Amanda
"Please, stay with me. Don't give up yet!"
I cried, my arms gripping onto his cold form, his face growing pale.
My heart raced, my breath ragged.
"Doctor!" I called in panic, my arms still holding onto him so firmly that I refused to let go.
"I can't let you die. No, you can't leave. You need to fight, fight!" I cried, my heart threatening to rip out of its cage as my arms barely left him.
"Nooo!" I screamed.
My entire being was engulfed in dread, too weak to move. I could feel my wet skin against a soft surface that did little or nothing to ease the ache in my heart.
I exhaled sharply.
"Take me out of here."
That familiar voice echoed in my ears, and I didn't need a soothsayer to tell me to open my eyes.
When I did, the faint sight of the white ceiling greeted me, and for a moment, I wondered if his arms were still around me.
Frightened, I sat upright.
The sound of the door closing drew my attention in that direction, and for a moment, I wondered what had just happened.
It was one of those nightmares, but...
My eyes dropped to the surface I lay on; the white, soft mattress greeting me, barely covering my legs up to my thighs.
I yanked off the blanket without thinking, my eyes traveling over my body, hot sweat beading on my forehead.
The red netted strip I wore was still on me, but the garment beneath was torn. Confused, I stood up from the bed, my feet clicking onto the cool floor as my eyes scanned the empty form of the room.
Cold shivers ran through my veins as tears slipped down my cheeks. Standing there in only the netted strip that barely covered my body, my heart burned with pain.
My arms flew to my neck, massaging the area as memories came flooding back.
So painful. So cruel of him.
And to think Neto stood there, testifying against me, it was unbearable.
The happy moments we had spent together, those times when he would take me out, when we would share visions of how we wanted our future to look…
"I will always stand by you, never leaving." His sweet voice resounded in my head, too loud for me to silence.
That day at the pool, when he had smiled at me…
"You know, Amanda, you're the best gift ever, and I will always fight to keep you, even if I happen not to be your mate in the future."
God.
The loud, painful sobs that escaped my lips reminded me I was still in this damn room. My knees buckled, sending me crashing onto the floor.
The coldness of the floor couldn't calm the pain, the rage burning in me, a testament to how imperfect mortals were.
If anyone had told me Neto would sleep with my sister and still backstab me, I would have given that person the beating of his life.
But no. Here I was in this room, drowned in my own misery.
The soft crack of the door jolted me, sending my arms flying over my body in desperation to cover myself up.
At least I couldn't sit there with eyes open before that monster, dressed in this naked gown that exposed my body.
My arms barely covered my breasts when I caught sight of who was at the door.
My heart skipped, but not for long, until she stepped in and moved closer.
"Alpha seeks your presence," she said, her voice restrained, confusion masking her expression.
I wanted to ask what it was, why she looked like she had seen something worse than a ghost, but I bit down on my lower lip.
My eyes followed hers as they traveled over my body. Only then did I realize my arms were covering my breasts protectively, but barely concealing my nipples as they peeked between my arms.
"Can I get a proper dress?" I demanded, my voice dripping with shame.
She didn't say a word, but I couldn't miss how her lips had parted all the while. Her eyes drifted to the bed and then back at me before she turned swiftly to leave, but stopped at the door.
"I'll be back."
My head dropped in shame, pain, and anguish as the weight of it all pressed me down.
I had no need to ask which Alpha sought my presence. It didn't matter. I already knew it was none other than Alpha Ricardo.
He had gotten what he always wanted, right? I could almost hear him telling me to my face how miserable I was in bed when he had his way with me.
I blinked back tears. The hurt burned afresh in my heart, like wounds reopening.
I had barely settled into my misery when the door flipped open again. I had thought it was the maid with clothes, but instead, walking over to the bed with a tray in her hands, was another maid.
I sniffled, my arms wiping the tears off my cheeks as they landed on her.
"You need to eat." She dropped the tray on the bed.
That was all she said, barely looking at me before the door shut behind her.
My eyes remained fixed on the door and then on the tray of food before me. My heart shredded as it settled on the reality.
I didn't know how long I stayed like that when I felt warmth over my shoulders, and I jolted.
My arms rose to my chest when I caught sight of the maid with the change of clothes.
"You need to change. Don't keep him waiting." I couldn't ignore the urgency in her voice as she handed me the dress before leaving.
I remained there for a while. What worse could happen that hadn't already happened to me?
I hissed, hesitation clawing at my bones as I stared at the blue dress in my arms and then at myself.
Standing up, I slipped off the red netted strip and dropped it on the bed, now standing stark naked with just the thin strap of panties still on me.
I had barely picked up the blue dress to change into when the door flew open with a hard knock.
My heart skipped.
Standing at the door was none other than Alpha Nathan.