Amber is Unacceptable
(Ryan’s POV)
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“You’re so fiery today, are you in a bad mood? Did Dominic make you angry?” I asked, rubbing my shin where Amber had kicked
- me.
I looked toward Dominic, who was walking behind Amber with an expression that suggested he didn’t know me at all. The bastard was pretending we weren’t childhood friends.
My expensive wine–red suit was already wrinkled from dodging Amber’s attacks. The villagers had gathered around to watch the spectacle, whispering among themselves about the crazy city wolves.
“Don’t look at him!” Amber snapped, spinning around to face me again. “This is between you and me!”
Before I could respond, Paige Sullivan appeared beside me and delivered her own kick to my other leg
“You just love to show off! You’re so rich, aren’t you!” she yelled, her face flushed with anger.
I stumbled backward, wondering if all the she–wolves in Amber’s circle had developed a taste for violence.
“Paige, what did I do to you?” I protested, genuinely confused.
“This is supposed to be a charity documentation project for werewolf cubs in need,” Paige explained, her voice sharp with disapproval. “You roll up here like some conquering Alpha with your luxury RV and imported delicacies. Do you have any idea how inappropriate that is?”
The reality of my mistake hit me like a punch to the gut. I’d been so excited about surprising Amber that I hadn’t considered how my ostentatious display would look to the struggling village community.
“I… I didn’t think,” I admitted, feeling genuinely ashamed.
“No, you didn’t,” Amber said coldly. “You never do.”
I quickly pulled out my phone and called my assistant. “Distribute everything we brought to the villagers and project staff. Make it look like a simple comfort gift from Shadowpeak Corporation. Nothing flashy.”
“Right away, Mr. Quinn,” came the response.
I turned back to the group, hoping for some forgiveness. “I’m sorry. I really am. I just wanted to help.”
Amber’s expression softened slightly, but she still looked irritated. “Next time, ask before you help.”
An hour later, we were seated in the village’s largest restaurant, though ‘largest‘ was a relative term. The wooden tables were mismatched, and the menu was written on a chalkboard.
Dominic sat beside Amber, his presence commanding even in this humble setting. Paige sat on Amber’s other side, and I watched as Liam Wilde smoothly claimed the seat next to Paige before I could even consider
That left me sitting alone across from the three couples, feeling like the odd wolf out.
The waiter, a young beta male, kept glancing at our table with curious eyes. I could practically hear his thoughts: ‘Who’s the lonely guy?‘
My phone buzzed with a text from Dominic: ‘Stay away from Amber. You’re causing enough trouble.‘
I gritted my teeth and typed back: ‘I’m trying to be supportive.‘
‘Your support involves kicking and public humiliation. Reconsider
I looked up to see Dominic typing on his phone without even glancing in my direction. The man had mastered the art of multitasking.
Amber is Unacceptable
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The venison stew arrived, steaming and fragrant. I watched as Liam immediately began cutting Paige’s meat into perfect bite- sized pieces, his movements careful and attentive.
Something twisted in my chest. My past girlfriends had always peeled venison for me, treating me like the Alpha heir I was. Now I was watching another male perform that intimate service for the she–wolf I’d once been engaged to.
“The meat is very tender,” Paige commented, accepting a perfectly cut piece from Liam’s fork.
“I asked them to cook it longer,” Liam replied, his eyes never leaving her face. “I know you prefer it well–done.”
The casual intimacy of the exchange made my wolf restless. When had Liam learned Paige’s preferences so thoroughly?
“Ryan, your food is getting cold,” Amber observed, though her tone lacked any real concern.
I realized I’d been staring and quickly began eating. The venison was excellent, but it tasted like ash in my mouth.
(Paige’s POV)
The meal ended around two o’clock. Amber, energized rather than tired, announced she needed to report to the village official for the afternoon photography sessions.
“I’ll come with you,” Liam said immediately, standing to follow her.
I watched them leave, noting how Amber’s spirits had lifted considerably since arriving in this simple village. Having Dominic by her side certainly helped, but there was something about the honest work that seemed to ground her.
“I should head back to Moonlight Photography this afternoon,” I told Dominic as we stood outside the restaurant.
