Amanda started to recognize the buildings of the old town that she drove through not that long ago. Her heart started to beat a bit harder than usual. She let out a sigh as she continued to look out at the rundown town.
“Everything alright?” Stan asked as he glanced at her through the rearview mirror.
Amanda smiled. “Yes, just a little nervous,” she told him.
Marco turned and looked back at her. “We’re here for you,” he said with a small smile.
“Thanks.” She paused for a moment. “Have you heard from Hudson at all?”
There was an awkward silence between them for a moment.
“I have. He knows where we are. He wanted to come, but I thought it might be best if he stayed behind,” Marco admitted.
Amanda sucked in a breath as Willow growled inside her.
“Marco!” Tabitha exclaimed.
Marco threw his hands up in defense. “I’m sorry, I thought it would be best to leave him behind. He’s been acting strange, and he needs time to figure stuff out.”
“That wasn’t your place to make that decision,” Tabitha scolded.
Amanda sighed. “It’s fine. Marco might be right,” she admitted, but it still hurt that he wasn’t there to support her. She still couldn’t get over how uninterested he was in helping her with Vita. but it didn’t matter—at least that’s what she kept telling herself.
They were close to Vita’s house when Stan stopped the vehicle.
“What’s wrong?” Amanda asked.
“I smell other wolves close by,” Stan told them.
Amanda froze. Other wolves are here? For what?
“Can you sense how many?”
Stan shook his head. “There’s quite a few. We should probably stay back,” he advised.
“No, they may need our help.”
“I can’t risk you going out there and getting hurt Luna,” Stan answered.
Amanda raised her hand to stop him. “First, I’m not your Luna yet. Second, Ruby is in there and I can’t just sit here while she could be in trouble.”
“Stan, I’ll keep Amanda safe,” Tabitha confirmed.
Stan sat there for a moment as he tapped on the steering wheel, considering his options. He knew for a fact that the Alpha would be furious for allowing the future Luna of the pack in a fight. Stan remembered how she was able to protect them with her magic and saved them in the accident. He had heard how fierce she was when she went up against the Lycan King. maybe she just needed someone to give her a chance.
“The Alpha is never going to forgive me for this,” Stan mumbled as he put the car back into drive and continued up to the house.
****************
“Hudson.”
He heard his name being faintly called. He tossed and turned.
“Hudson,” the voice called out to him again. It was familiar to him, making him feel warm inside. She giggled.
Hudson opened his eyes and lifted his head, finding himself in an open field on a bright, sunny day. He sat up and looked around.
“Hudson,” the voice sang out again, but he couldn’t see who it belonged to. “Hudson, come with me.”
He saw movement in his peripheral vision and turned his head. He smiled as he watched the girl dance around. He got up to his feet and started to move toward her.
“Hudson.”
“I’m coming,” he said as he continued to follow the girl. As soon as she was within his grasp she would disappear. Why couldn’t he catch her?
She appeared again, only farther away. “Hudson,” she sang out.
His wolf, Artemis, began to whine. What was wrong?” Something was off.
“Hudson.”
He stood in his spot and closed his eyes, sensing, waiting patiently.
“Hudson,” he heard the voice and sensed she was closer.
Dark clouds started to cover the sky. Thunder. Lighting.
“Hudson,” it said faintly in his ear.
He lifted his hands and grabbed the girl. When he opened his eyes, he shuddered and pushed her away.
It looked like Amanda, only she was dead.
“You left me, Hudson. Why?” the voice asked.
Hudson shook his head. “I didn’t. I didn’t leave you,” he said aloud.
“You did, and now I’m dead. Why, Hudson, why?”
Hudson closed his eyes as he shook his head. This wasn’t real. This was just a dream.
He bolted upright, breathing heavily; he looked around and recognized he was in his room.
“You’ve been out for some time,” the voice from across the room spoke.
Artemis growled as Hudson turned to see who the voice belonged to.
Ophelia.
“You shouldn’t be here,” he told her as he rubbed his hands over his face. It was just a dream. He breathed out a sigh of relief.
“I was just trying to be nice. I assumed you wouldn’t want your pack to see you passed out on the ground for no reason,” she told him.
He rubbed the sides of his temples as he tried to push the pain that was throbbing in his head. “You’re right. Thank you,” he said begrudgingly.
Ophelia got up from the bed and walked over to him. “I can help take your mind off that headache if you want,” she said as she reached out to run her fingers down the side of his face.
He leaned back and away from her touch. “You should leave before Colson finds out that you were here.”
Ophelia waved off his words of warning with her fingers as if they were nothing. “You need not worry about him. I can handle him.”
“Wouldn’t be too sure about that. He came to see me, just before I blacked out,” Hudson told her.
“Yeah, what did he say?”
“To stay away from you.”
Ophelia moved around the room as she looked at the little oddities on Hudson’s shelves. “Big brothers will say anything to protect their little sisters,” She said with a smile.
“Yeah, should’ve taken his advice a long time ago,” Hudson mumbled.
Ophelia turned and looked at him devilishly. “Come on, Hudson, you can’t fool me.” She walked closer to him. Hudson tensed. “We were good together you and I. We can be again,” she said with a purr.
Artemis continued to growl. He didn’t want any other wolf touching them but their mate.
“We broke up because we were not good together. We fought all the time,” he told her as he moved away from her.
“But the makeup was always good. Don’t you remember?”
Hudson walked over to the door and opened it. “No, I don’t, and I’d like to keep it that way. I found my mate. Maybe you should do the same.”
“You kicking me out?” she asked as she looked at him with sad puppy eyes.
“I think that’s best. For both of us.”
Ophelia sucked in a breath as she narrowed her eyes at Hudson. “Fine, I’ll go. For now. But know this, Hudson Harlow. You will be mine.” she said before she turned and walked out the door.
Fighting for my Mate
Mated to my Bully (Book 1)