Chapter 4 Bound by the Past

Amelia's POV

The Moon Goddess had to be joking. She had to be.

Sitting in the private study of Kade, before the fire, my hands instinctively strayed to my stomach. The tiny life budding within me was a miracle I never thought I'd see and proof of just how far I'd come. The twins were Kade's, a bond of love and trust that we'd built together, far away from the cruelty of the Silver Moon pack and Ethan's betrayal.

But the Goddess's words haunted me.

Ethan.

I couldn't go back. Not after everything he'd done. Not after he'd chosen my half-sister over me, humiliated me, and then cast me out like trash. Not after he'd banished me, leaving me to fend for myself.

Now they wanted me back?

"Over my dead body," I whispered fiercely, my fingers curling into fists.

Amelia," Kade's voice called softly, pulling me from my thoughts. He entered the room, his presence filling it with a commanding energy. His dark eyes softened as they landed on me, and he knelt before me, his hands resting gently on my knees. "What's wrong, my love?

I sighed, searching for words to describe the war in my mind. "They won't stop," I said, admitting a truth that sent shivers running down my spine. "The Silver Moon pack. Ethan. They'll come for me. I know it."

"They can try," Kade growled, his wolf flashing in his eyes. "But no one will take you from me. Not him. Not anyone.

I reached out for his hand and clutched it tightly. "I am carrying twins, Kade. Yours and mine. And I cannot-" My voice caught in my throat, as tears brimmed in my eyes. "I'm not going to go back there. I refuse."

"You won't," he assured, with a serious tone. "You are mine now, Amelia. And I will protect you with everything that means.

His words should have comforted me, but deep down, I knew this wasn't over.

Ethan's POV

Pain.

It coursed through my body like fire, relentless and unforgiving.

I'd always known that I was invincible: being an Alpha of the Silver Moon pack came with power, status, and strength. Now, all this meant nothing. The fight with the illness wasn't going well, and all those healers I had turned to, hoping for treatment, did not succeed.

I was dying.

And the only one who could save me was the woman I'd rejected, humiliated, and then banished.

"Alpha," Lucy's voice broke through my thoughts, sharp and demanding. My Luna-or at least the woman I'd made my Luna. She'd been a constant presence since Amelia's banishment, but now her eyes burned with something darker.

"She has to come back," Lucy hissed, pacing the room like a caged animal. "Do you hear me, Ethan? We can't let her live her happy little life while you waste away!"

"She won't come willingly," I muttered, my voice weak.

"Then we'll force her!" Lucy snapped. "I don't care if we have to burn that entire pack to the ground. She belongs here. With us."

My wolf stirred weakly, growling in protest. Even he knew that forcing Amelia back would only deepen the cracks in my already fragile state.

"She's carrying his children," I said, the words bitter on my tongue. "Kade's twins."

Lucy froze, her eyes slitting dangerously. "She's what?"

"You heard me," I returned, my voice cold as ice. "Amelia has moved on. She's pregnant with Kade's pups."

Her hands fisted, and her eyes flashed with anger. "I don't care. She's the only one who can save you, Ethan. And if that means tearing her away from her new life, so be it."

"It's not that simple," I said, the desperation creeping in.

Lucy leaned closer. Her voice dropped to a venomous whisper. "It is that simple. Either she comes back, or you die. And I'm not going to let you die, Ethan. Not while she gets to live happily ever after."

I sighed, the weight of her words weighing me down. "Even if she does come back, there's no guarantee she'll help me. She has every reason to hate me, Lucy. You know that."

"Then make her help you," Lucy spat. "Do whatever it takes. Lie, manipulate her, threaten her if you have to. But don't let her walk away from this."

Amelia's POV

I dreamed of fire that night.

Flames had consumed the forest, their heat suffocating as they spread with a terrifying ferocity. I ran through the trees-my heart pounding, the voices of my past chasing me.

"You can't escape us, Amelia," Ethan's voice echoed, cruel and taunting.

"You'll always belong to us," Lucy added, her laughter ringing in my ears.

I sat upright in bed with a jolt, my breathing coming in ragged gasps. Kade stirred beside me, his arm wrapping around my middle protectively.

"What is it?" he murmured, his voice thick with sleep.

"Just a dream," I lied, though my racing heart told a whole different story.

He pulled me closer, his warmth soothing my frayed nerves. "They can't hurt you, Amelia. Not while you're here with me."

But as I lay in his arms, I couldn't shake the feeling that the Silver Moon pack wouldn't stop until they got what they wanted.

Ethan's POV

If Amelia wouldn't return willingly, I would bring her back by force. It didn't matter that she was pregnant with another man's pups. It didn't matter that she had found a new life.

All that mattered was my survival.

"Prepare the warriors," I ordered, my voice weak but determined. "We're going to the Nightshade pack."

Lucy smiled coldly and triumphantly. "Good. Let's remind Amelia where she really belongs."