Amelia

One of my fears was to become like my parents, the other was to leave the world without fixing things between Ryan and I. Little did I know, coming here will uncover a new fear.

A memory that imbedded through my mind, one that caused me to fall to the ground, one that caused Gabriel to pull me out of the place and into my bedroom.

I never imagined me dying or Ryan leaving me, I always assumed we will have forever, forever to finish our fights, forever to have a good life.

My eyes darted to Gabriel who refuse to leave, each time I closed my eyes, I would see him, I would hear his voice, just when I thought Ryan was close, the memory will slam into my mind.

Tears spilled out of my eyes.

“How?” I breathed out, I choked back on a sob as I stared at Gabriel, “I spoke to him last night, he was fine, we had a video call, he kept telling me to come home, to let out of the anger, to forgive him, I didn’t, we were getting better, we were starting to work on issues and.” I mumbled a curse under my breath.

I was going to give him a chance. I thought about it.

Gabriel’s eyes turned to mine.

“Say something Gabriel, my brother is in the living room, barely covered in any clothing, naked, covered in blood, and his paws are out, how did he die?” I whispered. “How did someone hurt a good powerful Alpha like him.”

My feet stomped the ground, I shook my head trying to stop the thoughts, this was by far the worst day of my life, I can’t sit here waiting, I can tell Gabriel is not going to let me know anything.

“Miss Amelia , please wait, you can’t go downstairs.”

“My brother is down there and I am done crying, he was fine last night, someone hurt him and you are telling me not to go down there, not to do anything.” I asked, my chest heaved with anger, I was this close to losing my temper. “I’m going to find out what happened.”

“He was killed.” Gabriel blurted out and my eyes darted to his.

I froze.

A bitter chucked escaped my lips and I knew it can’t be true.

“No. Only bad people get killed and not Ryan and, only people like my father get hurt, not him.” I made my way toward the door.

“You have been gone five years. You kept yourself away from our business, from the clan, until two months ago and you just wanted help, you have no idea what Alpha Ryan has done, what we all had to to do to survive, we know that because we were here.” He spoke and I froze.

I felt my pulse racing, a throbbing sound filled my ears.

I left for a man that cheated and divorced me.

That’s the one reminder I needed to know I have been living a lie, my life has been horrible. It is horrible. I should have stayed with my brother

“Ryan would tell me if something was wrong.”

“You know he wouldn’t, he would do anything to make sure you are safe, he would never drag you into this, what you saw is not even a flicker of the ugliness happening, you are not going downstairs and that’s an order, not until the new Alpha comes over to take care of it, I care for Alpha Ryan and, I watched him grow up, I watched you become this beautiful strong woman who will do anything to get what she wants, I watched both of you fight and break, I can’t protect him anymore but I can protect you Amelia , sit your ass down.” Gabriel spoke. “I know it’s hard.”

His words rolled off his tongue perfectly, I always respected Gabriel.

I don’t know how much I can handle anymore, deep down I know if I saw Ryan-one more time in that state, I would lose my sanity, a wave of nervousness washed over me as I settled on the bed.

“The new alpha. You are already replacing Ryan, his body is not even cold yet.”

“He wrote a will, we are only following it.”

A will.

Why will a twenty-eight year old write a will, did he know he was going to die. What else were they hiding from me, how long has this been going on? I wish he told me he was in trouble, I will come running.

“What happens when he gets here, do we find out who hurt Ryan.” I asked.

I was about to speak when I felt a sharp pain in my heart, there is only one person Ryan will trust with his clan, with his sister, with his life, and dear God I hoped it was not him

I haven’t seen him in five years. I had hoped he had nothing to do with it.

“Tell me how it happened, I can take it.” I breathed out. “Please.” I added.

How do you speak to some one and they die a few hours later. I should have come running home to him when he asked two months ago but I was selfish, I needed help and the moment I got it, I placed my attention back on the lying bastard Asher.

