Chapter 123

Julian’s POV

While I was ramping up for a fight, Rafael looked at me coolly, his own anger freezing over like ice.

“Before we come to blows,” he said, “You should remember whose pack you 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. “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 to create a conflict between our two packs. My pack was the largest 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?”

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?” I asked, on guard. I had no idea what he was going to say and braced myself.

He looked at me and said, “I have no romantic interest in Amber. What I feel for her is a sort of sisterly affection.”

“And I’m supposed to believe that?” I asked.

He sipped from his glass. “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-blank, 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 relationship, 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 eventually come 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 accuse me of wishing for a romantic relationship with Amber again, but I’d certainly accuse him of being an ass if he continued to mistreat her.

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 salary.

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 or networking 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,” 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 a common 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.”

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?” I asked.

He was quiet again. Then, at last, just as I was about to open my mouth once more, he said, “I’ll take the next plane out.”

Amber’s POV

At the clinic, I threw myself into my work. For me, it wasn’t just a means of distraction – although that was part of it – 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 place 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 you been there in the past?”

“Uh… no…” I said.

“Oh, odd,” the woman said. “When I smelled you, I was reminded of years ago, when Rafael and his siblings were children.” She laughed 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.