“Wait,” Dominic said, his voice carrying that tone that meant he had something important to discuss. “I want to talk to you.”
I looked around the small village square. There wasn’t exactly a private conference room available.
“We could use my room,” Ryan offered, appearing beside us. “I was planning to rest there anyway.”
In the elevator of Ryan’s luxury RV, the atmosphere was tense. Ryan broke the silence first.
“Dominic, I owe you an apology,” he said, his usual cockiness replaced by genuine remorse. “I realize now how inappropriate my arrival was. I should have consulted you first.”
Dominic was typing on his phone, probably texting Amber. “What are your remedial measures?” he asked without looking up.
“I’ve instructed my assistants to distribute the venison stew to project staff and teachers in town,” Ryan explained. “The other items will go to villagers through the village officials. Everything will be presented as simple gifts from Shadowpeak Corporation.”
“Good,” Dominic replied curtly. “Contact your third brother from the Quinn Pack. He’s in investment. You have plenty of pack resources.”
rge of this project. Increase the
I stood in the corner, saying nothing. Something in Dominic’s tone suggested this conversation was about to take a serious turn.
Upon reaching Ryan’s room, the two males settled on the sofa while I chose a chair farther away. The distance felt necessary for what was coming.
“There are things about the Chase family that Amber doesn’t know,” Dominic began, his voice low and controlled. “Things that explain why her childhood was what it was.”
Over the next half hour, I learned two stories that shattered everything I thought I knew about Amber’s family.
The first was about a fire. Victoria Chase’s biological father had died in flames when she was just a child. But the fire hadn’t been
an accident or an act of nature.
“A six–year–old Henry Chase accidentally set the fire while playing with matches,” Dominic explained, his voice devoid of emotion. “He was too young to understand the consequences.”
Amber is Unacceptable
My heart began racing. “That’s why they adopted Victoria?”
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“Harrison Chase and Melanie Maple adopted Victoria to atone for Henry’s sin,” Dominic confirmed. “They felt responsible for her father’s death.“.
The second story was even worse. It explained why Amber had always been treated as secondary in her own home, why Victoria received preferential treatment, why her parents‘ love always seemed conditional.
“No,” I whispered, tears already forming in my eyes. “No, that cant be true.”
But Dominic’s expression told me it was. Everything made horrible, perfect sense.
I tried to run from the room, my mind reeling with the implications. “I’m going to find Lucas! I can’t fight them myself! I’m going to take Lucas to tear them apart!”
Ryan caught me before I reached the door, his arms wrapping around me tightly. “Paige, calm down.”
“Let me go!” I struggled against his hold, but he was stronger.
“You need to think before you act,” he said firmly. “This won’t help Amber.”
I collapsed against him, the fight leaving my body as the full weight of the revelation hit me. The tears came then, hot and bitter. “Why?” I sobbed into Ryan’s chest. “Henry committed the sin, why should Amber pay for it? They all atoned, they felt at peace, but what about Amber? What did she do wrong?”
Ryan’s arms tightened around me, and I could feel his own tension as he processed the information.
“You don’t know Amber like I do,” I continued, my voice breaking “She’s not heartless. She doubted herself for years, wondering if she was really bad, really disobedient. Otherwise, why would her parents and brother, who always loved her, suddenly stop loving her?”
The memories flooded back–all the times Amber had tried to win back her family’s affection, all the small gestures that went unnoticed or unappreciated.
“She would never accept ‘atonement‘ as a reason,” I said, wiping my eyes. “She was so dramatic and wild all these years. She looked carefree, but she wasn’t. The year she returned from abroad, she even bought special gifts for her parents and brother. She chose them so carefully.”
I thought about those rejected gifts, probably still sitting in Amber’s apartment.
“How absurd,” I whispered. “From the moment Victoria entered the Chase Pack, Amber’s misfortune was sealed. Yet for so many years, she was still trying to mend her relationship with her family. Even when she was hurt, she still thought of them.”
“How suffocating,” I continued, my voice barely audible. “Her most beloyed parents and brother actually stepped on her life to- fulfill themselves. They used her whole life to bring themselves peace of mind. How can she accept that.. ”
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Kissed Liam