“Not my place to tell Amelia .” He asked, his eyes darting to mine before he stared at at my finger, there was a look of surprise on his face, I know he thought about the ring, why I wasn’t wearing any, he didn’t dare ask.

Gabriel took for a few seconds when he got a call. The new Alpha is here, the moment he made his way toward the door, I followed from behind.

My eyes caught a man standing by the end of the hallway, he had his back turned, I froze when I heard a voice and a familiar curse

Merde.

There is only one person that says that.

Please

I felt my head getting lighter, thoughts poured in faster than I assumed when he turned his head and his eyes met mine, my pulse raced and for a second, I felt my heart stopped.

Every emotion came rushing back to me, it slammed into my chest with force, pain gripped my body tightly, every memory shattered into my mind, Asher leaving me, Hannah betraying me, my brother is dead.

The air thickened, I felt more tears streamed down my cheek, I let out a heavy breath trying to calm my nerves down when my hands slipped off the wall supporting me, a loud voice filled my ears before darkness consumed me.

Blake ..

A few hours before he arrived.

“What did you say?” I asked, my jaw ticked as I listened in on the call, no good news comes from a midnight call, yet I knew this was not what I had expected. “So God help me if you said this wrong. Tell me what you fucking said.” I yelled.

I felt a vein popping through my forehead.

“I’m sorry Alpha, but it’s being confirmed, Alpha Ryan’s body was recovered tonight at the first, after his guard received a call about it and he thought he was a joke. But when he could not find alpha Ryan, and, he made a few calls and no one heard, they began to search.”

No.

I spoke to that bastard this morning, we were supposed to have a meeting tomorrow morning, how did this happen

My breath caught up in the air when I hanged up the call and I instantly called Gabriel.

“Tell me the news is wrong Gabriel. And who was the fucking guard that got the call.”

Silence.

I always enjoyed silence but today I hated it, I knew what his silence meant and it scared me, terrified me, it caused my fingers to tremble against my phone an my eyes darting to the picture on my office wall.

It was Ryan and I. When we were younger, we had caught our first prey, I stood beside him, covered in a black fur, my eyes radiated from all of the excitement and his brown fur was silently covered in dirt, I can never forget how fussy he was, how he never wanted to take it, and suggested we take the picture when we change into our human form and are clean.

Fuck.

“Say something Gabriel.”

“I’m afraid it’s true Blake , the body was discovered today and we found something, that matched his hand writing, it was a mile away inside his car.”

“What?” I asked

“A will.” The moment those words escaped his lips, I hanged up the call, I felt my chest pressed harder against my skin, he told me about the will two months ago, I thought he was just having one of his episodes and it was funny.

I never imagined he would go through with it, make me a leader to his clan, was it a cry for help? Did he know he was going to die.

Just as I stared at the picture, realization dawned to me.

Amelia .

What is she doing to do? Fuck, how do I tell her she lost her brother, it’s bad enough she already hates me, she is still stuck with that asshole.

He would have been dead for making her his wife if not that for one fucking promise.

Fuck.

Between getting on the first plane to New York, and thinking about Amelia , I made a quick call, to get four men to keep an eye on Amelia , her home, and make sure she is safe, whoever came for Ryan will not stop, he is going to come for his sister.

My mind drifted off to Amelia , our last encounter, the last time we shared a kiss, the last time she held my hand and the last sentence she said to me.

I hate you Blake , I wish you would never be happy, you are never going to find any anyone, you will die alone

I never did find anyone, how could I when she was the only thing on my mind.

—-

After a couple of hours, I got to New York and an hour later to the house, it was packed, Gabriel was no where in sight.

The moment I walked into the living room, I froze, I always thought I will be the one to go first, Ryan has been good, I always warn him to stay away from trouble, but having his father’s blood in him, it’s never going to stop that.

