters. Dissenters. Other Alphas.


    When I found the number I was looking for, I pushed send. The call connected after a moment.


    ¡°This is Roman,<i>¡± </i>said the voice on the other line.


    ¡°Roman, this is Rafael,¡± I said.


    He seemed surprised. ¡°Rafael. I don¡¯t think you¡¯ve ever called me before.¡±


    There had never been a need to before. ¡°We have amon interest now, and I have a proposition I think


    might interest you.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡± Roman asked, a hint of suspicion in his voice.


    So untrusting. ¡°I would like to extend an offer to you, for you to visit my pack.¡±


    ¡°No offense, Rafael, but why would you want me to visit? We aren¡¯t exactly friends.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s someone here you know. Someone you are quite fond of, I presume. And I want to help facilitate


    a reunion.¡±


    ¡°Who?¡± Roman asked. He was very direct. I couldn¡¯t decide if I liked that or not. In ways, it almost took the


    fun out of this.


    ¡°Amber.<b>¡± </b>


    He paused for a long time. Debating perhaps? I thought to sweeten the pot.


    ¡°Julian is here too, but there is a rift between them,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll be frank with you, Roman. I do not like Julian at all. I want to bring you here strictly to make that rift even bigger. Then, ultimately, I want to support your pursuit of Amber.¡±


    ¡°She might not go for it,¡± Roman said.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it worth a try<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>I asked.


    He was quiet again. Then, atst, just as I was about to open my mouth once more, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll take the


    next ne out.¡±


    Amber¡¯s POV


    At the clinic, I threw myself into my work. For me, it wasn¡¯t just a means of distraction ¨C although that was part <b>of </b>it ¨C it was also my passion. I loved my job, I loved fixing things and helping people.


    The problem here was simply that the staff was under educated and over worked. With a few trainings and a flux of the schedule, I thought for sure we could resolve the issues here without much difficulty.


    As the clinic was so busy, I met a lot of people throughout the day, making a lot of connections, some acquaintances and some fast friends.


    One, an older woman, looked at me strangely as I examined her. I leaned down to hear her heartbeat.


    When I stood up straight again, I could see her lightly smelling me.


    When I gave her my own strange look, she seemed embarrassed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said. ¡°I just¡­ you seem so


    familiar, even your scent. But I can¡¯t ce it¡­¡±


    ¡°Maybe we¡¯ve met before,¡± I said.


    She seemed brightened by that response. ¡°Yes, that must be it. I worked at the Alpha¡¯s Estate for all of my life. Have <b>you </b>been there in the past?¡±


    ¡°Uh¡­ no¡­¡± I said.


    <b>¡°</b>Oh, odd,¡± the woman said. ¡°When I smelled you, I was reminded of years ago, when Rafael and his siblings were children.¡± Sheughed then, her cheeks blushing slightly. ¡°Oh, forgive the ramblings of this


    old fool. I must be mistaken.¡±


    She had to be. I had no recollection of having been here before, though I didn¡¯t remember much from my


    time before the orphanage.


    Did I dare to hope that maybe¡­


    No. No, she was right. It had to be the cloudy memories of a fading mind.


    My past could not be tied to this pack.

 Main Flame 186

    <b>Chapter 186 </b>


    Amber¡¯s POV


    +15 <b>BONUS </b>


    After the encounter with the old woman, I couldn¡¯t stop thinking about her and the things she said, about her recognizing me. It was so far¨Cfetched though, and I had no real reason to believe it.


    Yet, the small girl in me, the orphan who always wondered where her home was and why they didn¡¯t want me anymore, she held on to that tiny bit of hope and asked the question, What if?


    <b>For </b>her sake, after my work day at the clinic, I drove over to Rafael¡¯s estate. I was nervous about just randomly dropping in on him, but he had emphasized on the phone that his door was always open to me, anytime. I had to trust that he was telling the truth.


    When I knocked on the door, I was surprised to find that Rafael himself opened the door.


    ¡°Amber<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry to bother you at home Rafael,¡± I said, realizing that I should have at least called first.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± he said. ¡°You are just in time for dinner.¡±


    ¡°Dinner? Oh, I was just hoping we can talk <b>¨C</b>¡±


    ¡°We can talk over food,e on.¡± He ushered me inside, cing his hand on my shoulder.


    ¡°It will only take a minute,¡± I said.


    ¡°<b>You¡¯ve </b>been working hard all day, let me feed you,<i>¡± </i>he said.


    Before I really knew what was happening, I was in the dining room, being shown to a seat. ¡°Are you sure


    ..?¡±


    ¡°Absolutely. Geoffrey, bring another te!¡±


    Julian¡¯s POV


    Alice had made some friends at her tutoring session so asked to hang out for a while longer. I wanted to check in with Amber to make certain she was as okay with it as I was, yet when I went back to the hotel, I found it empty.


    Odd. Amber should be back by now.


    I checked my watch. Maybe she stopped at the grocery store on the way back? But then why hadn¡¯t she


    called first.


    More curious than worried, I dialed her number. The phone immediately went to voice mail.


    Had it died? Or did she turn it off?


    No, I condemned myself for that line of thinking. My jealousy and possessiveness was showing itself again, and I needed to hold it back. I couldn¡¯t be the asshole that Rafael had used me of. Amber not answering her phone didn¡¯t mean she was at Rafael¡¯s house or meeting with him and didn¡¯t want me to


    know about it.


    I was a little more worried now, but trying desperately to hide it.


    Maybe she was just workingte. Amber was something of a workaholic, and it wouldn¡¯t be the first time she put in long hours at the clinic. If her phone died when she was working, she probably didn¡¯t even


    notice, so focused on her patients.


    Opening the inte on my phone, I searched for the number to the clinic and then called them.


    ¡°Hello?¡± asked the same friendly receptionist as before.


    ¡°Hi, Gail,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s Julian. I¡¯m trying to get a hold of Amber. I think her phone died again. Could you


    connect me with her?¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Gail said, a downturn in her tone that immediately left me bracing for bad news. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Julian,


    but Amber left a little while ago. She didn¡¯t make it back to the hotel?¡±


    ¡°Not yet,¡± I said.


    ¡°Oh,<i>¡± </i>Gail said again, her voice falling even further. ¡°I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be there soon.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said. ¡°Thanks, anyway, Gail. Goodnight.¡±


    ¡°Goodnight, Julian<i>,</i><i>¡± </i>Gail said and we both hung up.


    That phone call did nothing <i>to </i>calm my rattled nerves, and before I knew it, I was pacing the hotel room


    from the kitchte to the door, feeling absolutely restless.


    I couldn¡¯t just stay here and do nothing. Maybe she was in trouble!


    No. I couldn¡¯t lie to myself. My motives were not entirely selfless. While I did worry about Amber¡¯s safety,


    I felt no panic through the bond as I had felt in the past, like when she had been taken in that vehicle.


    What worried me more was that she was at Rafael¡¯s.


    He had said he wasn¡¯t interested in her romantically, that he felt a more familial bond with her, but how


    could I trust that?


    Maybe Amber would believe it, though, and if he lured her in¡­ If he had secret untoward motives¡­


    I was out the door before I could convince myself not to leave. Amber and I both had our own rental cars, so I hopped into mine and drove across town to the Alpha¡¯s estate.


    There, my stomach dropped as I saw Amelia¡¯s car parked out front of Rafael¡¯s house.


    I should go home. This wasn¡¯t any of my business.


    But how could she trust Rafael? What if he was up to something?


    I would check on her. Make sure she was okay. Then, if she wanted me to leave, I would go.


    Decided, I parked outside of the mansion, then hurried to the door.


    That same butler, Geoffrey, opened the door. He gave me a bored expression.


    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯m looking for Amber,¡± I said.


    The butler continued to look at me.


    ¡°I know she¡¯s here,¡± I said, gesturing to the car. ¡°I¡¯ve tried calling but her phone is off. I just want to make sure she¡¯s okay.¡±


    Amber¡¯s POV


    Sitting at the dining room table, Rafael and I had yet to eat when the doorbell rang. I knew, even before hearing his voice echoing from the entry way that it would be Julian at the door.


    I didn¡¯t call him to tell him I would bete.


    Reaching for my purse, I fished my phone out and tried touching the screen. I hadn¡¯t even noticed it was


    dead!


    I guessed I couldn¡¯t me him for worrying about me, though I had no idea how I was going to convey any of this to Rafael.


    Rafael looked at me with a steady patience and bemused expression.


    ¡°Do you want him to stay<b>?</b>¡± he asked.


    I didn¡¯t know. I was mad at him for trying to butt in on this, but my phone was dead. I was at fault for not letting him know I was okay.


    Plus¡­ with what I was hoping to discover, maybe it wouldn¡¯t be so terrible to have a familiar face. Even if it was one with whom I was presently in the middle of aplicated situation with.


    ¡°Yeah¡­¡± I said, a bit embarrassed by the admission.


    Rafael stood. He walked out of the dining room, then returned a momentter with Julian in tow.


    ¡°Another te for dinner, Geoffrey,¡± Rafael stood.


    ¡°At once, sir,¡± Geoffrey said and walked toward the kitchen, ring at Julian as he want.


    Julian came immediately to me, taking the seat nearest me. ¡°What¡¯s going on, Amber? Your phone¡­¡±


    I held it up, showing him it was dead. ¡°Sorry. I didn¡¯t notice at work¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s fine<i>,</i>¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m d you are alright. But what are you doing here?¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± I started.


    ¡°About to have dinner,¡± Rafael said for me, as he returned to his seat. He nced between Julian and me, before saying, ¡°Amber, I have a question to ask you specifically, and I hope you will forgive me for prying.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± I asked. ¡°What is it?¡±


    He nced again, quickly, between Julian and me. ¡°What exactly is Julian to you?¡±

 Main Flame 187

    Amber¡¯s POV


    <b>¡°</b>Uh¡­¡± I said, stumbling over not just my words, but also my thoughts. I looked at Julian for help out of this, but he was staring at me too, like he was waiting for my answer even more than Rafael was.


    Doing the only thing I could really think to do, I stumbled forward, sharing as much as I could about my heart in this moment, even if it was ugly and uncertain, full of emotions and feelings that were


    impossible to name.


    ¡°I¡­ we¡­¡± This was difficult. I took a break and a breather, then tried again. ¡°Julian and are a still married but we¡¯ve been separated for some time. A divorce may be possible soon, as well as a split of the mating


    bond.¡±


    Julian paled.


    Rafael tilted his head ever so slightly to the side, considering the words.


    In a moment of silence, I lowered my head, thinking maybe that I¡¯d said the wrong thing. After all, I


    hadn¡¯t been certain about my words myself.


    Being with Julian for the night had been fantastic, but truly, sex had never been our problem. It was always the everything else that had been difficult between us.


    And it was those things that scared me now. Julian and I had botched so much in the past, but I couldn¡¯t afford to allow that to happen this time. With Alice in the mix, any wrong step could end up hurting her


    even more than it might hurt me.


    In such a vtile environment, how could a rtionship truly thrive?


    I cared for Julian, maybe even loved him, but we¡¯d always been poison for each other. And now, thinking about we had argued and Alice had cried, I didn¡¯t see that changing any time soon.


    ¡°I think you are wrong about the divorce,¡± Julian said. ¡°I think the things that you see as mistakes are anything but. Our rtionship has evolved over the years, moving forwards and backwards, but ultimately making us stronger as it brings us more together.¡±


    Rafael nced between us once more. ¡°It sounds like you two have very different ideas about what your rtionship is at the moment. Or maybe what it ever was.¡±


    Yes. It did seem that way, didn¡¯t it?


    Julian leaned closer to me. ¡°Don¡¯t give up on me, Amber. I will prove to you that I¡¯m a better man that I was, and that I can be there for you and Alice. You are my family. Please let me be yours.¡±


    I looked at Julian with surprise and uncertainty. Gods, I wanted to believe him, but everything was such a


    consistent mess. If Alice wasn¡¯t involved, then yes, certainly, I would likely dive straight into another situation with Julian, no more questions asked, even with our sorted past.


    But Alice was involved. And that meant I had to be more cautious than I would otherwise be.


    ¡°Julian <b>¨C</b>¡±


    At that moment, I was interrupted by a servant dropping a tray of sds right there in the doorway between the dining room and the kitchen. The servant was looking at me, his eyes wide.


    ¡°Mortimer<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>Rafael asked, looking back. The servant was a man old enough to be retired, with a long


    white mustache and a pale blue eyes. He stared at me like he was seeing a ghost.


    The man was in shock. Seeing this, Rafael stood and moved closer. Gently, he eased the man back into


    the kitchen, disappearing with him, the door swinging closed behind them.


    ¡°What was that about?¡± Julian asked, looking from the doorway back to me. ¡°Did you know that man<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    <b>¡°</b>No, I don¡¯t think so,¡± I said.


    ¡°He looked like he knew you.¡±


    ¡°He did,<b>¡± </b>I said. ¡°But I¡­¡±


    I thought back to the clinic earlier, and the entire reason I was at Rafael¡¯s house at all.


    That older woman, who had once been employed at this estate swore that she had known me, and that I


    had been here at one time.


    For it to happen twice¡­


    Julian and I had a lot of romantic entanglement to sort through and attempt to unravel, but ultimately he


    was someone I trusted with my daughter¡¯s life and with my own. He knew about my past, my hardships


    at the orphanage. I¡¯m sure he would understand my purpose here if I just exined.


    ¡°Julian,¡± I told him. ¡°Something happened at the clinic today¡­¡±


    Quickly, I gave him an overview of my meeting with the older woman and the things she said, and how it led me here, looking for answers, though I hadn¡¯t yet had the opportunity to ask Rafael the questions yet.


    Julian listened with a straight face, nodding now and then, not judging me at all. When I was finished, he pointed at the door. ¡°You think that man recognized you too?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know<i>,</i><i>¡± </i>I said. <b>¡°</b><b>It </b>seems to be the older folks that do. But that makes sense, doesn¡¯t it? If I had been here, I couldn¡¯t have been older than a baby when¡­¡±


    ¡°When they let you go,¡± Julian said.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened,¡± I said. It seemed unfair and unproductive to leap to conclusions. Like


    when I am doing my Healer work, it was important to look at all the facts and then decide where to go


    from there.


    I didn¡¯t have enough facts here to make any kind of hypothesis, and I wasn¡¯t going to hurt myself by jumping to conclusions. Until someone told me what was going on, I wouldn¡¯t make any guesses.


    After a moment, Rafael returned from the kitchen. There were a pair of new, younger servants with him who immediately went to clean up the mess. There was no sign of the older man.


    ¡°Is everything alright?¡± Julian asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,<i>¡± </i>Rafael said, but without his usual charm. He seemed to be moving somewhat stiffly now as well, like he wasn¡¯t quite sure of himself anymore.


    As he returned to his chair, he looked me over like he was inspecting me, truly seeing me for the first


    time.


    I didn¡¯t know what to make of it. We¡¯d had many conversations before this. Why would he choose now to look at me differently<b>? </b>


    ¡°Amber,¡± he said. ¡°What do you know about your family?¡±


    ¡°Next to nothing,¡± I replied. ¡°I grew up in an orphanage.¡±


    ¡°Do you remember anything from your time before?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°I only remember the orphanage.¡±


    He hummed, then turned to Julian. ¡°In your time as her husband and mate, did you ever use your resources as her mate to look into her past?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± Julian said, and his face reflected some of his guilt. ¡°We¡­ never really got into it. At the time, I didn¡¯t know it was that important to her¡­¡± He met my eyes. ¡°To you. I¡¯m sorry, Amber. I feel like I failed you once


    again.¡±


    ¡°You didn¡¯t,¡± I told him. ¡°Not about this. My past was part of what made me who I am. My foster parents¡­ It was too much to look that far back. I just wanted to move forward.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s something I need you <i>to </i>see,¡± Rafael said. ¡°Something that¡­ well, it won¡¯t exin anything, but it might help jog your memory¡­¡±


    X

 Main Flame 188

    Amber¡¯s POV


    +15 <b>BONUS </b>


    When Rafael stood from the table, Julian and I did the same and then followed him out of the dining room and out through the hallways to a grand ballroom. The ballroom had towering ceilings that went as high as the second story. A pair of winding staircases were the main feature of one wall, as they met halfway up to the second floor, and then descended to the ground level as one massive stairwell.


    Hanging at the apex of where the stairwell met was a massive oil painting. A portrait <b>of </b>a former Alpha,


    Luna, and their family.


    ¡°Is this you?¡± I asked, pointing to the little boy wearing a crown almost too big for his head.


    <b>¡°</b>Yes,¡± Rafael said. ¡°And my two sisters.¡±


    One of the sisters was nearer Rafael¡¯s age, if not a little younger, holding a doll shaped like a wolf. The other sister was a baby, sitting on her mother¡¯sp¡­


    I moved to that baby now and looked into eyes that seemed so¡­ familiar.


    ¡°Tell me,¡± Rafael said. ¡°Did you feel a connection with me when we just met? Something¡­ familial¡­<b>?</b>¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,<i>¡± </i>I admitted. ¡°My wolf came to meter in life and under duress¡­ Sometimes I don¡¯t think I


    feel things the same way others do. My wolf and I are close, but¡­ I¡¯m maybe not as in tune with her as I


    could be. I often feel much morefortable in my human skin.¡±


    Rafael frowned. ¡°<b>You </b>will have to tell me everything. I want to know it all, everything that happened to


    <b>you </b>in the past, and is happening to you know¡­¡±


    ¡°<b>You </b>think we are rted,¡± I said, slowly realizing.


    <b>¡°</b>I think you are my lost sister,¡± Rafael said, nodding toward the painting and the picture of the baby.


    ¡°That¡¯s a big leap with only a feeling for proof,¡± Julian said. ¡°Before anyone gets their hopes up and gets hurt<b>, </b>we should all think about getting scientific answers.¡±


    Rafael red <b>at </b>Julian. ¡°What is it to you? You are hardly even part of this.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°He¡¯s right. We shouldn¡¯t make assumptions. I don¡¯t want to get hurt by being wrong, and I


    doubt that you do either.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t<b><i>,</i></b><b><i>¡± </i></b>Rafael agreed with a sigh. ¡°But this bond I feel with you, Amber. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s nothing. At the very least¡­¡± He gave me a small smile. ¡°I truly hope it¡¯s not.¡±


    All at once, that smile triggered a new softness within me, and for once, I think I could feel what he was talking about. Maybe it had always been there<b>, </b>and I just hadn¡¯t known to listen to it. As I hadn¡¯t been raised with a wolf, I was never really sure what to listen for.


    Now I could feel it, a warm gentle buzz that whispered the promise and safety of family.


    I hoped I wasn¡¯t just imagining it, that my heart, which longed for family, wasn¡¯t just bringing the impossible to life.


    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯lle to the clinic in the morning,¡± Rafael said. ¡°We¡¯ll get a blood test.¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Yes. It would be good to know for sure.¡± Then, I asked, ¡°Did that servant ¨C Mortimer <b>¨C </b>


    recognize me?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Rafael said and smiled. ¡°When I went to talk to him, he said you were the spitting image of my¡­ our


    mother. She died when we were young.¡±


    I found her likeness in the painting. The features were simr but¡­..


    ¡°The painter had to go from memory,¡± Rafael said. ¡°It¡¯s barely a shadow of the brightness she truly was.¡±


    ¡°I wish I could have met her,¡± I said. ¡°And¡­ the father?¡± I asked, afraid to call him my yet, just as I was uncertain if I should call him your. I didn¡¯t know what he was to me yet. He could have been nothing.


    Or he could have been my father.


    Rafael looked at the painting. The Alpha there had a serious expression, dark hair, and steely eyes.


    ¡°He was a stern man made hard by our mother¡¯s <b>passing</b>.¡± Rafael said. ¡°But he did his best for us, at least for a while. When you¡­ were taken¡­ He fell apart. Our uncle minded the throne then, until I was old enough to challenge him for it. Life wasn¡¯t kind to our parents, but they loved each other and loved us, of


    that much I¡¯m certain.¡±


    I could tell that, if only from the soft way Rafael was looking at his family¡¯s portrait.


    ¡°Tomorrow, we¡¯ll get tested,¡± I said. ¡°And then soon, we¡¯ll know the truth.¡±


    I hoped these feelings were right. Even if the legacy was filled with tragedy<b>, </b>it would be nice to have one.


    To have a brother!


    The good mood stayed with me even as I parted with Rafael, even as I went back to the hotel, then reconnected with Julian, who had stopped to get Alice, even as I hugged her tight, hoping that soon she would have a blood uncle and a family history she could be proud of.


    The next morning, my good mood turned to nervousness. After hugging Alice and sending her off <b>to </b>the


    tutor, I went with Julian to the clinic.


    <b>¡°</b><b>You </b>don¡¯t have toe,¡± I tried to tell him, even as I was d for thepany.


    ¡°I will always be there for you,¡± he told me.


    At the clinic, Rafael was already there, pacing in the waiting room. When he spotted me, he made his way


    over. He seemed just as nervous as me.


    ¡°Ready<b>?</b>¡± he asked.


    ¡°We won¡¯t know right away,¡± I reminded him, and myself. ¡°We will still need <i>to </i>wait a few days for the


    results.¡±


    ¡°Even so,¡± Rafael said. ¡°I¡¯m more than eager to start the process.¡±


    ¡°Me, too.¡±


    We went in the back, where one of the nurses drew our blood, one after the other, with different vials. Everything was carefullybeled, checked and rechecked, then sent off for gic testing.


    ¡°Guess it¡¯s only a matter of time now,<i>¡± </i>Rafael said as we returned to the waiting room, where Julian stood to greet us again.


    ¡°Soon,¡± I said, smiling at him.


    He returned my smile ¨C until he noticed Julian and began to glower instead.


    To my dismay, it truly appeared that Rafael and Julian did not like each other. I had hoped that the revtion that Rafael could be my brother might cause Julian¡¯s jealousy to ease up, and in a way it had. Julian wasn¡¯t nearly as angry around Rafael anymore.


    Yet Rafael, it seemed, had a long memory. He did not seem overly fond of Julian. In fact, I was worried he might actually hate him.


    Whether or not Julian and I continued to pursue a romantic rtionship, he was still Alice¡¯s father. That would never change. And as such, he would always be a part of my life. If Rafael turned out to be my brother, he would also always be in my life.


    If they continued to hate each other, that could lead to things bing somewhat¡­plicated¡­ in the


    future.


    ¡°What are you even doing here?<i>¡± </i>Rafael said.


    ¡°I¡¯m here for Amber,¡± Julian replied.


    ¡°She doesn¡¯t need you.¡±


    ¡°Rafael,¡± I lightly scolded.


    ¡°You don¡¯t, Amber,<i>¡± </i>Rafael said. ¡°And soon, I¡¯m going to help you find a true Alpha to be your new mate.¡±

 Main Flame 189

    Julian¡¯s POV


    I didn¡¯t fight with Rafael for Amber¡¯s sake, but even after leaving the clinic, his words stuck with me. What had he meant by the things he had said? He was going to help Amber pick out a new Alpha? Did he already have one in mind, or was it just me personally that he foundcking, not good enough for his


    sister?


    What had he said about me?


    Too controlling.


    No. That wasn¡¯t an urate depiction of me, at least¡­ not mostly. And while I had been a grade¨CA


    asshole in the past, always keeping Amber in the dark, not telling anyone who would listen that she was


    my mate and I loved her, I had changed since then.


    Hopefully Amber knew that too.


    But what if she didn¡¯t.


    For that reason, on the way back to the hotel, I said to Amber, ¡°Why don¡¯t we get a babysitter for tonight?


    You and me, we can go out to a restaurant and talk things out, just the two of us.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­<i>¡± </i>


    She remained on the fence, so I didn¡¯t push, at least not untilter, when I asked if she wanted to go out


    again, this time in front of Alice.


    Alice drew in a sharp breath. ¡°Mommy! You have to!¡±


    With Alice¡¯s influence probably more than my own, Amber agreed and after hiring that babysitter, we


    went out for dinner together.


    I picked one of the nicer restaurants in town, one that had decent food and fine service but didn¡¯t require fancy dress. The concierge at the hotel rmended the ce. It seemed pleasant, the lights low and the atmosphere warm and intimate.


    Amber and I were given a table in the middle of the restaurant, but because the sides of our booth were so tall, we truly felt like we were somewhere smaller, able speaking privately.


    Amber, even in a button¨Cup blouse and jeans, her hair down, tangled slightly from work, with her makeup quickly refreshed, was so beautiful. I couldn¡¯t stop staring at her across the table.


    I¡¯d like to look at her every day for the rest of my life.


    Yet I had no idea how to say that out loud. It wouldn¡¯t be weed, that much I knew, even after everything we¡¯d been through together.


    She needed more time to see how genuine I was, how much I wanted her.


    That was the purpose of this. To show her I was more than just big moments in times of stress. I could be


    there for her in the small moments too.


    That meant putting in the effort. In dates. Inpliments. In the moments and spaces in between. A


    touch of the hand. A smile.


    I needed to give this a hundred and ten percent effort.


    I was an Alpha, and as such, I handled stressful situations all the time, but this¡­ This might be the most pressure I¡¯d ever felt before.


    Because this was about my mate. And it involved my future happiness for the rest of my life.


    Amber¡¯s POV


    I couldn¡¯t keep falling for Julian. I couldn¡¯t! I had to keep my aching and yearning heart firmly behind the walls I¡¯d build up so that I wouldn¡¯t fall even further into him.


    Yet, try as hard as I might, it was no use.


    I knew I was in love with Julian.


    And looking at him now, across the table in this warm and cozy restaurant, I couldn¡¯t stop myself from falling under his spell once more.


    ¡°Have you looked at the menu yet? I¡¯ve heard the seafood here is good<i>,¡± </i>Julian said.


    No, I hadn¡¯t had time <i>to </i>look at the menu, because I had been too busy staring into his eyes. ¡°How did you


    hear about this ce?¡±


    ¡°I asked the concierge at the hotel. She had a few suggestions, but I remembered you liked salmon.¡±


    ¡°I do.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ve got the best salmon in town here, presumably. I think it¡¯s worth trying out.¡±


    ¡°Alright.¡± But then I frown a little.


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°What if I don¡¯t like it?¡± I could be pretty picky, especially with my seafood.


    ¡°Then, I¡¯ll order something else, something safer, and if you don¡¯t like the salmon, we¡¯ll switch.¡±


    ¡°But didn¡¯t you want the salmon too?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± he said.


    I looked at him, taking in this small subtle moment of his selflessness, his putting myfort above his own. It was such a small moment. Maybe it didn¡¯t mean anything. Yet what he was offering felt like so


    much more.


    This wasn¡¯t something he would have done back when we were first married.


    Even after I agreed, I still didn¡¯t believe he would go through with it until he actually said his order to the waitress. Chicken. Even though he said the seafood was the best.


    And he did that for me.


    We passed off the menus and the waitress left. I lowered my chin to my chest, feeling a bit of happiness pulse through me.


    ¡°You know,¡± he says. ¡°Every day could be like this.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°This is how I want to treat you, Amber. Not just dinners out but at home too. I want us to befortable with each other, making trades to keep each other happy. I¡¯d eat all the chicken in the world if it means I get to see you smile.¡±


    It was tempting. But the tradeoff would be¡­ what? asional fighting in front of Alice? His jealousy if I got to close to another man. The fact that my maybe brother would hate his guts?


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, Julian,¡± I told him. ¡°Things are so messy between us. I just don¡¯t know how it could work


    out.¡±


    ¡°Then let me show you,<i>¡± </i>Julian said. ¡°We don¡¯t have to have everything worked out all at once. Just give me the chance, and I¡¯ll show you, over time, how things could be, how they could work. Give me the time to rebuild your trust and show you what a life with me could really be like, now that I¡¯m not a selfish ass


    anymore.¡±


    His vulgarity startled augh out of me.


    ¡°I was, too,¡± he said. ¡°You don¡¯t have to agree. We both know it was true.¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything,¡± I told him.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to. I already know how I was. I think I knew then too, but I was powerless to stop it. But when you left and that ne¡­¡± He swallowed hard, looking down. ¡°When I thought I lost you¡­. Everything changed for me, Amber. And it¡¯s been changing every day since. I want to be the kind of man that you and Alice deserve, but I need you to give me a chance.¡±


    ¡°Julian¡­<i>¡± </i>My heart melted for him, and I opened my mouth to reply, maybe even to agree.


    But at that same moment, a pair of gentleman came closer to our table.


    I recognized them but didn¡¯t believe what I was seeing right away.


    Rafael wasn¡¯t a surprise. This was his pack, and this was a popr restaurant, it made sense to run into


    him. The other man though¡­


    ¡°Roman?¡±


    Roman grinned as he came over to our table, almost like he had been looking for me. ¡°Amber. It¡¯s been a


    while. Hello.¡±


    Julian frowned, and he wasn¡¯t the only one.

 Main Flame 190

    Julian¡¯s POV


    Seeing Roman again made my blood boil, but finally Rafael¡¯s words from this morning had be abundantly clear.


    Running into them was no coincidence, despite the way Roman was smiling at Amber and telling her,<b>¡± </b>Rafael invited me to visit his pack as a show ofradery between our two packs. I had no idea you¡¯d be


    here.¡±


    Everything about that screamed that it was a lie, especially as Rafael had already made that earlier threat against me. He¡¯d been nning on bringing Roman in, just to try to get him between Amber and <ol><li>me. </li></ol>


    I watched Amber closely, seeing if she would fall for the lie. She seemed as ufortable as I felt.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while,¡± she said to him.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he replied. ¡°It has been. A while, I mean. But it¡¯s good to see you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Amber replied. ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you too.¡±


    Roman smiled, but it was a bit awkward. ¡°You mean it?¡± he seemed like he genuinely couldn¡¯t tell.


    ¡°I mean¡­¡± Amber hesitated, stumbling with her words now that he had called her out. Clearly, she hadn¡¯t been expecting that. ¡°Yes?¡± She sounded as unsure as he did.


    Gods, even watching this interaction was painful.


    ¡°We were in the middle of dinner,¡± I said, gesturing to the table. Yes, the food hadn¡¯te yet, but that was all the more reason for this twosome to disappear.


    ¡°You don¡¯t mind if Roman and I join you, do you?¡± Rafael asked. His grin was sharp. He knew exactly what he was doing, or at least he thought he did. I wasn¡¯t sure he fully understood all the history that stood between Roman and Amber however, or he might not be so eager to invite the man to be his new brother¨Cinw.


    I certainly wasn¡¯t about to give up the position anytime soon, not to anyone, least of all Roman.


    ¡°I¡­¡± Amber started, but then looked at me. There was something pleading in her eyes, like she was giving me a secret message. Help me.


    ¡°I think this booth is really only for two people,¡± I said.


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll grab a couple of chairs,¡± Rafael said.


    <b>¡°</b>I really don¡¯t think that¡¯s necessary,¡± Amber said.


    +15 <b>BONUS </b>


    <b>¡°</b><b>It </b><b>will </b><b>be </b><b>good </b>to catch up,¡± Roman said. His awkward smile gained some <b>warmth </b>then<b>. </b><b>Just </b><b>looking </b><b>at </b>


    <b>him</b>, he <b>seemed </b><b>to </b>genuinely care about Amber<b>, </b>which made me deeply <b>ufortable</b><b>. </b><b>¡°</b><b>How </b><b>is </b><b>Alice </b>


    doing<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    Amber<b>, </b><b>too</b><b>, </b>seemed to soften at the question. ¡°She¡¯s doing well.<b>¡± </b>


    ¡°I bet she misses me,¡± Roman said.


