Chapter 22: 21

Chapter 21

A lump formed in his throat.

Amber wasn't just testing him.

She was persuading him… goading him… into giving in to the primal desires of his wolf… as the beasts that they were.

Now, one question came to mind.

When did she learn all of this?

And… how?

Severus glowered at a specific prisoner—the one who made her act like this.

What the man had tasted by his hands earlier was just the beginning. He's in for another lesson after this, and that's a promise.

It was strange that he had been keeping his silence the entire time, but when Severus saw how miserable he looked with all those purple bruises etched deeply onto his face, a realization dawned on him right away.

The villager was rattled by the imminent threat in Amber's words.

And based on Severus' assessment when he stayed behind to watch how everything would unfold, Amber had never attempted to intimidate the man by issuing threats she couldn't back up.

Well, of course, apart from when she declared the level of strength she possessed, despite being a young girl.

Although, it came off more as a brag to Severus, it could have been a whole different case for that… pesky garbage.

How heavy was that cannibal's machete anyway?

Nevertheless, this is still unexpected.

The man had been taunting Amber moments ago, right?

But, look at him now…

He was staring at Amber's small figure with wide eyes, extremely cautious of what her next move would be.

Ha.

He must have realized by now that Amber would actually do 'it' regardless of the consequences she might face afterward.

That in her pursuit of the path to justice… even the existing laws are powerless before her.

Severus reached out his hand to Amber. "Come on. I'll walk you back."

"How unusual," she whispered, her brows furrowed together. "I thought you were with me, Alpha."

"I am," Severus insisted. "I am with you."

That's why he's offering his hand right now—to whisk her away from the dangerous thoughts forming inside her head…!

"Then, why can't we eliminate him now?"

The villager gasped loudly. "Hey, you…? Just who do you think you are!? Hah…! Kids nowadays… you can't even pay your Alpha the respect he deserves!? For fuck's sake, leave my goddamn—"

Swish.

And just like that, the knife disappeared from Amber's hand.

The man moved his head slowly to gaze at his side. The knife was now buried deep into the wall, creating a clean dent it was almost inconceivable.

The margin of error… was an exact inch.

Amber shifted the direction of her body to face the villager. "I'll have you know that I missed on purpose…" To his, and Severus' surprise, her fangs elongated. "It's the first, and the last time. I don't expect cannibals to be properly educated, but in the presence of a legitimate pack member such as myself, you can't speak freely until you're spoken to. You don't have to remember that. You'll soon… perish."

Severus heaved a huge sigh.

Amber was straining herself, and watching her self-destruct right before his eyes was torture.

She didn't even use her dominant arm when she threw that knife with such… power.

To be specific, it was her injured arm's doing.

And the villager was faced with harsh reality, his mouth tightly shut from the shock.

Severus thought he had already exhausted his patience and understanding, so… without further warning, he went over there himself to grab Amber by her elbow, and drag her with him to leave the underground prison at once.

The prisoners here are all known for the vicious choices they made in life; therefore, it goes without saying that their intent to kill… their aggression… their hostility, can rub off on Amber, and it can only get worse from there.

The longer she stays, the longer her frame of mind gets compromised.

Amber is still young—thus, easier to influence.

That's why she must not visit that place anymore…!

He's doing this for her own good.

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Severus let go of her arm when they reached the gates to the pack house. It was such a relief that Amber didn't try to free herself from his grip when he literally pulled her along with him to get out of that nasty institution.

That's no place for her after all.

"Is the Alpha mad?"

"I was," he admitted, sighing out loud.

"Was?" She looked up at him sheepishly.

"You held out against your inner demons quite well. The disappointment I felt was nullified. Be honest, am I being… overprotective? Does my worry instead bring insult?"

"The Alpha can get…" Amber looked away, "overbearing sometimes. I appreciate the Alpha's concern, and no, I have never taken it as an insult even before."

Severus hummed, pleased. "Good. Then, will you promise me one thing?"

Hesitation crossed her features, and so, he waited.

"I'd… like to hear it first, Alpha."

"I knew you'd say that." Severus was smiling to himself. "Will you give me your word that you'll never sneak into the prison in the future again no matter what happens?"

"That's easy, Alpha." Amber beamed at him. "No."

One week later.

Amber's squad returned to school after their week-long absence required by their own pack.

As usual, excuse letters were duly provided, and signed by Alpha Severus to validate their non-attendance.

When Amber was finally summoned for her to make her report, her talk with the Alpha was oddly brief. She kept her explanation short and simple, while the latter took her word for it without needing to ask further questions.

Perhaps, the two of them had already settled the conversation even before the official proceeding.

Meanwhile, Alpha Severus already went to inform the Capital of the discovery the pack had made, and to avoid any confusion on their end, certain information had to be revealed as well, in order to support the case.

At the end of the day, they were making a strong claim by hinting at the existence of lawless creatures currently at large.

In other words, River Severn felt compelled to divulge the intimate details regarding the bogus organization that had been pestering their region recently, including their pack's blueprint in addressing the pressing matter.

On the other hand, the Capital appreciated River Severn's transparency. They understood Alpha Severus' independent measures, and said that organizations with such nature weren't really rare nowadays.

Every region is facing different issues, and once it reaches the point it becomes a threat on a national level—only then can the packs raise their concerns to the council.

The case of cannibals is undoubtedly a national concern; human beings with questionable morals, and deemed criminals by the Akkad law on top of that.

The Werewolf King wouldn't be pleased to hear about it, but he was no absolute being who could prevent such creatures' moral decay. The Werewolf King's men were set to visit the River Severn Pack this week, and could arrive any day from now.

This time, the Luna didn't make grand preparations to welcome those people.

Actually, the horror they experienced four years ago by the hands of an inmate who was on the loose, was still fresh on her mind. Xyla was thinking that her level of commitment might attract unwanted guests, and she'd never want that to happen again.

Amber has to stay late at school to finish her make-up quizzes because today is the last day for those—and the same goes for Salt and Pepper. The instructors didn't give them all at once to give them more time to self-study after a short session of make-up lessons, and Amber wasn't complaining.

She's perfectly aware that, as a student, she has a binding obligation to pass her classes, regardless of the minor setbacks she will run into along the way.

Besides, she and the Alpha grew awkward with each other following the underground prison incident.

Amber can't say for certain if she's merely overthinking it, but she isn't the type to stress over such trivial things, so forgetting all about it is also no big deal for someone like her.

It's just that, she's constantly reminded of that impression each time she thinks about entering the pack house, knowing the Alpha is going to be there, too.

It's not like she can't meet his gaze either.

Alpha Severus just doesn't spare her a glance at all.

He doesn't look mad, and Amber is pretty sure they have reconciled after he heard her out.

So, why is the Alpha being weird?

She couldn't help but wonder.

Right now, she's by the pavilion outside the room building, waiting for the arrival of Salt and Pepper.

Amber sighed softly.

She finished the quizzes way too early, she could no longer even remember what she wrote on her paper.

How is that possible?

She's not particularly worried how her answers are getting marked as long as the end result remains the same—a passing grade. She doesn't mind waiting for her friends, but feels uncomfortable if it's the other way around.

Amber was playing with her bag's keychain with a far-away look on her face when suddenly, a tall human's shadow cast over her.

Amber looked up only to find an unfamiliar face staring down intently at her.

And it was a guy.

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