He looked like he was beaten up, several times before he was killed. There was sand underneath his paws, he was starting to change but never had the chance to complete it.

My hand brushed over his face and a tear slipped out of my eyes.

“Your death will not be in vain Ryan and, I promise to take care of every one, to take care of her.” I breathed out. “She will be safe with me.”

“Where is the guard that got the call, take him into one of the rooms and tell him to wait for me, I want to know if the call was recorded.” I spoke and they nodded at me.

My eyes darted to Ryan-one last time, I felt memories rushing through my mind when I shook my head, not now Blake .

“Who’s bag is that?” I asked, when my eyes caught a guard getting a bag inside the house.

His eyes twitched before his lips uttered her name. That explains why Gabriel is not outside waiting for me.

Oh no.

She can’t be here, no one will call her unless I ask them too.

I quietly made my way toward the hallway, my jaw ticked when a guard stepped on my feet and a curse falls out of my lips, for a moment, I felt like I was being watched, by a familiar eye.

It didn’t help when a wave of perfume filled my nostrils and my eyes snapped behind, her eyes were ok like for a brief second.

She looked beautiful, her lips pressed against itself when I noticed her eyes closing a bit, my chest tightened as I made my way toward her before she fell to the ground.

Fuck.

Her fragile body heated up my body, my wolf stirred in excitement, its being five years since I felt her this close to me, and the moment I placed her on the nearest bed, she looked pale, her cheek was tainted and her nose covered in red, a butte chuckle falls out of my lips when a tear slipped out of my eyes.

My red tomato.

I never forgot about the obnoxious nickname she hated so much, one of the fews she hated.

Her hand softly brushed against her hair, she just lost her brother, Ryan is gone, I can’t imagine how she is feeling.

“When did she get here Gabriel? Who called her.” I asked, no one had the right too except for me, I leaned further swirling my hand through her thick red hair.

“No one.” Gabriel spoke and my eyes darted to his.

“Then how did she get there, if she made plans with Ryan, he would have told me, are you saying the same mysterious person called her.” I asked, my jaw ticked in anger.

“She didn’t know, she came with a bag, I think-“ he was about saying when he kept quite, and my eyes darted to her finger, no ring.

It can’t be, she loved him, that bastard. I would have killed him if it were not for the promise.

“A bag.” I asked.

“Yes, I’m assuming her clothes and things, she looked like she has been crying but she didn’t know he was gone.” Gabriel explained and my breath hitches, she didn’t know.

Was it possible? What I prayed for five years.

Fuck.

“Get someone to take care of her, make sure she won’t leave the room.” I stated, I made my way into Ryan’s office, to take a look at the will, the one he wrote. I wanted to be with Amelia, not yet.

The moment I walked in, a weird sensation filled my body, the will was on his desk waiting for me when I made my way toward the secret safe, it was always her birthday. We never changed it, my eyes caught a note.

The moment my eyes met it, I paused.

No Ryan, fuck tell me you didn’t. We promised we won’t.

Amelia .

“You want me to bury my brother and get married to you on the same day.” I asked, my jaw ticked in annoyance, as I hid both my hand inside my pocket. I didn’t want anyone to know, atleast not yet.

My pulse hammered as I stared at Blake, hoping this was just a horrible nightmare, how did I go from having a husband, having a brother, to being here, divorced and in a room with a man that once rejected me.

Emotions slammed through my chest, he looked so different from the last time I saw him, his eyes were pale, a tattoo I didn’t recognize laid on his neck, I instantly looked away

My eyes darted to Blake again, five years. I tried to never think about him, I imagined some days with him, some thing reminded me of him, but now, having him stand this close to me.

“The will.” Gabriel explained.

“I’m supposed to believe some stupid will. My brother died, he is fucking dead an you stand here to tell me he wrote some fucked up will about Blake taking her and he has to be married to me for it to happen, Ryan always knew I was married, how do we know the people that killed him aren’t the ones that wrote it.” I asked.

