Chapter 20

(Amelia POV)

We walked hand-in-hand toward the dining hall. I glanced up to see several people’s eyes following us, but mostly watching Alexander. I felt my heart begin to race as I became more aware of their looks, but once he noticed how uneasy I felt he held my hand tighter. I turned away from their eyes and kept walking forward. No doubt these were looks we would be getting no matter where we go, and I would need to get used to it. Once we arrive at the meal hall, more eyes were on us. I walked to the table where the Elder and Isa were sitting. They stood and smiled to us.

“Let us welcome our special guests. The White Wolf Kaiah and her mates future Alpha Owen Rivers and Alexander Fischer.” The elder said.

Silence.

No one said a single word for several moments, but then a man stood and looked straight at me.

“How can one of our kind be mated to A Blood Beast?!” He said firmly. “How can we follow her if this creature stands by her side?”

Many of others began to whisper things to each other, and I wanted to turn and run right then.

“You will follow her because she is the one who the moon goddess has chosen! You are blind to what is to come my brother, but I see quite clearly! This girl is the answer we will need when our world comes head to head with that of man. So, stay true brothers and sisters, because all will soon be revealed.” The Elder says causing the murmuring crowd to fall quiet.

He turned to us and showed us to our seats at his table. Once seated with Owen on one side of me and Alexander on the other we began to eat.

“Did you rest well Amelia?” Isa asks.

“Eventually, yes I did.” I say giving Alexander a soft smile.

“I apologize for the behavior of some of my pack. I am afraid although we have not hand an encounter with a Blood Beast for some time, their fear of them has not wavered. I hope they do not give you further trouble.” The Elder said.

“I understand. I am accustomed to people assuming the worst when they first meet me.” Alexander replies. “I hope I can earn their trust.”

“How have you sustained yourself without giving over to the animalistic side like other of your kind?” The elder asks.

“I am not proud of this, but I have bribed someone who worked at a blood bank. They would provide me with a small ration of blood that would go unnoticed. It was not much but helped me survive well enough.” Alexander replies.

“I am afraid we do not have such a place here.” The Elder says apologetically.

“He will feed from me.” I say.

Owen looks to me with concern. “Are you sure?” He asks.

“I am his mate; I want to do this for him.” I say simply.

“You all can rest assure, I will not kill her.” Alexander said almost like a promise.

“Indeed! Alexander is well aware of how powerful the bond between he and Amelia is.” Isa adds.

“What do you mean?” Owen asks.

“Their souls are bound to each other completely, if Amelia should die, he will die as well.” Isa explains.

Owen looks to me and then to Alexander. “Will she die if he dies?” He asks almost panicked.

“Yes.” Isa says simply.

I felt my heart drop at her words. I suppose she did not think it much of a danger to link Alexander and I in such a way since a vampire cannot easily be killed, but what if Alexander did die? As impossible as that seemed, there was still a chance now that my life is in even more danger.

“Why would you do such a thing knowing who she is to our kind?” Owen asked with anger.

“I had no choice! The enemy has gone far to be sure nothing is left for us to use as a guide for future success. They have wiped the future away from our view! We needed something that they would not suspect, and that could be used as an extra line of defense!” Isa reasoned.

I looked to Alexander to gauge his feelings on the matter. He turned his eyes away from me and his face filled with a look of guilt. He had known this when he agreed? He knew that my life would literally be in his hands and his in mine?

“Why would you do such a thing? Now I have to worry that every time I stand before an enemy and put my life on the line that my mate could be killed if I am. How could you but such a burden on me?” I ask standing quickly.

“I made a choice. One that I thought would bring the best results.” Isa replied too calmly for my liking.

“The choices of you and the others have ruined my life! You did this without caring how it would affect me! Without giving me a choice at all! I was chosen to carry the burden of an entire race on my back, while you watched from a distance. You have given us all a death sentence!” I yell at her before walking toward the door and leaving.

I need space! I needed time to think. I didn’t care if I acted like a child with the way I stormed out, this was ridiculous! My whole life I had never been allowed to choose what I was. The choice had been taken away long ago, and I was just a puppet.

“Amelia please wait!” Alexander came running behind me, even though he could have just appeared in front of me if he wanted.

“Leave me alone Alexander! I don’t want to talk to you right now!” I yell not slowing down.

“Let me just explain! Ok?” He catches up and grabs my arm to stop me.

“What is there to explain? Everyone has already decided for me! I have no say in anything that happens in my life at all! You and Isa chose this union without even considering if it would be something I would want! To have a second mate in a world where people look down on woman with multiple partners! To bind me to you in such a way that my life is literally in your hands! Why would you agree to such a thing? Didn’t you, even for one second, think it could be wrong?” I say, my voice cracking slightly.

“I didn’t think it through! She came to me and asked me to help, and when I saw you, I agreed! You were beautiful and I had been alone for so long. I was only thinking about myself, but now that I have gotten to know you, I realize how selfish I was. I figured that I wouldn’t need to worry because my death would not come easy, so you would never be in any real danger there. But that isn’t the point! You are right! You should have been given a choice as well, and I am so sorry we did not allow you to.” He looked at me with true regret and I wanted to forgive him, but this was too big to forgive easily.

“There is nothing you can say to earn my forgiveness for this, and I will not forgive Isa and the others for putting such a burden on me. But I will go forward, because my people need me! I will go forward because there is a bigger enemy out there that I need to face. I will move on from this, but that does not mean you have my trust anymore. That is something you will have to earn! Because from now on, I decide what I do. I will not let anyone decide for me again.” I say firmly and with a subtle growl.
His eyes grow wide as he looked back at me, and his hand falls from my arm.

“Amelia….” He says just above a whisper.

“Do you understand?” I ask, my voice growing in power.

“Y-yes Amelia, just please calm down.” He stutters out.

His expression makes me take a step back, because he looked almost afraid of me. Why?

“Amelia? Hey! It’s ok. Just stay calm.” Owen says when he reaches us.

Soon others were watching me, and I could see Isa and the Elder approaching as well. I felt fear wash over me, because everyone who was looking to me was terrified.

“Amelia, you are in control here. You need to calm your mind.” Isa says moving past Owen to get closer to me.

“Do not come near me.” I growl out.

She stops and holds her hands up like she is telling me she is not threat to me, but to me she was a threat. They all were.

“Please Amelia, just breathe.” Owen says

What I didn’t realize was that my eyes had changed and around me was a soft aura of light like a dancing mist over my entire body. I did not realize the change because I had been too angry and focused on my thoughts, but my powers were stronger now. Before they had lied just below the surface, slipping out in small bursts but now nothing was holding them back and the energy with in me was pouring out freely. I looked around me and realized how scared everyone was, that to them I looked like a monster.

I needed to stop this. But how? Panic was rushing through me as I looked down at my hands and seeing the glowing light that wrapped around my skin. Now that I was aware of it, I began to feel the warmth the aura was creating. I soon realized that if I did not pull it back, the ones around me would burn from the heat it was creating. I could easily kill every single person within reach of me!

Moments from my vison flash through my mind, the ones of my death. The circumstances had changed, but would the results be the same? Would my inability to control this fire inside me be the reason this entire pack would be killled?

No! I needed to gain control! This thing is a part of me, my gift, my destiny!