    That soured Alice¡¯s mood. I remembered a cool night in the parking lot where Alice ran <b>to </b><b>me</b><b>, </b>crying


    because she did not want her mom and Roman to be together.


    Knowing Alice as I did, I doubted that position of hers had changed much since theirst meeting.


    ¡°I¡­<b>¡± </b>Amber looked around, deer¨Cin¨Cthe¨Cheadlights like, before finally putting her napkin on the table and


    saying, ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m just not feeling very hungry anymore.¡±


    ¡°We just ordered,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry<b><i>,</i></b><b><i>¡± </i></b>she said again.


    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯ll have them make it to go,¡± I said at once and moved out of the booth as she did. I gave her the keys <b>so </b>she could escape to the car while I spotted the waitress near the hostess station.


    <b>¡°</b><b>If </b>Julian wishes to stay, I could drive you home, Amber,¡± Roman said. ¡°Then we¡¯d have some chances to


    <b>talk</b>.<b>¡± </b>


    Again, Amber¡¯s pleading look came back to me.


    <b>¡°</b><b>That </b>won¡¯t be necessary<b>,</b>¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m more than happy to escort Amber back <b>to </b>the hotel <b>we </b><b>are </b>both <b>staying </b>in. <b>Together</b>,¡± I added thatst word for a bit <b>of </b>punch, which, with the way Roman winced,


    <b>seemed </b><b>to </b><b>have </b><b>met </b>its intended mark.


    Amber <b>gave </b><b>me </b>an annoyed sort of look, but it quickly dissolved into <b>one </b><b>of </b><b>gratitude</b>.


    <b>¡°</b><b>Gentleman</b>, <b>if </b><b>you </b><b>will </b><b>excuse </b><b>us</b><b>,</b><b>¡± </b>I said <b>to </b>Rafael and Roman and <b>then </b>ushered <b>Amber </b><b>toward </b><b>the front </b><b>of the </b><b>restaurant</b>. As she went outside<b>, </b><b>I </b>went <b>to </b>the desk <b>to </b><b>see </b><b>how </b><b>far </b><b>along </b><b>our </b><b>meals </b><b>were </b>and <b>to </b>


    <b>settle </b><b>the </b>bill.

 Main Flame 191

    ¡°We¡¯ll catch upter, then!¡± Roman called after Amber.


    Rafael¡¯s POV


    This¡­ did not go as well as I would have thought it would have. By all ounts, the articles and tabloids had painted Roman and Amber to have a heated affair during her time at his pack. While my own run¨Cins with the tabloids kept me from believing the worst of the garbage they printed, I still had some suspicion there might have been a kernel of truth in his words.


    Now, seeing the awkward way the pair interacted and the way Amber practically flew out of here, I had no idea what to think.


    It was clear they hadn¡¯t been in contact in some time. Maybe that could ount for some awkwardness.


    But not all of it.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure this will work,¡± Roman said to me. ¡°Amber and I are friends, but she¡¯s always kept a wall up, unable to connect with me emotionally. Part of that, I think is because of Julian, but I¡¯m not sure¡­¡±


    ¡°The two of you just need some time together,¡± I said. ¡°Without Julian in the way. Trust me, I can facilitate


    that.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure that will be enough,¡± Roman said. ¡°I¡¯ve taken chances in the past. I even proposed¡­¡±


    Gods, maybe this was an uphill battle, but I wasn¡¯t going to give up on this n. Not yet.


    Compared to Julian, who was an insufferable brute, Roman was an honest, hard¨Cworking man who seemed to genuinely care for Amber.


    He was the kind of man I would want her to be with, to help take care of her and the pack. Perhaps, someday, we could facilitate a pack merger¡­


    But that wasn¡¯t why I wanted this. I genuinely wanted what was best for my sister. Or maybe sister. Or¡­


    ¡°Listen, Roman. You are perfect for Amber, she just needs to realize it. Trust me, I will take care of everything. I¡¯ll make moments for the two of you to be together. And when she can finally see the kind of man you are, she won¡¯t even remember Julian¡¯s name.¡®


    That was a tall order, even for me. I hoped I could pull it off.


    Julian¡¯s POV


    I followed Amber out into the parking lot where I found her waiting by the car. I¡¯d given her the keys, so I


    found this curious. She could have waited inside instead.


    ¡°You okay?<i>¡± </i>I asked.


    +15 <b>BONUS </b>


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t sit still,¡± she said. She pushed away from the car door then<b>, </b>shuffling her feet while weaving her fingers together<b>, </b>showing her restlessness. ¡°I was rude to him. He didn¡¯t deserve it.¡±


    <b>¡°</b><b>It </b>was a shock seeing him after all this time,¡± I said. ¡°You two weren¡¯t romantic, right? But <b>you </b>still had history. You didn¡¯t have to be nice, Amber. That was an ambush. You didn¡¯t have to be anything.¡±


    ¡°Still¡­¡±


    Leaning closer to her, I pressed a soft kiss to her cheek. ¡°You are a good person with a kind heart. But it was okay to want to look out for yourself tonight. You were surprised. No one will judge you for that, especially me. And not even Rafael.¡±


    She blinked, like she was surprised that I could tell she wanted to impress her maybe brother.


    ¡°He will understand,¡± I told her.


    She smiled a little at me, seeming to rx. She smiled more as I handed her the boxed up salmon. She


    tried a bite on the way home and moaned so loud I nearly swerved off the road.


    ¡°Good<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>I asked.


    <b>¡°</b>Yes<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    Her voice was heaven.


    Now <b>I </b>just needed to find a way to make sure I was the one hearing it every single day.

 Main Flame 192

    <b>Chapter </b><b>192 </b>


    Amber¡¯s POV


    Seeing Roman again did something to me. I couldn¡¯t really exin it. Yes, I was still furious at him for lying about being my fianc¨¦, but we had so much history that I should have been able to put that aside to remember our friendship.


    Yet, maybe it had been because of the surprise of the situation, but I hadn¡¯t handled it well. Seeing him had unlocked something within me, a kind of nervousness, like a memory of a past I was trying to move


    on from.


    We had a lot of history, and not all of it was bad. But I felt almost like a different person back then. Being


    confronted by him was like being confronted by that person that I used to be.


    I wasn¡¯t ready to deal with that. Though I did regret being so standoffish from a friend. Even Julian¡¯s reassurances hadn¡¯t helped me feel like I¡¯d been anything but an ass to Roman. Reasonable or no, he had


    still saved my life all those years ago. He still deserved more than my cold shoulder.


    So when he showed up at the clinic the next day under the guise of needing a physical, I didn¡¯t turn him away. I knew his story was unlikely. He was the Alpha of his own pack, and that pack was not on my list


    of ces that needed my help. He had plenty of doctors and facilities there. If he truly needed a physical,


    he could have gotten one before he left toe to Rafael¡¯s pack to visit.


    He was clearly just trying to see me, and perhaps get into my good graces. Still, even understanding the


    ruse<b>, </b>I allowed it, leading him back to one of the examination rooms.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about yesterday,¡± Roman said when he sat down on the examination table. I stood beside him with my clipboard and his folder. Technically, he was a new patient. As he hadn¡¯t brought any records over from his pack, we had to start fresh. ¡°It must have been surprising to see me so quickly. I wanted to


    take things slower but¡­¡±


    I waited for him to finish. When he didn¡¯t, I prompted, ¡°But?¡±


    Roman cleared his throat as he looked down at his hands. ¡°Rafael thought it would be better to surprise


    you. He was very convincing.¡± He looked up at me again. ¡°Is it true he¡¯s your brother?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯re testing that,¡± I said. ¡°We don¡¯t know for sure.¡±


    He nods, an understanding look crossing his face. ¡°It would be good for you to have some family. I never wanted you to be alone, Amber. You and Alice.¡±


    ¡°I know that,¡± I said. At this point, I was using the clipboard as a shield. Studying it and its empty lines and checkboxes was easier than looking at Roman¡¯s face.


    ¡°I was hoping¡­ Well, you know that I will always be here for you, don¡¯t you?¡± Roman asked. ¡°Even after all this time, I am still your friend. At least, I think so¡­ Do you?<b>¡± </b>


    +15 <b>BONUS </b>


    I felt a little like he was putting me on the post, especially when he was supposed to be here for a physical. I knew from the start that had been a lie, but now, I lowered the clipboard to confront him with that knowledge.


    Put him on the spot for a change. ¡°You don¡¯t really need a physical, do you?¡± I asked.


    He lowered his head again. His shoulders slouched slightly, like a child who had been properly scolded.


    <b>¡°</b><b>No</b>,¡± he admitted. ¡°I was just hoping to talk to you. With the way you disappearedst night, I wasn¡¯t sure if you¡¯d want to just talk to me face to face. Though, I understand why you reacted why you did. Last time we split ways, I wasn¡¯t exactly kind to you. I¡¯d wanted to protect you but I hurt you instead.¡±


    ¡°You told everyone we were engaged,¡± I said. ¡°We weren¡¯t. We aren¡¯t. We¡¯ve never been.¡±


    ¡°I know. I¡¯m sorry, Amber. Truly. If I knew it would hurt you¡­¡±


    He did know. He had to. After all, he had asked me and I said no. Yet he had still pushed forward with the lie, taking my own decisions out of my hands. He¡¯d always been like this, assuming he knew what was


    best for me even more than I did.


    There was a time where I had been grateful for it. After the ne ident, I had been so lost and so confused, I had needed a hero to swoop in and help make the decisions.


    But not anymore. While I was grateful for his actions of the past, he couldn¡¯t keep acting like I was a


    damsel and only he could save me.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Amber,¡± he said again. Looking up, I could see the sincerity in his eyes as he looked at me. He truly seemed to want to fix things. ¡°Can we start over? Can we be friends again?<b>¡± </b>


    ¡°Roman,¡± I said. I searched my heart for what I wanted, what I felt, and I knew, ¡°We are still friends.¡±


    Roman smiled then, and I felt a bit of relief myself. At least, I did, for a moment. Then Roman flicked his


    eyes downward, ncing over my body.


    <b>It </b>was a lightning fast look,sting only a blink before his gaze returned to my face. But I had seen it as clearly as I had seen anything.


    He had checked me out.


    And I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, this man wanted to be more than friends.


    Julian¡¯s POV


    With Alice at the tutor¡¯s again and my Beta running things sessfully back home, I had nothing to do and nowhere to go. Normally, this wouldn¡¯t bother me as much as it did right at this moment. But after the ambushst night, I was feeling restless.


    I couldn¡¯t just sit around aimless at the hotel. Even a walk wasn¡¯t going to be enough to satisfy me.


    So instead, I made my way to the gym to work out some of this aggressive energy.


    Ever since Roman appeared, I¡¯d been filled with a strange kind of possessive rage. No, it had existed


    before Roman too. When I had thought Rafael was a threat interested romantically in Amber, I had been no less enraged.


    Now, in the gym, I walked right to the punching bag and worked out some of my anger. I threw punch


    after punch, not stopping for a long while, not even as my muscles strained and I grew sweaty. The punch


    bag began to creak precariously, and as I ripped the bag with my knuckle, I finally stopped.


    I cursed, then pushed my fingers through my sweat¨Cdamp hair. ¡°What the hell is wrong with me?¡± <b>I </b>


    cursed under my breath.


    A patron who had been watching me for a while approached then.


    ¡°Forgive the intrusion,¡± the man said, ¡°But uh¡­ I¡¯ve seen something like this before¡­¡±


    <b>¡°</b>You have?¡± I asked, looking at him with urgency. He was an older man, his gray hair and wrinkles speaking of his experience. ¡°Do you know why I feel this way<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    ¡°This ragees from a strain in your mating bond,¡± the man said. He nodded, certain. ¡°The only way to fix it is to reestablish the mating bond.¡±


    <b>¡°</b>You mean<b>¡­</b><b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    ¡°Yes,¡± he said. ¡°You have to bite your mate again.¡±

 Main Flame 193

    <b>Chapter </b><b>193 </b>


    Julian¡¯s POV


    I had no idea if I could trust this random man at the gym, but honestly, his exnation was the best one I


    mind. had heard yet. Certainly more usible then all the wild notions crossing my


    A strain in the mating bond could certainly exin my rise in possessiveness and the rage I felt, the urge I had to punch Roman in the face.


    I couldn¡¯t be sure, and I certainly couldn¡¯t move forward on the guess of a stranger. So after cleaning myself up in the locker room of the gym, I made my way to the library.


    Research had never been one of my stronger skillsets. As an Alpha, I was more prone to a straightforward approach, busting heads together until someone else spilled the answer. But since be reunited with Amber, especially when I took on the role as her assistant, I learned some skills I never would have thought I¡¯d have the patience for in the past.


    My training with Amber had prepared me for tasks like this, so I knew how to track down the information I needed, or at least where to search for it. Even with that confidence and knowledge, it took me a couple of hours to find the right book, and then longer to discover what I needed from inside of it.


    Books on mating bonds tended to be mostly fluff. It was more difficult to find scientific tomes, especially those that covered what could be wrong. But after some intense searching, I finally found a book of possible medical conditions that directly rted to the mating bond.


    After searching for my symptoms, specifically my increased possessiveness and my rise in aggression toward other males around my mate, I was able to limit what it could be.


    In fact, it seemed absolutely certain to be one thing.


    After sleeping with a mate for the first time in a long time, the mating bond will feel strained and needed


    to be reestablished.


    It was just as the man at the gym had warned me about.


    To reaffirm the bond and <i>to </i>calm my possessiveness, I needed to bite Amber.


    The problem with that, of course, was I could not envision her allowing me to do that in a hundred years. <b>I </b>was still uncertain of our rtionship at present. Right now, even after just having sex recently, we seemed caught somewhere between friendship and more than friends.


    If I pushed for something like this, it would undoubtedly drive her away from me. Besides that, I wouldn¡¯t want her to feel forced, to cure this medical condition. If hopefully when I restored our bond by renewing the bite on her neck, I hoped it would to reaffirm our love.


    ¨C


    Until then, I had to just deal with it. Unless there was some other solution¡­<b>? </b>


    ¨C


    I searched through the book, but it offered little other alternatives. The only other option, it seemed, was to break the mating bond entirely through mutual rejection.


    Like hells, we would be doing that. I could deal with this forever, if that was the alternative.


    But the longer I was left to think about it, the more uncertain I was about everything. I was starting <i>to </i>feel somewhat feral, and I didn¡¯t want to give into the aggressiveness and identally hurt someone, especially in front of Amber or Alice.


    I was an Alpha. I needed to be an example for my family and my pack. If no one could trust me not to blow up, then I didn¡¯t deserve my title.


    The more I thought about it, the more I thought that maybe I should talk to Amber about this. Not because I wanted her to agree to renewing the mating bite, but because she was the best Healer on the continent. If there was anyone who might have some additional solutions, wouldn¡¯t it be her?


    She was an expert on health. She had probably even dealt with conditions like this before.


    If I exined this to her and told her I was looking for a third solution ¨C she might know where to look if nothing else. And I could do the research. I¡¯d be happy to if it meant not pressuring her or losing her.


    I¡¯d do whatever I had to, to keep the status quo.


    So, that evening, after Amber and Alice returned and we all sat to dinner around our small table, I thought of broaching the issue.


    ¡°Someone said something strange at the gym today,¡± I said to preface.


    Amber nodded, not truly paying attention to me. She seemed utterly distracted, her gaze mostly drawn to


    Alice.


    ¡°It was really interesting,¡± I pressed. ¡°I think it might be relevant.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s nice,¡± she said, and I deted slightly.


    I knew she had a lot of her own drama going on, especially with Rafael maybe her brother and Roman¡¯s


    return. But¡­ if nothing else, we were friends. Surely she could make a minute for me?


    Although, maybe this was a sign I shouldn¡¯t talk to her about this. What if she wanted to force a rejection. for my sake? I¡¯d rather suffer.


    Looking at Alice, Amber proved she hadn¡¯t been paying attention at all to me, lost in her own thoughts, by asking her daughter, ¡°Alice, how would you feel about seeing Roman again?¡±


    Alice froze.


    Alice¡¯s POV


    I didn¡¯t really want to see Roman again. He could be scary sometimes, though I didn¡¯t think he meant to be. He just wanted things that I didn¡¯t want. Like, he wanted to be my dad, but Julian was the dad I wanted. He also wanted Mom to be his wife.


    <b>I </b>didn¡¯t like that idea either. To me, the perfect family would be Mom as my mom and Julian as my dad. I¡¯d been secretly hoping that they would want to get married, making us a family for real.


    They both were kind of stubborn though, at least when it came to that. They liked each other, even I could tell, but they never really admitted to each other. Every time I think they will, one or the other got cold


    feet.


    I wished I could just smoosh them together until they figured out how much they loved each other. Love


    shouldn¡¯t be this hard!


    Adults didn¡¯t do enough talking. Or maybe they talked too much, but none of what they really said was all


    that important.


    They didn¡¯t say the important parts out loud.


    Things like, I love you and I want you to be my wife.


    If Julian said that, everything would work out.


    Instead, Mom was asking me if I wanted to see Roman.


    Did she want to see Roman?


    I didn¡¯t want Roman to be my Dad, but I did want my mom to be happy. Did she think Roman would make her happy? But what about Julian?


    Adults could be so confusing sometimes.


    Maybe what they really needed was my help. If I could find a way to get Mom and Julian together, so they could realize they want to be together, then we could be a family for real.


    Roman didn¡¯t have anything to do with anything.


    And he only seemed to make Dad mad.


    ¡°I guess,¡± I said, hoping that Mom could see that as a no.


    Instead she nodded. ¡°Okay.¡±


    Ug! That wasn¡¯t what I wanted.


    Mom and Dad both really needed my help. It seemed like I was the only one who could bring this family


    together.


    And I would do whatever <b>I </b>could to make that happen!


    Chapter <b>194 </b>

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    Chapter <b>194 </b>


    Amber¡¯s POV


    Alice seemed to have some hesitation about meeting Roman again, and I couldn¡¯t really me her. I still had my own reluctance. But he had been there for us when no one else was, and he had been a good friend. Even with the things that had happened¡­


    But, I didn¡¯t know. Roman¡¯s behavior toward me, I could forgive. But I distinctly remember that confrontation in the parking lot outside of one of the events in Julian¡¯s pack, when Roman had made


    Alice cry.


    Dealing with Roman on my own right now was stressful enough. Could I really <i>expose </i>Alice to that too, after everything she¡¯d been through? Her ne was working for right now, despite the power being weakened. If Roman pushed her to an extreme again, would the ne continue to work?


    As new worries flooded my mind, a knock on my door startled me.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get it,<i>¡± </i>Julian said, standing before I could argue. He left Alice and me at the table while he walked to the door and answered it. As he opened the door, I saw one of Rafael¡¯s messengers standing beyond it. He handed Julian a crisp white envelope. It was too square to be a letter. Instead, it looked like some kind of


    formal invitation.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Julian told the messenger, then closed the door.


    ¡°What is that?¡± Alice asked as Julian walked closer.


    ¡°It¡¯s for your mom,¡± he said.


    ¡°You can open it,¡± I said. ¡°I really wasn¡¯t in any state of mind to handle any more surprises, particrly alone. I valued Julian¡¯s presence and his help, and relied on him here and now to help keep me whole when all of my mixed feelings were threatening to rattle me apart.


    Julian nced at me for confirmation. When I nodded, he tore the envelope open and pulled out a single rectangr bit of cardstock. An invitation then, at least that was what it seemed like from this distance.


    ¡°Rafael is holding a party to wee Roman,¡± Julian said. He flipped the card over to check the back. It¡¯s tomorrow, and only for you and Alice.¡±


    Immediately, detecting his growing agitation, I pushed aside his worry. Or tried to. ¡°Of course you are invited<i>,¡± </i>I said. ¡°You will being with me.¡±


    ¡°I will?¡± he asked, looking up.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said. ¡°I want you there.¡±


    That seemed to calm him. Even his face started to rx a little.


    ¡°Alice, though, I think we will hire a babysitter for you,¡± I said.


    ¡°I want to go to the party!¡± she said at once, outraged by my suggestion otherwise.


    Again, I saw her face, tearstained and frightened after Roman had made her cry. The thought of reintroducing them had been a bad one, and I wasn¡¯t in any kind of hurry to make that happen.


    ¡°Please Mom? I will be extra good!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I think you will misbehave, honey,¡± I said. ¡°But Roman will be there. And I don¡¯t want to¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± she said. ¡°I want to go.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be there,¡± Julian said. ¡°I will protect you both.¡±


    Looking at Julian, I wanted to believe that. He always protected us in the past. But it wasn¡¯t physical protection I thought we might be in need of this time, it was protection of the heart.


    I wasn¡¯t worried Roman would strike against us physically. Instead, I thought he might try to kindle something romantic with me, or try to impose himself as Alice¡¯s father, like he always tried to in the past, no matter how hard Alice pushed back against that.


    But between Alice¡¯s pleading eyes and Julian¡¯s unrivaled confidence, I found I couldn¡¯t reject either of them.


    ¡°Fine,¡± I said after a moment. ¡°But if anything starts to feel strange, we leave, okay? We don¡¯t have to stay the whole time.¡±

 Main Flame 195

    Chapter <b>195 </b>


    ¡°Okay,¡± Alice said.


    ¡°Agreed,¡± Julian added.


    I guessed it was decided, then.


    Alice¡¯s POV


    Okay, I got myself invited to the party. That was all good, but it was only the start of my n <i>to </i>get Mom


    and Dad back together.


    The next step? ¡°Gosh, I really wish I had a new dress to wear to the party,¡± I said, loud and a bit whiny, just in the right tone to get Dad¡¯s attention.


    ¡°You know, that¡¯s not a bad idea,¡± Dad said. ¡°Amber, why don¡¯t I take you and Alice <i>to </i>the store? You could get matching dresses. Would you like that, Alice?¡±


    I nodded. ¡°Yes!¡± And, okay, I wanted to get Mom and Dad back together, but having a new dress and


    feeling like a princess would be nice too. Why not both!


    Mom didn¡¯t agree so easily. She gave me a kind of look that told me she knew I already had a bunch of dresses in my suitcases. But those dresses weren¡¯t a new dress, which I tried to tell her by sticking out my lip and slouching my shoulders a little.


    In the end, I was the winner. Dad rounded us up and took us to the dress store.


    It was filled with beautiful fabrics and dresses, I didn¡¯t know where to put my eyes, and ended up


    spinning in circles. I was a little dizzy, until Dad put his hands on my shoulders, keeping me steady as he urged me forward into the shop.


    At the counter, there was a nice lookingdy who smiled with a lot of teeth.


    ¡°We need matching mother¨Cdaughter dresses,¡± Mom said and gestured to me.


    The woman pped her hands together. ¡°I have the perfect thing!¡± She disappeared into the store for a


    minute and then returned with two different pairs of dresses. One set was purple, the other more blue. An


    ocean color with some glitter in the skirt.


    ¡°Which do you want to try first, Alice?¡± Dad asked me.


    I pointed at the sparkly one, thinking it might make me feel like a mermaid in that color with that glitter!


    The saledy smiled as she carried the dresses to the changing rooms. Dad stayed out in the main area. There was a bench there. While Mom and I went into the back to change.


    Mom helped me with my dress because there was a zipper in the back I couldn¡¯t reach. The minute I was


    zipped up, I turned to look in the mirror and gasped!


    I did look like a mermaid! Laughing, I swished my dress back and forth. Behind me in the changing room, Mom put on her own matching dress. Hers was the same color but it was a little different around the neck. Mine had a high cor, but Mom¡¯s was lower. Still, she looked like a mermaid too.


    ¡°You have to swish your skirt, Mom. Like this.¡± I showed her.


    She followed my lead, swishing her skirt back and forth. Her skirt was a bit bigger than mine and


    swished even better than mine.


    Mom wasn¡¯t just a mermaid, she was a mermaid queen!


    Dad had to see this. He would fall in love with Mom all over again, and my n would be closer to being a


    victory.


    ¡°We have to show Dad!¡± I said at once and unlocked the changing room door before Mom could stop me.


    ¡°Alice!¡± she called, hurrying after me as I darted from the room. I ran back to the main room, and Dad looked up.


    He smiled when he spotted me, but that smile froze when he saw Mom next.


    His eyes went wide and his mouth opened a little, just like the princes do in my movies when they see the princesses for the first time.


    I couldn¡¯t stop grinning. My n was working!

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    Chapter <b>196 </b>


    Amber¡¯s POV


    I didn¡¯t usually wear dresses this color or this cut, and I was feeling self¨Cconscious about it. Alice looked beautiful in her dress, but I didn¡¯t feel as pretty. Yet, the minute she ran out of the changing room, whatever nerves I had been feeling flew out the window as I gave chase after my daughter.


    I followed her into the main room where Julian was waiting on one of the benches there. First he looked at Alice, and then his gaze lifted to me.


    Knowing Alice was safe, I stopped as well, my nerves flooding back to me all at once. I didn¡¯t feel pretty in this gown, but now with Julian seeing it, I was feeling even more uncertain about it.


    But then I watched his face shift, go ck. His eyes widened a little as they slowly lowered. He took in all of me, inch by careful inch before lifting his eyes back to mine again.


    ¡°You look¡­¡± he said, his voice trailing like he couldn¡¯t find the words.


    My insecurities screamed within me that he mustn¡¯t have been able to find a word to describe how badly I looked, but knowing him as I did, I knew that wasn¡¯t what his real problem was. He was looking at me like I was some kind of vision, or like all of his dreams made real at once.


    ¡°She¡¯s beautiful,¡± Alice provided.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Julian said at once. It took a moment, but he came back to himself. He smiled down at Alice, too, then. ¡°You both look so beautiful.¡±


    ¡°Like mermaids,¡± Alice said, grinning wide. She almost seemed¡­ proud.


    Well, whatever made her happy.


    ¡°I think we have a winner,¡± Julian said. ¡°And the first dress you both tried. How lucky is that?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re sure,¡± I said, ncing down at myself. ¡°This is the one?¡±


    Julian¡¯s smile softened as he stepped closer to me. His hand was holding Alice¡¯s keeping her safe, so I allowed myself to lose track of her for a moment. Looking into the depths of Julian¡¯s eyes, I lost track of everything else too.


    ¡°Amber,¡± he said, his voice very gentle. ¡°You¡¯re a vision in this.¡±


    That was enough to convince me. ¡°Okay,¡± I said. In that moment, with him looking at me like that, I probably would have believed anything he said.


    ¡°That settles it then,<i>¡± </i>Julian said, still smiling. ¡°In that case, I need a tie to match, so everyone there will know we belong to each other.¡±


    As he turned to find the sales associate, I took Alice¡¯s hand and led her back to the changing room.


    ¡°Daddy likes you, Mom,¡± Alice said.


    I already knew he did, but hearing how Alice noticed too¡­


    It warmed this treacherous heart that kept not listening to my more reasonable head. A romantic entanglement with Julian was such a bad idea¡­ no matter how much it was exactly what my heart


    wanted.


    Julian¡¯s POV


    The night of the party, I hired a car to take the three of us to Rafael¡¯s estate for the party. Once there, we had to wait in a long line of cars to get to the front of the estate, as each car was dropping off a guest or


    two.


    When it was our turn, we stepped out and onto the porch. Rafael was there, receiving his guests. When he saw Alice and Amber, his face brightened. Leaning down he scooped Alice up into his arms and swung her around. Alice giggled the whole time.


    <b>¡°</b>Uncle!¡±


    ¡°A little angel has arrived at my house,<i>¡± </i>Rafael said brightly. ¡°We are blessed this day.¡± As he lowered her back to her feet, he grinned at Amber next. ¡°And a grown angel too. Hello, sister.¡±


    <b>¡°</b><b>You </b>don¡¯t have to call me that,¡± Amber said. ¡°We don¡¯t know yet if I¡¯m really your sister or not.¡±


    ¡°It feels right, doesn¡¯t it?¡± Rafael said. ¡°Please, go in and make yourself at home. Roman is just inside.¡± His gaze then falls on me. ¡°Oh. Julian. I didn¡¯t realize you were also here.¡±


    ¡°I brought him with me,¡± Amber said. ¡°I hope that¡¯s not a problem.¡±


    ¡°Of course not, dear sister,¡± Rafael said. ¡°Not if you are the one who wants him here.¡± He said that, smiling at Amber. But the minute she looked away, he red at me.


    I clearly wasn¡¯t wee at all. Too bad, so sad, I was here whether he liked it or not.


    Amber wanted me here, and that was enough for me.


    ¡°Thanks for the warm wee,¡± I said to Rafael, trying not to let his rudeness get to me.


    Fortunately<b>, </b>our car pulled away behind us and a new car brought new guests, dragging his attention there instead. I was able to step past him and enter the house with the rest of my family.


    Just inside the door, Roman was waiting. Seeing Amber, he immediately smiled, waved, and came closer. ¡°Amber. There you are. I was beginning to worry you weren¡¯t going to make it.¡±


    We weren¡¯tte, which meant that Roman had to be anxious just about Amber¡¯s arrival.


    It took Roman a beat too long to notice Alice. Alice cleared her throat in a very unsubtly way.


    Roman startled and then looked down at her. ¡°Oh! Alice! There you are. Why, it¡¯s so good to see you¡­


    You¡¯ve grown up so much. And you are wearing the same dress as your mom.¡±


    It was almost painful watching this, as Roman struggled to talk to Alice. Had he always been this


    awkward with her, or was this a result of their separation. Thinking back, I suspected it was the first. Roman didn¡¯t seem like the type who was good with kids, and Alice was smart enough to clock that


    about him.


    ¡°We bought our dresses together,¡± Alice said. ¡°And it matches Dad¡¯s tie.¡±


    I lifted the end of the tie a bit for Roman to see. When he did, Roman¡¯s jaw clenched.


    ¡°Yes. How nice.¡± Looking at Amber again, he said, ¡°I wish you would have told me. I would have loved to


    coordinate too.¡±


    His tie was a type of coral color, not quite orange, not quite pink. It didn¡¯t look terrible next to the aquamarine, but it was clear the two weren¡¯t here together.


    This eased some of the possessive anger rising within me.


    ¡°Come,¡± Roman said. ¡°I¡¯ll show you to the main ballroom. There¡¯s an orchestra there, Alice. You might like


    that.¡±


    We were all about to start forward, following Roman, when I heard my name called from behind me.


    ¡°Julian, a minute please,¡± Rafael said, approaching me, havinge in from outside. ¡°It will only take a


    moment.¡±


    I wanted to tell him no, but he was the host of this party as well as Amber¡¯s potential brother. And the Alpha of the pack we were presently in.


    For all these reasons, I had to at least grant him my respect, even if it annoyed me. So I dipped my head and followed him as he led me to a side room. As he opened the door and stepped inside, I realized it was his office. After I entered, he closed the door behind me.


    ¡°I was hoping we could have a conversation once and for all,¡± he said.


    ¡°What about?¡± I asked him, though I already had a pretty good idea, just as I imagined I was about to hate everything about this talk.


