Chapter 217

Amber’s POV

“I am grateful to have a family now,” I told Olivia, while we were up on those rafters, arguing much like the debate happening on the stage below. “A history. A lineage. Being Rafael’s sister has added a lot of richness to my life. But I will never belong to that pack, not fully. Not while my heart and my future are here.”

“Your future isn’t here, or are you deaf?” Olivia asked. “Can’t you hear the sway of the crowd? This isn’t anything more than a reflection of the opinions of the entire pack. Everyone here hates you and Julian. And after what he did to you, I don’t know why you won’t just leave him to live your life of comfort as a princess.”

I supposed, to someone like Olivia, it was difficult for her to see things as I did. I didn’t think Olivia had ever been in love. Perhaps, though I felt guilty for thinking this, she didn’t have the capacity for it. Her motives had always been entirely selfish. Even now, with Tony, I suspected she was only looking to help herself.

I wondered if there was any hope for her at all. Was there something I could say that would shift her attitude and help her realize that she had the wrong of it?

As she was directly working to overtaking the pack with Tony, I felt it was my duty to try. She was attempting to manipulate me with harsh memories of the past. Perhaps, in counter stance, I could convince her with the truth of present reality.

“Julian made mistakes in the past, it’s true,” I admitted. Though I had forgiven him, and would no longer hold these things against him, the pain of those memories was still present. Healing, but present. “But I made mistakes too.”

Back then, Julian and I had a nasty habit of not actually talking about our problems. We both had made assumptions and talked over or around each other. I had given up when I should have pressed. He was too busy focusing on the pressures of the pack to see me struggling.

We’d been younger then, and maybe we had both been a little selfish. Perhaps Julian even more than me.

But that was years ago. And in our separation and then our reuniting, we had both grown so much more. Now, we could hear and see each other as we should have always done so. Now, we were equal partners in this as-of-yet unnamed relationship, each carrying equal weight and confidence.

I didn’t think there was anything Julian and I couldn’t talk about now. And because of that, because our bond was so strong, I didn’t think there was anything we couldn’t achieve either.

“We’ve grown together,” I told Olivia, only giving her a hint of the love between Julian and me. “We have our daughter. The three of us are a unit, relying on each other. Supporting one another. No home is no longer a place. It’s wherever Julian and Alice are.”

“You are a fool,” Olivia said. “You could be living a life of luxury, and instead you are wasting your time in this pack that hates you. The easy road is right there! If I were a princess of another pack, I would have been gone the moment it was revealed! Even if I had a partner, he could stay or go, I wouldn’t care.”

“Because you’ve only ever thought of yourself,” I told her. “Don’t you know what it’s like to form meaningful relationships? Truly, I pity you, Olivia. I do. I don’t know what it’s like to live with that kind of jealousy.”

“J-jealousy?” she gasped with disgust and dismay, clearly angered by my words.

Though I hadn’t wanted to escalate her rage, it did feel good to be the one to rattle her for a change.

The hatred shined in her eyes more clearly now, but I wasn’t afraid of it.

It only meant that I was winning.

Julian’s POV

I was losing what little control I had over this debate with Tony’s bombardment of accusations and questioning. I hated being on the defensive, when this entire event had been my idea to begin with.

Frustrated, I could see the lies Tony was spinning, taking my long-distance Alpha rule and twisting it into something it wasn’t. For too long, I let him lead the crowd through this tale of my neglect. But now, determined and annoyed, it was time for me to wrestle control of this narrative away from him.

“I love my mate,” I said, surprising Tony into silence. The crowd also quieted. I was pleased, knowing that I had gotten their attention. “My mate and I didn’t have an easy time of things, and that was mostly my fault. I’m not a perfect man, though I try to be. I had driven her away. But she is my true mate, so I had to go and win her back.”

The crowd stayed quiet, even while Tony scoffed. The one thing I could trust on him to underestimate was love, and with how much regard the pack viewed fated mates. Tony, as a perpetually single playboy, had no concept of a love like the one between Amber and me.

Truly, I pitied him for it. Our love was eye-opening, earth-shifting. Once I allowed the love into my heart, my life was never the same, and I was better for it.

“I eventually did win her back… But then we faced another problem, which was why I had to leave the pack again, more recently.” I took a breath. This next part would be difficult to speak off.

“Our daughter has a medical condition. Her wolf appeared far too early. My mate had long been looking for a cure, but as rare as this condition is, she struggled to find leads. Then, recently, finally, she had one. We had to go to Rafael’s pack to see it through. I couldn’t allow my family to suffer alone and went with them.

“Because of this, my mate, Healer Amber, was able to develop a cure for Alice’s condition, which would help not only our daughter, but kids around the continent suffering from the same issue.”

“That’s very nice,” Tony said dismissively, “But the issue is that you weren’t here.”

“Healer Amber is the one who made this cure. My mate. And she has credited my assistance as well, and that of our daughter. She has cured the incurable, and the whole of the continent knows it. The whole of the continent can trace that success back – to our pack.

“The success of this cure is shared by each and every one of you. We are pack. That makes us family, which makes us united in all ways, our successes and our failures.”

Though the stage lights were blinding me from seeing too many details beyond the first few rows of the crowd, in the faces of the people there, I could see their feelings starting to shift.

“It’s true, that I had to leave the pack to help accomplish this. And it’s true, that I needed to depend on others during that time, though I still maintained oversight, completing all of my Alpha duties remotely. But I ask you: Look at your own lives. Have I allowed anyone to suffer in my absence? Has anyone’s life added more difficulty because of my troubles?”

The shift in the crowd’s perception continued as they started whispering to each other.

Meanwhile, Tony glared at me.

Amber’s POV

I could hear Julian’s words and was so proud of him. We’d already discussed sharing Alice’s diagnosis, so I knew to expect it. I was pleased that he had told the story well.

My pride extended to the pack, who was truly listening to what Julian was saying and allowing his words to affect them.

No one’s life was worse because of his absence. Julian was just such a good, powerful Alpha that he could lead remotely without the pack being affected.

His heart stayed with his pack, no matter where his body physically was.

Everyone was starting to see that now.

Yet, as happy as I was, Olivia grew more and more furious.

I moved to the edge of the railing, proudly looking down at my mate and his victory.

I was so transfixed that I didn’t think to defend myself.

Olivia, with a roar, rushed toward me and roughly shoved me straight over the side of the railing.