Episode 13

...Brandon Scott...

"Here comes my favorite Alpha," Lincoln teased.

"Someone's got to do the work around here, since my Beta took to lounging around letting me handle the brunt of it."

"Chill, man. I just took a stroll around town. And guess who I saw at a restaurant, all chatty and excited with some guy?"

"I have no idea, and I don't care who you ran into," Brandon replied without patience for his Beta's nonsense.

"But you know her, what's her name again? Ah, Amara, that's the one, she was with some guy named Max."

"What did you say?"

"I said I saw Amara with Max at a restaurant, looked like they were on a date."

Lincoln was so absorbed in his chatter that he didn't notice he had just awoken a beast, one that was ready to destroy everything in its path.

With a sudden movement, Brandon rose, sending his chair flying backward and catching Lincoln's attention.

"Hey, where are you off to?"

"Just out for a walk," Brandon growled, causing Lincoln to wonder what he'd done to make his alpha shift moods so suddenly.

Brandon searched the entire castle for Amara, and not finding her anywhere, decided to wait by the gates. It wasn't long before a car pulled up and Amara stepped out; he watched as Max said goodbye to her with a kiss on the cheek, fueling the rage he felt. As soon as she crossed the gates, he grabbed her arm and pulled her into a darker spot.

"Where have you been?" Brandon knew she'd been with Max but wanted to hear it from her own lips.

"What's your problem, huh? Trying to scare me to death?" Amara huffed, patting his chest lightly.

"Answer my question."

"I was with my girlfriends."

Amara didn't think she needed to tell Brandon that she had ended up meeting Max in the mall; after all, she owed him no explanations.

"I'll ask you one more time, where were you, Amara?"

"I told you, with my girlfriends."

His growl upon hearing her reply was so loud it made Amara tremble with fear.

"Don't lie, Amara; I can smell that guy on you."

"Let go, Brandon, you're hurting my arm!"

"If I see you near that guy again, I won't hesitate to tear his head off and spike it." Brandon snarled, on the verge of losing control of his wolf, and before Amara could respond, he kissed her, his kiss both possessive and punitive. He didn't even care that she was beginning to run out of air. When a twinge of satisfaction hit him, he released her from his grip but not before biting her lower lip until he tasted the metallic tang of blood in his mouth, eliciting a pained moan from Amara. Then he finally let her go.

Amara looked at him with horror; she felt that Brandon had crossed a line, and she decided she wouldn't let him make her his new toy.

"You, Alpha Brandon Scott, are nothing but a pervert always looking to take advantage," she threatened before walking away from the perverse Alpha, leaving him alone by the gates.

Brandon smirked at Amara's flustered figure, not taking her threat seriously.

"Amara Follen, you are such an endearing girl," he murmured with a scornful smile.

...Amara Follen...

As Amara gathered her things for another day at the Royal Academy, a familiar figure entered her room, carrying a small cake with a birthday candle at its center. It was only at that moment she remembered that it was her twentieth birthday.

"Good morning, Daughter, happy birthday!" Lian greeted.

"Thanks, Dad!"

"Come on, blow out the candle and make a wish for the Moon Goddess."

Amara blew out the candle, wishing the Moon Goddess would grant her her wolf.

"I know you don't like celebrating your birthday, but this year, I've got something special to cheer you up."

The girl watched closely as her father carefully pulled a small pouch from his pocket, stirring her curiosity.

"What's that, Dad?"

"Your mother kept this for you; she asked me to give it to you on your next birthday."

"Mom prepared this gift?" Amara asked, touched, and as she opened the pouch to find a beautiful necklace with a crescent moon and a stunning ruby gem at its center, a solitary tear rolled down her cheek.

"It's beautiful," she said with a choked voice.

"I knew you'd like it."

"Now finish packing your things for the academy."

...Royal Academy...

Entering the academy, Amara was warmly greeted by Kyra and Mia, who held a small cupcake with a candle.

"Happy birthday, friend,” Kyra cheered.

"Happy birthday, Amara; we love you."

"Thank you, girls, I love you too," Amara replied as she blew out the candle.

"And that necklace? I've never seen you wear it before," Mia inquired.

"My dad gave it to me as a present, my mother asked him to give it to me on my birthday, that's why you've never seen me wearing it before."

"It's a very pretty necklace, I've never seen one like it before; that's intriguing," Kyra noted.

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