They Bullied Me
They Bullied Me
(Amber’s POV)
“Nephew, your mate runs away!” I called out, watching Ethan’s face contort with anger and embarrassment.
The words left my lips with a strange sense of déjà vu. I’d been in Melissa’s position once – the humiliated one, the one running away in tears. Except, unlike her, I hadn’t schemed or plotted. I had simply been Amber Chase, the girl everyone thought was easy to bully.
My mind flashed back to that rainy night at the Moonlight Club. I had gone there looking for Ethan after he’d missed our dinner date – again. I’d heard his voice from the VIP section and approached, only to freeze when I heard my name.
“Amber Chase?” one of his friends had sneered. “You could do so much better, Ethan.”
“Her own family prefers their adopted daughter over her,” another had added. “That says something about her character, doesn’t it?”
I remembered how my heart had pounded against my ribs, how my palms had grown slick with sweat as I stood there, hidden from view
“She’s in your way,” a third voice had joined in. “She saved Dominic Blackwood’s life. Twice! How are you supposed to inherit the pack when your fiancée keeps saving your competition?”
Ethan had remained silent throughout, neither defending me nor agreeing with them. His silence had cut deeper than any words could have.
Then Melissa had spotted me. “Oh look, she’s here,” she’d announced loudly.
All eyes had turned to me, standing there drenched from the rain, my makeup smeared, my pride in tatters.
“Is that true?” I’d asked Ethan, my voice barely above a whisper. “Am I in your way?”
He’d shoved me then, hard enough that I’d fallen to the floor. Only Lucas had stepped in, wrestling with his cousin before escorting me out of the club.
Now, watching Ethan’s face redden with fury, I felt a twisted satisfaction. I’d wanted to create the same scene for him and Melissa, to let them feel what I had felt.
But before I could savor the moment, Ryan’s angry voice shattered my focus.
“Paige! Get back here!”
My head snapped toward the sound. Paige’s cries reached my ears, and my wolf Cora whimpered with concern.
Ethan seized the opportunity, grabbing my wrist as I tried to move past him.
“What’s going on with you and Dominic?” he demanded, his fingers digging into my skin. “Something’s off about your mateship. I can feel it.”
His alpha power radiated outward, attempting to intimidate me. I tried to pull away, but his grip tightened.
“Let go,” I hissed, feeling trapped.
“Not until you tell me the truth,” Ethan growled.
“I believe my mate asked you to let go.”
Dominic’s voice, cold and dangerous, cut through the tension. He stood behind Ethan, radiating dominant energy that made even my knees weak.
“Now.”
1/3
(Dominic’s POV)
Ethan released Amber’s wrist as if it had burned him. I watched as she gave me a grateful glance before rushing toward Paige’s Acries. The protective instinct within me surged, but I forced myself to remain calm.
“Don’t touch her again,” I warned Ethan, my voice deceptively sof “She’s Luna of the Blackwood Pack now. You will address her with respect.”
Ethan’s face twisted with resentment. “Why her? Of all the females you could have chosen, why my ex–fiancée?”
I raised an eyebrow, maintaining my composure. “Your ex–fiancée Not your mate. You made your choice when you pursued Melissa.”
“You had no right,” he spat. “You stole her from me.”
I almost laughed at the absurdity. “Stole? You discarded her. You humiliated her publicly. You chose another.”
Ethan’s hands clenched into fists at his sides. “She was mine first.
“And now she’s mine,” I replied simply. “Forever.”
His eyes narrowed. “There’s something not right about this. Amber wouldn’t just run to you after our breakup. What did you do?
11
I stepped closer, lowering my voice so only he could hear. “I respected her. I protected her. I gave her what you couldn’t – loyalty.
“I’ll challenge this,” he threatened. “I’ll go to my father, to grandfather.”
I smiled, the expression not reaching my eyes. “By all means, speak to Benjamin. Speak to Olivia. Speak to William. What do you think they’ll say? Even if you steal your mate, what can you do?”
The implied threat hung in the air between us. We both knew that challenging my claim on Amber would be challenging the future Alpha King himself – a death sentence for anyone foolish enough to try.
Ethan’s jaw worked as he struggled to find a response. Finally, he turned and stalked away, presumably to find his weeping
mate.
I watched him go, then turned my attention to where Amber was dealing with the situation between Paige and Ryan.
(Amber’s POV)
I found Paige struggling against Ryan’s grip in the doorway of the restaurant. Her mascara had run down her cheeks, and her shoulders shook with sobs.
“Apologize to her,” Ryan demanded, his face flushed with anger. “Now, Paige.”
“No!” Paige cried, trying to pull away. “I won’t! I didn’t do anything wrong!”
I rushed forward, inserting myself between them. “Let her go, Ryan.”
His eyes flashed with anger, then relief as he recognized me. Without another word, he released Paige’s arm and stalked outside, pulling a cigarette from his pocket with trembling hands.
Paige immediately clung to me, burying her face in my shoulder. They bullied me,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “They all ganged up on me.”
I wrapped my arms around her, stroking her hair. “Shh, it’s okay. Let’s go outside and talk.”
led her to a quiet corner of the restaurant’s garden, where a stone bench offered privacy beneath the branches of a flowering tree. Paige sank down, her body still shuddering with suppressed sobs.
“Tell me what happened,” I urged gently.
2/3
Palge wiped her eyes, smearing her makeup further. “Ryan brought me to his ex–girlfriend’s restaurant,” she said, her voice bitter. “Shannon Myers. She’s an omega who studied to be a model in the human world. Now she owns this place.”
frowned. “Shannon Myers? The one who posed for that perfume campaign last year?”
Paige nodded miserably. “She came into our private booth, claiming she’d just spotted Ryan and wanted to say hello. Asked if she could join us for a drink.”
My eyes narrowed as I began to see the picture. “And Ryan allowed this?”
“He welcomed her!” Paige exclaimed, fresh tears spilling. “They started reminiscing about old times, inside jokes I wasn’t part of. I felt invisible.”
I squeezed her hand encouragingly, “What happened next?”
“I couldn’t take it anymore. I got up to leave, but Shannon blocked my way.” Paige’s voice hardened. “She kept saying I was overreacting, that I should stay. We ended up in this tug–of–war at the door.”
“And then?”
“She suddenly let go and fell backward, pretending I’d pushed her. Paige’s eyes flashed with indignation. “She made this big scene about being assaulted. Ryan demanded I apologize, but I refused and ran.”
I processed this information, my protective instincts flaring. Jessica, Elliot’s mate, had mentioned Shannon’s reputation for manipulative tactics. This confirmed everything I’d heard.
“She wants him back,” I concluded. “This was a calculated move to make you look unstable and drive a wedge between you two.” Paige looked up at me; her eyes red–rimmed but determined. “What should I do?”
I stood, smoothing down my dress. “You don’t need to do anything I’ll handle Shannon.”
“But-
“1
“No buts,” I interrupted gently. “I’m Luna of the most powerful wolf pack in the Northern Territory now. It’s time I started acting like it.”
My amber eyes flashed with protective anger. Shannon Myers had picked the wrong she–wolf to mess with. She’d soon learn that while I might have once been bullied, those days were long gone.