I didn’t want to yell, but I wanted this nightmare to be over, I wanted to go back to having a brother.

“Where is this husband by the way? Ryan never liked him, we never did.” Blake spat. “I’m not happy about this either.”

I would be a fool to believe that.

“He was your bestfriend.” I whispered, the words was stinging through my chest, I felt a wave of pain radiating through my body. “He cared for you and not a single tears has escaped your eyes, all you can think about is taking over.”

Blake smirked. His jaw tightened in annoyance as he stared at me, he took a step toward me and I stood firm, my eyes darting to his, I didn’t dare look away.

Right now the memories didn’t matter to me, this is about my brother, and not the man that once broke my heart.

“Never question my relationship with Ryan, when you left, I was here with him, you weren’t, you didn’t call for months, we thought you will eventually after three years, he still never gave up on you Amelia , Gabriel and I, the clan were here for him.” Blake spoke and a shiver runs down my spine, a tear slipped out of my eyes. “How I grief Ryan, it’s between me and myself, I know why Ryan-choose me, he knows I will make things better, he knows I can fix things.”

“Marrying me is the right option, please tell me you had nothing to do with the will, why will he want us to be married.”

“He knows no one can protect you better than I can sweetness.” Blake spoke and I froze, that nickname.

Memories slammed into my chest as the mere mention of it.

“I love you sweetness.” His old words filled my mind, he didn’t, it was all a lie.

“Your husband.” Blake spoke, his tone stressing at the word husband. “Your husband can not do anything to protect you, but I can, Ryan knew he was not safe, it’s not normal for someone like him to write a will.”

“Was he mixed up with bad people like my father was.” I asked and he didn’t speak. I could see it in his eyes, he was, I was wrong all along.

He lied to me, he told me he had stopped, he didn’t.

And now.

He is gone.

“I’m not going to let them get away with this, whatever they did to Ryan, I will make them pay twice as hard, and-“ Blake was about saying when he turned to Gabriel.

“We checked the will three times. To make sure it was written by Ryan, it was, his lawyer has a similar copy and he gave it to Ryan that same night.”

“Why will he do any of this?”

“We will find out.” Blake spoke when my eyes darter to his, my heart skipped a beat the moment I realized how close he was when I pulled away instantly.

“So what, we honor the stupid will, it makes no sense, there had to be a way for Blake to take over.”

“It’s the only way, without a will, you are meant to take over , Ryan knows you won’t be able to handle any of this alone, you need to have someone by your side, and your husband is neither a part of the clan, nor someone we can rely on.”

That’s true.

I bit my lip.

“What happens if Blake does not take over? What happens is Asher refuses to divorce me.”

“I think he already has.” Gabriel spoke and my chest tightened, I instantly hid my hand. “And Blake can’t meddle in our affairs. He won’t be able to find whoever hurt Ryan, and he will be forced to nor do anything, you will be under our protection and if you don’t take over, the clan will find a fit leader.”

No.

It has been in the family for years, and Ryan worked hard to create his name, someone else could be anyone

“You mean my extended family.” I asked and Gabriel nodded.

Uncle, aunt, no, it would lead to horrible things happening but I can’t marry Blake either.

“Think Gabriel.” My voice begged

“It’s the only way.” Ryan spoke, his voice got tighter. “You have no idea what we are dealing with right now. What Ryan did before he died.”

“What did he do?” I asked

Silence.

“Just think about it, we don’t have all day. We need to get it done, I need to take over before the news gets to your family, if it does-“

“They will protest the will, and it will take longer for Ryan’s killer to be found, it may be too late.” I breathed out. “If they take over, no one will care for Ryan, or his death, they can even kick me out of the house.” I breathed out.

“Ryan always cared and loved you Amelia .” Blake spoke.

“If he did, he would have never wrote this will, if he did, he won’t have choose you over me five years ago.”