Chapter 5 The Vanishing Act

Amelia's POV

There was complete chaos around me. The growls, snarls, the clash of teeth and claws, all sounded in a harmony of fury as warriors from both packs tore into one another. Blood was heavy in the air, thick enough to choke. I pressed my back against the cold stone wall of the abandoned cabin, clutching my stomach as tears streamed down my face.

This wasn't just about me anymore. It was about the life growing inside me, the two tiny hearts I'd sworn to protect at any cost.

I couldn't stay.

Not while Ethan's and Lucy's obsession threatened to destroy everything I loved. Not while Kade-the man who had shown me what it really meant to love-fought for me with every ounce he had.

I wiped my tears and forced myself to move, my legs trembling beneath me. The Moon Goddess had given me a second chance at happiness, but it seemed that happiness came with a price.

"I'm sorry, Kade," I whispered into the wind. "I have to go."

Kade's POV

I tore through Ethan's warriors with ruthless efficiency, my wolf growling with rage. Amelia was mine, and I'd be damned if I let anyone take her away from me.

"Where is she?" I demanded, slamming one of Ethan's warriors into the ground. "Where is Amelia?

The man coughed, blood pooling at his lips as he sneered. "You think you can protect her? Ethan will find her. Lucy will make sure of it."

My wolf surged forward ready to tear him apart, but I forced myself to stay in control. Killing this man wouldn't bring me closer to Amelia.

A sudden, creepy silence fell over the battlefield. My heart clenched as I realized what it meant.

Amelia was gone.

"Search the area!" I roared, my voice echoing through the trees. "Find her!"

My pack members scrambled to obey, their wolves darting through the forest in search of her scent. But deep down, I knew she was already far away.

Why, Amelia?" I growled, my chest constricting with frustration and despair. "Why would you leave me?"

Ethan's POV

I leaned heavily on Lucy as we retreated from the fight, my body weak but my mind in a fever of thought.

"She's gone," Lucy spat, her eyes darting over the forest. "That little brat slipped away.

I clenched my teeth, grinding them in reaction as the pain sharpened inside me. "We'll find her. She can't hide forever."

Lúcia's lips twisted into a cruel smile. "She thinks she can try to outrun us, but little does she know what she's up against. We track her down, Ethan. And when we do..."

"She'll heal me," I concluded, determination oozing out of every syllable. "She has no choice."

Amelia's POV

The moonlight guided me as I stumbled through the dense forest, my breaths coming in sharp gasps. I didn't know where I was going, only that I needed to get as far away as possible.

Every step felt like a betrayal. I hated leaving Kade behind, hated the thought of him blaming himself for my disappearance. But this was the only way.

I found a small, hidden cave near a stream and collapsed inside, exhaustion washing over me. My hands instinctively cradled my stomach, and I whispered softly to my unborn children.

"Don't worry," I murmured. "I'll keep you safe. No matter what."

As the wind howled outside, I closed my eyes and let the darkness take me, praying that I'd made the right choice.

Kade's POV

Days slipped into weeks, and nothing-the suggestion of Amelia-had come up. She had vanished, it seemed, into the bowels of the earth.

I wasn't going to give up. I sent scouts into each corner of my territory, questioned travelers, and even enlisted the help of neighboring packs. But she had vanished into thin air.

"She'll come back," I told myself nightly. "She has to."

But with each passing day, doubt crept in.

What if she didn't want to be found?

What if she was gone for good?

Ethan's POV

"She's hiding," Lucy growled, pacing the length of the room. "And it's all because of that bastard Kade".

I slammed my fist into the table, the pain in my chest flaring. "We'll find her," I said through gritted teeth. "We have to."

Lucy's eyes burned with hatred. "If she doesn't come back willingly, I'll drag her back myself. And I'll make sure she regrets ever leaving.

I didn't reply. My wolf stirred weakly, a constant reminder of my deteriorating condition. Amelia was my only hope, and I couldn't afford to lose her.

"She'll come back," I said more to myself than to Lucy. "She has to."

But deep inside, a part of me couldn't get rid of the feeling she was reaching further and further beyond my grasp.

Amelia's POV

The forest seemed darker than before, as if the trees leaned in to close me in. Stumbling through the underbrush, my heart pounds in my chest while fear and exhaustion claw at me with every step. A faint howl erupts somewhere far away-Ethan's pack searching for me.

I clutched my stomach, trying to reassure myself. "Keep running, Amelia. For them. For Kade. You can't let them catch you.

But I wasn't prepared for what happened next.

A blur of movement came from the shadows, and before I could react, I was tackled to the ground. Excruciating pain shot through my body as I hit the dirt, a heavy weight pinning me down.

"Got her!" a gruff voice snarled.

I struggled against the hands that grabbed me, kicking and clawing, but there were too many. Rogues. Their stench was overwhelming-blood, sweat, and decay all mixed into one nauseating scent.

"Let me go!" I screamed, panic rising as I was dragged to my feet.

"No can do, sweetheart," another voice said, this one colder, calculating. "You're coming with us."

They dragged me through the forest, not letting loose their grip on my arms. My mind was racing, trying to find a way to get free, but I was too weak. I was exhausted, and all that was going through my mind now was protecting the life inside me.

After what felt like hours, we arrived at a clearing. In the center stood a decrepit building, its walls covered in ivy and its windows shattered.

They threw me inside, and I pitched into a big, poorly lit room. Seated at the far end of it, on some kind of makeshift throne, was a woman. Authority and menace poured from her very pores. Piercing eyes landed on mine, and a wicked smile oozed across her lips.

"Well, well," she said, rising off her seat. "If it isn't the precious little Luna everyone's been talking about."

POV of The Rogue Leader

I stalked toward the shaking girl, savoring the fear in her eyes. So, this was Amelia Miller-the woman both Ethan and Kade were tearing the world apart for.

"They're fighting over you," I said, circling her like a predator sizing up its prey. "Two Alphas. Both my enemies. And here you are, delivered right to my doorstep."

She didn't say a word, but the defiant glare wasn't missed. I laughed, catching her chin and turning her toward me.

"I can see why they're so desperate. You're quite the treasure, aren't you?" I released her roughly, motioning to my men. "Put her in the cage. She'll stay there until I decide what to do with her.

One of my lieutenants stepped back, his brow furrowed. "Master, the two Alphas are powerful. If we're going to use her against them-" I bit back. "I know what I am doing. This is our chance to destroy them both. Kade and Ethan have been thorns in my side for far too long. With her, we can make them suffer."

Amelia's POV

I was dragged to the back of the room and thrown into an iron cage that smelled of rust. The door slammed shut behind me, and I started at the sound of the lock clinking into place.

The rogue leader squatted before the cage, her face smug. "You'll stay here for now, little Luna. Don't get any ideas about escaping. You're mine until I decide otherwise.

I clenched my fists, refusing to let her see how terrified I was.

She stood and turned to her men. "Keep a close eye on her. If either of those Alphas shows up, we'll be ready."

As she walked away, I leaned back against the cold bars of the cage, trying to steady my breathing.

Kade and Ethan were fighting over me. The thought made my stomach churn. I didn't want to go back to Ethan, and the idea of Kade putting himself in danger for me was unbearable.

"Please, Moon Goddess," I prayed silently. Give me the strength to get through this. For my babies. For Kade.

But a deep feeling inside me was that things were going to get much worse.