Amber’s face changed so fast it made my heart slam against my ribs.
One second she was calm. The next, her fingers were fisted in my collar, pulling closer like she could sll sothing on that didn’t belong. Her grip was strong, stronger than a normal woman her age should be. My instincts flared, sharp and defensive. I covered the stone at my chest with both hands before she could touch it.
The last ti an old woman saw this stone, she reacted the sa way.
How did they both recognize it?
And why did she say there were two?
"Amber, I don’t understand," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "I only have one stone. Not two."
She stared at for a long ti. Her eyes were no longer warm. They were searching. asuring.
"So it’s you..." she muttered under her breath. "No wonder..."
A chill ran down my spine. The way she looked at felt like recognition. Like she knew sothing she shouldn’t.
But that was impossible.
Even my own pack hadn’t recognized when I ca back. When my soul returned to this body and I stepped back into a life that had already buried . How could a stranger know?
"Amber," I pressed softly, "what is wrong with this stone?"
Her gaze turned cold. Hard.
"You’re really lucky," she said.
Lucky.
The word didn’t feel like a blessing. It felt like a warning.
She looked like she wanted to say more, but sothing shifted in her expression. She released my collar and stepped back.
"Riley, it’s late. We should leave," Lewis called from outside.
His voice grounded instantly. My Alpha. My mate. The pull between us humd low in my chest, steady and possessive.
I glanced at Amber one more ti. "Please. Why did you react like that?"
Her expression shut down completely. "I made a mistake."
"A mistake? What do you an I’m lucky?"
But she was already washing her hands, dismissing without another word. "He’s waiting for you. Go."
When we stepped outside, Amber walked us to the door. Her eyes flickered to Lewis’s neck.
There was nothing hanging there.
No mark. No stone.
Just smooth skin.
Tiffany suddenly appeared and handed Lewis a small container. "I made pastries for you. Eat them yourself. Don’t let that woman have any."
Her tone made my blood heat.
Lewis didn’t even hesitate. He set the container on the ground without opening it. "Thank you, but I’m allergic."
"I didn’t use anything that causes allergies," she insisted quickly.
He looked at her calmly. "I’m allergic to other won."
Silence.
Tiffany’s face froze.
We got into the car, and I didn’t even have the energy to argue. My mind was still trapped inside that room with Amber.
Through the window, I saw Tiffany tug at Amber’s arm like she was begging for sothing. Amber didn’t react. She simply watched our car pull away.
She was beautiful. Striking. But sothing about her made my instincts uneasy. Like standing too close to a rival pack’s border.
On the drive ho, my fingers kept brushing the stone beneath my clothes.
The Soul–Stabilizing Pendant.
If that’s what it really was.
If they recognized it... why did they react like that?
Did Lewis lie to ?
Regret twisted in my stomach. I should have questioned the old woman more the first ti.
Amber wasn’t simple. That much was clear.
And I was tired of mysteries piling up around .
"What’s wrong?" Lewis asked quietly. He always noticed when my scent changed. When my breathing shifted. "You’ve been silent."
I almost told him.
Almost asked again about the pendant.
But I stopped myself.
I had already asked once before. He gave nothing. If there was sothing dangerous about it, he wouldn’t tell . Lewis was too strategic. Too protective. If I pressed now, he would know sothing triggered .
And I didn’t want him on guard.
I trusted that he wouldn’t hurt . When my soul drifted outside my body, I saw him searching for like a madman. I saw him climb Mount Spiritus and light three thousand vigil flas for , calling back with blood in his voice.
A man who would do that wouldn’t destroy .
But he might hide sothing that benefits him.
The Master’s unfinished words echoed in my mind.
I pushed my fear down and leaned into his chest. His heartbeat was steady. Powerful. Mine slowly followed its rhythm.
"It’s nothing," I murmured.
"Is it Tiffany?" His jaw tightened slightly. "I won’t touch anything she gives . If it bothers you, we won’t go to Dolton Residence again."
He would distance himself from allies just to ease my heart.
What right did I have to doubt him?
My only fear was that his love for would make him reckless.
I reached up and touched his face gently. "Then I’ll bake you cookies when we get ho."
"Good girl," he said softly, relaxing when he saw my smile.
But when I lowered my head and buried my face in his neck, he couldn’t see my expression.
"Lewis," I whispered, my voice barely steady. "Don’t leave . I worked so hard to have this life. I’m scared you’ll leave."
He chuckled lightly. "Because of Tiffany? If I wanted her, I would have marked her long ago. What does she have to do with you?"
He thought I was jealous.
He had no idea my anxiety had nothing to do with Tiffany.
If I thought about it carefully, I would admit sothing had changed after I returned. After my soul was restored.
He used to talk about children all the ti. About building our pack’s future. About naming our first daughter Joy. He said it would make up for the child we lost in my previous life.
But lately, whenever I ntioned it, he went quiet. Or changed the subject.
Why?
The stone.
It had to be connected to the stone.
What deal had he made with the Master?
By the ti we reached ho, I had already buried those thoughts deep inside .
As soon as we stepped through the door, I forced a smile. "When you said you were allergic to won, Tiffany’s face was priceless."
He smirked. "I learned that line online."
"From your Alpha crash course?" I teased.
He suddenly lifted into his arms, his grip firm and possessive. His scent deepened, thick with heat. "Elena," he said in a low voice, "tonight I’ll show you proper manners."
I wrapped my arms around his neck and leaned close, my lips brushing his ear. "I’m in my safe days," I whispered. "We don’t need protection."
His eyes darkened instantly.
"Elena," he warned softly, "don’t tempt ."
He pressed his fingerprint to the door panel. The lock clicked shut behind us. In the next second, my back hit the wall and his mouth claid mine. His kiss was hungry, demanding, filled with restrained dominance that only ca out in private.
"Slow down," I breathed, gripping his collar as I kissed him back.
"Cough."
We both froze.
I pushed him away and turned toward the living room.
Riley sat on the couch with her hands over her eyes. The gap between her fingers was wide enough to see everything.
"I didn’t see anything," she announced dramatically. "Nothing at all."
Lewis’s mood shifted instantly. The air around him grew heavier, like before a storm.
And then Harlan walked out of the kitchen wearing an apron, completely unaware of the tension in the room. "Lewis, you’re back. Why are my eggs on the ceiling?"
I almost laughed.
Wrong timing. Very wrong timing.
Lewis took a slow breath. He couldn’t snap at Riley. She was pack. She had helped . But Harlan?
Harlan had no such protection.
His voice dropped, deep and cold. "Are the Pearsons bankrupt? Do you not own a pan?"
Harlan blinked. "It’s just a fried egg. Why are you so angry?"
Because you interrupted an Alpha mid-claim, I thought silently.
And judging by the look in Lewis’s eyes, Harlan was about to learn exactly how thin an Alpha’s patience could be.
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