Chapter 110 WHAT WAS LEFT
AMBER’S POV
I read Derek’s letter more times than I wanted to admit. At first, I told myself I was just making sure I understood it. Then I told myself I was checking if the spell had changed the words. The truth was simpler, I did not want to let it go.
Every word felt real, heavy and honest. He was not asking for forgiveness like it was owed to him. He was owning what he did wrong. He said he missed me, he had said he hated being apart from me. He said he should have protected me better.
That part hurt the most.
I felt the same way, I had always felt the same way. But grief had sat on my chest like weight, making it hard to breathe, hard to think, hard to want anything that reminded me of what I had lost. Wanting Derek felt dangerous back then. Loving him felt like opening a wound I was trying to keep closed.
I folded the letter carefully and placed it back where I kept it. I already knew what I had to do. Waiting longer would only make things worse. My plan needed to move forward, and Derek needed to hear it from me first.
That decision did not go over well.
“You are not going back there,” my father said, his voice sharp with worry.
I stood in the center of the room, arms crossed, trying to stay calm. “I’m not asking for permission.”
My mother shook her head. “Amber, you just started finding your footing again. Why would you walk straight into the place that hurt you?”
“Because running from it won’t fix anything,” I replied.
My father stepped closer. “That pack failed you.”
“So did this one,” I said quietly.
Silence filled the room. I did not say it to hurt them. It was just the truth, everyone had failed in some way. Including me.
“I need to tell Derek what I’m planning,” I continued. “He deserves to know before anyone else.”
“And if he tries to stop you?” my mother asked.
“He won’t,” I said, though I wasn’t completely sure.
My father sighed, rubbing his face. “You’re still bonded to him, that makes this dangerous.”
“I know,” I said. “But it also makes it necessary.”
After a long pause, he finally nodded. “You won’t go alone.”
“I wouldn’t,” I said.
I left before they could change their minds. The spirit pack members who came with me did not ask questions. They trusted my judgment, even if they did not fully understand it.
The journey was quiet, too quiet. My thoughts stayed on Derek, on his letter, on the way his words had made something warm stir in my chest again. I did not let myself hope too much. Hope had hurt me before.
When the Bloodmoon pack gates came into view, my heart started to race. I straightened my shoulders and stepped forward.
The gates opened slower than I expected. I stood still, calm on the outside, even as my bond stirred sharply, pulling my attention forward. I felt him before I saw him. That familiar pull tightened in my chest, strong and undeniable.
Then Derek appeared and for a second, I almost forgot how to breathe.
He looked tired, thinner. Like the weight of everything had finally settled on him. When his eyes met mine, the bond flared so hard it made my vision blur for a moment. I held my ground.
“Amber,” he said.
“Derek.”
Hearing my name in his voice did something to me, I hated that it still mattered so much.
“I sent you a letter,” he said quickly. “I didn’t know if it reached you.”
“It did,” I replied. “That’s why I’m here.”
That was the truth, all of it. He asked how I was doing. I didn’t answer right away because I wasn’t ready to open that door yet. Instead, I told him what mattered.
“We need to talk,” I said.
He nodded immediately. “You’re safe here.”
I stepped past him when the gates opened, keeping space between us. I could feel his restraint, his effort not to touch me. That effort did not go unnoticed.
“I meant everything I wrote,” he said. “I was wrong. I let fear guide me, I hurt you.”
I crossed my arms, steady but guarded. “You did.”
“I’ll spend my life making it right if you let me,” he added.
Those words landed harder than I expected. I felt the bond respond, warm and sharp at the same time.
Then his gaze dropped. I knew exactly what he saw.
I felt my body tense as his eyes slowly lifted back to my face.
“Amber…?” he said, confused.
“That’s part of why I came,” I said.
His expression shifted, fear and confusion mixing together. “What does that mean?”
I held his gaze, steady and serious. “It means things are not the way you think they are.”
The bond flared again, uncertain but alive and I knew this conversation was only just beginning.
“So what does this mean?” He asked.
I watched his face change as the meaning sank in. He opened his mouth, then closed it again, like he did not trust himself to speak. For once, Derek looked unsure, and that gave me a strange sense of balance. I was not the only one standing on shaking ground anymore.
“We should go somewhere private,” I said. “There are things I need to explain, and I don’t want an audience.”
He nodded immediately and motioned toward the pack house. As we walked, the bond stayed tight but quiet, like it was listening. Every step felt heavy with what I was about to say. The plan I had been carrying alone was no longer just mine.
I knew this would change how he saw me. It might change how the packs saw each other too. That scared me, but it also felt right.
When we reached the door, I paused. I looked at him one more time, really looked. This was still the man I loved, even after everything.
“Whatever happens next,” I said, “you need to hear it all before you decide where you stand.”
His jaw tightened, but his voice was steady. “I’m listening.”
I did not blink.
THE UKNOWN ROAD