Chapter 14

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 the lamp, 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 glanced 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’t lacking funds in any sense.

I simply sat and stared at Alice’s lamp, 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-forth competition.

“What?” he said a bit gruffly, then smiled at me apologetically.

“Stop bidding, Roman.”

“But Alice’s work –” he started to protest.

“He bid a million dollars, 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.

“Come on,” I said, pulling him up from his seat and out of the school as the auditorium broke out in awe-struck applause at the display.

“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 in comparison. And, of course, Julian had been given access 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.

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 corpse come back to life. Then, his shock shifted into a kind of urgency, an urgency I couldn't understand —

He strode toward me, then paused once again.

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

“Who is he? Are you two together?”

I stared at Julian, shocked at his behavior. He’d misunderstood my relationship 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 explanation. 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 plane 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?”

“As your husband.” Julian said. “I never signed the divorce papers. Legally, you are still my wife.”

“Sign them as soon as possible, then,” I said, confusion and rage storming inside me. Who was Julian to act like he had claim 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 irreconcilable 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 glad 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, our commotion 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 placed him – 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 always come 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.

But I could never say it out loud.