Chapter 6 Six

Amber

Finally, night had fallen, and I pulled the straps of my boots tight across my ankles, my mind set on one thing.

I had to find that damn rogue tonight and force him to undo whatever he did to me.

Every second since I accepted Nathan’s marriage proposal at breakfast yesterday had been a torturous hell.

I had no clue how, but the longer I thought about it, the worse I felt. Pain would stab through my stomach without warning, and my chest would constrict painfully every time Nathan crossed my mind.

It had to be Drew. Before I met him—before he infected me with his so-called ‘mate bond’—I had been fine. But now, I was a mess of emotions all the time. And I didn’t do emotions. I was going to make him undo it.

He knew a way, but he refused to tell me yesterday. I had been too lenient. Not anymore.

Grabbing my loaded duty belt, I slipped through my bedroom door as I did every night when I went rogue hunting, ensuring the coast was clear before heading down the hall to my escape route.

As always, I avoided the cameras, slipping around every corner and crevice like the pro I was, dodging every guard with ease.

No one at home knew what I did at night. No one—not even Ruby—was allowed to enter my room after 7 p.m. unless I personally requested it. That made secrecy easy. And no one could ever find out. It was for my safety and theirs.

It was my duty. And even though I would have to stop soon once I was married, I would hunt these invading, unruly werewolves until my very wedding night.

And one particular rogue had it coming tonight.

I finally reached the abandoned library at the far end of the castle, where an old door led out the back. It had once been my siblings’ escape route before they died, and I thought it smart to use the same one.

The cool September air did little to soothe my snappy nerves. It used to calm me, but not tonight. I was off my game, which could be dangerous. That was why I wasn’t hunting any other rogue tonight except the one I needed to find. He had messed with me, and I couldn’t think straight.

Reaching my hidden motorcycle, I didn’t even bother with my helmet before roaring it to life and speeding into town.

I had been hunting rogues for years, yet I had never come across Drew until now. He had to be good at hiding to have stayed off my radar for so long.

Finding him could be a problem. Still, I was determined. Even if I had to turn the entire island of Consok upside down, I would.

“He said he was leaving,” my wolf reminded me, recalling the note he left yesterday.

But leaving me alone didn’t necessarily mean he had left.

Was this his plan? To trap me, the way he claimed to be trapped? To torture me?

He’d be cruel if that was his plan. Then again, he was a rogue. Cruelty was in their nature.

By the time I arrived, the town was still alive with activity—the perfect time for a rogue to be looking for trouble. Usually, the rogues I hunted would linger around my pack wolves, waiting to cause chaos.

I had never actually caught most of them in the act. Sometimes, they were just loitering, walking casually, or sitting among my pack members. But I knew they would attack eventually.

It was what they did.

Once, there had been a rogue woman who claimed she did no evil, but I knew better than to believe her. The minute I turned my back, I’d be dead. My brother and sister had been too kind.

I wouldn’t make the same mistake.

Just like always, I lurked near the alleys where I knew rogues would be, tuning in to my senses to sniff him out.

If Drew was still in town, he was likely getting his rogues to safety—away from me. But despite searching every alley, I found no sign of him.

I checked every section of town where he could be. Still nothing.

My heart squeezed at the thought that he might have already left. Maybe he was far away from Consok, tormenting another girl with his mate bond bullshit.

Sighing, I knew there was no way I could search the entire island. It was already minutes to ten by the time I gave up.

He had made me give up—something that wasn’t in my vocabulary.

But it was only for tonight. I’d have to endure another sleepless, agonizing night, but tomorrow, I would get him for sure.

That is… if he was even still here.

Oddly, I felt like he was. He couldn’t have gone far, right? If I ‘trapped’ him as he insisted, he must still be here.

I rode slowly on my motorcycle in the direction of home. Exhaustion weighed on me from the lack of sleep, the frantic searching, and the sheer effort it took to restrain myself whenever I sensed a rogue that wasn’t Drew. Still, I forced myself to stay focused on my mission, even though it had been an epic failure.

Feeling utterly sorry for myself, I pulled up beside an old, nearly empty bar, hoping my identity wouldn’t be exposed—because I really needed a drink.

The last thing I needed was a headline reading, Princess Amber Spotted at Local Bar After Hours. My mother would demand an explanation, and my security detail would double overnight. That was the last thing I could afford.

Still, I could care less at this point. My stomach had gone numb from all the pain, and my thoughts were spiraling with Drew. A drink was the only thing I could think of to silence it all.

My one advantage was that I looked nothing like Princess Amber when I went out at night. I certainly didn’t dress like one. I only hoped that worked in my favor.

The interior of the bar was dark, almost as if the lights had long since burned out. A few old, drunken men sat scattered around, their presence barely noticeable. The shelves were dusty, the whole place in desperate need of maintenance. It took everything in me not to turn around, but this was exactly what I needed.

I stepped further inside, maneuvering past discarded bottles before making my way to the bar. A middle-aged woman with a lip piercing and far too many tattoos sat behind the counter, chewing gum as she stared at a tiny TV.

The stool made a loud scraping sound as I sat, catching her attention—as well as that of several others. Still, I kept my head down, relieved when no one spared me more than a passing glance.

“What can I get’chu?” the woman asked, turning her attention to me. Her voice was just as dull as her expression, and I had to wipe away a splash of spit from my cheek as she chomped on her gum.

“Whiskey,” I mumbled, needing the burn in my throat, the fire in my stomach. Without another word or glance, she nodded and went to pour the drink.

My mind drifted to Nathan again, and agony seized my stomach at the simple thought of him. I groaned loudly, dropping my head into my hands, waiting for the pain to subside. I hated this damn thing. I hated that I couldn’t find the one person who could make it go away.

“Here you go, sweetheart,” the bartender said, her tone unexpectedly soft as she slid the drink toward me. I lifted my head, meeting her gaze as she lightly patted my hand. “We all have those days. It’s on the house.” And with that, she winked and sauntered away.

I sighed deeply, knowing I could use my position to actually help this place, yet appreciating the gritty ambiance in this moment as I downed the burning liquor. It scorched its way down, bringing the satisfaction I so desperately craved.

I raised my hand to call the woman back for another, but then I noticed something I should have realized long before.

My wolf was restless.

I had been so caught up in my self-pity that I hadn’t noticed she was trying to tell me something.

Suddenly on high alert, I peered around the dimly lit room, searching for anything out of place.

The patrons all seemed to fit the same mold—old or middle-aged men drowning their regrets in alcohol, their lives long since decided.

But then my gaze caught on something. Someone.

My breath hitched, my palms turning clammy as I saw him.

It was him.

I found him.

I found Drew.