CHAPTER 59
It was evening and night had rightly fallen on the small city where Amelia had found herself and she was … sitting on the bed of the motel that she had hired, her thoughts whirling. She has walked through the city streets all day, constantly glancing behind her, worrying that she would recognize someone.
However, now Amelia was in her room alone, and all the doors and windows closed, she had no place to escape to and avoid the thoughts that haunted her constantly. She leaned over her bed, white-faced and furious, daring her to ask for his forgiveness; she missed Bruce with an intensity that surprised her. Their marriage was a weak point for them because it was formed initially as a business-like partnership. But it got lost in the process and became so much more.
And Elijah. . . Something slammed into Amelia’s chest at the thought of how she must be suffering him at the moment. But she they had said to console herself with the fact that she is protecting them. Whether it was magic, emotions, or something else that was growing within her, it was very dangerous to be close to the people she cared for.
Amelia restored her inner sight and concentrated. It was bubbling within her and although she could not let it out, she could at least let it be known that it was there. A well of power so vast it terrified her & endowed a man with so many gifts that it astounds. What was she? What was she becoming? Was this the price to pay for her cloaking spell?
As usual, she focused and the air around the room started to distort. The lights above her dimmed and then brightened as if she were a mere puppet in a depression show. Amelia’s eyes flew open and once again all was as it should be.
She looked at her hands in horror and disbelief. This was why she had run … she gave up and lay down alone on her bed staring at the ceiling rood for hours … Her face, and eyes especially troubled her and she began wondering if she still loved herself or had completely shifted her loyalty to him. This was why she could not go back to his arms ever again and for his sweet love to forever rest. Only when she was able to comprehend the processes going on in her life. Not until she could regulate the anger that welled up in her and threatened to overtake her emotions.
With those words the clock struck ten, Amelia lay back on the bed and automatically closed her eyes for what promised to be a restless sleep, unknown to her forces were being set into motion all around her. Unaware that Bruce and Elijah were searching for her, planning to take Ema’s place and of the hooded man manipulating the entire events from behind the scenes.
The stage was set. The players were moving around to their formations. And at the heart of it was Amelia, a girl brought up on the run, with the world inside her that could turn everything upside down.
That was not the real fight yet.
It was still early, as early as dawn when Amelia was finally disturbed from her uneasy sleep. She slowly threw her head back and opened her eyes, feeling slightly dizzy by the white, low-quality background of the motel room. She shook her head, suddenly brought back to her reality- an outcast, a fugitive, and a woman with powers she refused to understand.
Groaning aggravating, Amelia managed to pull herself out of bed. It has been a week since she arrived in this obscure city in the middle of nowhere and every day and night she fights for her life and to remain unnoticed. She had barely managed to save some money and that was quickly depleting so the girl realized that she had to start creating a source of income.
When it is her turn at the grimy bathroom she takes a quick shower and then puts on the cleanest clothes she had with her. The girl looked at herself in the old bathroom mirror with the broken surface and did not seem to know the pale-faced, unsmiling girl in the mirror. Soreness was evident by the rings around her eyes and her beautiful hair was soiled and fell down her shoulders.
“I can do this,” she quietly said to herself because she was trying her level best to get some strength. "You have to. "
Taking her backpack, Amelia went out onto the streets in the slowly waking up town. The first place she went was a tiny restaurant in which she had made a friend in the owner, a woman of sixty plus, Martha. For her part, she was given a meal per day in return for assisting in the preparation of the morning food.
‘Hi, ma’am,’‘ Morning, sweetie,’ Martha said to her when she came through the back door. It is quite common for people to casually greet or ask a worker if they look pale saying, “You’re looking a bit peaky today. e thing alright?”
Amelia forced a smile. Well you know… just didn’t have a good night's sleep, that’s all I have to say… What else is there to do?
Every morning Amelia prepared hot meals for Martha, from cutting vegetables to stirring the pancake batter, Amelia would usually daydream. We might meet again”, Bruce said and she thought of him, the feel of his arms around her neck the strength in his look. She considered Elijah also; she could only assume the grooves of stress and anxiety had only deepened with each day that she’d been away. The pain in her chest rose to her again, she was suffocating but she fought it hard. She couldn’t allow herself to break down at the moment, not that she had the option anyway.
After she had done her work and quickly ate her breakfast of eggs and toast Amelia went on the streets. She had been looking for any work she could get at local stores, but with no identity and being a very young-looking woman, she was always turned down.
Shuffing along she felt the familiar tingle at the nape of her neck. She hastened her speed and thus entered a close passage. Having closed the curtains behind her when on her own, she shut her eyes and inhaled deeply several times to calm down.
This unsaid energy rose in her, almost like a wave that has built and is now straining against a container. Amelia clenched her jaw, all the while doing her best to swallow the sass she wanted to spit out. She ran towards the car up beside her and a faint light was thrown on her, and the reality even she seemed to warp. A trash can just beside began to shake menacingly.
“Must. . control it,” Amelia whispered to herself. ‘Take it back, you can control it. ’
Gradually, there was a lessening, a dwindling of the force. They woke up early in the morning; when she opened her eyes, everything was back to normal. But the episode left her all worn out and she was a shaken woman.
Such events were starting to happen more and more and being more and more aggressive. Amelia realized that she must discover the solutions as soon as possible because she would lose all control over her new ability. But where on earth could she start to begin?
She gave a weary sigh as she got off the steps onto the street and moved forward in her endless search for work and some stability in a world that had become too big for her to handle
* * *
The climate in pack territory during the new Moon was rather tense, and let it not be said that it was not rather smokey as well. Wolves went about their work with watchful looks, for trust, a rare value was lost when Ema plotted her escape.
Ema was actually at another pack meeting hall now, in front of an audience, her eyes were wide open, she faked concern and her voice was shaking.
The wolves gathered once again around her, their eyes fixated intently on her face, “It’s been a week since Amelia disappeared”, she said. “We have to step up our search for her For all we know she could be in trouble or worse, all alone out there. Which should be to our advantage”
Sounds of nodding can be heard from people in the crowd.
All through the back of the hall, The hooded man sat with close-set eyes. Sometimes, he could feel a terrible stench of lies that were oozing out of Ema; however, one had to admit that she was the best actress. Most of the young generations of the wolves were inclining their heads in agreement and raising their hand in anticipation of being selected for search missions.
“We will strengthen cooperation with the neighboring packs,” Ema went on, using what sounded like false confidence. Amelia could only go a little way by herself; therefore, if we coordinate ourselves, we are bound to find her. And make the best use of the opportunity, she is a Hybrid and a threat to us."
When everyone rose from the meeting, The Hooded Man left calmly and as a bee made its way straight to the hive, so did The Hooded Man head straight to meet their overall leader.