    Rafael straightened, looked at me, and said, ¡°I don¡¯t think you are good enough for my sister.¡±


    Chapter <b>197 </b>

 Main Flame 197

    Chapter <b>197 </b>


    Amber¡¯s POV


    We followed Roman all the way out to the ballroom before I realized Julian was no longer behind us. Clutching Alice¡¯s hand, I started ncing around, looking for him. I was trying to be subtle at first, not wanting to be rude to Roman, who was trying to talk to me, or to tip off Alice, who seemed distracted by the band and the pretty dresses and the hors d¡¯oeuvres the waiters were carrying around.


    ¡°You seem distracted, Amber,¡± Roman said after a moment.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I just ¨C¡°I started.


    Alice finished, ¡°Mommy, where¡¯s Julian?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± I told Roman. ¡°I realized we¡¯ve gotten separated. I was looking for him.¡±


    ¡°He must be around here somewhere,¡± Roman said. ¡°Unless you think he might have just left you here?¡±


    There wasn¡¯t a chance in hell of that happening. ¡°No,¡± I said.


    Roman hummed as he joined us in ncing around. ¡°I know,¡± he said. ¡°Let¡¯s go out to the balcony. It looks over the courtyard. Perhaps we¡¯ll have a better view from there. If he¡¯s down in the courtyard, we¡¯ll be able


    to see.¡±


    ¡°Why would he be there?¡± I asked. Not to be rude, but he was right behind us. If he vanished somewhere between the ballroom and the entrance, then he probably just got lost trying to find the bathroom or


    something.


    Roman¡¯s smile tightened somewhat. ¡°We¡¯ll have a better vantage point from there,¡± he insisted, which again seemed strange, but I supposed he was right. Plus, with how crowded it was in the ballroom, we weren¡¯t likely to find him out here.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said, conceding¡­ for now. ¡°We can check there, but then I think we should head back to the


    entryway.¡±


    ¡°Of course,¡± Roman said, and offered me his arm.


    I ignored it for now and continued forward on my own, my hand still clutching Alice¡¯s.


    As we stepped through the ss doors out onto the balcony, I realized how crowded it was out there as well. That was strange. Typically, party guests would like to stay inside to enjoy the music. And was it just me, or did it seem like many of the guests wereing outside, almost like ¨C


    Suddenly, a pop sounded in the distance as a firework exploded in front of us, over the courtyard.


    ¡°Fireworks, Mommy!¡± Alice said brightly. Pulling away from me she rushed to the railing of the balcony, where she pped and cheered.


    **


    I took point beside her, but continued to try to look around for Julian. It was hard to see though with the


    sudden burst of light, and the shadows it created dancing all over the courtyard.


    ¡°What a coincidence,¡± Roman said. ¡°Perhaps we had better stay to watch the fireworks since we¡¯re here.


    Alice seems to be enjoying them.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t argue with that, as much as I might have wanted to, and found myself agreeing. ¡°Only until the


    fireworks are done. Then we have to get back to finding Julian.¡±


    Roman just smiled at me. ¡°You look very pretty in the light of the fireworks,¡± he said.


    Swallowing hard, I pretended not to hear him, returning my attention instead to the disy.


    Julian¡¯s POV


    ¡°That¡¯s up to Amber, don¡¯t you think?¡± I said.


    ¡°She has a lot on her mind<i>,</i><i>¡± </i>Rafael continued. ¡°In her distraction, she might not know what¡¯s best for her. As her brother, I have every intention of helping her find a more suitable match. You, Julian, are not it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m an Alpha,¡± I said.


    ¡°We all know about your history,¡± Rafael said. ¡°I¡¯ve read the newspaper articles.¡±


    ¡°The tabloids.¡±


    ¡°Do you dispute their underlying truth? You are married to my sister but you kept it secret for a long time. You¡¯re rtionship with Olivia forced her onto that ne. And when it went down, you assumed she was


    dead without searching for her.¡±


    Chapter <b>198 </b>

 Main Flame 198

    Chapter <b>198 </b>


    0:


    ¡°I searched for her,¡± I said, my voice lowering despite myself. I didn¡¯t want to fight with Amber¡¯s potential brother, but I wasn¡¯t going to just roll over while he tried to exclude me from her life. ¡°You haven¡¯t been proven to be her brother yet, Rafael, and even if you were it wouldn¡¯t be your ce to interfere in Amber and my rtionship.¡±


    ¡°That will change when she is proven to be my sister,¡± Rafael said dismissively.


    ¡°No,¡± I said, even more firmly. ¡°Amber is my love and my mate, and that is stronger than whatever you think you have nned. Yes, we are going through a rough patch right now, but I love her and Alice. They are my family. And I will not allow anyone, not even you, to try to take them away from me.¡±


    ¡°When the timees, Amber will see my side of things,¡± Rafael replied. ¡°She will see that you are simply not worth the effort. You had your chance, Julian, but now it¡¯s time for you to step aside and make way


    for new and better chances. Roman is that chance.¡±


    ¡°Roman had plenty of his own opportunities in the past,¡± I said. ¡°Amber didn¡¯t want him then, and she


    doesn¡¯t want him now.¡±


    ¡°Without you there to screw things up, we¡¯ll see if that holds true,¡± he said.


    My stomach twisted. I didn¡¯t like the sound of that. ¡°What are you nning?¡±


    ¡°Me?¡± Rafael asked. ¡°Nothing. I¡¯m just creating opportunities for things to happen.¡±


    Then, suddenly, I started to hear the pop of the fireworks outside.


    I didn¡¯t like what Rafael was saying. In fact, I believed I had heard more than enough of it.


    ¡°I¡¯m going back to Amber. Now,¡± I said and stormed out of the office.


    Rafael just smirked. ¡°You¡¯re probably already toote.¡±


    Amber¡¯s POV


    ¡°Amber,¡± Roman said, reiming my attention. I nced at him now to suddenly find him so much closer


    to me than he had been only a moment before. He reached up a hand and touched my cheek.


    We were surrounded by people now. It wouldn¡¯t be easy for me to pull away without making a scene.


    ¡°What are you doing,¡± I said.


    ¡°I care about you so much,¡± he said, his voice barely audible over the pop of the fireworks. ¡°I¡¯m so sorry for


    that silly engagement stunt of mine, but I¡¯m so relieved we can reconnect again. I¡¯ve missed you so


    much.¡±


    ¡°Roman, I don¡¯t think you understand¡­¡±


    ¡°I understand everything,¡± he said. ¡°I held myself back so much since the ne crash¡­ Since I pulled you out of the water, you¡¯ve taken over my heart. It¡¯s always been yours, Amber. And I¡¯m sorry that I¡­ Well¡­¡±


    I reached my hands up to his wrist to try to pull his hand away from me. ¡°You are misunderstanding¡­¡± <b>I </b>tried to say.


    But then he kissed me,


    I froze, shocked.


    A few gasps and cheers sounded around me. Someone even had the nerve to say, ¡°Way to go, Roman.¡±


    More forcefully, I pulled away from him. I openly red at him as I did. I couldn¡¯t believe he would do such a thing. Had I identally led him on someway?


    No, I didn¡¯t think I did. He had made these moves all on his own, without my encouragement.


    I opened my mouth, about to chew him out, when I heard a familiar growl.


    ncing over, following the sound, I found Julian standing near the door to the balcony.


    His eyes were blood red.


    I didn¡¯t have to ask him to know how much he had seen. With a reaction like this, he must have seen it all.


    +1

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    5 BONUS


    Julian¡¯s POV


    I saw everything. Roman touching Amber¡¯s face. Her reaching up to sp his wrist. Roman leaning down to kiss her with the fireworks going off behind them


    Inside, something broke. The dam I had built to hold back the flood of possessive and aggressive feelings inside of me cracked straight down the middle


    Unable to stop myself, and mostly unwilling to, after seeing this man put his hands and his mouth on my mate, I surged forward through the crowd. Grabbing Roman by the front of his shirt, I yanked him away from Amber and then punched him square in the face.


    Roman cupped his jaw a moment like he couldn¡¯t quite believe what I¡¯d done. But then, very quickly, she straightened, recovering, and seemed ready to fight back


    Good. I could use the exercise, and I¡¯d finally have a decent target for all <b>this </b>pent up anger and


    frustration


    Yet, before another blow could bended, Rafael pushed through the crowd.


    ¡°Roman!¡± Rafael said. ¡°There¡¯s no need for this. If you two want to fight, then do it the right way, through a challenge. Sort your differences out in the ring¡±


    *Julian,¡± Amber said, sounding like she wanted to say more, but I was beyond listening, even to her Everything was tinted red and all I could really feel was my rage surging through my veins


    ¡°The winner gets to pursue Amber romantically,¡± Roman said, increasing the stakes.


    *Roman¡± Amber said, scolding him now. When he didn¡¯t listen either, not giving her more than a passing nce, she turned her rage on Rafael ¡°You have to stop this *


    ¡°Why should I stop it?¡± Rafael asked. ¡°It¡¯s the perfect way for them to sort this out the werewolf way


    ¡°The loser has to back off of her,¡± I said to Roman, thinking only of keeping this man away from my family


    Roman¡¯s eyes shed red like mine ¡°Agreed¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s decided then,¡± Rafael said


    ¡°This is ridiculous!¡± Amber said. ¡°I get to decide who I ept romantically, and no challenge is going to change that¡±


    ¡°The rules of the challenge dictate ¨C Bafael started.


    ¡°To hell with the challenger Amber shouted. They might have agreed, but I didn¡¯t Only I can decide


    Chogoter 199


    who I want, and right now, with how they are both acting, I don¡¯t want either of them!¡±


    <b>Tuning </b>then, she grabbed Alice¡¯s hand and pushed through the crowd, walking back to the ballroom in a sea of aquamarine skirts


    I wanted to follow her. I knew I should have. In my head, I knew the right thing would be to ept her


    words


    But the call of the challenge was instinctive inside of my werewolf bones. To back down now would be to <b>forfeit </b>my rights to pursue Amber, and make way for Roman to chase her as he wanted.


    <b>With </b><b>that </b>kiss¡­ maybe she wanted that, maybe she didn¡¯t.


    But my possessive rage couldn¡¯t allow me to back down and allow another male toe in. Amber was my mate. She and Alice were my family.


    For their sake, for the sake of our future, I would fight in this challenge and I would win.


    So I stayed, even after Amber and Alice left.


    I red at Roman as I asked Rafael, ¡°As the judge, you decide the time and ce.¡±


    Two days¡°<b>Rafael </b>said. ¡°Right here in my backyard. I will prepare the challenge circle. Rest and prepare, both of you. I expect great things from a challenge between two Alphas, as will the audience. As will


    Amber.¡±


    I didn¡¯t know if that was true. With how upset she seemed, I wasn¡¯t sure she would even show up to the contest, let alone take sides.


    Why would she kiss Roman?


    The question ran through my mine again and again.


    I didn¡¯t have any answers


    I stayed at Rafael¡¯s long enough for the challenge to be official, to learn the specific time and logistics of


    the fight. Then, with everything agreed, I finally left the house and returned to the hotel.


    +15 BONU

 Main Flame 200

    When I arrived there, Amber had already gotten Alice into her pajamas and tucked into bed. Amber had changed too, into sweatpants and a t¨Cshirt. Her hair was still up though, her makeup still fully on.


    She red at me as I came in through the door, her arms crossed.


    I had barely closed the door behind me, barely asked about Alice, when she stormed toward me, asking, ¡° What the hell were you thinking?¡±


    I wasn¡¯t sure which part of the evening she was referring to. Honestly, tonight, I had made a lot of


    mistakes.


    First was probably agreeing to go to this party at all, and everything dissolved from there.


    ¡°You are going to have to be more specific,¡± I said.


    Her re deepened into a full¨Con glower. ¡°You epted that challenge. Do you have any idea what this means? If you lose, Julian, Roman could have you leave Alice¡¯s life forever.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not going to happen,¡± I said.


    She shook her head. ¡°This is such a mess. How could you be so foolish? How could you punch him at all?¡±


    The way she was digging into me brought my frustration ring back. How could I punch him? Really<b>? </b>


    ¡°How could you kiss him?¡± I asked, equally as outraged as she was.


    Between punching and kissing, punching seemed the less of the two evilsmitted tonight.


    Though perhaps not, at least from her perspective. She was my mate, and I was suffering through possessive mating strain. Meanwhile, she was a more or less free woman. We were still mated, but she hadn¡¯tmitted to the mating bond. After sleeping with me, she had sneaked out. Clearly she didn¡¯t feel the same way as I felt about her.


    I tried to remember that, as she had no obligation to me, but it was difficult. She was the whole of my future, and to admit that I might lose her¡­


    Especially to someone like Roman¡­


    ¡°I didn¡¯t kiss him,¡± she said tly.


    Was she going to deny it? New outrage, new anger pumped through me. ¡°I saw you.¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°He kissed me,¡± she said.


    ¡°That¡¯s the same thing.¡±


    ¡°Not if I didn¡¯t want him to!¡± she replied. ¡°Think back. After seeing him, how did I act? Did I really seem


    like someone who would want Roman to kiss me? I got it into my head that we could be just friends, but I was just kidding myself. He¡¯s always wanted more from me.¡±


    She went from crossing her arms to wrapping them around herself, like infort now, instead of anger.


    ¡°I¡¯m such an idiot,¡± she said quietly, mostly to herself.


    ¡°No,¡± I said. Her soft voice deted my anger like a pin to a balloon. As my possessive anger dissipated, I could see things more clearly. The kiss, framed differently now, became more obvious an attempt at him


    to kiss her and her to back off.


    ¡°This is all my fault,¡± she said.


    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t,¡± I said more firmly. ¡°It¡¯s mine.¡± As the anger cleared, the guilt flooded in. Gods, what had I done? Starting a challenge? Risking it all just over a fight?


    She looked up at me, and anger wasn¡¯t housed there as much as concern.


    That concern, that focus, gave me the strength to be honest with her.


    ¡°Amber, I think there¡¯s something wrong with me,¡± he said. ¡°Since we were together, I¡¯ve been so possessive¡­ I looked it up. I think I¡¯m feeling a strained mating bond.¡±


    My perfect Healer mate knew right away what that was. A sh of recognition crossed her face and her eyes went a little wide. ¡°Oh¡­¡± She shook her head. ¡°This is just one more reason we shouldn¡¯t be together.¡±


    Amber¡¯s POV

 Main Flame 201

    Amber¡¯s POV


    As a Healer, I knew all about straining the mating bond. I¡¯d seen it before, with mates bing quick to anger, more prone to making impulsive, bad choices. I also knew the strain was worse for Alphas. And that this condition could be triggered when two mates had sex again after a long period of separation.


    If the mating bond was not restored through the bite, then the condition only worsened. The only other cure was to reject the mating bond.


    I wasn¡¯t ready for a renewed bite, but¡­


    The alternative?


    ¡°You don¡¯t want me to bite you,¡± Julian said. ¡°So I won¡¯t.¡±


    He knew more than I thought he would, which meant he was taking this seriously. Enough to have researched this condition¡­


    I didn¡¯t know if that was good or not, though. If he knew the mating bite was a cure, then he must have also known rejection was the only other alternative.


    He frowned deeply. ¡°I¡¯m not going to agree to a mutual rejection, either,¡± he said.


    ¡°So you are going to what? Suffer? Julian.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll stand at this impasse forever, Amber,¡± he said, his eyes sparking with determination. I knew better than to doubt him. If he was making a promise like this, holding my gaze as intently as he was, then he was certain to keep it.


    But that would mean a lifetime of suffering. I couldn¡¯t allow that.


    I shook my head disapprovingly at him as I said again, ¡°This is all the more reason we shouldn¡¯t be together.¡±


    <b>¡°</b>You keep saying these lies.¡±


    ¡°When we are together, someone always gets hurt,¡± I said. It might have been me in the past, but now, the pain was going tond on Julian¡¯s shoulders.


    What was I thinking, allowing myself to fall into a pleasure trap? I never should have spent the night in his bed. As a Healer, I should have known this was going to happen. But I hadn¡¯t been thinking.


    That was the main problem here. When I was with Julian romantically¡­ sexually¡­ I had trouble thinking at all. It was like my brain, my sound reasoning, all turned off and the only thing I could feel was the pleasure.


    Pleasure was great in the moment, but it couldn¡¯tst. Asting rtionship couldn¡¯t be built on that.


    I had a daughter now, a career of my own. There were people depending on me. I had responsibilities I couldn¡¯t ignore for pleasure.


    I couldn¡¯t allow myself to fall into his trap again, which was why rejecting him was the best choice.


    Yet¡­


    When I looked at him, even though I knew losing him was the right choice, I couldn¡¯t make myself say the words that would send him away.


    With a sigh, I said, ¡°There are some painkillers I can prescribe that would help take the edge off. But it¡¯s


    not a permanent solution. Eventually you are going to have to ept the rejection.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe that,¡± he said. His confidence was both inspiring and infuriating. ¡°Someday, you will ept my love again.¡±


    How could he be so damn confident? Couldn¡¯t he see the pain we were always causing each other?


    Even now, because of this, Julian would have to face Julian in the ring.


    Julian stepped closer to me, and seeing this confidence even closer stole the breath straight out of my lungs. He loomed over me, looking down into my eyes with his entire focus.


    I could get lost in those eyes, and believed that I had on many asions.


    I wasn¡¯t ready to reject him, but I couldn¡¯t ept him either.


    For now¡­ we stood like this, in the middle of a crossroads, neither willing to make a move one way or the


    other, not without the other person moving first.


    I licked my lips, and Julian nced down, tracking the movement.


    ¡°I hate that he kissed you,¡± Julian said. ¡°It made me go out of my mind with rage.¡±


    I hadn¡¯t liked it either, frankly. I¡¯d much rather kiss Julian, but that wouldn¡¯t solve any of our problems.


    So I slowly backed up a step. ¡°Goodnight, Julian,¡± I said, and forced myself <b>to </b>walk away from him, over to my bedroom door.


    ¡°Goodnight, Amber,¡± he said, just before I closed it.


    The next day, at the clinic, everyone was talking about the uing challenge ¨C even Gail, who I thought too mature for such things.


    She must have seen the look I had given her because she said, somewhat apologetically, ¡°It¡¯s just nice to see everyone so excited about something. There have been some dark times in this packtely. Your presence here is evidence of that. For people toe together<b>, </b>even for something like this, is a good


    sign we are healing.¡±


    I didn¡¯t agree with that notion, especially because the challenge meant the man I loved was going to have to fight one of my friends, who I owed a great deal. No matter who won, I was sure to lose.


    Gail frowned then. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry, Amber. I wasn¡¯t thinking¡­¡±


    About you.


    She didn¡¯t say the words, but she didn¡¯t have to.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± she said again, her face downcast.


    I knew she meant it. She¡¯d helped me a lot, and Alice loved her. I couldn¡¯t be mad at Gail for seeing hope in her downtrodden pack. I just wished it didn¡¯t have toe at the expense of me and the people I cared


    about.


    Though, if I told Gail that, she¡¯d probably wish for that too.


    Yet, even knowing this challenge could be helping the pack, I couldn¡¯t allow it to continue. I didn¡¯t want to lose Julian or Roman, even if I was mad as hell at Roman right now.


    So, after excusing myself from Gail, I went into my office, picked up the phone and called Rafael.


    He was the only person on this who could call this fight off without any ramifications.


    He answered with a smile on his voice, when he realized it was me. ¡°Always good to hear from you, Sis.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t in the mood for niceties. I hadn¡¯t forgotten that this challenge only existed because of his suggestion. I could recognize the alternative was Roman and Julian fighting right there on the balcony, but Rafael still yed a role here.


    ¡°You have to call off this ridiculous fight,¡± I said.


    Rafaelughed, like I was joking.


    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯m serious,<b>¡± </b>I told him.


    Hisughter did not die then, though it did slow. ¡°You know I can¡¯t do that, Amber. Are you at the clinic? I¡¯m sure the people there are like they are here. Everyone is excited, and I can¡¯t take that away from them.¡±


    ¡°And how about what you are taking from me?¡± I asked. ¡°I could lose Julian or Roman to this.¡±


    ¡°Roman won¡¯t lose,¡± Rafael said. ¡°So the only thing you are losing is a hanger¨Con you should have shed


    years ago.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s my choice,¡± I said. ¡°Not yours. And not the result of any challenge.¡±


    <b>¡°</b>Maybe you feel that way,¡± Rafael said. ¡°But the Alphas will know they are beholden to the rules. They


    both agreed that the loser would back off. I¡¯m sorry, Amber, but this is no longer up to you. You don¡¯t have


    to ept the winner, but you will need to ept, for his reputation and yours, that the loser will have to leave your life once and for all.¡±


    Chapter <b>202 </b>

 Main Flame 202

    Amber¡¯s POV


    After work, I brought some medicine back to the hotel for Julian to take. Within a few doses, she should start to feel some of his aggression ease. It wouldn¡¯t solve everything, and would gradually lose effectiveness over time, but for now, in lieu of renewing our mating bite or mutual rejection, it was the


    best solution I could offer him.


    Yet, when I presented him with the medicine, he thanked me but made no effort to open the bottle. Was he going to wait forter? Why? Wouldn¡¯t he want to cure himself as soon as possible?


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to take some?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Oh,¡± he looked down at the bottle again. ¡°No, not yet. Not until after the challenge, anyway. I think the rage might help give me an edge in the fight.¡±


    I frowned at him. ¡°You are going to prioritize the fight over your wellbeing?¡±


    ¡°Normally, I wouldn¡¯t,¡± he said. ¡°But this is one fight that I can¡¯t afford to lose.¡±


    ¡°This is ridiculous,¡± I said. Huffing an annoyed breath, I walked away from him, toward the kitchte, wanting to put some space between us. ¡°You should just forfeit the fight.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± he said firmly, a bit of annoyance rising in his voice now too. ¡°Do you know what will happen if I do that? I lose by default. It won¡¯t get rid of the stakes we made. I will have to back off <b>of </b>you, allowing room for Roman toe in.¡±


    I didn¡¯t want that. While I wasn¡¯t ready to be with Julian ¨C our rtionship just kept hurting us and


    others I wasn¡¯t ready to be without him either. And I certainly didn¡¯t want any kind of romantic


    ¨C


    rtionship with Roman. At most, I wanted our friendship back, but that didn¡¯t seem to be enough for


    him anymore.


    A silence fell between us for a moment, before Julian continued, his voice much softer than before, ¡°<b>Do </b>you want to date Roman?<b>¡± </b>


    ¡°No,¡± I said at once.


    ¡°Then I have to fight,¡± he said. ¡°Not just for my sake, but for yours.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t pretend like you are doing any of this for me,¡± I said.


    He came closer. Though I wasn¡¯t facing him, I could feel the heat of him standing behind me, warming the otherwise cold space at my back. He wasn¡¯t touching me, but I still closed my eyes,forted by the warmth despite myself. I wanted to be angry with him. I was angry. But that wasn¡¯t all that I was.


    ¡°I won¡¯t let him have you, Amber, especially if that¡¯s not what you want,¡± he said. ¡°When he loses, Roman


    will be bound to the agreement, and he will be forced to leave you alone, at least romantically. I won¡¯t


    stand in the way of a friendship, if that¡¯s what you want.¡±


    He made it sound so simple, but I knew, with challenges, nothing ever came easy.


    Roman wasn¡¯t some pushover. He was the Alpha of his pack for good reason. He wasn¡¯t going to give up this fight lightly.


    There was a very real possibility that Julian could lose, whether he wanted to admit that to himself or not.


    ¡°What will happen if you lose?¡± I said.


    ¡°I won¡¯t lose,¡± he replied.


    Julian¡¯s POV


    I wasn¡¯t going to lose, and to be sure, I went to the gym, again, after dinner.


    As before, most of the gym patrons seemed happy to see me. They all wanted a good fight, it seemed, and


    were excited that I was taking this so seriously.


    Some even offered advice, most of it bad, but others not so.


    A few of the women of the gym seemed particrly inspired. One even came closer to me, flipped her


    hair over her shoulder, and told me, ¡°Fighting for love is so beautiful,¡± she said. She touched my arm,


    overly friendly.


    As I slipped my arm away from her touch, I wished Amber could see things as this woman did, to understand that I was fighting for love. I wanted to protect Amber and her honor, while also was fighting


    for the right to keep pursuing her romantically.


    Truly, I only had one option now that the details of the challenge were set and epted.


    I had to win and defend Amber.


    There were no other choices.


    ¡°I just hope you know what you are getting into,¡± said one of the other men there, a gentleman ten years or so my senior. ¡°Roman has fought and won these kinds of things before.¡±


    ¡°Oh, yeah,¡± one of the women chimed in. ¡°Didn¡¯t that one fight go viral a few years back.¡±


    ¡°What are you talking about?¡± I asked. I knew Roman was a burly sort of guy, but I hadn¡¯t heard of him being a fighter. Every Alpha was in condition for it, so I knew not to underestimate him, but this was the first I was hearing of any actual fights.


    The man loaded a video on his cell phone and then brought it over to show me.


    ¡°Ready for this?¡± he asked and pressed y.


    On the screen, Roman and another man circled each other in a ring. This wasn¡¯t the kind of crude makeshift ring that would indicate an impulsive challenge like the one we hadmitted ourselves to.


    This ring was more permanent, more professional.


    Roman juked left, causing the opponent to throw a punch wide, leaving his side open. Roman stepped back in, taking advantage of the opening, and absolutely pummeled his opponent, fists flying so fast they


    were barely visible on the screen.


    ¡°Where is this?¡± I asked. ¡°Is this a challenge?¡±


    ¡°Challenge? No,¡± the man said. ¡°Alpha Roman, in his younger days, used to be a professional fighter. And he was quite good at it.¡±


    For the first time since epting the challenge, a hint of doubt in my own abilities started to flicker to


    life inside of me.


    The man watched my face. I tried to mask all emotion but he seemed to notice a bit anyway. ¡°You didn¡¯t know? Son, you picked a fight with the Mad Wolf of the West.¡±


    He even had <i>a </i>nickname? Gods.


    ¡°I need to get back to training,¡± I said.


    The man nodded. ¡°Yeah, I think you probably do.¡±


    ¡°Train hard, Alpha Julian!¡± said another woman. ¡°We want to see a good fight.¡±


    ¡°At least don¡¯t go down in one pummel of hits like that guy in the video,¡± said another. ¡°That whole fight


    I swallowed hard as I moved to the punching bag. Suddenly, I started to feel self¨Cconscious about my punches. Was I putting enough strength in them? Or was I putting too much in them and leaving myself


    open?


    Gods, that video was getting into my head. I was d to have seen it, so that I could more fully understand what I was dealing with here. But at the same time, this was all almost too much.


    Was I really out of my league here?


    No. Or rather, it didn¡¯t matter if I was.


    Roman might have been a professional fighter once, but he wasn¡¯t any longer.


    And I was an Alpha, not some nobody with no strength to back up my im, or my half of the challenge.


    And even if I wasn¡¯t, I still had love on my side.


    For Amber, I would fight like hell to win this fight. I wasn¡¯t going to lose.


    I couldn¡¯t.


    Or I would lose Amber.

 Main Flame 203

    Amber¡¯s POV


    Neither Rafael nor Julian would listen to reason. That left only one more person I could speak to who could call off this foolishness. Roman, himself.


    I knew he was staying at Rafael¡¯s estate, so I waited until I was certain Rafael would be heading to the Alpha Headquarters building, and then I went over to speak with Roman.


    The butler looked at me with some annoyance at my arrival, but still led me to a sitting room. After he disappeared<i>, </i>a few minutester, Roman entered the room. He was immactely dressed as usual, with a suit and tie, which shed severely with my medical scrubs. He grinned at me.


    ¡°Amber. You came to see me.¡± He sounded pleased and surprised.


    He must have thought I was here for different reasons. While I hated to disappoint him, I felt I had to. It was made easier by the memory of that kiss I didn¡¯t want.


    ¡°You have to forfeit the challenge, Roman,¡± I said, making the purpose of my visit as clear as possible right from the start. I wasn¡¯t going to allow anymore misunderstandings. With Roman, I was learning, the direct route was best, even if, unfortunately, it led to him being hurt.


    His own feelings for me often left him twisting situations and my words and feelings. I was tired of it. I didn¡¯t want him the same way he wanted me, and he had to face that now once and for all, whether it


    hurt him or not.


    His good humor faded, his face falling, but he continued looking at me. ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯m doing that, Amber. Not even for you, I¡¯m sorry,¡± he said, and I knew, from his intensity that he was earnest.


    I sighed. ¡°Roman, you have to know I don¡¯t want you romantically. You are a friend to me, but that is all you are. There will never be anything more between us than that.¡±


    ¡°You say that now,<i>¡± </i>he replied. ¡°But with Julian still in your life, you are confused. You¡¯ve loved him for so long, Amber, <b>I </b>understand howplicated things are. But once I win this fight and he has to back off,


    then you


    wille to see how poison that man is. Without him, you will see that there are other men who


    are devoted to you, who will love and provide for you.¡±


    ¡°Roman, that¡¯s not what I want.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know any better right now,¡± he continued. ¡°Julian has pulled the wool over your eyes. But once


    he¡¯s gone, you will see things more clearly. And you will finally see me, standing here in front of you,


    ready to love you.¡±


    I shook my head, again and again, wishing he would stop, but he didn¡¯t, not even after I asked him to.¡±


    Roman, please. Stop this.¡±


    ¡°Your own brother agrees,¡± he said. ¡°Rafael himself called me here, choosing me as the right man for you. If you could only see it for yourself, Amber, then we could be happy.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care what anyone else says, Roman,¡± I told him. ¡°Rafael means well, others might <i>too</i>, but they are not me. They do not own my heart. And I¡¯m telling you, here and now, that even if you win this fight, you will not be the one for me. Nothing will change between us, not like you want. In fact, I might even resent you for this.¡±


    He chuckled lightly as he shook his head. ¡°You say that, but you don¡¯t mean it. You will see. When Julian is gone, you will see.¡±


    The man was fully delusional, if he believed that. But, looking back, when had he ever been very good at


    listening?


    He went forward with our fake engagement, even after I told him I didn¡¯t want to. I told him not to.


    He kissed me, even though I thought I had made clear I only ever just wanted to be friends.


    Now, he was going through with this challenge, thinking it would win him my favor when in reality it would only make me grow colder to him.


    Realizing now that he wouldn¡¯t listen, I stormed past him without even saying goodbye.


    I went to pick Alice up from her tutoring session. She was barely buckled into the backseat before she started asking me questions.


    ¡°Everyone¡¯s talking about a challenge,¡± she said. ¡°Between Dad and Uncle Roman.¡±


    ¡°Kids shouldn¡¯t talk about such things,¡± I said.


    ¡°But they are,¡± Alice said, kicking her legs. ¡°I hope Daddy wins.¡±


    ¡°Alice,¡± I scolded lightly. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be talking about fights.¡±


    ¡°But it¡¯s Daddy <b>¨C</b>¡±


    <b>¡°</b>No, honey. Any fighting is bad, okay? And I¡¯m very upset with Julian and Roman for doing this. They


    should know better.¡±


    Alice pouted a little. As she turned to look out the window, she muttered, ¡°I hope Daddy wins.¡±


    This time I didn¡¯t correct her. I just pretended I couldn¡¯t hear.


