Chapter 207

Julian’s POV

“Tony! Tony! What about Alpha Julian?” cried one of the reporters somewhere from beyond where the camera could see.

“I full anticipate that Julian will step down due to public outcry,” Tony said. “He has an obligation to be here for his people. Where is he instead? Traipsing about with his supposed mate back to her pack. The people here don’t want an Alpha who spends more time in other packs than he does in his own.”

As he spoke, there was a crowd behind him, filled with his supporters. They cheered for his every word.

The camera panned out and showed just how big his group of supporters truly were.

With a sinking feeling, I realized that his grab for my position might actually be cause of some concern.

“He doesn’t know what he’s talking about,” Anna grumbled, but Amber stayed quiet beside me.

As Tony finished his speech to the loud applause of the crowd, I looked at her, an apology ready. I had to go back there. I couldn’t put this off anymore. I had to stand against Tony and try to do what was right for my pack.

I wanted to be here for Amber and for Alice, and I was glad that I had the chance to be there as much as I already had. But I couldn’t stay. Even if my heart was here, I had to go back and save my pack from Tony and his narcissism.

I had no doubts that Tony didn’t actually care about our pack. He just wanted the power of the position. Would he even know what to do if he became Alpha? Would he know how to lead a pack?

I doubted it. I couldn’t let that happen.

“Amber, I’m so sorry,” I said. “I have to go back. I have to stop Tony.”

“Why are you apologizing to me?” Amber asked.

“Because I can’t stay with you here anymore.”

“Julian.”

Turning to me, Amber placed her hands on my chest, both right in the center, over my heart. Could she feel how fast my heart raced beneath her palms?

“I needed you here, and you came with me. Because of that, we did what we needed to do. We even helped all kinds of people,” she said. “Do you truly believe that, now, when you are in need, that I would leave you to face this alone?”

“I…” Well, I guess I had believed that, but looking at her now, at the passion and determination in her eyes, I felt somewhat foolish for having thought that at all. Of course Amber would want to go back with me. Of course she would do the same for me that I had done for her.

It was strange, I supposed, to be in a relationship as healthy as this. After we’d run from each other for so long, it was nice to finally be able to allow ourselves to simply just… be, in our relationship. To care and support one another, and focus on their needs above our own when the needs demanded.

“We’ll do this together,” she insisted, and my heart melted for her.

“Thank you,” I told her.

Gently, not wanting to start anything with Anna in the same room, I leaned down and placed a soft kiss to her lips.

Later, as I was resting in my own bed for the night, my eyelids were heavy. I hated not having Amber beside me, but with how exhausted she was, I thought it best for us to sleep apart and avoid all temptation for the evening.

Which was why I was so startled when she opened the door and walked into my room in the middle of the night. Immediately, I sat upright, glad that I hadn’t yet fallen asleep.

“Amber? What is it? What’s wrong?”

She came right to my bed and threw herself into my arms.

“I remember what he did to me,” she said.

“Who?” I asked, turning cold all over.

“Tony. He attacked me, Julian. He pricked my neck with a needle filled with wolfsbane. He made me forget everything. Your Mom… Gods, she tried to stop him once. She called out for him to stop but he didn’t. The effects were instant, and I passed out.”

I tried to hold her gently, not wanting to further upset her, but inside my rage was growing like a hurricane, taking shape into a rampaging storm.

Tony went after, not only my mother, but my mate. Pricking them with poison. Not caring if they were hurt or worse.

He might be family but I would never forgive him for this.

“I woke up in the office the first time and in my bed the second time. I have no idea how I got to either place. He must have taken me there. He must have deleted the footage from the security camera afterwards. Julian…”

I hushed her while lightly stroking her hair. “You are okay now. I will not allow that to ever happen to you again, do you hear? I will protect you better now. I will never leave your side for as long as he is free.”

I was going to find a way to stop Tony and bring him down, not just by winning the favor of the pack back from him, but by putting him in a place where this could never happen again.

Given what I had seen, I didn’t think exile was enough. For what he had done, I wanted him in prison.

“It’s okay,” I said, as she started to cry. It must have been so frightening for her, to have holes in her memory, just for them to return in part, with enough to know they why but still missing the full story.

“He didn’t want me to remember what he was doing,” she said. “And your mom… she knew too much…”

“It’s alright,” I said, still trying to soothe her. “It’s going to be okay.” I would have to call the hospital, to make certain that Tony was banned. I’d put my most loyal enforcers on it, not trusting anyone I wasn’t implicitly sure didn’t have connection to Tony.

“He won’t get away with this, Amber,” I promised her. “We will stop him and find a way to bring him to justice.”

She leaned back and looked me in the eye. “I want to believe that, Julian. But if he already has a growing number of supporters, how can we hope to stand against him? I never should have pulled you away from your pack. I should have refused when you offered your help.”

I pulled back enough to look in her eyes.

“I would have gone anyway,” I said. “There is nothing more important to me than you and Alice.”

“You can’t keep saying that,” she said. “What if there is another recording device?”

“In your brother’s house?” Her fear was making her paranoid.

She almost looked pained right now, looking all around. “Julian I don’t know what to do.”

“Right now, you don’t have to do anything. We are safe,” I told her. “Just hold onto me, and I’ll hold onto you. I will keep you safe.”

I would continue to keep her safe, no matter what, even after we were back in my pack.

In my eyes, Tony was no longer family. And I would do what I needed to, to stop him.