AMELIA’S P.O.V

We sat in the tub until our skin started to prune.


True to his words, Kaden didn’t say a word as we got out of the tub. He didn’t even speak as we ate lunch or dinner. I thought he had forgotten and a part of me was relieved because I knew that whatever he wanted to say had to do with Blake.

My relief lasted until sometime around ten when there was a frantic knock on our door. I glanced at Kaden who looked to be as confused as I felt. He gestured for me to remain seated while he went to check it out but he should have known better because as soon as he was out the door, I was behind him.

“Amelia,” he hissed but I waved him off.


I was dressed in lounge pants and a loose shirt. I was prepared for whatever it could be. He muttered something under his breath that sounded similar to ‘goddess help me’.

“Stay here,” he told me once I got to the bottom of the steps. I pursed my lips but I was close enough to see the door so I waited.


He pulled the door open and I could feel the confusion radiating off him when he found Caleb standing there. There was something similar to panic on Caleb’s face that had my spine straightening and when he looked at me over Kaden’s shoulder, I knew what it was.

“He’s here, isn’t he?” I asked and Caleb turned to me before nodding slowly. “Where is he?”

“Amelia, you are not going to see that bastard,” Kaden snapped but I ignored him. He wanted to protect me but this was something I needed to do.

“Caleb?” I asked and Caleb sighed before responding.

“He’s at the border. I wanted to be the one to give the news.”

Kaden cursed under his breath before slamming the door in his best friend’s face. He turned to me, his hands crossed over his chest. “You are not seeing him.”

“And you will?” I snorted. “I am more level headed between the two of us.”

“He had you, Amelia, for weeks. You were with him and he hurt you. You don’t know what you looked like when I saw you again. You were broken and I will be damned if I let you near him again.”

“I may not have known what I looked like, but I know what I felt like because I was there, Kaden. I went through everything and I know that you want to keep me safe but locking me up isn’t going to do anything. That’s exactly what he did.”

I regretted the words the moment they left my lips. Kaden and Blake were opposites and it was wrong of me to compare them.

“I’m sorry-”

He held up a hand to stop me. “I’m not upset, Amelia, but I don’t want you near him. He hurt you.”

“I know and he won’t leave until you let me see him, so let me see him, please.”

Kaden clearly didn’t like that idea but he nodded and pulled the door open. Caleb still stood on the other side of the door. I thought he would have left but he just looked between the two of us. When Kaden nodded, he muttered a small curse under his breath and gestured for us to come with him.

He already had a car waiting and as I got into the back seat, I could feel my hands trembling in my lap. I hadn’t seen Blake since what happened and I was terrified.

Kaden didn’t say a word but he noticed because he intertwined our fingers together. He squeezed my hand softly, his own way of telling me that he was right here with him and I managed a small smile.

“I’m doing this for you,” he spoke down our bond. “If he comes near you, I will kill him, I don’t give a fuck what war it causes.”

“He can’t hurt me, Kaden.”

My mate just mumbled something under his breath and kissed the back of my hand.

Blake stood on the other side of our border with a smirk on his face. He didn’t care that he was surrounded by guards or that they had their weapons pointed at him. He stood there tall and proud with his hands crossed over his chest.

I wasn’t sure what I was expecting to feel after seeing him but I felt nothing. There was no anger, no hatred, I just felt empty. Maybe it was Kaden’s presence that kept me calm but I wasn’t going to spend my time second guessing it.

“Leave,” Kaden ordered the guards and they were clearly shocked but they didn’t protest. They just bowed and filed out.

The moment they were gone, Blake spoke. “I see you brought my mate. If you will just hand her over-”

Kaden growled. “You’re on thin ice as it is. Take a step and I will rip your head off your shoulders.”

Blake pursed his lips then turned to me. “Amelia, come to me.”

“No,” I was relieved that my voice came out clear. “I’m not your mate, Blake. We had a bond, yes, but you rejected me to be with my sister. Kaden is my mate now.”

“Don’t be stupid.”

“Don’t push your luck,” I shot back. “You are on my mate’s land and a perceived insult to me is one to him too. Leave, Blake and you don’t have to die.”

He laughed. “Does your mate know how I licked your cunt? Does he know how many times I touched you when you were with me or did you lie to him?”

Kaden moved but I grabbed his arm. It wasn’t worth it, he was trying to goad him. I was so focused on Kaden that I didn’t notice when Caleb moved and slammed Blake against a tree.

Blake should have been able to get out of the hold easily but he didn’t. He struggled and flailed against Caleb’s hold and that was when I realized- his wolf wasn’t back. I couldn’t sense it.

“Caleb, stop,” it was clear he didn’t want to but Caleb obeyed my order and dropped Blake to the ground. I turned to the spluttering Alpha. “You shouldn’t pick a fight when you don’t even have your wolf.”

“He will be back in a few days, not that it matters to you. You did this to me.”

“I simply used what you used on me. Goodbye, Blake,” I said simply and turned on my heels. “Go home.”