    When we got back to the hotel, <b>I </b>directed Alice to go do her homework. She shuffled her feet, seemingly still mad at me for scolding her, but ultimately agreed without much fight.


    Watching her go, I regretted all that was happening even more, as my annoyance with the three men in my life quadrupled. Now, not only did I have to worry about them and what was going to happen, I also


    had to worry about the influence this was having on Alice.


    As I stewed, trying to decide what to do next, my phone rang. It startled me. C


    ¡°What now,¡± I grumbled as I went to answer it.


    The name on the screen read Anna, which immediately put me at ease. Gods, I needed my best friend


    right now.


    Answering the phone, I brought it to my ear. ¡°Please have good news,¡± I said.


    ¡°Whatever news I have can wait,¡± Anna said. ¡°I want to hear about the fight.¡±


    I groaned. ¡°Anything but that. Please.¡± I didn¡¯t even want to think about how news of the fight could have made it the whole way back to our little hole¨Cin¨Cthe¨Cwall home. Did the entirety of the continent know


    about this?


    Then again, this was a fight between two Alphas, one of whom was a former professional fighter, put on at the house of a third Alpha. I should have known from the start that this was going to be a disaster of public rtions. Rafael was probably bringing in camera crews. Were there going to be sponsors?


    What a mess.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure what the problem is,¡± Anna said. ¡°Any girl would be ttered to have two strong Alphas fighting over her?<b>¡± </b>


    As I sighed heavily into the phone, she gave me a moment to respond. When I didn¡¯t, she guessed, ¡°Unless you already have someone in mind that you want to be the winner.¡±


    <b>¡°</b>It doesn¡¯t matter what I want,¡± I said. ¡°All these Alphas throwing their weight around. They are making


    all the decisions without my input.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t be more annoyed about this. I had spoken to each of the three in turn: Rafael, Julian, and


    Roman. None of them were going to call off this farce. Maybe they were all too proud. I didn¡¯t know or


    care.


    I was just so mad about it.


    ¡°You are angry.¡± Anna was quiet a moment. ¡°Which means you do have a favorite.¡±

 Main Flame 204

    Chapter <b>204 </b>


    Amber¡¯s POV


    ¡°I think they are all idiots,¡± I said into the phone. ¡°It¡¯s not about favorites.¡±


    On the other end of the call, Annaughed. ¡°Challenges aren¡¯t for the faint of heart but ¨C¡±


    ¡°Anna, the winner has to walk away from me,¡± I said. ¡°The winner gets to pursue me romantically.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ who do you want to win?¡±


    ¡°Neither! I don¡¯t know!¡± I sucked in a breath, trying to calm my fraying nerves. ¡°I don¡¯t want things to be


    decided this way.¡±


    ¡°Tell me what¡¯s been going on,¡± Anna said. ¡°Maybe what you really need is an objective third¨Cparty


    perspective.¡±


    As my best friend, Anna was anything but objective. But as I started to tell her what had been happening, I found that I couldn¡¯t stop. Eventually, after an hour, she had the full story of everything that happened after our leaving the clinic I shared with Anna, from Olivia¡¯s attack to Julian and me sleeping together to Roman kissing me to now this ridiculous challenge¡­


    ¡°So you want Julian to win,¡± she said simply.


    ¡°I¡¯m furious at him for agreeing to this,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah, but it¡¯s done now. You said no one is backing off, so it¡¯s time to take sides. Even if you want to stay out of it, your heart has already decided. You don¡¯t want Roman. You are mad at Julian but you don¡¯t


    want to reject him.¡±


    I slumped down onto the couch in the living room and rubbed my fingers over my forehead. I had a


    headache brewing.


    ¡°Everything about this is soplicated,¡± I said.


    A smile in her voice, Anna said, ¡°Amber, if you didn¡¯t wantplicated, you would have settled for Roman a long time ago. Your heart has never been with the easy answer. You were always holding out for


    something more.¡±


    ¡°Julian has always been the worst choice,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah, probably,¡± Anna said. Her tant honesty startled augh out of me. Gods, I was d she called. I really needed my best friend right now. I had been spiraling in my own thoughts, caught in an endless downward slope. Anna could take my thoughts and put them all in perspective.


    Things wereplicated. They didn¡¯t have to be, but they were because I chose them to be.


    Anna was right, I could have picked Roman years ago, and we would have had a quiet simple life.


    But I hadn¡¯t. Again and again, I ran away from him and straight to the man that made everything moreplicated, more difficult.


    But part of why it was soplicated was because I loved Julian so damn much.


    Yeah, most days it seemed like all we could do was hurt each other, intentionally or no. But in truth, I was only hurt by him because my feelings for him were so raw.


    The truth was so in to see, when Annaid it all out like this.


    There wasn¡¯t even a contest here of who I wanted to win this fight.


    ¡°I think you need to be more open with your feelings for both men,¡± Anna said. ¡°Stop ying nice. Look inside of yourself and trust your heart. What does it tell you?¡±


    My heart, as it had always done since I met him, whispered Julian.


    ¡°What a nightmare,¡± I grumbled, dreading the fight toe. ¡°What do I do if he doesn¡¯t win?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯ll win,¡± Anna said. ¡°If he knows you believe in him.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t so sure, but maybe there was something to those words.


    Unfortunately, the fight was that night. Julian was likely already at Rafael¡¯s, preparing, and we wouldn¡¯t have time to talk beforehand.


    ¡°What do I do?¡± I asked Anna, because I was so confused, so lost on my own.


    Sheughed a little, warmly. ¡°You already know, Amber. Just stop fighting it.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t do anything until Gail arrived to watch Alice.


    ¡°No television, please,¡± I said.


    Gail smiled. ¡°I wasn¡¯t nning on watching the fight anyway.¡±


    I nodded, thanking her, when she touched my arm.


    ¡°Go,¡± she said. ¡°Go get him, and don¡¯t let go.¡±


    That surprised me and I looked into her face. Her smile was warm, her expression soft.


    Did everyone know which of the two I wanted to win? Was I the only one who had been kept in the dark?


    Alice gave me a hug then. ¡°Please cheer for Daddy,¡± she said, then scurried off before I could scold her for talking about the fight again. I wouldn¡¯t have though, not this time.


    I didn¡¯t want her to associate her father and Roman with violence, but I couldn¡¯t be mad at her for siding


    with Julian.


    After all, that was what I was about to do.


    I drove my rental car to Rafael¡¯s estate. By the time I arrived, there were cars parked all along the road and across his frontwn. Not caring if I blocked anyone in, I drove right up to the front door and parked my car in the middle of the driveway.


    Rafael must have been alerted that I wasing when I was spotted because he was out of breath when he personally met me at the door.


    ¡°Amber, you arete.¡±


    ¡°I thought about noting.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be ridiculous,¡± he said. ¡°You are the guest of honor. Please,e with me.¡±


    He started walking and I hurried to keep up with him, not wanting to be left behind. When I saw he was leading me to the balcony that overlooked the courtyard, I said, ¡°Wait. I want to talk to Julian before the fight.¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s no time for that,¡± Rafael said. ¡°He and Roman are already almost ready.¡±


    Rafael led me out to the balcony which had totally transformed since the party the other night. Now, there were seats in a long line, facing the balcony. Two chairs were slightly lifted above the rest and looked the mostfortable. They were currently empty, but that was where Rafael was leading me.


    ¡°Rafael,¡± I said more firmly. ¡°I really need to talk to Julian.¡±


    ¡°No time,<i>¡± </i>he said again. ¡°Look and see for yourself. The fighters are at the ring. The challenge is about to


    start.¡±


    Moving to the stand up on the small stage, I could clearly see down into the courtyard, and the makeshift ring assembled there. Roman and Julian were both there, on opposite sides, just outside the clearly


    marked circle.


    Both men were dressed to fight, in exercise shorts and tank tops. They were barefoot, with their knuckles


    wrapped with white tap.


    Roman was steady, calmly stretching, while Julian seemed more energetic, shuffling as he threw


    punches into the air.


    Behind them and around the ring, hundreds of people were standing, ready to watch.


    ncing up, I saw the camera crews standing at windows and at the far end of the balcony. As expected, this was being broadcasted.


    The crowd was already cheering, with warring chants of Roman and Julian¡¯s names. Then someone


    loudly screamed, ¡°Go Mad Wolf<b>!</b><b>¡± </b>


    <i>¡± </i>


    Beside me, Rafael chuckled. ¡°Little Alpha Julian might be over his head in this one,¡± he said, delighted. ¡° No wonder you wanted to talk to him, sister. I imagine you wanted to talk him out of this before he could get hurt.¡±


    That hadn¡¯t been what I wanted. I knew there was no going back now.


    But, from all the way up here, how was I ever going to be able to talk to him? To tell him he was the one I


    wanted to win?


    Had I missed my chance?

 Main Flame 205

    Chapter <b>205 </b>


    Julian¡¯s POV


    ¡°May I have your attention please,¡± Rafael said into a microphone, gaining the attention of the crowd and the fighters, Roman and me. He stood at the center of the balcony, in front of what looked like a throne.


    I had to look twice when I realized the person next to him was Amber.


    She came.


    I didn¡¯t think she would, with how angry she¡¯d been about this challenge. I¡¯d been hoping she would, but <b>I </b>


    hadn¡¯t thought to hope she might.


    Yet here she was.


    ¡°She¡¯s here for me,¡± Roman said, loud enough for me to hear.


    I red over at him at the other side of the ring.


    ¡°For this challenge,¡± Rafael continued, ¡°Try not to kill each other. And for the sake of the audience, we would prefer you not shift into your wolf forms until at least the three minute mark. A bell will be rung to


    indicate when that three minutes has passed.¡±


    Try not to kill each other. Such was the harshness of the werewolf world. Sometimes death just happened, and everyone had to be ready for it. But I wasn¡¯t going to be the one who died today<b>, </b>not with Alice waiting for me back at the hotel. And I wasn¡¯t going to kill Roman either.


    As pissed as I was at him, as much as I wanted to bring him down, I wasn¡¯t going to kill one of Amber¡¯s friends, especially right in front of her.


    This man was an asshole and a half, but I was permanently indebted to him for what he had done for Amber after that ne crash. He saved her life, helped her pull herself back together, and helped set her on her path of being such an influential Healer.


    I couldn¡¯t hate him, even though I really wanted to punch him.


    But then, of course, was the issue of him being a professional fighter. Gods knew if I¡¯d actually be able to win this fight. I wasn¡¯t feeling confident at the moment, at least not as confident as I had felt earlier.


    There was nothing to be done about it now.


    Instead, I had to focus on my rage, tapping into that possessiveness I tried to keep a lid on. What had


    Roman said? Amber was here for him?


    Like hell. Amber was mine.


    Rafael turned off the microphone. Roman and I both stepped into the ring. A bell chimed, indicating the


    start of the fight.


    For a moment, Roman and I simply circled around each other, moving slowly, as if trying to take in the measure of the other.


    Roman was older than he¡¯d been in that video, but he still clearly took care of himself. The muscles on his arm were thick. He had a boxer¡¯s build, stocky but solid.


    I was muscled too, but taller, with longer limbs. I hoped that meant my wingspan was longer. If I could punch him without his reaching me¡­


    No, I didn¡¯t think I was that much taller. Any time I would try to throw a punch, I would leave myself open.


    Roman kept his gaze on my face, but I could see the way he tensed whenever I moved. He was focused on my face but studying the rest of me too.


    He was fighting like someone trained for this.


    And I was running scared. I couldn¡¯t keep this up. The only way to win was to be bold, to let the rage take


    hold of me.


    To my disgust, I allowed myself to think of the moment Roman kissed Amber. How it made me feel, the way my stomach twisted, my anger spiked¡­


    If I lose this fight, he will try to do that again. I couldn¡¯t let that happen. I had to protect Amber.


    I had to protect my family and my future.


    Blinking, red filled my vision as my rage finally flooded through me.


    Roaring, I rushed forward.


    My wild strength met with his tempered endurance.


    He blocked every punch, but did so with a grunt of exertion. I kept the blowsing, not giving him any chance for recovery, hoping not to give him any openings.


    But then, he dodged, and one of my punches went wide.


    Like a precision strike, hended a hard blow right to the side of my rips. I swore, I heard a crack as I flung to the side. I hit the ground hard, rolled some, but pushed back up to my feet.


    The crowd roared, but it sounded somewhat muted, like I had blood in my ears.


    Roman hadnded the first punch but this was far from over.


    This would only end with one person knocked out or surrendered. That person wasn¡¯t going to be me.


    <b>It </b>couldn¡¯t.


    I spit out some blood and rushed back it.


    Amber¡¯s POV


    I knew watching this fight was going to be heart wrenching, but that knowledge still hadn¡¯t prepared me for actually being here, actually watching as Julian tried tond punches on Roman, only for him to block


    one after the next.


    And then, worse, when Romannded punches of his own, each one hitting Julian with enough force to cause him to stumble backwards.


    The fight wasn¡¯t over, things weren¡¯t lost yet. But it was clear Julian was on the losing side.


    If things continued like this, he was going to be seriously hurt, werewolf healing or no.


    Rafael grinned, leaning forward. His chosen side was Roman, and he could see the victory like a shark would detect blood in the water.


    I couldn¡¯t just sit back and allow this to happen. But what could I do? I was all the way up here, and I wasn¡¯t any fighter.


    But then¡­ maybe there was something I could do.


    Julian was acting wild, and as he was taking hits, he was losing his already scattered focus.


    If there was something I could do, something to motivate him into pulling himself back together.


    Did he think he was going to lose, just as everyone else did?


    Maybe what he really needed was for someone to believe in him.


    That someone could be me.


    No. That someone was me.


    I stood up from my chair, gripped the railing, and inhaled a deep breath.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± Rafael asked.


    Ignoring him, I screamed, ¡°You can do it, Julian! Kick his ass!¡±


    A silence fell over everyone, even the crowd, as everyone looked up at me.


    But I didn¡¯t care about them. I only cared about Julian, I only saw him as he looked up at me too.


    Even at this distance, I felt something pass between us, an understanding. He had to know now that I was on his side. I was cheering for him, depending on him to win.


    As he lowered his gaze away from me and back to his opponent, he spit on the ground, adding more


    blood to the battlefield of two.


    Then, roaring, Julian tore forward again with renewed force and speed. He caught Roman off¨Cguard and


    finallynded a blow, punching Roman straight across the face.


    Roman stumbled back, his hand going to his cheek in surprise.


    Rafael looked at me. ¡°Are you sure you know what you are doing?¡± he asked.


    In truth, no. I didn¡¯t have a clue. But if all I had to do was believe in Julian, then I would do it. ¡°I do,¡± I lied,


    and hoped Julian would win.

 Main Flame 206

    Julian¡¯s POV


    Amber¡¯s cheers struck straight through me, igniting a spark that had started to dim as Roman got his punches in. For a moment there, I had thought that I might actually lose this fight. But hearing Amber¡¯s voice, knowing she wants me to win ¨C now I was sure that I couldn¡¯t lose.


    Just as Amber¡¯s words empowered me, I could see them have the opposite effect on Roman. Looking up at Amber on the balcony, his shoulders fell and his entire demeanor seemed to dete. A blow to his confidence was incredibly for me, and I was eager to make use of this new advantage.


    I jumped forward, forcing Roman into a grapple. His hands were on my shoulders, and mine were on his. He shoved me left as I shoved him right.


    In the past, this might have resulted in him having the upper hand, but this time, I was the one who came out on top, tapping into strength and energy I hadn¡¯t even realized I possessed before I heard Amber¡¯s


    cheer.


    I threw Roman down onto the ground.


    He stumbled, falling down onto his knees. Growling, he pushed himself up and turned back to face me, too quick for me to add another attack while he was down.


    But the effects were still positive for me. Roman was clearly rattled. I¡¯d gotten under his skin.


    Off¨Cbnce, he pounced back at me, but he telegraphed his movements from a mile away, so I was easily able to sidestep as he reached me. He blew by me, catching nothing but air.


    Growling louder, he turned to face me again. This time, his eyes shed red.


    As if on cue, the three minute bell sounded, indicating that we could now shift into our wolf forms.


    Roman wolf exploded out of him. In a sh, he had shifted into a half¨Cman, half¨Cwerewolf hybrid. That form gave him more power, but it also made him bulky and slow.


    In response, I shifted fully into my wolf form. My Alpha wolf wasrge, true, but not asrge as Roman¡¯s hybrid. And fully shifted, I had immense speed that would avoid Roman¡¯s clumsy strength.


    He reached for me with his massive furry arms. Easily, I dodge out of the way. In a sh, I was behind him. Then, as quickly, I rushed forward, smashing myrge wolf body to the back of his knees. He crumbled at once, stumbling backwards. As I was still there, he tripped over me.


    He fell like a tree, smashing hard against the ground.


    As he struggled to get back onto his feet, I stepped over him. Baring my teeth, I ced two massive paws on his chest<b>, </b>then lowered my mouth to his neck.


    He was forced to lift his chin, making room for my fangs, lest he get cut.


    +15 <b>BONUS </b>


    My own threatening growl left my throat. I clearly had the upper hand here. He had strength, but it was


    awkward and clumsy in this form. I didn¡¯t think he could even get up with my weight on top of him.


    His only choice now was to surrender.


    He snarled and chuffed, but it was pointless. We both knew he¡¯d lost.


    His struggle went on a few long seconds more, before he finally seemed to relent. Slowly, she shifted back


    to his human form.


    The crowd seemed to hold its breath. Not a bird chirped in the silence. Even the wind held still, not rustling any leaves.


    Everyone was waiting for what he might say.


    Yet, he refused to speak right away.


    I growled again, lower, more dangerous. I didn¡¯t want to hurt him, but I would win this challenge. That


    meant he either had to surrender or I could make him go unconscious. I¡¯d do my best not to kill him, but


    Alpha wolves weren¡¯t exactly built for restraint.


    Like I was, I was a killing machine.


    For both our sakes, he had to surrender.


    Then, atst, after a heavy breath, Roman said, ¡°Fine. I surrender.¡±


    Another heartbeat passed as everyone seemed toprehend the words and what just happened.


    Then the crowd erupted in cheers.


    I stepped back from Roman, off of him, and shifted back to human.


    I waved at the crowd, but my attention was drawn elsewhere. Lifting my gaze, I searched for Amber up on


    the balcony.


    Amber¡¯s POV


    Relief flooded through me so quickly that it punched the breath from my lungs. I had to sit down, my legs


    growing weak. In thest few moments of the fight, I had stood, just as everyone else had done, eager to see the fight¡¯s conclusion.


    I¡¯d been so worried, but now, Julian was safe. Roman wasn¡¯t hurt either.


    I couldn¡¯t be more pleased with the oue.


    Beside me, however, Rafael stewed with his own disappointment and annoyance, his face skewed, his


    mouth a twisted, downward frown.


    I didn¡¯t say anything to him, and he didn¡¯t to me either. His gaze was down on the ring. I couldn¡¯t tell if he was ring at Julian or at Roman. Perhaps both of them.


    After a long, quiet moment, he stood. ¡°I have to go congratte the winner.¡± He nced at me. The coldness there eased somewhat. He was still annoyed with what I¡¯d done, but his general fondness for me


    took off that edge. He offered me his arm. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯d like to go with me.¡±


    He was right, so I looped my arm through his. Together, we walked away from the balcony and back


    inside, and then down the stairs that led us out to the courtyard.


    The people parted for him, partially because of his Alpha aura, but also some of the staff that tapped on shoulders and cleared the way.


    When we were close enough, I pushed away from him.


    Julian was there. He was looking at me, and he outstretched his arms.


    That was all the permission I needed to rush to him. I threw my arms around his neck. His came around my waist, and he spun me around a few times before settling me on my feet again.


    He dipped his head into mine, resting his cheek against the top of my head.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know if you¡¯de,¡± he said. ¡°And I was even less sure I¡¯d have your support.¡±


    With as loud as it was, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to hear him if his mouth was not so very near my ear. As


    it was, I could hear the words all the way down to my soul, like we were standing alone in a quiet room.


    ¡°I always wanted you to win,¡± I told him, hoping he could hear and feel my words in the same way I heard


    and felt his. ¡°I don¡¯t want to lose you.¡±


    I must have said the words louder than I meant to, or perhaps Roman had attuned himself to me, focusing on me as intently as he did, that he could hear them.


    Because in the next moment, I heard his voice, though his was somewhat muffled by the crowd.


    It was still striking. And filled with pain.


    ¡°Why is it okay for you to lose me instead?¡± he asked.


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Main Flame 207

    <b>Chapter </b><b>207 </b>


    Amber¡¯s POV


    Roman¡¯s words stirred some guilt within me, causing me to pull away from Julian to face him. In my rush of relief and my hurry <b>to </b>celebrate Julian¡¯s victory, I hadn¡¯t considered what I would be losing.


    A friend.


    I faced Roman though stayed near Julian, keeping him at my back. His arm brushed mine, offering me somefort to face this conversation, this potential loss.


    ¡°The agreement only said that you would back off of pursuing me romantically,<b>¡± </b>I told Roman. ¡°With everything we¡¯ve been through together and all you¡¯ve done from me since our first meeting all those years ago, I would very much like to stay friends.¡±


    Roman had been there for me when I¡¯d needed him most. He¡¯d supported me when I had no one and no home to go back to. I had once considered him a dear friend and I truly did not want to lose him.


    But neither did I want to be with him romantically. To me, he was as he always had been, only a friend.


    Roman held my gaze for a long moment. I looked back, hoping he could see the sincerity in my words. Whether he did or not, I wasn¡¯t sure, because, with a sigh, he looked down and away.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Amber,¡± he said. ¡°I can¡¯t be your friend.¡±


    The words cut me deeply. After years of friendship, I didn¡¯t see how it could be so difficult to continue.


    ¡°Why<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>I asked him, needing the answer to truly be able to move forward.


    ¡°Because I¡¯m just not capable of being what you are asking for,¡± he said. ¡°<b>If </b>I stay in your life, I will continue to look for signs that you feel the same about me. I won¡¯t be able to let this go, and it will break the rules set by the challenge. For both our sakes, I have to return to my pack, and we shouldn¡¯t talk again.¡±


    In that moment, I hated all romantic feelings. Because of them, I was losing a dear friend.


    But <b>I </b>couldn¡¯t force him to stay. I couldn¡¯t ask him to just stop caring about me in that way. I knew<b>, </b>maybe better than anyone, that trying to turn off your feelings like that was futile. Else, I would have been able to move on from Julian years ago,


    Instead, I was here, choosing Julian over my friend.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said, though wasn¡¯t totally sure what I was sorry for. For being someone that he fell in love with, for identally leading him on if that was what I did, for not being capable of loving him back, of not being able to say the right words here and now to convince him to only be my friend.


    I didn¡¯t really have regrets. In hindsight, even with the knowledge <b>I </b>had now, I didn¡¯t know what I would


    have done differently. But I still felt sorrow.


    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯m sorry, too,¡± Roman said. He gave me onest longing look.


    At the same time, Julian leaned into me more insistently.


    Seeing this, Roman sighed, shook his head, and turned away. He pushed his way through the crowd.


    Rafael watched him go. ¡°I didn¡¯t even announce the winner¡­¡± Clearing his throat, Rafael said loudly<b>, </b>¡°The


    winner of the challenge is Julian!¡± He kept his voice somewhat jovial for the crowd, but I already knew


    his actual annoyance about everything. It was also clear, at least to me, as he looked at Julian, his eye


    twitching slightly.


    The crowd roared again. Julian waved to the crowd.


    Rafael let him have his moment, but as the crowd calmed, Rafael came over and said, ¡°I need to speak


    with you both. Privately.¡±


    As the crowd dispersed, Julian and I followed Rafael into one of the sitting rooms of his estate. Rafael


    motioned for us to sit, but when he made no effort to sit himself, Julian and I nced at each other and


    wordlessly decided to stand.


    Rafael considered us. cing his hands behind his back, he said, ¡°I¡¯ll be blunt. I don¡¯t approve of you,


    Julian. Given your actions of the past, I don¡¯t think you are good enough for my sister<b>. </b>If I had my way,


    Roman would have pummeled you today and you¡¯d be headed back to your pack with your tail between


    your legs.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, well, that¡¯s not how things turned out, is it?¡± Julian said pointedly, while crossing his arms.


    The two red at each other and it took everything I had not to roll my eyes at the two of them.


    ¡°I will remind both of you,¡± I said, looking from one to the other. ¡°That I have not made any decisions


    about Julian or my future, so this entire conversation is premature.¡±


    Julian¡¯s gaze snapped to me.


    Rafael¡¯s focus came to me much slower.


    When I had it, I pressed, ¡°I¡¯m value your opinion, Rafael. Truly. And I¡¯m d to have someone, who I hope is my brother, looking out for me. I¡¯ve always wanted family like that. But as I told everyone before this challenge began, my life is my own. The oue of the challenge does not push me in any direction. What I decide to do with my life will be my decision and my decision alone.¡±


    ¡°So you have not yet made up your mind about him?¡± Rafael said, nodding toward Julian<b>. </b><b>¡°</b>You seemed


    certain before¡­¡±


    ¡°I want him in my life,¡± I said. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean I have made up my mind about him romantically.¡±


    Julian nced away. As he turned slightly away from me, I couldn¡¯t see his face.


    Looking back at Rafael, I insisted, ¡°I¡¯m in charge of my own fate, Rafael. Even if we are rted.¡±


    <b>¡°</b>I understand, Amber,¡± he replied, and gave me a small,forting smile that did help me feel better. He wasn¡¯t angry with me, and I was pleased he could respect my decision here. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I made you feel


    that I was imposing my will on you¡­¡±


    ¡°I know you were just watching out for me,¡± I said.


    He nodded, then nced at Julian. ¡°Sister, why don¡¯t you head to the dining room and we¡¯ll have lunch


    together. Julian and I will be along in a moment.¡±


    I wasn¡¯t so sure about leaving the two of them alone together, especially with the way Rafael clearly


    disliked Julian.


    But when Julian added, ¡°It¡¯s fine, Amber. I¡¯ll see you there,¡± I assumed everything would be alright.


    ¡°I¡¯ll wait there,¡± I said. At the door, I nervously nced back, but when no one said anything more, I


    stepped out into the hallway.


    Julian¡¯s POV


    I had no doubt what I was going to hear the minute Amber was out of earshot.


    In front of Amber, Rafael was putting on a nice face, trying to be a supportive brother, but the truth was


    messier. An Alpha is used to controlling all the people around him. This was something I had to unlearn


    myself after I lost Amber.


    Rafael still didn¡¯t know. He had to learn it, too, through experience. I couldn¡¯t just tell him and expect him


    to learn.


    <i>So </i>as he squared up to his full height, I did too.


    We red at each other, Alpha to Alpha.


    Then, he said what I expected, ¡°I do not ept you, Julian. For that to change, you will have to do much


    to prove yourself to me and my family.¡±

 Main Flame 208

    Rafael¡¯s POV


    I went with Roman back to the airport to see him off. As he lost the challenge, he was mostly ostracized now, so it felt necessary to be friendly, to maintain good rtions between our packs. I also just wanted to speak with him privately.


    He was the one I had supported to be with Amber. Now, that was impossible.


    Even so, I appreciated his efforts, and, as we stepped out of the vehicle, walking across the tarmac to his ne, I told him so.


    <b>¡°</b>If things could have been different, Roman, I would have liked to have you as my brother¨Cinw, Roman.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Roman said, his voice sloping downwards at the end. ¡°I thought I had her this time, but¡­ That was foolish of me. It was always Julian for her, and it probably always will be.¡±


    I didn¡¯t like that attitude and frowned. ¡°You don¡¯t know that.¡±


    ¡°I do, better than anyone else,¡± Roman said. ¡°This isn¡¯t the first time she¡¯s picked him over me. It¡¯s past time for me to bow out of this fight.¡±


    Spotting my annoyed expression, he turned to look at me. ¡°The bond between Julian and Amber is strong, Rafael. I genuinely don¡¯t see any way of breaking it.¡±


    ¡°I refuse to believe that,¡± I said. ¡°I want the best for my new sister, and Julian is not that. I don¡¯t know the full story, but I know he¡¯s not good enough for her. After all he¡¯s done, I don¡¯t know how she can even put up with him at all.¡±


    ¡°For better or worse, they love each other,¡± Roman said. ¡°Whether they themselves realize that, I can¡¯t say. But it¡¯s burned deep within them.¡± He paused a moment, considering. ¡°Maybe you can break them up somehow before they realize that. But it will be difficult.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll find a way,¡± I said. ¡°I have to. I¡¯m absolutely certain that Julian would only make Amber miserable. And then there is the child to consider.¡±


    ¡°Alice.¡±


    ¡°She might end up as the pack heir,¡± I said, thinking about more long¨Cterm possibilities. ¡°She needs better role models in her life than those that would keep their mates hidden and unhappy.¡±


    Roman nodded. I could tell that he agreed with me, but the topic must have been difficult for him to talk


    about.


    ¡°I hope you are right about that,¡± he said. ¡°<b>If </b>you¡¯ll excuse me¡­ None of this concerns me anymore.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t argue with that, so I stepped back and allowed Roman to move forward.


    ¡°Thank you, Roman, for your efforts,¡± I said, before he could get too far.


    He looked back at me from the stair to the ne. ¡°I wish you well, Rafael. And good luck.¡±


    As Roman boarded his ne, I turned around and started walking back to the car. Just before I reached it, my phone started to ring. Curious, I pulled the cell from my pocket and checked the screen. My cousin Gwen¡¯s name was written on the screen.


    Sighing, I answered the call. I had a feeling it was only a matter of time before my family found out about Amber. Gwen was the most bold gossip in the family, so it wasn¡¯t a great surprise that even if other¡¯s suspected, she was the first one to reach out.


    ¡°Gwen. How nice to hear from you.¡±


    ¡°Rafael, what is this I hear about a new potential rtion?¡±


    Straight to the point then. I supposed I could appreciate her straightforward nature.


    I didn¡¯t really want to give out this kind of information before it could be confirmed. We were still waiting for results from the blood test, and it seemed pointless to worry Gwen and the rest of the family before we


    knew all the facts for sure.


    Still, if she was calling me like this, she already knew more than I had wanted her to. Without my


    influence, her imagination would likely run wild. I needed to get a hand on this before it could blow out of


    proportion.

 Main Flame 209

    ¡°I am testing someone,¡± I said. ¡°But we don¡¯t have the results yet.¡±


    Gwen was quiet for a moment. Then she asked, ¡°Who?¡±


    I replied, ¡°Her name is Amber.¡±


    Amber¡¯s POV


    Julian and I left Rafael¡¯s together. He seemed distracted at first, looking out the window as I drove us to Gail¡¯s ce to pick up Alice.


    I was perfectly happy to do the drive in silence. After everything that happened today, I was feeling overwhelmed as it was. I could still hear the ringing in my ears from the loudness of the crowd. And my heart was still racing as much as it had been when Julian had been in danger.


    Now was the calm after the storm but my body and mind needed time to catch up, to remind myself that everyone was safe and everything was over.


    Julian was quiet for the length of a few more stop lights, before he finally nced over at me.


    ¡°You cheered for me,¡± he said.


    ¡°I did,¡± I could admit that.


    ¡°Is that because you love me?¡± he asked.


    I wished he didn¡¯t ask me these things while I was driving, because I very nearly swerved off the road.


