Chapter 8
Ryder’s heart raced, his mind barely keeping up as he sprinted toward the school. Desperation clawed at him, each step driven by an overwhelming need to find Amber.
When he arrived, the school was eerily quiet, and there was no sign of her. He was about to leave, frustration gnawing at him, when the old janitor called out.
“Alpha Ryder, I have a package here for you. Your friend sent it.”
His heart skipped. Could it be Amber? Was she reaching out? Maybe she was finally ready to forgive him.
Hope flooded through him as he tore open the package with trembling hands. But
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instead of a letter, an apology, or something comforting, he was met with official documents that sent a cold chill through him. A bloodline verification certificate.
His fingers fumbled through the papers, pulling out another document, then another -three acceptance letters from the Elite Werewolf Academy, each one addressed to Amber, each stamped and official. His hands shook violently. How long had she known?
The janitor spoke up, as if reading Ryder’s silent confusion.
“That day your parents came by… she was outside for a little while. I don’t know what they talked about, but her eyes–they went red, like someone had just torn her heart out.”
Ryder’s mind reeled as the pieces clicked
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together. He bent down, the last page of the package fluttering to the ground. He grabbed it with stiff fingers, his heart hammering in his chest as he read the top of the page: Miscarriage caused by physical trauma. And below it, Amber’s name. Amber Calloway.
His knees buckled under the weight of the truth. His pulse pounded in his ears. She was pregnant. With his child.
He clenched his fists so tight the paper crumpled, his mind spiraling back to that day, the anger he’d let out, the violence that had driven her to collapse beneath him. He felt sick, each memory like a dagger.
A cry interrupted his torment. “Ryder!”
Sage’s voice was frantic, and he turned to see her rushing toward him, tears streaming down her face. But Ryder was already
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slipping further into the abyss of regret, his mind unable to focus on anything other than Amber.
“My pack records–someone deleted them! I’ll never be able to rise!” Sage wailed, grabbing at his arm. “It’s that bitch Amber! She’s always hated me! She fought me for your affections when we were pups and then tried to take my place in the pack!”
Ryder’s mind was elsewhere, consumed by the discovery he had just made. He barely registered Sage’s cries as they spilled from her lips, relentless and selfish.
“What am I supposed to do now? Without a legal identity, I won’t survive out here!” she continued, oblivious to Ryder’s turmoil. “I can’t be a rogue! I’m better than that!”
His stomach twisted in disgust. A rogue. A
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nobody. That’s how she saw him now, the one who had sacrificed everything for her. The one who had destroyed the one woman who truly cared for him, who loved him unconditionally.
The realization slammed into him. Sage had never considered him family. To her, he was always just a means to an end. And now, standing before him, she didn’t even flinch at the thought of all he’d given up.
A sharp pain tore through his chest. Ryder doubled over, a mouthful of blood spilling from his lips as his body lurched in shock. He was drowning in his own failure.
Sage stepped back, her expression twisted in revulsion as though he were something vile. And in that moment, Ryder saw her for what she truly was: a parasite.
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He stood up, wiping the blood from his lips, and with one last, bitter glance, turned and walked away.
But Sage wasn’t finished. She grabbed his arm, her grip tight and desperate.
“Say something!” she demanded. “You know Amber did this! She ruined my future! I can’t
Ryder jerked his arm free, the last thread of his loyalty to her snapping. He turned to face her, his voice low and cold.
“Amber is gone,” he said, his words like a death sentence.
Sage’s eyes narrowed, and she sneered. “Please. She’s just hiding because she knows she scammed me! You have to find her, Ryder! If she doesn’t fix this, my whole
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life is over!”
The words echoed in Ryder’s mind, the weight of them unbearable. This was the woman he had given everything for. This was the woman he had fought for, who had manipulated him and destroyed Amber in the process.
Ryder’s voice, icy with finality, cut through the air. “She’s your sister, Sage. Beyond that, she’s your sister–in–law.” His tone sharpened, each word precise. “If I ever hear you call her that word again, I’ll make you regret it.”
Sage recoiled, her face going pale as the gravity of his words hit her.
“And as for your status, he scoffed, his voice dripping with scorn. “It was never yours to begin with. If it’s gone, it’s gone.”
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Without another word, he turned on his heel and walked away, leaving Sage behind. For the first time in his life, Ryder knew exactly who he needed to find.
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