Chapter five

~Lucien

"What do you mean, that she is the same omega?" I asked Rolan, my brother.

"Yes, Jessica Miller is actually Amara Müller." He says again as if he was telling me about the weather.

After the incident with the doctor, it had been nearly impossible to get her out of my mind. I saw her face every waking moment and it had been driving me crazy. Kaz would not stop pining for her. Once he was back to his full energy, he would not stop. He has grown obsesssed with her and I could not understand why. But now the reason was clear.

I had asked my brother to do an intensive investigation on her. Now I knew who she was and why she felt so familiar.

"She is the mate you rejected for Rielle," The crone's voice was filled with poorly concealed mockery.

Fate was definitely a cold-blooded bitch.

"She seems to be doing well for herself now," The crone continued.

"Maybe she even has a husband by now, a kid or two."

My blood pressure spiked at the thought of my mate with another man, having his children.

'She's mine,' Kaz growled.

"Why the hell do you look like you want to pop a blood vessel? She is not your mate anymore, you rejected her and turned her away. Or have you forgotten?"

I did not need to be reminded. It was not too late, I would make her mine.

"Tsk, tsk, men and their…" The crone was saying but I was not listening. I was already leaving. I needed to get to Amara before I lost her for good.

*****

~Amara

"See you tomorrow, doc." Sherry greeted as I stepped out of the clinic. My mind wandered the moment the air outside hit my face. After the incident my thoughts have been plagued by a particular grey eyed mate. I hated it. I was starting to believe that the mate bond was coming back. My heart had clenched seeing him in such a condition. It was just empathy, I told myself over and over again.

The hair on my neck rose again and I had the eerie inkling that I was being watched. I looked around until my eyes met with another across the packing lot. Beside him was a black luxury car. My heart skipped one terrifying beat before I began to run towards my car.

The figure began to sprint towards me too. He had definitely been watching me. There was no way that I would survive two kidnappings in a single week.

Just as I reached my car and reached in my pocket for my keys, he caught up with me and wound an arm around my waist.

"Amara," He breathed in my ear.

I froze. Sandalwood and citrus. That voice. It was Lucien. What the hell did he want now? He knew who I was.

"You are mistaken. My name is Jessica." I lied.

His hold was strong, there was no way I was escaping.

"I know it's you." His voice was harsh.

My fear fell away into rage. "Let me go, you are not my mate, Lucien."

"I am." He growled. "I marked you." I pushed him away and miraculously he let me go. I dropped my bag. I pushed down the sleeve of my blouse and showed him my unmarked shoulder.

Confusion marred his features. "But…"

"But nothing!" I yelled and I hoped that Sherry would not hear.  "I am not your mate. Leave me the hell alone." I hoped he did not know about the twins. He could use them as leverage to get back into my life.

His anger fell away to something softer. "Amara…"

"Don't." I stopped him. My body wanted to bend to his will but I did not get this far just to run back to the man who threw me away like a piece of trash. Nova watched through my eyes, accessing the situation.

"Leave me alone," I told him. "Go back to your Luna," I spat the words out like it was venom.

He winced at my words like it physically hurt him to hear them.

I picked up my bag and fished for my keys. I found it. I could leave.

As I turned the ignition, I heard Lucien speak. "You are still mine, Amara." It was not just a statement, he said it like a fact.

*****

The moment I got home, I knew something was very wrong. The keys were still in the ignition, when I ran out of the car. The door was ajar.

I entered to a mess in the living room. Everything was destroyed. The television smashed in, the sofas were upturned. I held an involuntary breath when I entered the twins room.

My mother was on ground in a pool of her own blood. I ran to her and scooped her up despite the blood.

"Mum, mum…" I called for her. She was still alive but barely. I did not need to have studied medicine to know she would not make it. There was just too much blood.

She opened her eyes and they shone briefly with recognition. "A…mara… the twins… I couldn't…"

I was torn between letting us have this moment before she would go or asking about the twins.

"The twins… the Blood creek… delta." She managed. I noted what she said. Her eyes were glazing over. She was going to die any second. Tears welled up in my eyes. "I love you, mum." I told her because I knew it would be the last time.

She smiled, bloody and tragic. She raised blood-stained fingers to my face and stroked my cheek. "I love…" But her hands fell away and she was gone just like that with her eyes still opened.

I had seen death a lot of times and I thought that I was numb to it. This time the pain was immense and a scream ripped through my throat. It was Nova howling from the loss that affected us both.

"Amara…" Strong arms held me to a wall-like chest. I knew it was Lucien but this time I did not pull away.