    The truth was, I loved Julian, but I couldn¡¯t admit that to him. I could barely admit it to myself!


    And to tell him would lead him to thinking things were more stable than they were, when the truth was so much messier. I had no idea if Julian was my future. I loved him, and I wanted him near me. But our love had caused so much heartache, not just for the two of us but for those around us too.


    Roman couldn¡¯t even be my friend now.


    And Rafael didn¡¯t like Julian at all. I still didn¡¯t know what he said to him behind closed doors, but I was


    sure it wasn¡¯t anything good.


    So I couldn¡¯t answer Julian¡¯s question yet, and I didn¡¯t know if I¡¯d ever be able to.


    ¡°There are a lot of problems left for us to face before we can get into anything like that,¡± I said. Maybe it was a coward¡¯s way out, hiding behind our problems. Years ago, before the hurt, I would have been more bold with my love and my feelings. But now, I was scared of my own shadow.


    Maybe I didn¡¯t know how to love boldly anymore.


    My words, my warnings, didn¡¯t seem to deter Julian at all, and he continued on, ¡°Rafael wants me to prove myself to him and his family. He doesn¡¯t think I¡¯m worthy of you. Honestly, I don¡¯t care at all what he thinks. You are the only one I want to prove myself to.¡±


    ¡°Julian,¡± I said, unsure what to say after that. I wanted to tell him that he didn¡¯t have to prove himself to me, but maybe he did. Maybe some of my hesitation about us was still the hurt lingering from all those


    years ago.


    I should have been able to let things go by now, but I was still so scared they would happen again.


    Julian was different when he was here, traveling with Alice and me.


    But if we returned to his pack with him, trying to go back to normal, would he return to the way he used


    to be? What assurances did I really have that things would be different this time?


    I couldn¡¯t just take his word for it. I had to see it for myself before I got myself into that situation.


    And that meant I needed time.


    And maybe that meant I needed him to prove himself too.


    ¡°You¡¯ll see,¡± Julian said, sounding even more determined than before. ¡°I¡¯ll show you how much I care.¡±

 Main Flame 210

    Julian¡¯s POV


    When we made it to Gail¡¯s Alice shoved her way outside before Gail could even fully open the door. Immediately, she wrapped both arms around my legs, pulling me into the tightest hug she could manage.


    Smiling, I leaned down and then scooped her up into my arms so she could hug me properly with her arms around my neck.


    She must have been worried about me, but she didn¡¯t say so. Instead she asked, ¡°Did you pummel Uncle


    Roman?<b>¡± </b>


    ¡°Alice,¡± Amber scolded. ¡°We don¡¯t usenguage like that, and we don¡¯t talk about fighting.¡± Yet, even as Amber talked, as she looked at Alice clinging to me, her voice and face softened. She wasn¡¯t really all that angry, that much was clear. Like me, she was probably warmed by Alice¡¯s clear worry and care for me.


    Alice nced back at her mother. <b>¡°</b>I just want to make sure Daddy is okay, Mommy. I wanted him to win.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m okay, angel,¡± I tell her and kissed her on the cheek.


    ¡°You won the fight?¡± Alice asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I told her.


    ¡°Good<i>,</i><i>¡± </i>she said and went back to hugging me tightly.


    Alice sighed as she shook her head. Then she turned her attention to Gail, who was watching us with a


    smile from her doorway.


    ¡°Thank you for watching her, Gail,¡± Amber said.


    ¡°It was my pleasure<i>,¡± </i>Gail said. ¡°I¡¯m always avable to babysit Alice. Such a delightful child.¡±


    ¡°I like you too, Auntie Gail,¡± Alice said. She turned her head, resting her cheek against my shoulder so she


    could talk to Gail.


    Gail gave a kindly, grandmother¨Clike smile.


    We thanked her again and then went on our way.


    Back at the hotel, after Alice skipped ahead to y, Amber stopped me in the living room.


    ¡°Now that the fight is done, I think you should think about taking that medicine I gave you. It will help with your possessiveness and aggression.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, maybe¡­¡±


    I had promised her that after the fight, I would take the medicine she had gotten me for my condition. But


    the truth was, I was still on the fence about taking it.


    A promise was a promise, though, so I felt like I had to.


    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯ll go take some now,¡± I told her and walked toward my bedroom.


    There, I was startled when my wolf spoke words into my mind. Typically, hemunicated to me wordlessly, so it was strange to hear his voice again.


    ¡°There is nothing wrong with how you¡¯ve been acting,¡± he said, his voice gruff and thick with warning.¡± The possessiveness is a natural reaction to needing our mate. The medicine might change things that should not be changed.¡±


    ¡°I have to risk it,¡± I said to my wolf. ¡°I promised Amber, and I can¡¯t push her to be my mate again before she¡¯s ready. We have to be patient, and that means taking the medicine.¡±


    He wasn¡¯t convinced, I could feel his doubt without his needing to say so. But I didn¡¯t have a choice.


    I couldn¡¯t push my romantic feelings onto Amber before she was ready. The urge within me was to have my mate back. I needed to quiet that urge, and only the medicine could help take the edge off.


    My wolf might not agree, and honestly, I didn¡¯t want to do it either.


    But for Amber and for the future I wanted for us together, I had to do this.


    So, I got the pill bottle out of the bottom of my dresser drawer and I took two without water, swallowing


    them down roughly.


    ¡°I hope we won¡¯t regret this,¡± my wolf said.


    ¡°Me, too<i>,</i>¡± I replied.


    Rafael¡¯s POV


    Maybe I shouldn¡¯t have been surprised, given the nature of myst phone call with my cousin, that I would open the door after the bell rang, only to find Mary herself standing on my stoop. She had two bags with her, one sitting on the ground on either side of her, already giving away her intentions.


    I didn¡¯t say hello. Instead, I just lifted a single brow.


    ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± I asked.


    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯ve decided to visit.<i>¡± </i>


    ¡°You could have asked first.¡±


    ¡°You might have said no,¡± she said. ¡°I couldn¡¯t chance that.¡±


    ¡°Mary¡­¡±


    ¡°Come on, Rafael. It¡¯s clear you like this potential new rtion. You¡¯re already attached. Who knows <b>if </b>you would even listen to bad news? You might twist everything to keep her around.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t do that,¡± I said firmly.


    ¡°There¡¯s no telling,¡± Mary continued. ¡°So really, I¡¯m here in your best interest and in the best interest of


    our family.¡±


    The best interest, I assumed, was the family wealth. Who wanted to share wealth and power? Mary was going to look poor Amber under the sharpest of microscopes.


    It was also well known in the family that Mary was a gossip and a snoop. She was just as likely to be here to ¡®protect the family interests¡® as she was to dig into Amber and her secrets for her own curiosity.


    ¡°This really isn¡¯t necessary,¡± I said, but I already knew I lost this argument. I couldn¡¯t send Mary away without it getting back to the entire family that I had done so. Then it wouldn¡¯t just be Mary at my door, but all of my aunts, uncles, and cousins.


    One member of my family was bad enough. The whole lot of them? Gods, I¡¯d have to move.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be difficult, cousin,¡± Mary said. ¡°Just give in and let me have my way. It¡¯s really for the best.¡±


    I sighed, but stepped back from the door, allowing her entry. She practically skippeding in, leaving


    her suitcases on the stoop.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure the help can get my bags,¡± she said when I looked at them.


    They could, but it seemed particrly rude to them to leave the bags outside. Grabbing them, I brought them into the foyer before I turned to find where Mary had wandered off to.


    She was in the den, pouring herself a drink.


    ¡°So,¡± she said, ¡°What¡¯s this girl like?¡±


    ¡°Her name is Amber,¡± I said. ¡°And she¡¯s kind and smart. She¡¯s a renowned Healer.¡±


    Amber dropped the decanter she had been holding straight back down on the dry bar. Itnded with a smack that made me wince, though I was relieved to see the ss didn¡¯t crack.


    ¡°Wait. Our new potential rtion is Healer Amber?<b>¡± </b>


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said, not totally surprised that Mary had heard of her. Amber¡¯s reputation was very good. ¡°Does that make it better?¡±


    ¡°No,<i>¡± </i>she said. ¡°Doesn¡¯t she have her own influence? Why is she trying to scoop up even more?¡± She shook her head. ¡°People like that can never get enough, Rafael. If I wasn¡¯t sure before, now I¡¯m certain this whole thing is a scam.¡±


    ¡°Amber isn¡¯t like that.¡± Already I felt a headacheing on. Gods, this was going to be a long visit.


    ¡°They¡¯re all like that,<i>¡± </i>she said and sipped her drink.


    ¡°Perhaps you should meet her before you jump to conclusions.¡± As soon as I said the words, I immediately


    wanted them back.


    Amber needed a warning before she met Mary, but with the way Mary¡¯s eyes brightened, I knew she wasn¡¯t going to give me ¨C or Amber ¨C that kind of time.


    ¡°Well? What are we waiting for?¡±

 Main Flame 211

    Amber¡¯s POV


    When I walked into work that morning, I was determined to have a normal day. After the fight the day before, I was emotionally exhausted. So my n for today was simple. Focus on work. Continue to make strides to help the pack. Then go home. Eat, spend time with Alice, sleep. Repeat.


    The morning started well enough. I was able to aplish a lot. But, around midmorning, I was paged to the reception area, where Rafael was standing beside a woman who was slightly older, thin with severe


    features.


    This woman looked me up and down, with a growing unimpressed look on her face.


    ¡°This is Healer Amber?¡± she scoffed.


    Rafael ignored her. ¡°Amber, hello. Please meet our cousin Mary.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m Rafael¡¯s cousin,¡± she said.


    ¡°Right,¡± I replied. I held out my hand to shake hers. She looked at my hand like I had something contagious. I let it linger there for a moment, waiting, until it became abundantly clear she wasn¡¯t going to shake my hand. Embarrassed then, I let my hand drop.


    ¡°Rafael,<i>¡± </i>Mary said, speaking to her cousin while still looking me over. ¡°There¡¯s no way this person could be a member of our family. Look at her. She¡¯s too short, too fat, too pale¡­ Look at her stubby knees.¡±


    There was nothing wrong with my knees, thank you very much.


    ¡°Gics works in curious ways,¡± I said, trying to be polite even as my annoyance was spiking. ¡°While you and Rafael take after one side of the family, I could take after another side.¡±


    Plus I was pale because I spent so much time working, away from the sun. I was a little bit heavier for the same reason. My work hadn¡¯t let me get to the gym as much as I would like. But I wasn¡¯t even that heavy,


    either, thank you! At most, I was curvy.


    I didn¡¯t want to dislike anyone from my potential family, but this was almost too much to bear. I didn¡¯t know who this woman was, outside of this introduction, or why she felt she had any right to criticize me.


    She also seemed to not be the best listener, as she ignored me entirely to look at Rafael instead.


    ¡°Since Amber is a Healer, <b>I </b>suspect any test result thates back will be positive, don¡¯t you Rafael? Either by her tampering or her influence, she can affect the results however she wants.¡±


    ¡°I would never do such a thing,¡± I said. ¡°That would require a tant disregard of the healer code. I swore an oath against doing such an hical thing.¡±


    Mary¡¯s gaze slid back to me. ¡°The promise of wealth and power will make anyone do anything.¡±


    ¡°Not me,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t need your wealth or your power.¡±


    She clucked her tongue. ¡°Easy for you to say. Harder for you to prove.¡±


    ¡°Mary, that¡¯s enough,¡± Rafael said. ¡°You are being purposefully hostile against Amber, who hasn¡¯t done anything to either of us.¡±


    ¡°Maybe she hasn¡¯t yet, but she will,¡± Mary said. Her sharp look at me turned into a full¨Con glower. ¡°You aren¡¯t the first pretender to try to infiltrate our family, and you won¡¯t be thest either.¡±


    ¡°Mary,¡± Rafael said, tone scolding.


    ¡°Rafael has a soft heart,¡± Mary said to me. ¡°But I don¡¯t. I will protect my family from people like you.¡±


    Julian¡¯s POV


    While Amber had to work, I decided to call Alice out from her tutoring so that she and I could have some father¨Cdaughter fun together. She¡¯d talked about wanting to go to the zoo, so I was happy to take her.


    Even before we went though, I could feel something¡­ off¡­ about myself.


    ¡°I warned you¡­¡± my wolf whispered, but even in my mind, he sounded so very far away.


    I knew Alice was beside me, I could feel her hand in mine, but my other wolfy senses, my instincts, felt numb. I had to fully concentrate to feel the familial bond connecting me to Alice. The one tying me to Amber, who was farther away than right next to me, might as well have been nonexistent.

 Main Flame 212

    If I closed my eyes and truly pushed through the fog in my mind, I could sense Amber enough to know she was there, but I couldn¡¯t discem her feelings. If something happened to her, I wouldn¡¯t be able to tell.


    Some worry bubbled up inside of me, remembering the time she had been abducted and how quickly I had found her because of our bond. Yet even that concern was muted thanks to the medicine.


    I supposed, it was working. I didn¡¯t feel possessive or aggressive. But the alternative? This nothing feeling


    I hated it.


    With Alice, I tried to act normal, taking her to see the animals. She liked the elephants best, especially because there was a baby who was very cute, ying in the puddles while flinging his trunk around.


    But the truth was, being normal was an act. If I let myself sit still, I simply nked out. To stay present, meant effort. By midmorning, I was exhausted but still pushing through, for Alice and for myself.


    Maybe I could stop the medicine. If I dumped the pills down the toilet, maybe I could pretend that I was still taking them. Would Amber notice?


    I wasn¡¯t sure, not even at the end of the day, when Amber joined us. She seemed tired, but didn¡¯tin so I didn¡¯t push. By now, I was so exhausted of fighting the medicine that I was kind of letting it win so


    that I could have some relief.


    I sat on the couch in the living room staring at the television, though I couldn¡¯t say what was actually on.


    I wasn¡¯t truly watching it, just looking, while I zoned out into nothing.


    ¡°Julian?¡± Amber asked, stepping in my line of sight. With her tone of voice, it was clear this wasn¡¯t the first time she had said my name.


    Blinking, I forced myself to look up at her.


    ¡°Are you okay?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± I said. That was true, wasn¡¯t it? I wasn¡¯t good or bad. Fine felt right.


    She frowned a little. ¡°Is it the medicine?¡±


    Yes. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you mean,¡± I lied. She wanted me to take this medicine, and I promised I would. She didn¡¯t need to worry herself about what else I was going through.


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± she seemed uncertain, but as I continued to stare without saying anything, she eventually walked away. I continued to stare at the television until it waste enough for me to go to bed.


    I didn¡¯t sleep, but I did something simr, with my eyes open. I just stared at the ceiling until the morning


    came.


    Amber¡¯s POV


    Something was definitely going on with Julian, and I suspected it was that medicine. I had been in a horrible moodst night after dealing with Mary. Normally he would notice and offerfort or


    protection.


    But he didn¡¯t even seem <i>to </i>notice my mood, and when I tried to talk <i>to </i>him, he spaced out.


    I didn¡¯t like this change in him. Maybe the medicine was a mistake after all.


    On my way to the clinic, I resolved to look into the side effects of that medicine. Maybe I could adjust the dose or find something that suited him better.


    Yet, before I could even get past the front desk, Gail stopped me and handed me an envelope.


    ¡°This was special delivered this morning,¡± she said.


    I looked down at it and realized at once what it was.


    The DNA test results.

 Main Flame 213

    Amber¡¯s POV


    Before opening the letter, I immediately called Rafael to join me, inviting Mary as well, so that she could see how the envelope was sealed. Whatever results were within, we would read and learn together.


    I continued working until they arrived, then the three of us went into the only meeting room in the clinic


    to do this in private. I passed the sealed envelope to Mary, thinking as the skeptical one, she would want


    to be the one to read it. She did reach for it, but Rafael snatched it up first.


    Rafael tore the top of the envelope and then pulled out the single sheet of paper from within. His eyes


    darted down, reading in haste.


    I waited for him to tell me what it said, but Mary didn¡¯t. Moving closer <i>to </i>him, she openly read over his


    shoulder.


    When they both got to the bottom, Mary scoffed, but Rafael smiled.


    He looked up at me with a bright brotherly love sparkling in his eyes. ¡°Amber,¡± he said, and I already


    knew what he was going to say, happiness filling my heart. ¡°You are my sister!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t sit still and hopped out of my chair. Rafael did to and we hugged each other tightly.


    My brother¡­ My brother!


    I couldn¡¯t believe it.


    After being alone for so very long, I suddenly had family, and a ce where I belonged. A heritage. A lineage. A family history that I could track back, and also give to my daughter. Alice could know where


    she came from.


    ¡°I thought you were dead,¡± Rafael said. ¡°For so long¡­¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t know I had anyone,¡± I replied. ¡°Now I have a whole family.¡±


    Mary gave us a moment to hug things out without interfering. I supposed I should have been grateful for that, because a minuteter, as we started to pull away, she sneered at the letter and said, ¡°I don¡¯t believe


    <b>it</b>.¡±


    Frustration rose up inside of me, but Rafael reacted quicker, seemingly even angrier than I was. He swiveled on Mary and said, ¡°The results are clear, Mary.¡±


    ¡°Maybe. If we can believe them.¡± She waved the paper with the results on it. ¡°How do we know Amber didn¡¯t tamper with this?¡±


    <b>¡°</b>It was sealed,¡± I said. ¡°I didn¡¯t touch it.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you didn¡¯t touch the envelope, but you could have had whoever sealed it write whatever they want. Or you could have tampered with the blood vials before they even went off for testing,¡± Mary said.¡± No. I don¡¯t believe it, and I won¡¯t ept it. I won¡¯t ept her until I¡¯m satisfied.¡±


    ¡°And what would satisfy you, cousin?¡± Rafael asked.


    Mary straightened. She already had an answer, like she¡¯d been hoping he was going to ask that. ¡°I want this testing done again in a different clinic of my choosing. One away from Amber¡¯s control.¡±


    ¡°This is ridiculous.¡± Rafael said.


    I agreed, but to appease this woman and get her to ept me, I was willing to jump through these hoops.


    If I do this, you promise you will ept those results, no matter what they say?<i>¡± </i>


    ¡°Do you?¡± Mary asked me.


    ¡°Of course,¡± I replied.


    ¡°Then yes, I will too,¡± Mary said.


    ¡°Fine, then,¡± I said.


    ¡°Good,¡± Mary replied.


    Rafael looked between us before his gaze settled onto me. ¡°Are you sure about this?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want there to be any room for doubt,¡± I told him.


    ¡°In that case, I think we should disregard these findings today,¡± Mary said, interjecting herself.


    Rafael frowned. ¡°We will keep them secret, but we will not disregard them. You might not believe the words there, Mary, but I do. Amber is my sister, and I¡¯m sure of it.¡±


    I smiled at him, relieved he thought that way, even if our cousin was being more difficult. If we knew we were siblings that was all that really mattered.


    I knew I hadn¡¯t interfered with those results, so Rafael was definitely my brother.


    I had nothing to be ashamed of, and soon Mary would see that too.


    Julian¡¯s POV


    With Alice at her tutor¡¯s today, I stood in the bathroom off my hotel bedroom, holding my pill bottle in my hand. I was standing over the toilet, debating on dumping the contents of the bottle down into the water. A flush would take it all away.


    I took another pillst night, to see if the feeling would persist, and it did. I still felt numb. Even focusing enough to stand here dong this took great effort.


    I hated not being able to feel my family. Without thefort of our bonds, I felt like I was awash at sea,


    lost and alone, without even a heading to know how to get home.


    I couldn¡¯t stand it anymore.


    Tilting my hand, I started to turn the bottle.


    Then, before a single pill could fall, my phone began ringing.


    Strange, that I would receive a call and not a text. It had to be some kind of emergency.


    Distracted now, I lowered the pill bottle to the counter and walked out <i>to </i>find my phone where I had left it atop my mattress in my bedroom.


    I was surprised to see my Beta¡¯s name on the screen. Immediately, I picked up the phone and answered it.


    ¡°Hello?¡±


    ¡°Alpha, thank the goddess,¡± he said, the relief in his voice palpable.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡±


    ¡°Alpha. It¡¯s your mother¡­¡±


    I knew what I had to do, but even through the numbness of the medicine, I felt worried about leaving Amber and Alice alone. They had already been through so much, and needed a protector.


    Though, with how Rafael seemed so willing to take them into his family, perhaps he would be willing to step into that role while I was needed elsewhere.


    I hated leaving it to him, as it just proved his doubts about me. I wanted to prove myself to him, his family, and to Amber, yet now, even before I could start, I had to leave.


    ¨C


    Yet, there was nothing for it. I didn¡¯t have a choice. With some serious things like this ¨C life didn¡¯t give us many options.


    Right now, I was needed more back home than I was here.


    Still, I wasn¡¯t looking forward to this conversation with Amber.


    I waited to pick up Alice, wanting to speak with Amber alone. She seemed surprised when she walked into the hotel, not seeing Alice there, but that surprise cleared when I told her, ¡°We have to talk.¡±


    I led her to the table where we sat down opposite each other.


    She watched me closely, but my face wasn¡¯t doing anything to give anything away. With that medicine still pumping through my veins, I couldn¡¯t show any emotion even if I wanted to.


    ¡°I have to leave,¡± I told Amber. ¡°I have to go back home.¡±


    Her eyes went wide with surprise but she recovered quickly. ¡°Why?¡± She must have known I wouldn¡¯t just walk away without good reason, especially after everything, including the challenge against Roman.


    ¡°If I could stay with you, I would,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t want to leave, but I have to.¡±


    ¡°Help me understand,¡± Amber said. ¡°Tell me what¡¯s happening.¡±


    Meeting her gaze, I told her, ¡°My mother is dying.¡±

 Main Flame 214

    <b>Chapter </b>214


    Amber¡¯s POV


    +15 <b>BONUS </b>


    Julian¡¯s words broke my heart. I didn¡¯t really know what it was like to have a mother, so I could only imagine the pain of having one for so long just to lose her. I thought of my daughter, even in the future as an adult, trying to cope with the cope of my loss.


    Julian kept a steady gaze, looking at me, his face nker than usual. I knew the medicine was to me


    <b>for </b>some of it, but I thought the rest might be a kind of shock that could onlye from trying to process


    bad news.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how long I will be gone,¡± he said, and I understood. For some, dying took a short amount of time. For others, it stretched out too long. Depending on the cause, the time frame would be different, if it


    could even be pinned down at all.


    ¡°I wish I coulde with you,¡± I told him. I gave a thought or two to how that would work. ¡°But we¡¯re in a critical state right now with the clinics. I think we almost have the overcrowding under control. If I leave


    now, I¡¯m afraid it will backslide and we will lose all of our progress.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I have to go,¡± he said. ¡°I thought about staying. If it was anyone but my mother, maybe I would.


    But with her¡­¡±


    <b>¡°</b>You need to be there,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m just sorry I can¡¯t be with you.¡±


    We looked at each other, trapped in an impasse of sadness.


    Between us, I could feel a sort of longing¡­ I missed him, even though he was still sitting in the chair


    across the table from me.


    ¡°How are we going to tell Alice?¡± I asked.


    He ran a hand down his face, showing the most emotion I¡¯d seen out of him in two full days. ¡°I genuinely


    have no idea.¡±


    After some discussion, we decided that the best way to handle it was simply to tell her t out, and then help her deal with it in her own way.


    I went to her tutor¡¯s and picked her up. In the car, she told me all about her day. It had been a good one, and she¡¯d gotten a gold star on her reading worksheet. She was excited about the star and to show Julian the drawing she had made at the end of the day of the two of them riding an elephant.


    ¡°And the baby is there, <i>too</i>!¡± she said, showing me the drawing at a stoplight.


    My heart broke for her already even before she knew.


    When we arrived back at the hotel, Julian was setting the table. He¡¯d ordered Alice¡¯s favorite meal from


    her favorite restaurant in town, likely to try to soften the blow.


    Alice ran right up to him to show him her sticker and her drawing.


    +15 <b>BONUS </b>


    ¡°That¡¯s wonderful, Alice,¡± Julian said, nodding approvingly at her sticker. Then he smiled at her drawing. The smile was forced, I knew the difference, but again I didn¡¯t know if it was the pills or the weight of what he was facing that was holding back his emotions. ¡°I love it. The elephants from the zoo?<b>¡± </b>


    ¡°Yeah!¡± Alice seemed so proud of her drawing now that her father knew right away what it was.


    ¡°Can I have this?<b>¡± </b>Julian asked.


    ¡°Okay!<b>¡± </b>Alice seemed even prouder now.


    Julian smiled down at the picture, then set it aside on the table.


    ¡°Alice. Sit down a minute. There¡¯s something I need to talk to you about. Something serious,¡± Julian said, and gestured to one of the chairs for Alice to sit down.


    Obediently, Alice sat down. Julian sat beside her, turned on his chair so he was facing her. I sat on the chair at the other side of her, ready to offerfort if she needed it.


    <b>Chapter </b>215

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    <b>Chapter </b>215


    <b>+15 </b><b>BONUS </b>


    Julian swallowed, then, keeping his face nk, he told Alice, <b>¡°</b>I¡¯m <b>sorry</b>, honey. But I have <b>to </b><b>go </b>back to my pack for a few days. My mom is very sick and she needs me.¡±


    As Alice blinked, all the good mood drained from her face, right alongside the color. She looked at Julian withrge doe eyes, quickly filling with tears.


    ¡°You¡¯re leaving?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,<b>¡± </b>Julian said. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t go if I didn¡¯t have to. But my mom needs me.¡±


    ¡°B¨Cbut I need you,¡± Alice said. ¡°What about me?¡±


    Instinctively, I inched closer to her. Yet when I tried to touch her back, she slunk away from me, not


    wanting to be touched. It hurt, but I kept my hand on the back of her chair instead.


    ¡°You have your mom here,¡± Julian said. His face was still nk. ¡°And your uncle Rafael is nearby<b>¡­</b>¡±


    Tears fell from Alice¡¯s eyes. ¡°You don¡¯t even care!¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± Julian insisted, but I could see Alice¡¯s confusion. With how very emotionless Julian was acting, it


    truly did seem like he was indifferent to leaving us. I knew it wasn¡¯t true and that this was both shock


    and the medicine¡¯s interference, but Alice didn¡¯t know that.


    She was far too young and innocent to understand.


    <b>¡°</b>You don¡¯t care at all!!!¡± Alice shouted. She jumped from her chair. ¡°You hate me!¡±


    ¡°Alice<b>,</b>¡± I said, trying to calm her.


    ¡°I love you<b>,</b><b>¡± </b>Julian said.


    ¡°You don¡¯t act like it! And now you are leaving!¡± Tears in her eyes, she reached for her drawing and tore it straight down the middle. Immediately after, she looked at both halves in horror, as if realizing what she¡¯d done. Dropping the paper<b>, </b>she clutched her ne with both hands, turned, and fled into her


    bedroom.


    I hurried after her, only to find that she locked the door.


    ¡°Alice, please. It¡¯s Mom. Open the door.¡±


    ¡°Go away!¡± Alice sobbed through the door.


    Behind me<b>, </b>Julian picked up the two halves <b>of </b>paper that once made up a full drawing and gently held them together.


    ¡°Julian¡­¡± I had no <b>idea </b>how tofort him either<b>. </b>


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± he said, but I didn¡¯t think that was true.


    Holding the drawing, he walked into his bedroom.


    The table was set. The dinner was warming on top of the stove. But no one was going to eat it.


    Not tonight.


    Moving toward it, I did the only thing I felt like I could do at this moment.


    Put away leftovers.


    Julian¡¯s POV


    In my hotel bedroom, I carefullyid the two halves of Alice¡¯s drawing in my suitcase. When I made it


    back to my pack, I¡¯d tape it andminate it to preserve it forever.


    Then, I walked into the bathroom, grabbed my pills off the counter by the sink, and unceremoniously


    upended the entire bottle into the toilet.


    Flushing, I watched the tiny cylinders circle the drain before disappearing out of sight.


    The next morning, Amber and Alice went with me to the airport, but Alice must have been coaxed by her


    mother. She wouldn¡¯t look at me at all, not even as I told her, ¡°I love you, Alice. I will be back soon.¡±


    I would have said the same to Amber, but words failed me when I stood before her.


    I wanted to hug her, but she held out her hand for a handshake at the same moment. It was an awkward moment, I would have rather had a hug, but I epted the handshake and the soft, ¡°Goodbye.¡±


    On the ne, without the pills, I felt as the bond between my mate, child, and me stretched farther and farther. Yet it didn¡¯t break. I would never let it.


    But the distance still weighed on me heavily.


    Even so, I wouldn¡¯t change it. I was never going to take that medicine ever again.

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    <b>Chapter </b><b>216 </b>


    Amber¡¯s POV


    I didn¡¯t sleep the night after Julian left. With him here, I hadn¡¯t realized how safe I felt and <b>had </b><b>taken </b><b>that </b>


    . </b>I was jumping <b>at </b>shadows,


    worried that if I needed someone, everyone would be too far away to help me.


    The depression that seemed to hang over Alice like a stormy raincloud hadn¡¯t helped matters.


    I¡¯d made her go to the airport to watch Julian¡¯s ne leave, though she didn¡¯t talk to him and mostly just


    cried. She cried most of yesterday<b>, </b><b>so </b>much, I didn¡¯t make her go to her tutor¡¯s.


    I tried tofort her myself, even heating up her favorite meal. She ate it, but seemed no happy by any <b>of </b>


    my efforts. Nor by her favorite tv shows, or her favorite toys.


    When I told her, <b>¡°</b>Julian will be back soon,¡± she replied with a quick, ¡°I don¡¯t care if he is.¡±


    That was a clear lie, spoken in a shaky voice.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay to be mad at him for leaving,¡± I told her. ¡°But it¡¯s also okay to forgive him for having to go. If I


    was sick, wouldn¡¯t you want toe see me?¡±


    She frowned deeply. ¡°Then why aren¡¯t we there?¡±


    I lowered my head. ¡°I have very important work here.¡±


    Alice frowned deeper. The way she looked at me struck me more than any words she had said to this point. Realizing what I had said to earn that look, I understood.


    I had just admitted fault.


    We weren¡¯t with Julian because I had deemed work more important.


    Hopefully, someday, she would understand. <b>My </b>work was important, and because of my actions here, lives were being saved. She couldn¡¯t see that now, but someday, hopefully, she could see. She could


    understand.


    After taking Alice <i>to </i>the tutors that morning, I went to the clinic to try to bury myself at work. Every morning, first thing, especially when I got there before anyone else, even Gail, I would take a moment to make coffee and sit at my desk to read the newspaper that was delivered to the clinic door every morning.


    This morning, after making the coffee and pouring a cup, I sat down at my desk, <b>lifted </b>the <b>newspaper</b><b>, </b>


    and then <b>froze</b>.


    The headline across the front page read, TEST RESULTS REVEAL HEALER AMBER <b>AS </b>ALPHA RAFAEL¡¯S


    SISTER.


    <b>1/4 </b>


    My stomach dropped.


    Immediately, I picked up my phone and dialed Rafael.


    As he answered, he didn¡¯t even greet me. Instead, he just said, ¡°Where are you? I¡¯m sending a car to get you.¡±


    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯m at the clinic.¡±


    ¡°Alice is at the tutor¡¯s?¡± Rafael asked.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°She should be safe there. We need to get you here though, and out of the public eye.¡±


    ¡°But my work¡­¡±


    ¡°Can wait,¡± Rafael said. ¡°We need to n how to weather this, Amber.¡±


    My work couldn¡¯t wait, not really. After all, wasn¡¯t that the reason I was here, and not where Julian was?


