JARED'S POV

People spoke amongst themselves as I ripped open the envelope to have a quick read of what the letter was about. We didn't receive mail very often, but when we did, it was usually to do with produce we had ordered for the pack or news from other packs. They wouldn't usually be addressed to me though.

I narrowed my eyes as I scanned the page, Gia engaging in a conversation with my mate, the both of them chatting about how they hadn't seen each other in a little while.

A few splatters of ink coated the paper, and I stared at it, a frown masking my face.

Jared,

What do you really think wolves and humans have in common?

Let me tell you, they shouldn't mix. It's a recipe for disaster and someone will just get hurt.

You might as well let your precious Anna down easy and cut it off now.

Things are going to get messy otherwise.

She isn't your true mate.

She's second best.

I've been watching you Jared. I have thought of you everyday for the past four years. Dylan and Clara denied my request to speak with you a year ago.

They want to keep us apart.

Trust me when I say this won't end well for the human.

I'll see you soon enough,

Amelia.

My heart hammered against my ribs as I read over the letter again and again, everyone in the room looking at me with concerned faces once they noticed how my body was reacting.

"What is it?" Anna asked me, looking slightly worried, and I crumpled up the piece of paper in my hand, squeezing my fingers together tightly.

"It's a letter about our recent order of workout equipment, Dylan," I said confidently, turning to my Alpha to see him cock his head at me, looking confused. "Apparently it's going to be delayed by two weeks."

Dylan hummed once I widened my eyes at him, moving closer to the couch.

"Dylan and I have to sort this out," I said quickly, gulping as I faced Anna. "Gia, why don't you show Anna our campfire spot? Or the lake?"

Gia hovered by the counter, shoving her phone into her back pocket hesitantly and analysing the situation. She eventually nodded, plastering a fake smile onto her face and taking Anna by the hand.

"We don't want to bore you with this kind of stuff," Gia laughed. "Come on, I'll show you around."

"She better not have a hair out of place when you get back though Gia!" I called after them, Anna releasing a small huff as she exited.

I knew she was comfortable around Gia. They got on well, and Gia wouldn't be an idiot. She would keep Anna safe for me.

"Show me the letter," Dylan said curiously, taking it from my outstretched hand, reading over it quickly. He muttered every word to himself, Clara getting up to do the same from over his shoulder, her face full of shock.

I felt guilty making Anna think that the letter was something casual and just mildly annoying, but I didn't want to frighten her. Amelia was threatening her, and she had only just found out about the existence of werewolves. I didn't want to freak her out anymore. She already had her Father to worry about.

"She tried to come and talk to me a year ago?" I asked, furrowing my brows together, looking at Clara and Dylan both nod, their mouth downturned.

Amelia had come back for me? And they had never told me?

"We weren't sure if seeing her would reignite the bond from your end." Clara spoke, taking a few steps towards me, looking guilty. "You were finally happy, and we didn't want Amelia showing up to ruin that for you. You didn't deserve it."

I didn't know how to feel. I was unsure what I would have done a year ago if Clara and Dylan had told me that Amelia wanted to speak to me, but I felt deceived that they hadn't told me about it. Speaking to Amelia may have been nice. I didn't want her back, but it would have been nice to possibly get some closure and hear her reasons for why she had done what she did.

Although, Clara was right in saying that seeing her may have reignited the bond between us, and I wasn't sure if Salah could break our bond again after it had already been done. I wouldn't have wanted to set myself up for an eternity of misery just to get myself some closure.

It was hard to know what I would have done at the time.

"I wished you had told me," I said, shaking my head. "That should have been my decision to make."

"Jared, I'm sorry," Dylan spoke, passing me back the letter. "I think we were both just so relieved seeing you finally happy, and Amelia coming back could have changed everything. It was wrong of us not to tell you though."

I nodded at him, accepting the apology. I knew that they were just looking out for me and didn't want me to spiral into a depression again. Amelia was selfish and unstable, and even after all of these years, she still felt as if she had a claim over me.

I didn't need or want her. I had Anna. She was the total opposite to Amelia.

She was a good person, and was honest and genuine. Amelia was a self absorbed character who could only ever talk about herself. She would snap at me over the littlest of things, and make me feel less than worthy of her love with her harsh words.

I never went into detail with anyone about how she treated me behind closed doors though, but she was manipulative, crying when she had cheated on me and acting out when I tried to put my foot down, claiming I didn't understand or love her enough to get it.

I didn't understand why we had been paired together. We didn't have anything in common, and I now believed that it was a genuine mistake by the Moon Goddess, and that was why she had given me Anna. She had realised Amelia and I weren't meant to be.

"She's threatening Anna," I muttered, mostly to myself. "I'm not going to let her touch her."

Dylan clicked his tongue, thinking. "She knows she isn't welcome back here, and the guards know that too. They won't grant her entrance."

"She could force her way in though, or hurt Anna when she's not at the pack," I responded, running my hand though my already tousled hair.

I was going to have to postpone my surgery until I knew that Anna was safe. I didn't want to be in bed and in pain, unable to move if Amelia did decide to do something. I needed to be able to protect my mate.

"Why doesn't she stay here for now?" Clara suggested, but I shook my head.

"She's got work," I stated, dragging my bottom lip into my mouth. "We can't ask her to give that up. I know that she won't."

"Have you told her?" Dylan questioned, and I dropped my gaze to the floor, sighing.

"Told her what?" I asked, even though I already knew what he meant.

"That you had a mate before her."

I shook my head, grinding my teeth together. Anna would feel as if she had been punched in the gut if I told her that she was actually my second mate. I never wanted her to feel like she was second choice. If I was given the choice between Amelia and Anna, I would choose Anna a thousand times over.

"I don't know how to tell her," I admitted, allowing my head to flop back as I glared up at the ceiling. "Hearing that I've had someone else before her is going to make her feel like shit."

"I know," Clara responded, making her way over to me and pulling me in for a hug, shaking her head. "I'm sorry."

"I need to tell her though," I said, shrugging. "I know I do. I don't want to lie."

Clara and Dylan both nodded, settling back down onto the couch, Dylan resting his elbows on his knees. Clara released a heavy sigh, pulling her hair away from her face and putting it into a messy ponytail.

"Do you think Amelia was the one who broke into Anna's home?" Clara questioned, and I widened my eyes, a growl erupting from my chest.

"I swear to the Goddess," I grumbled, clenching my fists and shaking my head. Amelia wasn't going to be allowed to break into my mate's home and get away with it. I didn't have proof it was her, but, it made sense. "I'm going to be staying with Anna as much as I can, and on the weekends I'll suggest coming here for more protection."

Dylan nodded, humming. "Okay, and I'll have guards watching the school whenever she's working. Sophia will be in there too and if Amelia is as angry as she sounds, I wouldn't put it past her to also hurt my daughter to get her point across."

Clara gulped at Dylan's words, her face going pale. "If she touches my children, I'll kill her."

I nodded in agreement, sucking on the inside of my cheek. I was going to need to be on high alert at all times. I had forgotten what Amelia smelt like, and that fact annoyed me. Knowing her scent would have been extremely helpful.

"I'm not going to allow Amelia to do this. She left me. She doesn't get a say on my life anymore," I growled to myself, the sound echoing throughout the room.

"Go and find Anna and Gia," Dylan told me. "I'll have guards watch your house around the clock."

•••

Amelia is playing a dangerous game.

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