Chapter 56 56

Chapter 56 56
Amelia paced restlessly around her room, unable to quiet the storm raging inside her.

Back and forth.

Back and forth.

Her thoughts refused to settle.

Oh, God…

Is he going to hate me now?

She stopped, pressing a hand against her forehead.

How did I lose control like that?

She had screamed at him.

Argued with him.

Destroyed his desk.

She had never imagined herself capable of something like that.

Lucian wasn’t just her mate.

He had saved her life.

Given her a home.

Protected her when no one else would.

He had shown her kindness she had never known existed.

He was the first person who had ever made her feel… safe.

And she had repaid him by exploding in his face.

She let out a long, defeated sigh.

“I’ve really gone too far this time…”

Her gaze fell to her trembling hands.

The same hands that had split a solid wooden desk cleanly in half.

She flexed her fingers slowly, still struggling to believe what she’d done.

“…Damn it.”

Regret gnawed at her chest.

But as quickly as the guilt came, so did the anger.

Her brows furrowed.

‘Then why did he say those things?’

She hugged her arms around herself.

‘Why did he have to make it sound like I was some helpless child?’

Yes, she had spent most of her life imprisoned.

Yes, she was still learning about the outside world.

But that didn’t make her stupid.

It didn’t mean she couldn’t judge a person’s character.

She hated it.

She hated being looked down on.

Hated when people assumed she was incapable simply because of where she’d come from.

But what hurt the most…

Her eyes slowly lowered.

…was hearing it from the man she cared for and love.

A soft knock interrupted her thoughts.

Before she could answer, the door creaked open.

Alanah stepped inside carrying a tray with a steaming cup of tea and a neatly arranged plate of fruits.

A gentle smile rested on her face.

Amelia released another sigh.

There was no point pretending anymore.

It was painfully obvious something was wrong.

She sank onto the couch by the window while Alanah set the tray on the small table before taking a seat on the edge of the bed.

Her warm eyes studied Amelia with concern.

“Did something happen, Ms. Amelia?”

Her voice was gentle.

“Are you having trouble with something? You know you can always talk to me.”

Amelia looked at her for a long moment.

Alanah had a calming presence.

There was something undeniably comforting about her.

If Amelia had ever imagined what having a mother felt like, it would probably feel like this.

Someone who listened.

Someone who didn’t judge.

Someone she could lean on.

After a moment of silence, Amelia finally spoke.

“You’re one of Lucian’s people.”

Alanah smiled softly.

“I am.”

“He trusts you.”

“I’d like to think so,” Alanah replied.

Amelia lowered her eyes.

“You know what I am.”

She paused.

“You know I’m a vampire.”

Alanah simply nodded.

“And yet…” Amelia continued quietly, “…you’ve never looked at me with fear. You’ve never treated me differently or made me feel unwelcome.”

A faint smile tugged at her lips.

“Honestly… I find that strange.”

Alanah tilted her head.

“Why?”

Amelia looked out the window.

“My entire life, all I’ve ever heard about werewolves and vampires is hatred.”

Her voice grew distant, as though she were reciting memories she’d never wanted.

“Everyone talks as if the two races exist only to destroy each other. Like every family has lost someone to the other side, and they’re just waiting for the chance to strike back.”

She laughed bitterly.

“I’m a vampire… and even my own people couldn’t accept me.”

Her smile disappeared.

“My father couldn’t.”

The words came out barely above a whisper.

“He hated me simply because he couldn’t understand me.”

She swallowed the lump in her throat before continuing.

“But ever since I came here…”

Her eyes wandered around the room.

“…everything has been different. This is werewolf territory, and yet… no one has tried to hurt me. You’ve all accepted me.”

Her fingers tightened around each other.

“Sometimes it makes me wonder if it’s real.”

Alanah’s expression softened with understanding.

“You mean… you’re skeptical?”

Amelia nodded.

“Exactly.”

She hesitated before speaking again.

“I made a new friend recently.”

A small smile returned despite herself.

“I told him I was a vampire and he accepted me too.”

Her gaze met Alanah’s.

“You’ve accepted me. Some of the people in this pack have accepted me.”

A question she’d been carrying for days finally escaped her lips.

“…Is it all because of Lucian? Did he give some kind of order?”