    Yet, I could also sense the truth in Rafael¡¯s words too.


    We¡¯d nned to keep the news a secret. For it to be out like this meant that it had been leaked. We hadn¡¯t had time to get ahead of the story. I didn¡¯t have a clue what I was supposed to say if the reporters showed up here.


    <i>¡°</i>Okay,¡± I said.


    In the background of the call, I could hear Mary screeching. ¡°Why are you bringing her here? This is her fault! You should send her to jail! Or exile!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll calm her down before you get here,¡± Rafael said like a promise, then hung up.


    Of course Mary would think I was responsible for this. She¡¯d been wanting to me me for everything from the start. She probably thought I orchestrated this whole thing so my birthright would be more difficult to exin away.


    Gods, what a mess.


    And I had no idea how to fix it.


    Julian¡¯s POV


    In my mother¡¯s hospital bed, Mom rested peacefully. The television was on, but it was some terrible reality television show. Since Mom was passed out, I grabbed the remote and switched over to the news.


    Seeing the day¡¯s top headline, my stomach dropped.


    Amber was Rafael¡¯s true sister? It had been confirmed?


    <b>+15 </b><b>BONUS </b>


    My stomach twisted. Why hadn¡¯t she told me about this? How long had she known<b>? </b>


    Grabbing my phone, I dialed her number, but after a few rings, it went <b>to </b>voicemail.


    Again I tried, but with the same result. Voicemail.


    ¡°Hey, it¡¯s me. I just saw the news¡­ Call me if you need me, okay<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>I didn¡¯t know what else <b>to </b><b>say</b>, so I hung up. But for the life of me, I couldn¡¯t figure out why she didn¡¯t tell me about this.


    I was about to try a third time, when Mom started to stir. Tucking my phone away, I clicked off the television and focused on her.


    I¡¯d been here a little while, but she spent most of that time sleeping. I wasn¡¯t sure that she fully understood I was even here at all.


    She looked so different from thest time I had seen her, even a few weeks ago. Whatever this illness was that was iming her, it was doing so quickly.


    She was thin, her cheeks sallow. Her eyes seemed a little ssy as she turned and focused on me.


    <b>¡°</b>Julian?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s me,¡± I told her gently. Without the pills in my system, it was easier to smile. But, the pain of this moment I felt just as distinctly.


    We both knew she was dying, and our time together was finite. It made every second special, and every square inch of my chest ache with the pain of a loss I hadn¡¯t experienced yet.


    Mom looked around. ¡°Where¡¯s your


    wife?¡±


    I blinked, confused. She¡¯d never met Amber, which was a great regret of mine. As I¡¯d kept Amber a secret,


    I never introduced Mom to Amber or vice versa. If <b>I </b>could go back in time¡­


    But no. That seemed strange now. With her fragile mentality, how could she be thinking of Amber at all? Someone that she had only learned about through news reporting?


    Had Amber made a big enough impression on Mom even in print, or¡­


    Oh. Oh, no. She wasn¡¯t talking about Amber at all.


    Mom¡¯s weary eyes met mine. ¡°Didn¡¯t you bring Olivia with you?¡±


    Olivia¡¯s POV


    I knew crossing back into Julian¡¯s packnds was a dangerous risk, but it was one I <b>had </b><b>to </b><b>take</b>. <b>I¡¯d </b><b>run </b>out of my own money and had nothing left. The only people <b>I </b>could <b>hope </b><b>to </b><b>go </b><b>to </b><b><i>for </i></b><b>sanctuary </b><b>were </b><b>my </b>own parents.


    They¡¯d always adored me when I had an important <b>member </b><b>of </b><b>society</b>. <b>They¡¯d </b><b>had </b><b>big </b><b>ns </b><b><i>for </i></b>me<b>, </b>but


    surely they could see even now, those ns could stille to fruition.


    <b>I </b>just needed money and a goodwyer. Then I could prove to everyone that I was still <b>worth </b>of being <b>a </b>member of this pack. And if I could convince Julian too¡­


    I could still be Luna. I could still make their dream for me, as well as my dream for myself<b>, </b><be </b><b>true</b><b>, </b>


    I just needed their help.


    424

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    <b>Olivia¡¯s </b>POV


    <b>¡°</b>You¡¯ve failed us, Olivia,¡± Father said, his gaze sharp and his tone sharper. ¡°We were expecting you to be


    Luna.¡±


    ¡°I could still be Luna,¡± I told him.


    <b>¡°</b>No,¡± Mother said. Her own eyes were like daggers, each piercing me down <b>to </b><b>the </b>heart. Even as a <b>child</b>, she had never showed me warmth. I wasn¡¯t sure why I had expected to find any now.


    Perhaps it had been life on the road that made me hope my parents would be happy <b>to </b>hear from me<b>. </b>


    Instead, they seemed more worried about my presence in their house would do <b>to </b>their <b>reputation</b>.


    <b>¡°</b><b>You¡¯ve </b>ruined all your chances, Olivia,¡± Mother continued. <b>¡°</b><b>You </b>burned your bridges. And now we <b>are </b>


    going to do the same to you.¡±


    <b>¡°</b><b>You¡¯ve </b>always been something of a disappointment,¡± Father said.


    ¡°I can fix this,¡± I said. ¡°I just need some time and money to pull myself back up. I¡¯m sure of it<b>!</b>¡±


    <b>¡°</b><b>You </b>tried to kill the Alpha¡¯s mate,¡± Mother said, though I imagined what upset her most wasn¡¯t that so


    much as the next thought, ¡°And you got caught.¡±


    <b>¡°</b><b>You </b>were careless,¡± Father said. ¡°We will not be the same. Take what you want from your room. We are


    going to destroy the rest.¡±


    <b>¡°</b><b>You </b>aren¡¯t weed back here,¡± Mother said.


    ¡°We¡¯re going to disown you,¡± Father said.


    ¡°<b>You </b>won¡¯t drag us down with you.¡± Mother again.


    ¡°I get <b>it</b><b>,</b><b>¡± </b>I said bitterly. ¡°Let me get my things and I¡¯ll get out.¡±


    In my bedroom, I had very little that actually mattered to me. My childhood was nothing but my parents¡® <b>expectations </b>pushed down onto me. I didn¡¯t have toys or games. I couldn¡¯t even keep my thoughts safe in a journal. If they had found it, <b>my </b>parents would have read it.


    So I didn¡¯t <b>go </b><b>to </b>my bedroom for any mementos or keepsakes.


    Instead, I pulled all the books from my shelfs and make <b>a </b>pile of them on my bed. Then <b>I </b>lit a match.


    I walked out of the house before the fire took hold. Truth told, I didn¡¯t <b>care </b><b>if </b><b>the </b>house <b>burned down or </b>not. I just wanted <b>to </b>send a message and <b>that </b>seemed like <b>the </b><b>best </b><b>way</b>.


    I walked to the nearby town, pleased when I <b>heard </b><b>the </b><b>wail </b><b>of </b><b>firetrucks </b><b>heading </b><b>back </b><b>the way </b><b>I came</b><b>.. </b>


    +15 <b>BONUS </b>


    <b>My </b>good mood <b>didn¡¯t </b><bst </b><b>very </b>long. <b>In </b>between ducking into <b>alleyways </b><b>to </b><b>avoid </b><b>the </b><b>patrolling </b><b>guards </b>and <b>enforcers</b>, I <b>caught </b>sight <b>of </b><b>the </b>news through the windows <b>of </b><b>the </b>television <b>repair </b><b>shop</b>.


    <b>Healer </b>Amber Is Alpha Rafael¡¯s Sister! Read the bottom <b>scroll </b>on the television <b>screen</b>.


    <b>That </b><b>bitch </b>took everything from me. <b>My </b>title. The man I was supposed <b>to </b><b>marry</b>.


    And now she was some lost princess?


    Bullshit.


    Right then and there, I vowed for revenge.


    Though¡­ with how things were, I would need some <b>time </b><b>to </b>organize <b>a </b>good enough n. After myst one failed, I wasn¡¯t sure I¡¯d have the effort <b>to </b>try again.


    Hearing this news lit a fire within me though.


    I had a few favors I could still call in.


    Watch out, Amber.


    This wasn¡¯t over yet.


    Julian¡¯s POV


    Mom was asking about Olivia. Had she <b>not </b>heard about Olivia¡¯s disgrace?


    With Mom¡¯s fragile mental state, I didn¡¯t want <b>to </b>upset her, but <b>I </b>couldn¡¯t just let her continue to have this misconception, could I?


    No, I owed it to Amber and Alice, to make up for all the mistakes and secrets of the past<b>, </b><b>to </b>tell Mom the truth now. Maybe she had time enough left to get to know her true daughter¨Cinw and her grandchild. She at least deserved that chance.


    <i>¡°</i>Olivia isn¡¯t here<b>,</b>¡± <b>I </b>told Mom. ¡°<b>Do </b>you remember Amber?<b>¡± </b>


    <b>¡°</b>Amber<b>?</b><b>¡± </b><b>Mom </b>asked. Her eyes went a little wide for a moment. All <b>of </b>the <b>sudden</b>, the heart monitor kicked into high gear, beeping wildly. Her blood pressure monitor wailed <b>too</b>. A siren <b>screeched </b><b>in </b><b>the </b>hallway, signaling for the <b><i>doctors </i></b><b>to </be in right <b>away</b>.


    <b>X </b>


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 Main Flame 218

    <b>Chapter </b><b>218 </b>


    :


    +15 <b>BONUS </b>


    As the doctors and nurses came running, one turned to me and asked, ¡°What did you do? You upset her<b>!</b><b>¡± </b>


    All I had tried to do was talk about my wife.


    The nurses injected Mom with something, a sedative maybe, and she seemed to calm down.


    Was this how it had to be, then? Was talking about Amber too much? Did I have to keep the woman I


    loved a secret again for my mother¡¯s sake?


    How could I possibly survive that?


    My heart heavy<b>, </b>I stepped out of the room when directed by the nurses so the doctor could work.


    I pulled out my phone. Amber still hadn¡¯t called me back, and now I wasn¡¯t sure if I should try to reach <b>out </b>


    again.


    The pull of our bond tugged at me, feeling ufortable now when it was usually afort.


    Maybe I had acted too soon dumping those pills. Maybe, with this distance, I really needed them now.


    Frightened about what I had just experienced ¨C had I nearly killed my mom? ¨C I walked to the nurses¡®


    station.


    <b>I </b>remembered the name of the prescription, so I asked her for some.


    She gave me a curious look. ¡°That¡¯s not something we just give out, Alpha.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± I said. ¡°I had a prescription but I misced it.¡±


    ¡°Why would you need such a thing?¡± she asked.


    I swallowed hard, then told her the truth. ¡°I miss my mate, but she doesn¡¯t want me back. I¡¯m feeling the


    strain.¡±


    Understanding crossed the nurse¡¯s face then. ¡°Yes, I understand. Give me a moment.¡±


    She disappeared into a backroom. Before I could feel some regret, she returned with the bottle of familiar


    looking pills and handed them over to me.


    As I turned away, <b>I </b>unscrewed the cap and down two of them.


    Amber¡¯s POV


    I sat at Rafael¡¯s dining room table with him and Mary. There was brunch food before us but no one was eating. Instead, Mary was ring at me, while I was trying not to notice. Rafael was on the phone a lot, and when he wasn¡¯t<b>, </b>he was rubbing at his temples like he had a throbbing headache.


    ¡°The good news is, generally, people seem to be handling the news rather well,¡± Rafael said. ¡°Early polling shows that the public is excited about a new potential princess, especially one as well¨Cknown and well- liked as Healer Amber.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the bad news<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>I asked him.


    <b>¡°</b>Your clinic is already overrun with people hoping to see you,¡± Rafael said. ¡°I¡¯m not sure when you¡¯ll be able to return to work.¡±


    That wasn¡¯t just bad news, it was terrible!


    But we were so close to finding a permanent solution! ¡°I can¡¯t just quit now,¡± I said.


    ¡°Even if you went, Amber, you won¡¯t be able to get anything done. The public is practically crawling the walls. They are here too, lining up outside the fence, hoping to see you.¡±


    ¡°What a hassle,¡± Mary muttered. ¡°Bet you regret what you¡¯ve done now, huh?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t do this,¡± I snapped at her, not for the first time.


    Her cool steady re remained on me. She didn¡¯t believe me now, just like she hadn¡¯t believed me all the


    times before.


    ¡°I can make a statement,¡± Rafael said. ¡°Demand the people leave you alone.¡±


    ¡°You think that will work?¡± I asked.


    Rafael was quiet, which was a no.


    ¡°If they are curious about me, then they will be curious about Alice too,¡± I said, realizing. ¡°Rafael, we need


    to get her here.¡±


    ¡°If it¡¯s not already toote,¡± Mary said.


    ¡°What does that mean?<b>¡± </b>I demanded.


    ¡°If they found out where you worked, you think they don¡¯t know about your daughter?¡± Mary asked. ¡°I bet


    there are crowds there already.¡±


    Rafael picked up his phone.


    My heart sank.


    Gods, why did I ever think she would be safe on her own?

 Main Flame 219

    Amber¡¯s POV


    I insisted on going with Rafael to pick Alice up from the tutor¡¯s, even knowing my presence could cause trouble. Alice was my daughter, and she might be scared.


    I had to be there to protect her. Rafael wasn¡¯t going to let me go alone.


    So he and I and a pair of his enforcers loaded into one of his sedans and we took the car across town to


    the tutor¡¯s.


    The tutor taught their lessons out of the first floor of their home. It was an older style home withrge rooms andttice work along the wrap¨Caround porch. Typically it was a beautiful home in a quiet


    neighborhood.


    Today, we could barely get down the road for all the cars and news vans pulled alongside it. A massive crowd had formed out front of the building, and though some of the enforcers had arrived before us to try to set up a perimeter to push people back, the crowd was still pushing against them, trying to get closer.


    ¡°This is going to be a dangerous rescue,¡± Rafael said. He looked at me. ¡°Amber, you have to stay here.¡±


    ¡°Alice is my daughter.¡±


    ¡°And seeing you is half the reason people are here. If you try to get in there, you will be swarmed. Please,


    for Alice¡¯s sake if not for your own, stay here.¡±


    ¨C


    ¡°But ¡°I started but the seriousness in his eyes had me holding my tongue. He wouldn¡¯t tell me this if he


    wasn¡¯t sure.


    I myself wasn¡¯t blind to the dangers around me, but it was difficult to sit by when it was my own daughter


    at the center of the danger.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said. ¡°But I wille up if she looks like she¡¯s in trouble.¡±


    <b>¡°</b>Just trust me and stay here,¡± Rafael said.


    With that, Rafael and his enforcers slipped out of the car, leaving me behind, alone. The windows were tinted, so I knew I wasn¡¯t in danger as I moved across the seat to press my face closer to the window to try to get a better view.


    The enforcers pushed through the crowd, making room for Rafael, but his Alpha aura was also strong. His very presence seemed to have people paying attention to him, making room for him.


    With me, he was always kind and gentle, a good big brother. It was strange seeing him like this, <b>so </b>intimidating andmanding. But truly, he was the Alpha that the pack needed. And a man that I could likely rely on in situations like this, where his strength was sure to save the day.


    +15 <b>BONUS </b>


    After a moment, Rafael reached the house. His enforcers stayed outside while Rafael went in. A few


    minutes passed where nothing happened. Then, he reappeared, holding Alice in his <b>arms</b>.


    I held my breath as the crowd started to get caught up in the sight of her<b>, </b>causing something like a <b>frenzy</b>.


    The enforcers were more insistent now, pushing back people that got too close, but the people were also growing bolder, shoving in to try to get closer to Alice.


    I moved my hand to the handle of the door, ready to open it, if only to draw attention onto myself and


    away from my poor little girl, whose eyes were wide with fear.


    She clung onto Rafael¡¯s shirt with both hands in white knuckle grips.


    Rafael pushed forward. He even growled a few times when someone came too close.


    He couldn¡¯t see behind him though, so he didn¡¯t notice when the hand reached out for Alice. He must have felt it though, because he ducked away, but not before that hand caught on Alice¡¯s ne and


    tugged.


    ¡°Let go!¡± Alice screamed, drawing Rafael and the enforcer¡¯s attention. They shoved back the owner of that


    intrusive hand, causing that person to drop the ne.


    Everyone was startled by the scream, giving Rafael the opening he needed. Clutching Alice to him, he ran the rest of the way. I shoved open the door as he came close, and he dove into the car. Passing Alice to me, he mmed the door shut behind me.


    Alice was crying. When she realized who I was, she immediately clung to me, burying her face into my


    neck.


    ¡°Mommy¡­ I almost lost my ne¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, honey. You still have it. It¡¯s okay¡­¡±


    I tried to calm her but I was panicked too.


    Gods, I wished Julian was here. He would know what to do and say to make us both feel safe.


    When we reached the safety of the estate, Alice had cried herself to sleep. After helping her settle into one of the spare rooms, I returned down to the living room where Mary was interrogating Rafael about what happened.


    She quieted when I came into the room. Rafael did too, which I found stranger.


    ¡°Amber,¡± he said. ¡°Alice reacted poorly when that ne was nearly removed. It¡¯s not just a keepsake,


    is it?<b>¡± </b>


    ¡°It¡¯s not,¡± I exined. Since they were our family, and especially since Rafael was going to house Alice here for a while, he deserved to know the truth. ¡°Alice has a condition¡­¡± I took the time to carefully


    exin <b>it</b>, including how the power of the ne had been greatly diminished after a recent attack.


    Rafael listened quietly, his face stern but steady.


    Mary¡¯s face squished up in disgust. ¡°What kind of healer are you, Amber, when you can¡¯t even heal your own daughter?<b>¡± </b>


    I hung my head.


    ¡°Mary, that is unkind,¡± Rafael snapped.


    ¡°She¡¯s right,¡± I said. ¡°It is my greatest regret, but the cure to her condition continues to elude me. I¡¯m


    hopeful that one of the packs we visit will hold some answer, but so far¡­¡±


    Mary red at me, but Rafael was kinder.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a very long day,¡± he said. ¡°We should all take some time and try to rx. You especially Amber.


    All of this must be a shock to you.¡±


    ¡°A shock she brought on herself,¡± Mary grumbled, but she left the room before Rafael could scold her


    again.


    ¡°I¡¯m not faking anything,¡± I told Rafael.


    ¡°I know that, sister,¡± he said. ¡°Go on. Go see to Alice and yourself. You both are wee here for as long as you need, even if that turns out to be forever.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said. Truly, I didn¡¯t know how long we would need to stay. The hotel hardly had the security in ce to protect us now, especially with Julian there.


    Heart sinking, I left the living room and went back upstairs to the bedrooms, returning to where I had left Alice. I didn¡¯t want her to wake up in this new strange ce all alone.


    I had to be here for her.


    But I wasn¡¯t ready to sleep yet.


    Instead, I sat on the edge of her bed and thinking of Julian, checked my phone.


    I was surprised to find three missed calls from him, but knowing he was thinking of us warmed me.


    Could he tell how much we needed him? No, these calls were from much earlier in the day.


    Even so, I still needed him now.


    Dialing his number, I brought the phone to my ear, eager to hear his voice.


    Other POV


    In the Alpha¡¯s mother¡¯s hospital room, Julian had fallen into a deep sleep with the aid of his medicine. In the breast pocket of his suit jacket, his phone buzzed and buzzed against his heart<b>, </b>but it was not enough


    to rouse him.


    He continued to sleep, unaware of his mate¡¯s need of him.


    X

 Main Flame 220

    Amber¡¯s POV


    ¡°I¡¯ve increased your security,¡± Rafael said as I prepared to head to the clinic. Alice was in the living room watching cartoons. She¡¯d remain there until the tutor came to teach her here at Rafael¡¯s estate. Mary was with her. To my relief, whatever grudge the woman had against me didn¡¯t extend to my child. Mary was actually good with Alice, asking her questions and making herugh.


    ¡°I appreciate that,¡± I told Rafael.


    ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean you will be safe at the clinic,¡± Rafael said. ¡°People are curious about you, Amber. Enough to put you in danger. And then there are other dangers¡­¡±


    ¡°I will be fine,¡± I told him. ¡°This won¡¯t be the first time I¡¯ve had attention.<i>¡± </i>As Healer Amber, I was used to standing in the spotlight. Being the main focus in a room wasn¡¯t anything new simply because of my


    reputation.


    ¡°Not like this,¡± Rafael said.


    In the end, he had no choice but to let me go. I understood the dangers, but I couldn¡¯t just sit by while my


    work went unfinished, and with the way Mary had called me out about Alice, I knew I had to get back


    into the clinic as soon as possible. To help Alice and all the others who needed it.


    Rafael had his enforcers drive me, ordering two of them to stay by my side at all times. Those times


    couldn¡¯t includeing into the patient rooms with me, however, so they were forced to stay out in the


    hallway while I was with the patients.


    The waiting room was a mess. Gail was usually the rock of the clinic, able to weather any storm, but today she seemed frazzled. She came back to me in the office after I arrived and admitted, with regret, ¡°I can¡¯t tell which of your appointments today genuinely need to be treated, and which are just reporters or


    the like, trying to get to you.¡±


    These were the chances I had to take <i>to </i>help people, and I knew that going in.


    ¡°I have to see everyone I can,¡± I said. ¡°Whether they mean good or ill.¡±


    The enforcers clearly didn¡¯t like that, frowning, as it made their jobs more difficult. As I stood, ready to start the appointments, one of the enforcers spoke up.


    ¡°You should shout a code word if you need us to intervene,¡± the enforcer said. ¡°Say it, and we¡¯ll bust the door down ande to your rescue.¡±


    I didn¡¯t mind the additional security, but, ¡°Surely ¡®help¡® would do?¡±


    ¡°You might not want to give yourself away<i>,</i><i>¡± </i>the enforcer exined. ¡°A code word wouldn¡¯t make it so obvious that you were calling for us.¡±


    That was true. ¡°Okay. Uh¡­ How about¡­¡± My voice trailed as I looked around, trying to think of something.


    ¡°Butter toast,¡± said the other enforcer.


    The first enforcer and I both looked at him.


    He shrugged. ¡°I skipped breakfast.¡±


    ¡°You should eat something,¡± I said.


    The first enforcer said, ¡°Butter toast will work.¡±


    ¡°Seriously?¡± How ridiculous would I feel yelling ¡®butter toast¡® at the top of my lungs? Though, if I¡¯m in the


    kind of position where I need to yell such a thing, I supposed it wouldn¡¯t matter to me how ridiculous I


    sounded, so long as the enforcers still came through the door.


    With a sigh, I said, ¡°Fine,¡± and started my day.


    For most of the morning, my patients were either regrs, or people who genuinely had need of me. A few of them were curious about the news, but only a couple had the bravery to ask me if I was really


    Rafael¡¯s sister.


    I told them honestly, ¡°We¡¯re still trying to figure that out.¡±


    One regr told me, ¡°I hope you are. I like having you around.¡±


    Nearing lunchtime, I was starting to feel more confident. Emboldened, I walked into the exam room to


    look over a new patient.


    He was a man in his early twenties. On the thinner side, he seemed like he wasn¡¯t eating enough. Immediately, I started to think about possible diseases that would cut his appetite.


    ¡°Healer Amber?¡± he asked.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± I said. ¡°What seems to be the trouble?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not personal, ma¡¯am,¡± he said, then brandished a knife he must have had hidden tucked in the back waistband of his pants. ¡°But a ransom on you could feed me and my family for a long time.¡±


    Seeing the knife, fear rose up in my chest, clogging up in my throat. My heart lurched, begging for Julian


    toe and save me.


    My mind knew that was impossible. He was far away in his own pack, but my foolish heart still called out to him through the mating bond.


    The patient came closer, shaking my tongue loose. Julian wasn¡¯t here. He wasn¡¯ting to save me. If I wanted to survive this, I had to save myself.


    Then, I remembered the enforcers and their warnings and shouted out, ¡°Butter toast!¡±


    At once, the door behind me burst open. One of the enforcers grabbed me by the arm, forcing me back. The other jumped forward, tackling the man. The knife fell free, ttering harmlessly across the floor.


    The first enforcer pulled me back to my office, then locked the door<b>, </b>securing us. Immediately, he pulled out the phone and called for backup.


    My knees getting weak, I walked to my office chair and copsed down onto it.


    I pulled out my own phone and checked the screen.


    My heart had called out for Julian. Surely he would call any minute.


    Except minutes ticked by and my phone didn¡¯t ring. I tried to unlock it to call him myself but my hands trembled too much. I couldn¡¯t focus long enough to click on the right numbers to unlock my screen.


    Julian¡­


    Julian¡¯s POV


    Taking two pills had been a mistake, as it had rendered me dead to the world for far too many hours. Now, I was still feeling groggy, even after shifting back to one.


    I felt so¡­ off, my head in a fog. Gods, I hated these pills, but it was the only way I could handle this separation, and the way I had to sit here and listen to my mother talk about Olivia.


    After herst episode, I¡¯d been afraid to try to correct her, to tell her that Amber was my wife, Alice my daughter, and Olivia had been the terrible person who had tried to take them away from me.


    Last time I had tried, it nearly killed my mother.


    What was I supposed to do now?


    The pills made it better. They took the edge off. The non¨Cfeeling helped me cope.


    Strangely,te morning, I had a sharp pain in the center of my chest. Yet, when I reached my hand up, as if <i>to </i>chase the phantom feeling away, it had entirely disappeared.


    It was odd, but I didn¡¯t think about it again.


    ¡°Julian,¡± Mom said. ¡°Tell me about Olivia again. About how the two of you met.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d rather not talk about that, Mom,¡± I said. ¡°Why don¡¯t we talk about you and dad instead?¡±


    She smiled. ¡°Oh, alright. I miss your father every day. It¡¯s nice to talk about him.¡±


    I lowered my head, ashamed that I could tell her about Amber the way I wanted to.


    My ringing phone drew me away from my thoughts. Checking the screen, I was surprised to find the caller was Rafael?


    Why was he calling and not Amber?

 Main Flame 221

    Julian¡¯s POV


    ¡°Rafael,¡± I said into the cellphone. As I answered, I stepped into the hallway, not wanting my mother to overhear in case there was trouble. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°You sound more curious than concerned, Julian,¡± Rafael said. ¡°Didn¡¯t you feel anything strange today?<i>¡± </i>


    ¡°What are you talking about? I didn¡¯t feel anything.¡±


    Rafael sneered, his disgust clear even through the phone. ¡°Perhaps it is time then for you to finally set Amber free. After all, if you can¡¯t feel anything through the mating bond anymore, then it must have run


    its natural course.¡±


    ¡°Absolutely not,¡± I said with vehemence, rejecting that opinion with the full entirety of my being, no matter how hazy with the medicinal fog. But then the crux of his words truly set into me. ¡°Did something happen?¡±


    ¡°You should let her go, Julian,¡± Rafael said, eluding my question. ¡°Give her the chance to find someone


    who will actually love and protect her.¡±


    His callous words made my hackles raise. Any other time, I would have argued until I was blue in the


    face, but right now, I was more concerned about Amber. If something happened¡­ If I didn¡¯t feel it¡­.


    ¡°Is she alright?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s fine¡­ now. No thanks to you,¡± Rafael said. ¡°When I went to get her, she was staring at her phone, like she was waiting for you to call her. But her hands were shaking so much she couldn¡¯t call out. You are a disgrace, Julian, just as I expected you to be.¡±


    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked. ¡°Tell me everything.¡±


    ¡ª


    ¡°You don¡¯t deserve that,¡± he said. ¡°If you want to know, ask her if she decides to talk to you, which I


    doubt. Do us all a favor and leave her alone.¡±


    Rafael hung up the phone then, leaving me speechless. I checked the screen to be sure, and yes, the


    phone said the call had ended.


    How could he leave things like that? Had he called just to scold me?


    Was Amber okay? What could I do from here?


    And why hadn¡¯t I felt that anything was wrong?


    I already suspected the answer ¨C the medicine ¨C but for now, I pushed that to the back of my mind to focus on making sure Amber was okay.


    Finding her contact on my phone, I immediately tried to call. The phone rang twice, before being sent to voicemail. For me to be sent there after only two rings likely meant that Amber sent me there herself, not wanting to talk to me.


    What had I missed?


    If she wouldn¡¯t talk to me, and Rafael wouldn¡¯t tell me the truth, I had to go onto the web browser on my phone to try to see if the news had reported on any incidents involving the new princess today.


    Soon, I had an answer, finding several different sources all telling the same story.


    Amber had been attacked at the clinic by a man pretending <i>to </i>be a patient. The intent? Kidnapping for


    ransom.


    My anger grew as my heart sank, but both feelings were numbed by the medicine that left me in a fog.


    I had to get there, to be with her. If she wasn¡¯t going to answer my calls, I needed to go to her physically. Gods, I should have been on my way already. If the mating bond hadn¡¯t been muffled, I would have been there already.


    Pocketing my phone, I started to walk down the hallway. Unfortunately, this led me right by the waiting room where some of my family was sitting.


    I wasn¡¯t the only one who hade to spend time with my mom. My aunts and uncles were here too, as well as several of my cousins.


    My uncle Peter, the oldest of the group, pushed himself out of his chair and onto his creaky legs. Moving quickly for a man with a cane, he walked quickly, ending up directly in my path, blocking my way to the


    exit.


    ¡°Where do you think you are going, nephew?¡± he asked, looking at me suspiciously thought narrow eyes.


    X

 Main Flame 222

    ¡°I have <b>to </b>leave,¡± I said. I was trying avoid talking about Amber with this group, not wanting to <b>put </b>her in front of the lions before she was ready. She still wasn¡¯t sure if she wanted to be with me, so why would <b>I </b>allow this group of vultures to pick and pry at her. ¡°I am needed elsewhere.¡±


    <b>¡°</b><b>You </b>are needed here,¡± Uncle Peter continued. ¡°Your mother responds best to you.¡±


    ¡°She has you,¡± I said. ¡°And I¡¯ll be back in a few days, once I¡¯ve made sure my other matters <b>are attended </b>


    to<i>.</i>¡±


    ¡°Your mother needs you. She should be your primary responsibility<b>, </b>Julian. <b>You </b>aren¡¯t hearing me. She¡¯s gotten better since you arrived here. If you were to leave again, then her condition would likely decrease,¡± Uncle Peter said. ¡°You need to make your choices carefully here, son. I wouldn¡¯t want your mother¡¯s death to weigh on your shoulders.¡±


    Gods ¨C her death? Could things get that bad if I were to leave? Had they been that bad before I arrived<b>? </b>


    Suddenly, I was torn. My obligation was to my mate, but by now her danger had passed. She was with Rafael, who was likely protecting her.


    If I were to leave here, and something happened with my mother, would I be able to forgive myself?


    I was so tom, stuck between my family here and my mate and daughter. I had no idea what to do, and the fogginess of the medicine was not helping at all.


    Maybe if I kept calling Amber¡­


    Maybe if she picked up¡­


    If I knew what kind of state she was in, and if she needed me¡­


    Amber¡¯s POV


    I sat on the couch in Rafael¡¯s living room. The tutor was with Alice, thank the Gods, keeping her upied so she didn¡¯t witness my lingering panic. My nerves were entirely shot.


