KADEN’S P.O.V

What Amelia needed whether she realized it or not were her friends.


Just those few minutes with Serena had brightened her day more than I thought was possible. It hurt that they could do more for her than I could but I didn’t care as long as it meant that she was fine, that was all that mattered to me.

After the interaction with Serena, Amelia declared that she wanted to go home. I didn’t protest, didn’t even make any other suggestions, we just got into the car and drove. She didn’t hide from me when we returned which was a plus in my books, she simply sat on the couch, laying her head on my shoulder in silence.

I wasn’t sure how long we stayed there but it could have been ten hours and I wouldn’t have minded. She seemed so peaceful, more than she had since she got back and I loved that for her.


“I hate the silence,” she whispered and I turned to her. “When I was there with him, it was always quiet. I couldn’t go anywhere, couldn’t do anything, it was just the two of us in that small cabin and most times it was quiet.”

“Should I put on some music?”


She shook her head. “No, I used to love the silence before him and I’m going to love it after him. He isn’t going to break me or force me into someone that I’m not. I won’t let him change me.”

“Amelia,” I turned her to face me. “You aren’t broken.”

“I know that, I just- I want to love the things I used to,” she sobbed wiping at her cheeks furiously. “I want to be the way I was before him. I want to see my friends and not feel like I’m dying in my own skin. I want to touch you and not feel guilty-”

I took off my shirt before grabbing her hand and placing it flat on my chest. The movement caught her off guard because she fell silent just staring at me with wide eyes and her mouth hanging open slightly. Her fingers flexed against my skin but she didn’t make an effort to move it.

“You can touch me, Amelia, there is no reason for you to feel guilty,” I kept my voice soft. “You can touch me however you want and in whatever way you want. I am yours, I will forever be yours.”

“But I touched him,” she choked out. “I let him do things to me.”

I grabbed her cheeks firmly. “You did it to survive. You didn’t do it because you wanted to. You did it because you had to, Amelia. Touch me.”

She swallowed deeply before placing her second hand on my chest. I kept my hands fisted by her sides not wanting to rush her or scare her. This had to move at her pace or she was going to run, I knew her well enough to know that.

For a moment, she just explored my chest with her fingers. She didn’t speak, she just stared straight at my chest and I let her. For once, she didn’t have that haunted look in her eyes, if anything, she seemed curious.

She finally looked up, her eyes meeting mine and I saw it, just how fragile she was behind the façade that she put up, just how hurt she was behind the sadness and it shattered me. I wanted nothing more than to rip Blake’s head clean off his body for what he did to her, I wanted to make him suffer, make him pay and feel her pain a thousand times over.

My murderous intent was cut off by the sound of someone knocking. It caught me off guard because everyone knew not to bother us right now. Before I could even get up to find out who it was, the door opened and my mother walked in.

“Amelia, there you are,” she rushed over to us. “You don’t look so good, I knew it. I brought some broth for you.”

I wasn’t sure who was more shocked, Amelia or me. My mother wasn’t the emotional kind and it was no secret that she wasn’t Amelia’s biggest fan. I knew they had started getting along but they weren’t at this stage- not yet.

“Should I send her away?” I asked but Amelia shook her head.

“I could use the company,” she whispered pulling her hands off me and rising to her feet. “I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“I’m many things but I’m not a monster. I heard how you were when you returned and it would have been cruel of me not to see you. No one would let me into the hospital so I came here. How are you?”

My mate shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“How did you escape?”

I wanted to scold my mother. That wasn’t the kind of thing I wanted Amelia thinking about but before I could speak, Amelia was already answering.

“I gave him a potion, it dulls your wolf. He was giving a drop to me a day and it dulled my wolf. I gave him the entire bottle and he passed out.”

“Did you kill him?” she shook her head and mother clicked her tongue. “I wish you did, he would have deserved it.”

The corner of her lips tipped up into a smirk. “He would have, yeah, but I just wanted to get home.”

“And you did,” mum placed the broth on the table. “I didn’t come here for the broth, I didn’t even make it. I asked someone else to do it, I just wanted to see you.”

Amelia smiled. “Thank you.”

“I’m sorry for everything and I hope that one day we can start over. You’re not such a terrible person.”

Amelia laughed. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

Mother turned on her heels and headed for the door. I realized that during that entire conversation, she never once spoke to me. This was truly about Amelia and I was glad.

Just as she was leaving, Amelia spoke. “I’m pregnant.”

Mother turned, her eyes comically wide. “Are you sure?”

She nodded. “Before you ask, it’s Kaden’s.”

“I never doubted that for a second. You’re no cheat.”

“No one else knows.”

Mother’s eyes softened. “I’m honored to be the first person you told. I will keep the secret until you’re ready.”