AMELIA’S P.O.V

“What are you on about now, mother? I have things to do that do not include listening to pack gossip.”


“You brought a stranger into the pack. She could very well be a rogue. You are supposed to kill them on sight and not bring them into the pack.”

Kaden looked fed up with her and I could see where his stubbornness came from because I knew that neither of them was going to back down from the conversation. I could see the nurse as well as some other curiously watching as if they were looking for the juiciest piece of gossip and I knew that I would have to step in.

“Perhaps we should take this conversation somewhere more private,” I offered. “There have to be some empty rooms around here or perhaps the parking lot might be a good place.”


Kaden didn’t even look at me as he spoke. “There is nothing to take privately because there is no conversation to be had. I am not having this discussion with you, mother. What I choose to do or not to do in regards to my pack is my business.”

“Kaden, people are watching,” I prodded and that seemed to be what he needed because he scoffed and turned on his heels.


His mother and I followed after him until he got to an empty storage room. I decided to give the two of them space by waiting outside but it didn’t matter because I could clearly hear every word that they were saying.

“Why did you have to go digging into things that do not concern you?” his mother spat. “That girl has no place in this pack. If you know what is best then you will take her and throw her out where she belongs. She doesn’t deserve to be here. You have to trust me on this.”

“You want me to trust you when all you did was lie to me? Come on, mother, even you can come up with something better than that.”

“Throw her out, Kaden, she is not our problem. Leave her there with the rest of her rogue friends. She will be better off with them than she is with us and you know it. I thought you had a mate now, you are happy with her, are you not? Why are you so concerned with another woman? How does your mate feel about this?”

I hated that she was using me as a tool in her fight with Kaden but I wanted to know what he would say. I had voiced that I was upset and I wanted to know if that would be enough to sway his decision.

“Amelia is a big girl, she can handle herself and this has nothing to do with her or our mating bond.”

That was not the response I was expecting and as soon as I heard it, I felt something break in my chest. I decided I was done listening, I wasn’t going to sign myself up for extra heartbreak. I walked away from the door leaving their conversation behind as I took out my phone. I debated calling Clara but I knew she would ask more questions and right now, I didn’t even want to think about Kaden and Nadine so I called Serena instead. She picked up almost immediately.

“Where are you right now?” I asked without even giving her a chance to say hello.

“I’m at my parent’s café. Is everything okay?”

“Yeah, I was just wondering if you wanted to go out for some coffee. The house is a little stuffy and I just wanted to get out.”

“Oh, I know just the right place. I’ll text you the location.”

I was leaving when I saw one of the guards from the office arrive with my car. It made me feel a little better that Kaden thought about me long enough to ask someone to bring it for me but it also solidified my thoughts that he had no plans on leaving here anytime soon. He was going to be with her- whoever she was.

“Thank you,” I said to the guard as I took my key from him. “If the Alpha asks, tell him I went out. If he doesn’t, you don’t have to say a word.”

He looked puzzled but nodded in understanding just as my phone buzzed with an incoming text. It was Serena with the address and I wasted no time in getting in the car and driving off.

If Serena knew that something was off with me, she didn’t say a word. She told me all about her parents business and how it was budding thanks to Kaden and I going there for lunch. She also caught me up on some of the most recent gossip surrounding the people in school and although I didn’t know half of the people she was talking about, it was fun to just sit there and listen to her. it helped me forget about every other thing that was going on and that was exactly what I needed after the kind of day that I had.

She was talking when suddenly, her entire expression shifted and I knew something was wrong. “What is going on?”

“Don’t turn now, but the Alpha’s mother just walked in through the doors,” I made to turn but she grabbed my arm. “What part of don’t turn now do you not understand? I am terrified of her. She makes rogues look like fairies. I hear that she has made grown men cry.”

I shook my head with a small smile. “She is scary, I will give her that.”

“She is coming over here.”

This time, she didn’t stop me from turning and I realized that his mother truly was coming over. She stopped in front of our table and cleared her throat. She looked very out of place in her fur jacket and designer purse. She had her nose turned down at the place and I could see that there were still traces of annoyance and frustration in her eyes that I suspected was from her conversation with Kaden from earlier.

“I want to speak to Amelia,” she announced and Serena didn’t wait to hear another word before she bolted up from her chair and rushed to take another table. Once she was gone, Kaden’s mother took the empty chair in front of me and clasped her hands in front of her.

“How did you find me?” I asked. “I didn’t tell anyone where I went.”

“Phones are very easy to track and the cars that belong to Kaden or the Alpha’s family have trackers. All I needed to do was call someone in the office and say that you were missing and I was given your location,” I was shocked because I had never heard that before. “If you ever need to run then you might want to consider taking another route.”

“What do you want from me?” I asked finally because I didn’t have the energy for an argument with her.

“I am sure you already know what this is about.”

“It is about the girl- Nadine.”

“Don’t say her name, please, I have spent enough years trying to forget it,” she cut me off with a frown. “How do you even know it?”

“He called out for her in his sleep and then he found her and called out the same name. I just put two and two together.”

“Did you ask him about her?”

“I did.”

“What did he say?”

“He just assured me that he wasn’t cheating on me and promised that we would talk. I am sure that you can see how that turned out. Did you have any luck trying to get through to him?”

“Kaden isn’t listening to me and I suppose I have you to thank for that. You managed to convince him that he was better off making decisions for himself. I am sure you can see how that turned out,” she threw my words back in my face. “I don’t like you, Amelia, and I probably will never like you but this a choice between two evils and you are the lesser one.”

“Am I supposed to say thank you?” I couldn’t keep the snark out of my tone and her eyes widened in pleasant surprise.

“You do have some bite to you, here I thought you were a spineless little girl. That is good, I suppose you will need in the coming days if Kaden doesn’t send that girl away. I don’t know how you plan to do it but you need to make her leave.”

“She is unconscious and Kaden is adamant not to let her leave. If he was going to then he would have the moment he saw her at that border,” I shrugged trying to ignore the hurt in my chest. “I know why I don’t want her, but the question is why do you not want her? Who is she? Is she an ex?”

“Who she is does not matter right now. What matters is that you get rid of her.”

“I need to know. If you are going to ask for my help then I need answers as well and I am not getting them from Kaden.”

“I am not someone who can be manipulated, Amelia, do with what I have told you as you wish. If Kaden gets lured then it is on you. I have done my part and tried to help you. This is your cross to carry and not mine. If he won’t get rid of her then you better keep an eye out for her. It is your life that is at risk here.”

With one final glare in my direction, she stood to her feet and stormed off. I was left sitting there in absolute shock trying to piece together what had just happened. I still didn’t know who she was but I was now of the impression that there was something between her and Kaden. Was he going to leave me for her? Was that what his mother was trying to tell me? I didn’t know and there was no way to find out because Kaden wasn’t giving me answers.

“What was that about?” Serena asked as she got back to the chair. “It looked very intense. She looked like she was going to eat you for breakfast.”

“It is nothing, I’m fine,” I assured her but she didn’t look convinced. Her brows furrowed and she reached out for my hand.

“You know that you can tell me anything, right? I am here for you. We are friends and friends will always have each other’s backs when it comes down to it.”

“I know, thank you for being an amazing friend,” I pulled out some cash from my pocket and placed it on the table. “I have to go now. There is something urgent that I need to do.”