    Rafael was beside me, trying his best to help calm me down, but I didn¡¯t want to be touched, nor did I want to listen to music or television.


    I didn¡¯t want to be distracted, but I also didn¡¯t want to think about what just happened.


    The only thing I could think about safely was that I wanted to go back to the clinic that I shared with Anna. If I could rewind time, I would have stayed there and avoided this entire thing.


    Only, no, I wouldn¡¯t. Because by venturing outside of myfort zone, I had been able <b>to </b>save many people. But that didn¡¯t make my present dangers any easier to deal with.


    ¡°I need to go back,¡± I told Rafael. ¡°I¡¯ll take Amber and we¡¯ll go back and stay with Anna.¡±


    Rafael gave me a pitying look. ¡°That wouldn¡¯t work, Amber.¡±


    ¡°It has to,¡± I said. ¡°I was always safe there, and it¡¯s far enough out of the way that people will leave me


    alone.¡±


    ¡°You really think there¡¯s anywhere you¡¯d be safe now?¡± Mary asked. She stood near the dry bar, holding a ss of dark liquid that she asionally sipped from. ¡°Amber, there¡¯s nowhere you could go that curious people and potential kidnappers wouldn¡¯t follow you. You are from a prestigious family now, this is just part of our lives. You have to learn to adjust.¡±


    I didn¡¯t want to adjust, and worse, I didn¡¯t want Alice to have to.


    But maybe she was right. Maybe it was toote. Our names and faces were out there, and there didn¡¯t seem to be anywhere we could run.


    If only Julian was here¡­


    No, I didn¡¯t want to think about him. He hadn¡¯t been there for me before, and now¡­


    I just didn¡¯t know what to do about him, or about anything.


    For the first time in a long time, I felt well and truly lost, and more than a little afraid.


    I had no idea what was going to happen next.

 Main Flame 223

    <b>Chapter </b><b>223 </b><fn924e> Th?s chapter is updated by Find~Novel</fn924e>


    Amber¡¯s POV


    +15 <b>BONUS </b>


    Unable to handle Mary¡¯spany anymore, I excused myself and retreated to my bedroom. There, I saw more missed messages from Julian. He called even as I was holding my phone, and I sent him to voicemail.


    I knew my anger at Julian was misced. He was with his mother who needed him, and couldn¡¯t be where I was. It didn¡¯t mean he didn¡¯t want to be here, it was just that he couldn¡¯t be.


    With the attacker caught, I still felt angry but my anger had nowhere to go. Aiming at Julian felt like the next logical choice, even though it wasn¡¯t fair and I knew that.


    Maybe that was why I was really avoiding his calls. I didn¡¯t want to be angry with him, and I knew


    hearing his voice would make things worse. Or it would have the opposite effect, and be soforting


    that I would just break down. I couldn¡¯t allow either of those things to happen.


    So I continued to ignore his calls¡­


    <b>¡°</b>Mommy?¡± Alice asked from the doorway. Her tutoring must have been over for the day. ¡°Are you okay?<b>¡± </b>


    I wasn¡¯t, but I would never say that to Alice who needed me to be strong for her sake. ¡°I¡¯m getting there,¡± <b>I </b>told her. ¡°It¡¯s just been a long day. How are you?¡±


    As she looked at me, she sniffled a little. ¡°I miss Daddy.¡±


    At once, I spread my arms open, inviting her for a hug. She rushed forward into my arms at once, and as I closed them around her, I knew that I felt the same as she did.


    I missed Julian too, even if I didn¡¯t want to admit it.


    I¡¯de to depend on him in ways that I hadn¡¯t considered before. Maybe I¡¯d been too afraid to admit how much he meant to me. But now that he wasn¡¯t here when I really needed him, I felt his absence more keenly than I would have expected.


    From the bed, my phone chimed again, where I left it. It wasn¡¯t a phone call this time, just a text.


    I held Alice until she grew restless. When I let her go, I reached for the phone to check the message.


    It was from Julian.


    Please tell me you are okay.


    Guilt started to well up inside of me. Of course he was worried about me. I sent a quick text in reply.


    I¡¯m okay.


    Julian¡¯s POV


    I¡¯m okay.


    Seeing Amber¡¯s message calmed some of the panicked concern inside of me, but did not fully put it to rest. I didn¡¯t think I¡¯d be whole again until I was beside Amber and Alice and could see for myself that they were healthy and contented.


    Yet some contact was better than no contact. Perhaps now, I at least had a path to move forward with <b>the </b>conversation. If only I could think about what to type next. It had to be something that would entice her into texting back.


    If I asked her what happened, would she reply? Or would she just ignore me again?


    As I was debating, sitting in the waiting room with my family, my family was also debating but with each other. I wasn¡¯t paying attention at first, but when I put aside my own internal monologue to hear them, I realized I needed to start listening. Now.


    ¡°The best way I can think of to keep her from having another episode is to get Olivia back,¡± said one of my cousins, Tony.


    My surprise nearly knocked me out of my chair, made worse by how many of my family was nodding along like this wasn¡¯t just a good idea, but the best idea they¡¯d heard in a while.


    ¡°She tried to kill my mate,¡± I said icily. ¡°She made efforts to try to hurt my child.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure her aplices put her up to it. What was that young man¡¯s name? Chase? He was always a problem,<i>¡± </i>said one of my aunts.

 Main Flame 224

    <b>Chapter </b><b>224 </b>


    ¡°And I¡¯m telling you, she is banned from this pack,¡± I said with utmost serious. ¡°If she even tries, she <b>will </b>


    be confined permanently, if not outright killed.¡±


    A few of my family members leaned back, their faces skewed with distaste.


    One of my aunts said, ¡°She was always such a sweet girl. I wondered what happened.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter,¡± Uncle Peter said. ¡°Truly, we don¡¯t care about Olivia so much as we care about your mother, Julian. We are between a rock and a hard ce here, with how weak¨Cminded she is.¡±


    ¡°What if¡­¡± One of my younger cousins said, a girl named Penny who was barely out of high school. As she imed everyone¡¯s attention, her voice went quiet, nervous. But after a moment to gather her bravery<b>, </b>she continued, ¡°Maybe we could hire a fake? Like, an actress?¡±


    ¡°There¡¯s a point,¡± Uncle Peter said. ¡°Your mother probably wouldn¡¯t notice the difference between a real Olivia and a fake one, especially with the rest of us backing her up.¡±


    <b>¡°</b>No,¡± I said firmly.


    ¡°Julian, don¡¯t be disagreeable,¡± said one of my


    wunts.


    date while also harming my child,<i>¡± </i>I


    ¡°You are ignoring how Olivia tried to ruin my life and kill my


    reminded them all pointedly. My gaze went from one to the next. ¡°Now you want me to ¨C what? Pretend that <b>I¡¯m </b>still with her?¡±


    ¡°In your mother¡¯s eyes, Olivia has always been the one for you, ever since you were children, when she found you in the forest that time you got lost and led you back?¡± Uncle Peter¡¯s wife, Aunt Kathy said. She was quiet most of the time. For her to speak up here told me that she truly believed in this n.


    <b>I </b>vaguely remember the incident she referred to. I remembered being lost in the woods, and being scared, and then being led out of it. But the rest was all a blur.


    Everyone told me Olivia had been the one to ¡®save¡® me, but I never knew the full story. The older members of my family were sticking with that story though, and used it as an excuse to try to push Olivia and me together for years.


    I didn¡¯t care what our shared past looked like anymore. The fact remained that Olivia had tried to kill Amber and tried to hurt Alice. As far as I was concerned, nothing else mattered. <fn69bc> Discover more novels at f?ndnovel</fn69bc>


    Even if they hired an actress, I would not take part in the make¨Cbelieve, not even for Mom¡¯s sake. Amber and Alice meant too much to me for me to discard them like they were nothing.


    ¡°I know a few actresses,¡± Cousin Tony said. I imagined he did, as he spent most of his time down at the theater, chasing around the actresses. His reputation as a yboy preceded him. Even though he was my


    +15 <b>BONUS </b>


    age, he had yet to settle down, which I knew was a point of contention between him and his parents.


    Even now, sitting beside him, they both looked like they had tasted something sour.


    ¡°I¡¯m against this,¡± I said firmly. ¡°And I will have no part of it.¡±


    ¡°Then stay out of the room when she is in it,¡± Uncle Peter said. ¡°But the rest of us will do what¡¯s best for your mother.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think lying to her is what¡¯s best for her,¡± I said.


    ¡°It is if it gives her peace,¡± Uncle Peter said. ¡°Let the old woman see out her days in peace.¡±


    I didn¡¯t understand how her peace was so directly tied to Olivia being my wife, instead of my actual wife<b>. </b>


    ¡°Amber is my wife,¡± I said.


    Uncle Peter gave me a t look. ¡°And I would think long and hard about how much you love your mother before you tell her that, because something like that could be enough to kill her.¡±

 Main Flame 225

    <b>Chapter </b><b>225 </b>


    Julian¡¯s POV


    I knew my uncle wasying the guilt on thick to have the greatest effect on me. They all wanted <b>their </b>Olivia impersonator, and I was the one being difficult. It made sense that they would try to pull out all the stops.


    I couldn¡¯t even be angry. Mom was important to all of them, as she was to me. And it was easier for them to push for this Olivia angle, when they weren¡¯t the ones who had been threatened and attacked by the


    woman.


    If they had, I suspected things would be different.


    Instead, I tuned them out again. Standing, I decided to go down to the cafeteria to get some coffee. As the


    cafeteria was in the opposite direction as the exit, no one tried to stop me this time.


    As I walked, I kept flexing and releasing my hands. Even on my medicine, the anxiety I felt about everything that was happening was nearly overwhelming.


    For a wild moment, I thought of taking even more of the medicine. If it made me feel this numb, perhaps it could erase the feeling entirely, which could lead to me feeling better about all this. Or at least to not feeling so bad.


    But that wouldn¡¯t help in the end, would it? After all it was because of the medicine that I hadn¡¯t felt


    Amber when she was in trouble.


    I imagined her as Rafael said, sitting frightened, in shock, clutching her phone and waiting for me to call. Had her heart cried my name, begging for me to save her, and I¡¯d been too oblivious to feel it, too numb through our bond?


    I couldn¡¯t risk the medicine anymore. I would feel everything, every pain or possessive aggression, if it also meant that I could feel her when she needed me.


    However, maybe it wasn¡¯t really up to me. The pills had been Amber¡¯s idea from the start. If she wanted me to keep taking them, maybe I had no choice but to. I would do whatever she wanted. In the end, aside from Alice, she was the most important person in my life.


    I would do anything she asked me to do, even this.


    Maybe she would see my side of things this time though. Taking out my phone again, I sent another text.


    I¡¯m sorry, Amber. I really don¡¯t want to take these pills anymore. I know they have some benefits but I hate not being able to sense you through our bond. Would you ept it if I stopped?


    As Alpha, it wasn¡¯t like me to ask for permission to do anything. Yet, in this rtionship, and only with Amber, I wanted her to know that her opinion held weight. I might be Alpha, but if our marriage <fn784f> The rightful source is f?ndnovel</fn784f>


    continued, we would be equal partners inside of it.


    I would never again allow her to feel like nothing, as I had in the past when I discarded her and her emotions, treating her like she didn¡¯t mean anything to me while I hid her away from the world.


    Since then, I had learned many valuable lessons, and none were as important as this: a marriage needed


    to be built on love and trust andmunication.


    No more secrets. No more hiding.


    No more secrets made me think of what my family wanted to do, hiring an Olivia impersonator. For a moment, I almost included that in my text to Amber, wanting to be fully transparent.


    But, thinking about how much she had gone through today, and how my family¡¯s talk likely wouldn¡¯t amount to anything, I decided to hold onto that information for how.


    Next time I saw her, I would have a ton of stories to tell. But there was no sense worrying her about this now, before it became something.


    I also didn¡¯t know how to exin that my mother hated her, for reasons I still hadn¡¯t figured out. That


    was another story for ater date. Likely Mom would pass before Amber would ever be in the same area code as her. Just one more thing I didn¡¯t need to worry her with.

 Main Flame 226

    Gods, I wished I could hear Amber¡¯s voice. If only she would answer my calls. But, texting seemed to be all


    she wasfortable with for now. I wouldn¡¯t press her. If that was as much as she was ready tomunicate, then I could meet her in that.


    Truly, I just wished she was here next to me. These burdens I was carrying wouldn¡¯t be so heavy with the


    woman I loved at my side.


    Instead, I walked the rest of the way alone. By the time I reached the machine, the coffee was cold.


    Amber¡¯s POV


    Reading Julian¡¯s message, I slowly came to understand what was happening, and with that understanding, came forgiveness.


    . Julian hadn¡¯t realized I was in trouble because of the medicine he was taking to dim the effects of our


    bond. With the bond dimmed, it made sense that he hadn¡¯t felt me calling him out to him through it.


    What a fool I had been, forcing that medicine on him. I hated everything about it.


    And how kind he was to ask me permission to stop taking it. He truly trusted me and respected me, giving me the choice like this.


    At once, all of the misced hostility I had felt toward Julian disappeared, and in its ce, I really just


    wanted to see him.


    And why shouldn¡¯t I?


    I couldn¡¯t go back to my clinic with Anna, as that town was too small to offer the kind of protection I needed. But Julian¡¯s pack was the opposite. His was thergest pack on the continent, evenrger than Rafael¡¯s. As the Alpha¡¯s mate, I¡¯d have privileges and protections there that I wouldn¡¯t have other ces, assuming Julian was willing to share the truth of who I was, and who Alice was. Not just in our past, but what we presently meant to him.


    And he would. If he trusted, respected, and loved me as much as he said he did, then surely he would make sure Alice and I were protected, even if it outed us publically as still being tied to him.


    It was better than staying in this mansion.


    Decided, I went down to Rafael to tell him my idea.


    ¡°I think Alice and I should go to Julian¡¯s pack and reconnect with him,¡± I said. ¡°He will protect us better than anyone.¡±


    Rafael¡¯s expression was grim. ¡°I don¡¯t like it,¡± he admitted.


    Oddly, I found an ally in an unexpected ce. ¡°Just let her go, Rafael,¡± Mary said. ¡°You can¡¯t keep the girl


    a prisoner, and she should be with her mate.¡±


    Rafael gave Mary an odd look that mirrored the one I was giving her, but she just shrugged us both away


    and continued her drink.


    Rafael looked at me, then. ¡°If you are sure¡­¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± I said.


    ¡°Very well. I will arrange it.¡±


    Mary¡¯s POV


    Honestly I didn¡¯t care if Amber went or not, but her leaving did benefit me and what I nned to do.


    After having said what I wanted to, I retreated back to the guest room where I had been staying and withdrew a letter I had personally received only this morning from my local post office box. I¡¯d already opened it, and knew it contained the results of the blood test I had personally ordered for Rafael and


    Amber.


    I already knew she was in fact our rtion. There were no doubts about it now.


    But that didn¡¯t mean I epted it. Moving into the bathroom, I dropped the letter into the sink and then


    lit a match. Dropping the match down onto the sink, I watched as the letter caught fire and burned to ash.


    As the cinders glowed, I unlocked my phone and called a familiar number, someone I could trust


    implicitly.


    ¡°I need that altered document,¡± I said. ¡°Get it to me as fast as you can.¡±


    If I could have that in hand and show Rafael before Amber came back, maybe I could put a stop to this


    entire rtion business.


    Our family didn¡¯t need to be any bigger, no matter what the test results said. <fn30dd> The source of th?s content is find?novel</fn30dd>

 Main Flame 227

    Julian¡¯s POV


    I knew my family didn¡¯t want me to tell Mom the truth about Olivia and Amber, but the more I thought about it, the more I disliked the secrets. Yes, I knew Mom preferred Olivia, mostly since she didn¡¯t really


    know Amber. This had been my fault for keeping Amber secret for so long.


    But as I was resolved to fix things with Amber, that meant making sure everyone else knew of her ce


    in my life now. Even my mother.


    I didn¡¯t want to upset her, but I was sure that if I came upon the topic gently, that she would be able to understand. If she could ept it, I would love for her to actually meet Amber and Alice before the end,


    while she still had the chance.


    So I went into her room. Tony was already there, but I joined them, sitting on the other side of Mom. She


    `was awake and talking, but whatever they had been talking about ended abruptly as Mom saw me. It was


    like she lost her previous train of thought as she took me in instead.


    ¡°There¡¯s my son,¡± she said with pride.


    ¡°Hi, Mom,¡± I told her as I took my seat. ¡°How are you feeling now?<i>¡± </i>


    ¡°Very good,<i>¡± </i>she said. ¡°Better, seeing you. Before you came to see me here, you were gone so long. It¡¯s not


    good for the pack for you to be gone so long.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± <b>I </b>told her. ¡°But it was necessary. I had to take care of some things. Some personal things.¡±


    Mom¡¯s brows started to raise. ¡°Oh? What kind of things?¡±


    ¡°<b>I</b><b>, </b>uh, had to get my mate back,¡± I said.


    Tony shot me a warning re from behind Mom¡¯s shoulder.


    I ignored him.


    ¡°Do <b>you </b>remember Amber<b>¡­</b><b>?</b><b>¡± </b>I asked.


    Mom¡¯s face went a little pale. ¡°The famous Healer? What does she have to do with anything? When you


    were gone, you went to find Olivia, right? Is she here?¡±


    ¡°No, Mom. I don¡¯t think you understand.¡±


    As I tried to exin, my phone chimed with a text. I was feeling frustrated and unsure, so seeing the text was from Amber, I thought it might calm me to see what she had to say. Plus, I was determined to absolutely never miss a message from her ever again. Not after what happened before.


    I was resolved not to take any more medicine, but it was still in my system, so I couldn¡¯t take any


    chances. Our connection through the mating bond was presently unreliable.


    So even though I was in a serious conversation with Mom, I said, ¡°Just a minute, I have to check this,¡±


    and opened the message.


    The message was confusing. It was just a bunch of numbers and¡­ wait.


    It took a minute, but then I realized what this was. This was flight information.


    ¡°Is everything alright, Julian?¡± Mom asked me. <fn60c8> Content originallyes from f?i?n?d?n?o?v?e?l?</fn60c8>


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± I said. ¡°I just have to make a call really quickly.¡±


    I stood up in a hurry and stepped into the hallway, pressing call on my phone before I was even fully


    outside the room.


    Amber had a smile in her voice as she answered, ¡°Are you surprised?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand<i>,</i>¡± I said. Though I had some suspicions what this could mean, I was afraid to hope too


    much, only to find out that it wasn¡¯t what I thought and be disappointed.


    ¡°Alice and I are going toe visit,<i>¡± </i>she said, then paused. When she came back, her voice was less


    bright, more unsure, ¡°If that¡¯s okay<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    ¡°Of course it¡¯s okay,¡± I told her. Some of the weight I¡¯d been dragging around immediately felt lighter. ¡°I


    miss you and Alice so much, it would be great to see you.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not too soon?¡± Amber asked, still uncertain.


    ¡°It¡¯s not,¡± I told her. The details said they¡¯d be herete tomorrow. ¡°Honestly, it can¡¯te fast enough.¡±

 Main Flame 228

    Chapter <b>228 </b>


    I was so relieved that things seemed to be returning to normal between the two of us that it didn¡¯t immediately ur to me why I should be more cautious about this.


    ¡°I won¡¯t keep you,¡± she said. ¡°I know you are busy there.¡±


    ¡°Seeing you will be a relief,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m happy. Truly. But I do have to get back.¡± I couldn¡¯t stop smiling as I said, ¡°I¡¯ll see you tomorrow then.¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow,<i>¡± </i>she replied, a smile in her voice too. ¡°Until then.¡±


    ¡°Until then,¡± I told her and hung up. My smile lingered even after the phone call was done, as I allowed the relief and happiness to flood through me. The medicine must have been wearing off, because I felt a


    pleasant thrum through our mating bond.


    . But then, I turned to return to the room, and I remembered where I was and what my mom thought.


    Amber and Aliceing here maybe wasn¡¯t the wisest choice right now. I¡¯d been so pleased by the news that I hadn¡¯t even thought about all the reasons it was a bad idea.


    And even now, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to care overmuch. If I had to keep Amber and Alice separate from


    my family for now<b>, </b>so be it. But maybe this was the perfect opportunity. Maybe after I talked to my mom, she could meet Amber and Alice and they could all get along.


    I kept that hope in my heart as I walked back into my mother¡¯s hospital room.


    ¡°Olivia and Julian have been happily married for a while,¡± Tony was telling Mom. ¡°Have you met their little girl yet? She¡¯s adorable.¡±


    ¡°Tony<b>,</b><b>¡± </b>I snapped.


    Mom looked at me, with tears in her eyes. ¡°A child with Olivia, Julian? And married! I¡¯m so happy. I was


    so afraid you were going to end up with that other woman. She would have given you nothing but misery. I¡¯m so pleased you made the right choice.¡±


    Immediately, I red at Tony, but Tony looked to the side, avoiding my usatory stare.


    My medicine was definitely wearing off, because right now I felt murderous.


    Amber¡¯s POV


    Ever since surviving that ne crash, I hated flying, but there was no denying it was the fastest way to travel. And with my need to avoid the public and therefore public transportation, a private jet was the only way to really get from the heart of Rafael¡¯s pack to the heart of Julian¡¯s instead.


    To keep myself from panicking, especially when we were midair, I tried to focus on Alice instead. She was oddly quiet sitting next to me, worrying her small hands in herp.


    <b>¡°</b>Is something wrong?¡± I asked. Ever since I told her about our trip, she had been a bundle of nerves. She¡¯d already promised me she wanted to go, but her nerves only seemed to increase the closer we got to our


    destination.


    ¡°Do you think Daddy is going to be mad at me?¡± she asked.


    ¡°What? No, of course not.¡±


    Alice shook her head, not so easily epting my easy words. ¡°Last thing I said to him was I hated him¡­¡±


    ¡°Oh, Alice.¡± I leaned over and wrapped my arm around her shoulders, offering her as much motherlyfort as I could. ¡°I¡¯m certain he¡¯s forgotten all about that.¡±


    Alice looked at me with doe eyes. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure. And if you apologize, why, I¡¯m sure everything will be okay.¡±


    ¡°Okay,<i>¡± </i>she said, then seemed more determined than before. She had a n now, and was going to see it


    through.


    ¡°He¡¯ll be waiting for us when wend,¡± I said. ¡°You can tell him then.¡±


    ¡°Okay!¡±


    I wished I hadn¡¯t promised that. As we exited the ne, I expected to see Julian there to greet us. <fn79e3> This update is avable on find¡¤novel</fn79e3>


    But he wasn¡¯t anywhere to be seen.

 Main Flame 229

    Since there was no sign of Julian, it took me a moment to recognize the person who was waiting for us. At the bottom of the stairs leading from the jet stood a familiar man, Julian¡¯s Beta.


    ¡°Hello, Luna Amber,¡± he said kindly. ¡°I¡¯m Beta James. We¡¯ve met a couple of times in the past, but I¡¯m not sure if you remember.¡±


    I did¡­ vaguely. In those days, when I had been Julian¡¯s secret wife, he hadn¡¯t introduced me to many people. Back then, I didn¡¯t think James even knew who I was, or the importance I might have had to


    Julian.


    Now, however<b>, </b>he was looking at me steadily, making clear to me that he knew of the importance I held


    now. His use of Luna also signaled that to me.


    ¡°If you wille with me,¡± he continued. ¡°Alpha has asked that I take you back to the estate and that he


    will join you soon.¡±


    I had no reason to distrust James. It was possible that Julian was as busy as I suspected and couldn¡¯t


    leave the hospital toe and greet us himself. But, on the other hand, I had gotten into cars I believed


    Julian had summoned for me before, and it didn¡¯t end well for me.


    <b>¡°</b>I would like to have more assurance that Julian sent you,¡± I said. I ced both hands on Alice¡¯s


    shoulders, keeping her from moving forward.


    James seemed taken aback. ¡°I assure you that I am reputable.¡±


    ¡°Still,¡± I said. ¡°I have trusted the wrong people in the past, and would not like to do so again. Especially with my daughter beside me.¡±


    James nced at Alice before looking at me again. ¡°One moment,¡± he said and removed his phone from his pocket. I watched as he typed in a text thread that seemed to be with Julian, asking him to verify his


    ?identity for Julian¡¯s guests.


    After a moment, my own phone buzzed. I checked it, and saw it was from Julian.


    I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t be there myself, but you can trust James in my stead.


    It seemed legitimate,ing from the number I always used to talk with Julian. This assurance, coupled with the fact that I did indeed recognize James, eased some of my paranoia.


    ¡°Very well,¡± I said, and allowed James to carry our luggage as he led us to the sedan that was likely to carry us around,


    ¡°You said we are going to the estate,¡± I said. ¡°Can we not go see Julian at the hospital?¡±


    <b>¡°</b>No, Luna,¡± James said. ¡°I am under very strict orders to take you to the estate.¡±


    I narrowed my eyes a little. ¡°And if I tried to go to the hospital anyway<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    ¡°Alpha Julian has forbidden it,¡± he said. His gaze flicked back to me. His smile was friendly but his eyes were asking me not to try anything. <fnaf3d> Chapters first released on Find¡ïNovel</fnaf3d>


    I didn¡¯t think James would forcibly try to stop me, but it was clear he was feeling some anxiety about the matter, which likely meant that Julian had stressed the importance of keeping me away from the hospital.


    That struck me as strange. With my healing record, did Julian think I wouldn¡¯t be able to help his mom? <b>If </b>


    I could look at her chart, maybe I could understand more fully what was happening to her and offer


    suggestions.


    Even if he didn¡¯t want me there as a Healer, I still wanted to be there for him as a friend.


    Although maybe the issue was Alice herself. She had already been through so much, it might cause her undo stress to be trapped in a hospital environment.


    I couldn¡¯t me Julian for hoping to look out for our daughter.


    So I decided not to cause any more problems for James or for Julian.


    I got into the car with Alice, and allowed James to take us to a familiar estate. One whose halls I hadn¡¯t


    darkened in a very long time.


    Julian¡¯s POV


    Knowing Amber and Alice had touched down in the pack and were currently being led back to the estate


    Amber and I had once shared left me restless.


    I wanted to be here for my mother, but just as much, if not more so, I wanted to be home with my mate,


    receivingfort from the warmth of her arms and the feel of her body cradled against him.


    ¡®I needed to <i>see </i>Alice too. We hadst left things on an ugly note between us, something that I deeply


    regretted and couldn¡¯t wait to fix. I hoped Amber had talked to her and she didn¡¯t still believe that I hated


    her.


    I would do whatever I had <i>to </i>do to repair that rtionship now.


    For now, I stayed at the hospital, keeping mompany until she fell asleep. I¡¯d started to learn her routine, and knew, short of an emergency, she would likely stay asleep through most of the night, until the nurse checked up on her at three am. That gave me some time to go home and see Amber and Alice.


    <i>So </i>after Mom fell asleep, I started to leave. My family red at me as I walked past them, but I¡¯d noticed even they were taking turns stepping out. No one could stay at the hospital, visiting forever. Eventually


    necessities were needed, showers and changes of clothes. Hot meals and full nights¡® sleep.


    They could think what they wanted of me. I needed to see my family to recharge my batteries. To me, this was as important as eating or sleeping.


    I drove home, perhaps exceeding some speed limits. When I pulled into the driveway, <b>I </b>popped open the car door and jumped out.


    Inside the house, I found Amber in the kitchen, looking through my cabs. Admittedly, they were pretty bare. I hadn¡¯t spent much time here. I spent most of my time at the hospital.


    Amber turned as I came through the door. The relief in her eyes matched what I felt inside of me.


    We both moved at once, closing the distance like the kitchen wasn¡¯t half as big.


    When she was in my arms, my eyes slid closed and I rxed for the first time sincest I had left her<b>. </b>


    Amber held me just as tightly as I held onto her.


    We didn¡¯t say that we missed one another, but I thought we could feel it. Since I hadn¡¯t taken any medicine in a while, I could feel our mating bond thrum happily with our closeness.


    I didn¡¯t think that was all on me.


    Lifting a hand, Ibed it through her hair. She snuggled closer, turning her face so that her cheek rested more fully on my chest.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t like these days apart,¡± I said to her.


    ¡°Neither did I,¡± she said, voice more quiet than mine.


    There was much for us to talk through. We had the matter of her newly revealed and newly confirmed lineage, as well as the condition of my mother. I also needed to hear from Amber herself what had happened at the clinic and her attack.


    . But for right now, in this moment, I was content in holding her and forgetting about everything else for a


    while.


    At least, that was what I wanted to do¡­


    Until I felt her starting <i>to </i>pull away.

 Main Flame 230

    Chapter <b>230 </b>


    Amber¡¯s POV


    I pulled away, not because I wanted to, but because I felt it was necessary. I didn¡¯t want <i>to </iplicate things with Julian worse than they already were.


    But those few minutes where we had held each other? Those had been perfect. I had missed his absence


    keenly, and being beside him now felt like I was having a part of myself restored to me.


    None of which I could vocalize aloud, not without things being misconstrued, or taken too far. I wasn¡¯t


    ready for the kind of rtionship Julian seemed up for ¨C at least not yet. I knew saying these things


    would only lead him on and make him think I was prepared for the kind of rtionship he wanted.


    Maybe in the future. I didn¡¯t know. But I knew right now was too soon.


    . Between us, silently within in, I felt the buzz of the mating bond, as healthy as ever now that we were


    reunited again.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t take that medicine anymore,¡± I said to Julian. ¡°I don¡¯t want you to take it.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± he said, agreeing with no fight whatsoever. ¡°That might mean that I¡¯m sometimes¡­ protective.¡±


    ¡°I understand,¡± I said. ¡°That¡¯s okay.¡± The truth was, I would rather have him be overprotective and know I


    could depend on him than have him be distant and unresponsive.


    It wasn¡¯t his fault. I was the one who had suggested the medicine and brought it home for him to take. But now, having seen the results and the effects, I was ready for that chapter of our lives ¨C that failed


    experiment ¨C to be over.


    We would have to find some other way to deal with Julian¡¯s mate sickness.


    Therapy, perhaps. Or a less potent medicine. <fnec14> Official source is find?novel</fnec14>


    For now, we could leave that solution to the future. Instead, I wanted to exist just like this, in this moment, and feel the happy bond gently push¨Cpulling between us.


    ¡°I won¡¯t take it anymore,¡± Julian assured me, and I nodded, satisfied.


    Julian looked at me fondly, when something caught his eye and drew his attention to the doorway. His fondness remained but it shifted a little, adding some weight of guilt.


    Looking, I saw Alice standing there.


    She was looking a little sad, tears in her eyes.


    She hadn¡¯t been in the kitchen yet, and hadn¡¯t yet seen what I had. I stepped a bit more to the side so that she could see the front of the refrigerator ¨C and the child¡¯s drawing hanging there.


    Particrly, Alice¡¯s drawing that she had torn in half in her anger and pain. Julian had taped the two pieces lovingly back together and then hung it on the fridge with a pair of fruit mas. The drawing was the only thing hanging there, giving it a spot of prominence and importance.


