Lines of Turmoil
The night air was sharp with the scent of pine and earth, a living reminder that Starfire's borders had to remain vigilant. Amber walked the perimeter with Adonis at her side, her boots crunching softly against fallen needles. Though the moon hung pale and calm above, her chest carried a weight she couldn't seem to shake.
She inhaled deeply, letting the night fill her lungs. Her body felt heavier than it used to, though not from lack of strength—Amber was still an Alpha, still a warrior. But her frame carried a new burden now, one that couldn't be overcome by Alpha strength, and she didn't want to overcome it, she wanted to enjoy and cherish it.
Her hand drifted unconsciously toward her stomach. The faintest smile ghosted her lips.
"You're walking like you've got something to prove," Adonis teased, breaking the silence. His tone was light, but his eyes—the same amber shade as hers—watched her carefully.
Amber rolled her eyes. "You're one to talk. You take patrols like you're hunting prey every night."
"That's because I am hunting prey. You, on the other hand—" He pointed casually at her stomach. "—should probably be hunting rest."
Her brow arched, amused and annoyed in equal measure. "Do I look fragile to you?"
"You've never looked fragile, sister. But you're not just carrying yourself anymore. You've got two lives bound into one body, and even an Alpha isn't immune to exhaustion."
Amber exhaled, glancing back at the tree line. "I don't feel weak, but I do feel different, and I am Alpha in public, Beta Adonis."
"Well, admitting that is a start," Adonis said with a grin. "But I see you. You're sharper these days, more reactive. Like your instincts are on fire. It's good for the pack, but it's taking something out of you, and you are always my Alpha, what kind of Beta would I be if I did not make sure my Alpha, sister, and niece and nephew were not safe and well cared for?"
Amber let the words settle. She didn't like to admit it, but he was right. Every sound, every flicker of movement, every scent carried twice the weight now, they were more intense, there is was more focus. Her senses felt deeper, as if the bond between her and the children stirred something new in her blood. It made her restless, like a wolf that couldn't stop pacing because of excess energy.
But she refused to dwell on it. Not tonight. Not while Adonis was watching her with that half-knowing smirk.
"Don't worry," she said, smirking back. "I'll rest when the borders do."
Adonis snorted. "You're impossible."
"And you wouldn't have me any other way."
They continued walking in companionable silence, but Amber's hand lingered protectively over her stomach, as though she could shield the secrets growing within.
---
Elbon closed the door to his quarters quietly, ensuring the latch clicked shut. The room was dark except for the flickering light of a single candle. He moved swiftly, not with the earned confidence of a Beta, but with the sharp precision of a man who lived in secrets.
He stood in silence for a long moment, his Alpha had already sent a message to him. He remembered it all to well.
Elbon,
We run a complicated race, and I know it's odd that I have two Betas but you are all the Beta Tar is. You are my eyes within Star Fire, you are the extension of me, you are my true voice while I am not there.
And I appreciate your work and your unyielding lloyalty.
Now I need to ask one more thing of you.
Protect my mate Elbon, protect her and my unborn children. I need you to carry on for me while I see to other matters. I need you to be what fills the gap when my absence causes a breach.
I will be back soon and when Star Fire and Silver Moon are one, you will not be forgotten, because you have been a strong pillar within the midst of a mighty storm.
- Alpha Marco
Silver Moon Pack
Amber was a strong Alpha. She already knew his loyalty lied with Marco. She already knew how deep it want as well. He sighed. The words burning into his being, even as the note itself had long been destroyed long ago.
He would follow his Alpha's Directive to the end.
When Elbon finally rose, his face was expressionless. He blew out the candle, plunging the room into darkness.
---
Amber sat at her desk later that night, the faint glow of a lantern illuminating the parchment before her. The ink shimmered slightly as she dipped the quill and began to write.
Stefan,
The words came slowly, each one tugging more from her heart than she wanted to give.
Some nights, I feel strong enough to take on the world. Other nights, I feel as though my body is no longer mine. These children—our children—demand more than I ever imagined. I wonder if I will be enough for them. For you. For our pack.
She paused, tapping the quill against the edge of the desk. Her throat tightened. She had never admitted these doubts to anyone, not even Adonis. But to Stefan, she wanted to be honest, still, the stubbornness that made her Alpha tugged at her, complicated things.
Sometimes, when I look at you, I feel as though you are slipping away from me. Perhaps it is only the pregnancy, playing tricks on my emotions. I tell myself that must be it. I tell myself I am still your mate, your anchor, your equal.
Her hand trembled, but she pressed on.
If my instincts are sharper now, then they tell me this: something is stirring in the shadows. And when it comes, we will need to face it together. Whatever lies ahead, I am yours.
She signed it simply: Amber.
Folding the letter carefully, she pressed her lips to the seal before setting it aside. Tomorrow, she would send it. Tonight, she would let the words rest like a confession to the silent dark.
---
Far from Starfire, in the stone-bound halls of Silver Moon's stronghold, Marco sat at his desk, his attention fixed on the reports before him—messages of the different front lines, news of the Star Fire skirmishes with the vampires, and Amber's presence, and performance.
His jaw tightened as he read, he knew Elbon would protect her.
He set the report aside and reached for the second parchment—the sealed letter that had arrived only a few hours ago. His fingers hesitated before breaking the wax.
Amber's handwriting stared up at him, familiar and intimate. He read each line slowly, as though her voice were in the room. Her doubts. Her fears. Her longing.
And then the words that cut deeper than he expected: "Sometimes, when I look at you, I feel as though you are slipping away from me".
His chest constricted. For a brief moment, the weight of vengeance slipped, ever so slightly. He felt the pull of the bond between them, raw and undeniable. Amber's love was still there, still reaching for him.
"I do love you," he whispered, the words barely audible. The confession burned in his throat, as if speaking it betrayed the face of another—the woman he had lost, the mate who had urged him to move on.
Her image floated before his mind's eye, haunting and soft. And with it came the guilt, sharp and unforgiving. Was he betraying her memory by longing for Amber?
He already knew that he wasn't. Still…
His hands tightened around the letter until the parchment crumpled. The softness in his chest hardened once more.
"No," he growled, forcing the image away. "Her love is mine, but so is her punishment."
Once again the contradiction of it was honest and true to him.
He folded the letter carefully, almost reverently, and set it aside.
Marco turned his gaze back to the maps of vampire territory. The bond tugged at him, but his resolve wrapped tighter.
Amber's words would not sway him. Not now. Maybe not ever.