    As I moved, Alice¡¯s attention caught on the space I had emptied and even through her tears, she must have seen the picture because she gasped.


    Then her tears spilled over in force. She ran towards Julian, who immediately dropped to his knees to


    hold her. She through her arms around his neck as his went around her back.


    ¡°Daddy¡­ I don¡¯t hate you¡­ I promise I don¡¯t,¡± Alice said, her voice broken with her loud sobbing.


    ¡°I know, honey. I don¡¯t hate you either. I love you, so very much,¡± Julian said to her. His eyes were closed


    as he tipped his head into hers, their ears next to each other.


    ¡°I love you too,¡± she said.


    Watching the scene, my own eyes dampened. This father and daughter were bonded, and I couldn¡¯t be happier.


    Julian¡¯s POV


    It took some time for all three of us to calm down, but eventually Alice went to y with the toys that she


    brought while Amber and I sat down to talk.


    We had so much to talk about, but what I wanted to hear about first and foremost was what was going on


    with Amber having her lineage confirmed.


    ¡°The test showed that I am Rafael¡¯s sister,¡± Amber said. ¡°Mary didn¡¯t believe it, of course, and insisted on another one done through a third party. But I know I didn¡¯t alter anything, so the first results are


    urate.¡±


    <b>I </b>tried to take in the news, but honestly, it didn¡¯t really change anything about how I saw Amber or what I thought about her. I always knew she was special. She didn¡¯t need the princess lineage to tell me that.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how the news got leaked,¡± she said. ¡°But ever since then, everything has been a mess. After that attack, Rafael won¡¯t even let me go back to the clinic. I understand his concerns, I do. The ce was swarming with people and it was difficult to tell the people who genuinely needed help and those who¡­ well¡­ What happened, happened.¡±


    ¡°Is that how it happened?¡±


    ¡°Yes. He pretended to be a patient, and then he tried to kidnap me. Rafael had assigned extra security, which is ultimately what saved me.¡± To herself, she muttered, ¡°Butter toast.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I asked, certain I misheard.


    <b>¡°</b>Nothing,<i>¡± </i>she said.


    As she told the story, though I tried to remain calm, my protectiveness was tensing every single muscle in my body. I didn¡¯t want toe on too strong right away, now that I could feel things more strongly again without the medicine, but neither was I happy sitting around doing nothing.


    ¡°Here,¡± I said, standing. I waved for her to do the same. ¡°It¡¯s time for an impromptu self¨Cdefense lesson<b>.</b><b><i>¡± </i></b><b>If </b>I could prepare her with some tools she could use to defend herself, then maybe I would feel more


    Even if I didn¡¯t, it would give her an advantage if she found herself in that situation again, so it was worth


    a try.


    Amber seemed unsure for a moment, but ultimately decided to go along with it. She stood up and came


    closer to me.


    ¡®I moved behind her and wrapped my arms around her, grabbing her arms at the wrist. ¡°Try to get out of


    this hold.¡±


    She struggled but couldn¡¯t get out. ¡°How?¡±


    Alice¡¯s POV


    I watched from behind the doorway as Mom and Dad hugged. Dad told Mom how to escape his hug and


    Mom did so, then they bothughed.


    Seeing them like this, happy with one another again, made me feel lighter inside.


    Smiling, I sneaked away before they could see me. I went back to the living room and sat down.


    I wanted to be happy too, and I was, in a way. I was happy to see Daddy, and happy that Mom and Dad were happy with each other.


    But¡­


    ¡®My skin felt kind of itchy, the worse it had been since the ne broke and was given back to me.


    I didn¡¯t know how <i>to </i>tell Mom, but I was pretty sure it wasn¡¯t really working anymore. And with how it seemed to be getting worse and worse, I didn¡¯t know how much longer it would keep working before it stopped entirely.


    I didn¡¯t want to tell Mom yet, especially not right now when she was so happy. I knew news like this would only upset her.


    But it was scary.


    If I shifted again¡­.


    I didn¡¯t know when it would happen, but I was sure it would happen again.


    And soon.

 Main Flame 231

    After putting Alice to bed, I met Julian back in the living room. It was surreal being in this house again, like returning to a past I thought had been long dead and buried. It must have been the environment, reminding me of the days when I thought we had been happy ¨C before I really learned I was just some secret ¨C but I felt my heart warming to Julian. <fn8f68> For original chapters go to FindN()vel</fn8f68>


    He was sitting on the couch with his arm stretched along the back of it. His eyes were hopeful as he


    asked me, ¡°Sit with me?¡±


    Maybe I should have said no, but the good feelings from our reunion and the general vibes of this ce had me moving closer to him. I sank down beside him on the couch, and then leaned into him, pressing


    up against his side.


    ¡®His arm fell down from the back of the couch and wrapped around my side instead. He held me tightly,


    and rather than push him away, I leaned closer, enjoying it.


    I knew all of this was bad, that I was sending mixed messages, and yet I couldn¡¯t stop myself.


    I was like a fly, happily trapped in a spider¡¯s web.


    Julian turned his head and ced a soft kiss to my temple. ¡°I¡¯m so d you are here.¡±


    ¡°Me, too,¡± I said, realizing this was the first time I had truly been able to deeply rx like this. In Rafael¡¯s


    pack, since my lineage leaked, everything had happened in kind of a whirlwind, and I¡¯d been caught up


    in it while trying to keep Alice and me safe.


    I hadn¡¯t even really had time to process the news. I wished I had more time to privately ept and


    understand the news before it had been made public. But I supposed that was what it meant to live in the


    public eye. There wasn¡¯t much privacy about anything. Every bit moment in my life from now on, the


    good and the bad, would y out in front of a curious and eager public.


    As I was sitting there though, I realized that whatever I had been going through, Julian had been dealing


    with his own troubles.


    He¡¯d been here, watching his mother die¡­


    ¡°How is your mom?¡± I asked, hoping that wasn¡¯t the kind of question that would lead Julian into darkness. I was opening the <i>door</i><i>, </i>offering to talk about this if he needed to, but if he wasn¡¯t ready to talk about this yet, I would understand. I hoped he knew that.


    He hummed into my ear, so I knew he heard my question. His arms stayed tight around me though, so I also guessed he did know that I meant no harm. I just wanted to support him.


    ¡°Her memory has some holes,¡± Julian said, somewhat evasively. ¡°But I¡¯ve heard that¡¯s not umon for


    ÒŠ


    her state.¡±


    ¡°I coulde to the hospital and look her over,¡± I offered. ¡°Maybe there is something I can do.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± he said at once, abruptly and perhaps more sharply than he intended. His soft touch did not match


    his tone.


    I remembered now, how his Beta James had told me that Julian had deemed the hospital off¨Climits,


    forbidding me from going there.


    I had thought he wanted to protect Alice, but now, as I was offering to go myself without Alice, I wasn¡¯t so


    sure.


    ¡°It¡¯s no trouble,¡± I insisted. ¡°I¡¯d be happy to do it. And I can confirm that everything that could be done has been done.¡± This kind of thing was directly in my wheelhouse, and if it would help his mom, I was happy


    to offer my services.


    I had confidence in my Healer abilities.


    Didn¡¯t he?


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you anywhere near that ce,¡± Julian said.

 Main Flame 232

    Chapter <b>232 </b>


    ¡°But, Julian ¨C¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m serious, Amber. Mom doesn¡¯t need your help, okay? Just stay out of it.¡±


    I tried to be understanding, but those words were delivered just on the wrong side of cutting. They sliced into me, showing that he not just doubted me as a healer, but that he also didn¡¯t want me there as a person, as his partner.


    Suddenly, I felt much more tired than I had before, like the weight of everything that I had been pushing


    back was now crashing down on top of me.


    I started to pull away, relieved now when his arms fell away. I stood. ¡°It¡¯s been a long day. <b>I </b>think I¡¯m


    going to call in early.¡±


    He didn¡¯t try to stop me, or make any effort to call me back or repair things.


    Instead, he said, ¡°I¡¯m going to head back to the hospital, but I¡¯ll call you in the morning.¡±


    I nodded as I walked away. When I made it to my room, which had once been one of the guest rooms, I


    closed the door and wondered if I had made a mistake ining here.


    Perhaps I had acted too hastily, and selfishly. I had wanted to get away from Rafael¡¯s pack and my


    troubles there so desperately that I hadn¡¯t thought what my presence here might do to Julian. He wasn¡¯t


    in a state of mind to offer mefort<b>, </b>or even to ept thefort I was trying to give.


    Maybe all I did bying here was run away from my problems, hoping Julian would save me. I didn¡¯t


    give any consideration that he might need saving.


    If we were both drowning, who was going to be the one to save us?


    Julian¡¯s POV


    Things were tense with Amber, and I knew I was to me for that. But the thought of her going to the ¡®hospital and having to deal with my family ¨C with my mom who hated her ¨C was too much.


    I couldn¡¯t allow her to put herself in that position, no matter how much good she thought she could do. No


    matter how much I actually wanted her by my side at all times.


    For her sake, she had to be far, far away from here. <fn6171> Latest content published on find?novel</fn6171>


    I was particrly d that she wasn¡¯t beside me tonight, because when I walked into the hospital, I saw that Tony had someone beside him who had the same hair and shape as Olivia. Her back was to me, but I imagined this was a look alike, an actress, hired to fool Mom.


    I¡¯d told him that this was a terrible idea, and yet he seemed to go along with it anyway.


    Worse, the rest of the family seemed okay with the n. They circled this actress like sharks in the water.


    ¡°She looks so simr,¡± Uncle Peter said. ¡°Why, she could be Olivia¡¯s twin.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s truly uncanny,¡± Aunt Kathy agreed, nodding along with her husband.


    ¡°You know Tony from the theater?¡± Penny asked.


    The actress nodded. ¡°Yes. He is a true patron of the arts.¡±


    Sheesh. Even her voice sounded simr.


    Yet she shouldn¡¯t be here at all. I certainly hadn¡¯t agreed to this farce. Lying to Mom like this was not only hical, it also made things more difficult.


    Mom should have a chance to meet the actual love of my life, and have a chance to know our daughter. <ul><li>Annoyed and angry, I stormed forward, ready to put a stop to this whole thing. </li></ul>


    I¡¯d pay the actress for her time, but send her on her way. No harm, no foul.


    But then, she turned.


    I nearly tripped over myself as I came to a halt.


    This wasn¡¯t some Olivia impersonator. This was Olivia herself!

 Main Flame 233

    I was frozen, staring at this Olivia ¡®impersonator,¡® immediately seeing Olivia herself before me.


    ¡°Hello, Alpha,¡± she said, and even her smile was the same. She politely bowed her head, then looked up at me from under hershes. ¡°My name is Becky<b>.</b>¡±


    It took a moment, but when I recovered from my shock, my anger tripled. ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this,


    Olivia<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    Tonyughed. ¡°Olivia? Cousin, you heard her. Her name is Becky. She works at the theater. I¡¯ve known her for years.¡±


    Tony¡¯s words confused me. My cousin was many things, a yboy and a freeloader, a man who seemed <b>. </b>more keen on living on his inheritance and our family name than actually working hard a day in his life.


    But I didn¡¯t think he would lie about something like this.


    Why would he? When, if the truth came out, it could affect his trust fund?


    I took another look at this Becky, and could see a few differences now. Not in the face, that seemed


    exactly the same, and her body shape was also simr. But her hair was darker, and her scent wasn¡¯t


    quite right.


    ¡°¡­Becky,¡± I said, still not sure what I believed.


    ¡°That¡¯s right,<i>¡± </i>she said, grinning. ¡°Have you seen one of my shows?¡±


    ¡°Becky is still working her way up the ranks at the theater,¡± Tony said. ¡°Right now, she¡¯s just a chorus


    girl.¡±


    Becky immediately red at Tony, another look I was so familiar with, the simrities were shocking.


    ¡°Are you rted to Olivia?¡± I asked.


    Returning her expression to me, Becky¡¯s face softened as she shrugged. ¡°Maybe distant cousins or something. Honestly, I¡¯m not sure. My dad split on my mom and me when she was pregnant, so maybe


    there¡¯s something there.¡±


    I thought back to what I knew about ire¡¯s father. He had always seemed a reputable sort, a pir of themunity. He didn¡¯t seem like the kind to have an affair, father a child, and then bail on the entire situation, but then how much did I really know about anyone?


    Sometimes people hid their heinous actions behind the shield of their good reputations.


    In this case, though, it didn¡¯t seem right for me to specte, especially because, in the end, none of this mattered.


    ¡°Tony<b>,</b><b>¡± </b>I said.


    ¡°Yes, cousin?<b>¡± </b>


    ¡°Pay Becky and send her on her way,¡± I said. Looking at Becky, I added, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, miss. I don¡¯t know what he told you, but I can assure you, there is no need for an actress here.¡±


    ¡°Tony told me everything,¡± Becky said. ¡°I¡¯m not opposed to the job.¡±


    ¡°I am,¡± I told her. I looked at Tony again, annoyed he wasn¡¯t moving. ¡°Tony. Pay her.¡±


    ¡°Now, let¡¯s take a minute here to calm down<b>, </b>Julian,¡± Uncle Peter said. ¡°Becky here could be just the thing


    that could help your mother.¡±


    ¡°Lying to her is not what Mom needs,¡± I said.


    ¡°Are you so sure?¡± Uncle Tony asked. ¡°Telling her the truth only upsets her.¡±


    ¡°How much time does she really have left?¡± Tony added. ¡°A couple of weeks at most? A handful of days at least? Why not let her live her final moments in peace, thinking you are happy.¡±


    ¡°I am happy,¡± I snapped. ¡°With Amber.¡±


    ¡°Are you?¡± Tony asked. ¡°Causest I heard, she¡¯s been refusing to ept you.¡±


    My anger was rising, which unfortunately, made my voice rise too. ¡°I want her,¡± I pointed at Becky, ¡°Out.


    Now.¡±


    <b>¡°</b>Julian,¡± came Mom¡¯s weak voice from her room. ¡°Tell me you aren¡¯t talking to your wife that way<b>.</b><b>¡± </b>


    Immediately I snapped my mouth closed.


    Gods damn it.


    I had been too loud and dug my own grave.


    Tony nced at Becky<b>, </b>¡°You¡¯re on, sweetheart.¡±


    Becky smiled at me sweetly, a thing that turned my stomach, before she turned and rushed toward the


    room.


    I hurried to follow her, wanting to stop her but unsure how to now that I knew Mom was awake and


    listening so intently.


    ¡°Oh, Mom. You¡¯ll have to forgive our lover¡¯s tiff,¡± she said. ¡°You know how passionate your son can me. I¡¯m afraid that he¡¯s that way with everything, even our arguments.¡±


    As I moved into the doorframe, I saw Mom hold up her hand to wee ¡®Olivia.¡® Becky immediately moved closer and epted Mom¡¯s hand.


    ¡°He shouldn¡¯t talk to you that way,¡± Mom said, no matter how passionate.


    ¡°Once a mother, always a mother,¡± Becky said, smiling gently.


    Mom smiled too, in an earnest happy way that made my chest ache. I hadn¡¯t seen her look this contented since I arrived. I hated that Becky was the one to make her look like this, when it should have been


    Amber, Alice, and me.


    I didn¡¯t want to be a part of this lie. I wanted to tell her the truth.


    But in the moment, it was so difficult to ruin Mom¡¯s happiness when it was so rare a thing <i>to </i>see.


    I stood frozen, unsure.


    I didn¡¯t want to break my mother¡¯s heart.


    Amber¡¯s POV


    Not all that long ago, I used to work at the same hospital that Julian¡¯s mother was staying at. While I had since moved on, I still maintained some contacts there with some of the nicer staff.


    One of the nurses, in particrly, had been especially kind to me, and we had kept in touch. Not all the time, but with greeting cards for holidays and an email now and then to catch up.


    Thinking of her now, I decided to call her.


    Maybe I should have stayed out of it like Julian wanted, but healing was my profession and I knew <b>I </b>was


    good at it. If I could help his mom in some way, I was determined to try. Maybe I could do so without


    stepping foot on the hospital premises.


    All I really needed was some information about what her condition was. Who would know that better


    than a nurse?


    ¡°Healer Amber,¡± the nurse said with a smile as she answered. ¡°How nice to get a call from you! I just sent


    <b>you </b>an emailst week. Did you get it?¡±


    ¡°I did<i>,</i>¡± I said. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m sorry, but this isn¡¯t just a personal call, though I¡¯m hoping we can catch up <fn8936> Readplete version only at find?novel</fn8936>


    too.¡±


    ¡°Oh? Did you need something?¡±


    ¡°Just some information,¡± I said. ¡°I heard Julian¡¯s mother is there, and I was wondering if there was anything I could do to help out. I understand she doesn¡¯t have much time left, but if there¡¯s anything I could do to help, even if it¡¯s ideas on how to make her morefortable¡­¡±


    My nurse friend was quiet on the line for a long moment. Long enough to make me worry.


    ¡°Is something wrong?¡± I asked.


    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯m just surprised, I guess,¡± she said. ¡°You¡¯ve always been selfless about these things, but it seems strange for you to reach out now that you and Julian have split for good.¡±


    This time, it was my turn to go quiet.


    I generally kept the details of my rtionship with Julian a secret, but it was one of those known kind of


    secrets. Julian wasn¡¯t seeing anyone else, and he¡¯d been spotted spending his time with me.


    There must have been rumors, so I wasn¡¯t sure why my friend would find this so strange.


    ¡°What makes you think that?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Because Julian is here with Olivia. His wife.¡±

 Main Flame 234

    <b>Chapter </b><b>234 </b>


    Amber¡¯s POV


    After ending the call with the nurse, I was so shocked, I didn¡¯t know what to do. Part of me wanted to go straight to the hospital, to find out for myself what was going on there.


    Surely, my nurse friend had to be mistaken. There was no way Julian could have reconnected with Olivia. To have her be there at the hospital? Hadn¡¯t he put out a call for her to be imprisoned if she was caught crossing back into the packnds?


    Now I was supposed to believe they were ying husband and wife?


    But the nurse had seemed certain. Olivia was there. She was telling people she was Julian¡¯s wife. There


    was even rumors floating around that they had a child.


    . I couldn¡¯t believe any of it, not without allowing myself to feel betrayed.


    I didn¡¯t want to think that Julian would do that to me. He had truly seemed like he¡¯d been tryingtely,


    and I¡¯d just started to let my guard down.


    But¡­ that would exin why he didn¡¯t want me to go to the hospital.


    If I went there, if I surprised him unexpectedly, what would I find?


    But no, I couldn¡¯t do that, and not just because I was too proud. I also had Alice to consider. She was with me and we hadn¡¯t figured out a babysitter situation yet. If I went anywhere, she would have toe with me, and that meant that she would be dragged straight into any drama if there was drama to be found at


    the hospital.


    I couldn¡¯t do that to her, not when she and Julian just made up.


    Whatever was going on with Julian, Olivia, and me had nothing to do with Alice or her rtionship with


    her father.


    For her sake, if not for my own, I had to stay put.


    But the news made me restless and caused me to start walking. I moved through the familiar hallways and rooms of this house, reliving some memories while maybe looking for evidence that Julian¡¯s feelings


    had been lies all along. <fna2c8> The rightful source is FindN()vel</fna2c8>


    If he was doing this to me again, keeping me secret, I didn¡¯t know what I would do.


    I wanted to be the bigger person, to keep faith and trust in the man who imed to love me, but I still found myself searching for evidence of Olivia in the rooms.


    Mostly what I found, however, was myself.


    Photos of Julian and me, or me alone were nearly on every wall of this house. Most of them were from the days when we had been secret lovers, images taken and developed in secret. There were a fewter ones though, and several of Alice.


    My walk eventually led me back to the kitchen and to the drawing that Julian had taped back together. Looking closer now, I could see how meticulous he was, aligning everything just right. The tape was on the back of the paper so as not to tarnish the drawing itself.


    It had taken time, effort, and consideration to repair the drawing this lovingly and carefully.


    Seeing this, I couldn¡¯t believe the same man would try to keep me a secret a second time, to parade around as the husband of the woman who was responsible for trying to kill me and trying to hurt Alice.


    The evidence here in this house said that Julian truly loved us. With no trace of Olivia around, my nerves began to settle.


    When Julian arrived tonight, then I would ask him about the things the nurse said. It had to be a misunderstanding.


    From my own time in the spotlight, I knew how fast rumors could fly. There had to be a logical exnation for all of it.


    And rather than rush to the hospital with anger in my heart, I would be patient, give Julian the benefit of the doubt, and wait for him to exin things to me.

 Main Flame 235

    I had to put my faith in Julian.


    He wouldn¡¯t keep me in the dark again.


    He wouldn¡¯t betray me.


    Julian¡¯s POV


    With Mom dozing again, Becky returned out into the waiting room and seemed to be trying to worm her way into my family¡¯s good graces in the same way she had convinced my mom. Already she had made Uncle Peterugh, had traded makeup tips with Penny, and I swear she was flirting with Tony.


    The more I watched, the more my anger stewed inside of me until I just couldn¡¯t stand it anymore.


    Walking over to her, I said, ¡°You can leave now, Becky. Go, and don¡¯t bothering back.¡±


    <b>¡°</b>Julian, that¡¯s rude,¡± Aunt Kathy said.


    I didn¡¯t care if it was. I never should have let this ruse go on for as long as it had. I should have put my


    foot down from the start, even if it did make Mom upset.


    ¡°She¡¯s been doing a good job,¡± Tony said. ¡°Mom¡¯s happy. Why not let her stay?<b>¡± </b>


    ¡°Because I am done with it,¡± I said. ¡°Olivia tried to murder my wife. She orchestrated an attack on my


    child. Looking at her, even an impersonator, makes me sick to my stomach. Telling my dying that she is


    my wife is even worse.¡±


    ¡°But, Julian ¨C¡± Uncle Peter tried to say more but I wouldn¡¯t let him.


    ¡°I am the Alpha of this pack, and I have made my decision,¡± I said firmly. I didn¡¯t like ying the Alpha card with my own family, but they seemed incapable of listening, of respecting me. So I was done with it.


    It disgusted me to even be in the same room with this and people who agreed with it, so I turned, left the <ul><li>waiting room, and went back in to see my mom. </li></ul>


    As I entered, she woke from her dozing and smiled at me somewhat dreamily.


    ¡°I love her<i>,¡± </i>she said. ¡°Olivia is the perfect choice for me.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t stand it anymore. I loved my mother, I didn¡¯t want to hurt her, but I couldn¡¯t have her believe


    this lie for a minute more.


    Olivia wasn¡¯t the perfect choice for me. Amber was. And it was time my mother knew that.


    ¡°Mom, that woman wasn¡¯t my wife.¡±


    Mom blinked. ¡°What are you talking about? That was Olivia.¡±


    +15 <b>BONUS </b>


    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯m telling you that Olivia isn¡¯t my wife.¡±


    Sheughed a little, but it seemed nervous. ¡°What are you talking about<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    ¡°Do you remember Healer Amber<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>I asked.


    Mom¡¯s heart monitor started beating faster. ¡°I¡¯ll ask you not to say that name around <b>me</b>.<b>¡± </b>


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mom, but I can¡¯t do that. I¡¯m sorry I allowed this farce to go on so long. But the truth is Olivia is not my wife. Amber is. And we have a child.¡±


    Her heart beat dangerously fast now.


    ¡°You don¡¯t mean that.¡± Her face was going pale. ¡°Olivia is your wife.¡±


    ¡°Amber is my wife, Mom. She¡¯s a good woman and a great mom. If I could bring her here¡­ <b>If </b><b>you </b>could


    meet her¡­¡± <fn163d> Updates are released by find?novel</fn163d>


    ¡°M¨Cmeet her?<b>¡± </b>Mom went from very pale to deep red in the face in a sh. ¡°That vile seductress tried to snare you from the start! She only wants your money! Your power! What were you thinking? How could <b>you </b>pick that little bitch.¡±


    My eyes went wide, hearing my mom talk about Amber that way.


    Just as I opened my mouth to counter her words, an rm in the room sounded.


    Mom¡¯s eyes rolled into the back of her head and she started to spasm..


    The nurses and doctors flooded into the room, and I was pushed out of it.


    My family were all standing now, some of them moving closer.


    ¡°What the hell happen


    y asked. ¡°What did you do?¡±

 Main Flame 236

    <b>Chapter </b><b>236 </b>


    Julian¡¯s POV


    +15 <b>BONUS </b>


    Tony wasn¡¯t the only one of my family who was furious. All of them were moving in like a half¨Cmoon, closing in around me, forcing me back against the wall.


    We could all still hear the chaos going on in Mom¡¯s room, as the healers and nurses worked to save her from the medical emergency that was threatening her life.


    wanted an exnation, an answer to Tony¡¯s question about what had happened. I still didn¡¯t <b>ad </b>done anything wrong, so I said straightforwardly, ¡°I told her the truth about Amber.¡±


    amily reacted at once, some groaning, most bing increasingly angrier.


    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯ll fix it,¡± I said.


    ¡°How?<b>¡± </b>Uncle Peter demanded.


    Grabbing my phone, I walked through the arch they had made around me. When I moved into the more open waiting room, I unlocked my phone screen and called Amber.


    ¡°Hello?¡± she said. Her voice, even in the one world, sounded somewhat standoffish, colder than I expected.


    ¡°Amber,¡± I said. ¡°I need your help.¡±


    She was quiet a moment, and when she spoke again, her voice was softer. ¡°What¡¯s going on<b>?</b><b>¡± </b>


    She must have been able to hear the rms going off behind me, in Mom¡¯s room. Or maybe she could


    hear the guilt and worry in my voice.


    ¡°Mom¡¯s taken a turn for the worse. I hate to ask you this, but¡­ do you think <b>you </b>cane here and take a


    look?¡±


    She had already said she wouldst night. Then, I had wanted to keep her out of my family drama, but <fn526d> The source of th?s content is find?novel</fn526d>


    ?now, with Mom in her current state and with it being my fault, I was much more receptive to the idea.


    There was no one I trusted more than I trusted Amber, and I knew how good of a doctor she was.


    If she was here, maybe she could help¡­


    I didn¡¯t know what else to do.


    <b>¡°</b>I¡¯ll have to bring Alice,¡± she said.


    ¡°I can watch her,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll keep her in the waiting room. She¡¯ll have to meet my family¡­¡±


    Amber was quiet another moment, and I understood her hesitation. I felt it too. I wasn¡¯t thrilled about potentially exposing my daughter to my family members, especially when they were presently very


    angry with me.


    But she was just a child. She was also their blood rtion, and no amount of denial or anger would change that. Hopefully that would be enough to make the difference for them, and they coulde to be more understanding and epting.


    Plus, Alice was very cute and likeable. If they met her and still chose to dislike her, there was seriously something wrong with them.


    ¡°You are sure?¡± Amber asked.


    ¡°I am,¡± I said. ¡°I will protect her.¡± I didn¡¯t just mean physically. I also meant her heart. If my family started to show any signs of rudeness to her, I would take Alice and leave. We could get ice cream or spend the day together somewhere else, while I restored her confidence.


    My family had plenty of drama, and while I didn¡¯t like to stand in the eye of that storm, I tolerated it for ? the sake of family. But I would not expose my daughter to the same experience.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be right there.¡±


    After hanging up, I turned toward my family, which had all followed me from the hallway to the waiting room. They were each looking at me expectantly, as if still waiting for an exnation about what I meant and how I was going to fix this.


    ¡°Amber ising to help,¡± I told them.


    ¡°What good will that do?¡± Tony asked.


    Penny knew and shushed him. ¡°Amber is Healer Amber. Her reputation is legendary. She is one of, if not the best healer on the continent.¡±


    ¡°Says a teenage girl,¡± Tony snapped back at her. ¡°I want an adult to tell me the same.¡±


    ¡°She was once Healer Amanda<i>,</i>¡± I said.


    +15

 Main Flame 237

    BONUS


    <b>Chapter </b><b>237 </b>


    That stirred some recognition within him. ¡°Oh.¡± He frowned deeper. ¡°Well, I hope for your mother¡¯s sake that she can live up to her reputation.¡±


    ¡°She is,¡± I replied. I hesitated with the next part, but I thought it important to prepare my family for what was about to happen ¨C as well as to let them know to expect any punishments for their rudeness to my daughter. ¡°She is bringing Alice and I will watch my daughter here in the waiting room.¡±


    Some of my family¡¯s faces went grim.


    ¡°She is six,¡± I said. ¡°So I am warning you all right here and now that any unkindness to my daughter will not be tolerated. I might be your cousin and nephew, but I am also your Alpha. I will take any rudeness to my daughter very personal. Personal enough that exile might be on the table.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s extreme,<i>¡± </i>said Uncle Peter.


    So I reminded him again, ¡°She is six.¡±


    This time, to my surprise, and clearly to the surprise of a few others in the group, my usually timid Aunt Kathy stepped forward. ¡°I would love to meet the youngest member of our family.¡±


    ¡°Kathy,¡± Uncle Peter said, not quite scolding but not entirely friendly either.


    Aunt Kathy ignored him, which was another strange event and truly spoke to how much Aunt Kathy loved kids. She had raised plenty of her own, so she must have known all about the bigness of a young


    girl¡¯s heart.


    In that moment, I wasn¡¯t sure if I could trust the rest of my family, but I knew Alice would be safe with Aunt Kathy. I was relieved to know that I had at least one ally in the group.


    ¡°Thank you, Aunt Kathy,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m sure she will love you.¡±


    That made Aunt Kathy smile. This woman deserved so much better than my grumpy uncle, but we were all creatures of habit, I supposed. After forty years of marriage, she was probably used to the old grump.


    About twenty minutester, Amber arrived with Alice, the two holding hands. She didn¡¯t spare much time for me or my family, other than to pass Alice¡¯s hand to mine.


    To my surprise, though, Amber leaned in and kissed me quickly on the cheek.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do my best for your mom,¡± she said. Then, after a brief goodbye to Alice, Amber hurried down the hallway toward Mom¡¯s room. As several of the Healers recognized her from her time here, she was immediately weed inside.


    Alice, clinging <i>to </i>my hand, looked between our family members with wide eyes. My family also looked back at her. Alice nervously shifted closer to me.


    Aunt Kathy moved closer at once. She leaned down a little and gave Alice a warm smile.


    ¡°Hello, Alice,¡± she said. ¡°I¡¯m your Aunt Kathy. It¡¯s very nice to meet you.¡±


    Alice, even nervous, was still a polite little girl. <fnf78d> For original chapters go to find?novel</fnf78d>


    ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± she said softly.


    ¡°Such a dignified littledy,¡± Aunt Kathy said.


    I didn¡¯t know if Alice understood what dignified meant, but she seemed to know it was apliment, because she grew a little bolder, stepping out from my shadow.


    ¡°You think so?¡± she asked.


    ¡°I know so,¡± Aunt Kathy said kindly.


    Behind her, even some of my other family members were softening then. I knew they would. It was


    difficult not to be immediately taken with Alice and her cuteness.


    Olivia¡¯s POV


    They might have sent ¡®Becky¡® away but no one had made sure that I left.


    So I didn¡¯t.


    And now, from around the lonely corners of empty hallways, I watched as Julian showed off his pup to


    his family.


    Seeing them again made the anger swell inside of me. I hadn¡¯t been able to get this close in a long time.


    Maybe there was something I could do with this closeness, to finally have my revenge¡­


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