He Doesn't Love You Anymore (Amber and Ethan) novel Chapter 17

Amber’s Scarred Past

Amber’s Scarred Past

(Dominic’s POV)

I noticed Amber’s trembling hands as she nervously played with her dessert. Despite her brave words about handling rumors and mockery, her body betrayed her true feelings.

“You mentioned being bullied in high school,” I said carefully, watching her reaction.

Her amber eyes darkened, and she set down her fork with deliberate precision.

“It was more than bullying” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. “What happened to me… it nearly destroyed me.”

I remained silent, giving her space to continue if she wished. After a moment, she did.

“That’s when Cora emerged–prematurely. My wolf transformation completed under… extreme conditions.”

I nodded slowly. “I heard about it. I was abroad then, training for my Alpha responsibilities.”

The rumors had reached me even there–malicious speculation about Amber Chase, the troubled daughter of Harrison Chase. I

had refused to believe most of it.

“Ryan Quinn told me the truth,” I said. “That you ran away after a fight with your parents.”

Amber’s eyes widened slightly. “You know about that?”

“I know you were kidnapped and sold to a stray wolf pack,” I continued. “And that you escaped after half a month, going straight to the territorial enforcers.”

Her hands clenched into fists on the table. “I was covered in injuries. Some… some exposed bone. Cora couldn’t heal me fast

enough.”

I fought to keep my expression neutral while Leo, my wolf, raged inside me. The thought of Amber–young, vulnerable- suffering such brutality made my blood boil.

“You maintained that Victoria was behind it,” I said.

Amber nodded sharply. “I heard them mention my family’s adopted daughter before I lost consciousness. But there was never

any proof.”

“The kidnappers were caught,” I recalled. “Sentenced to ten years plus whipping. They denied knowing Victoria.”

“Of course they did,” Amber said bitterly. “And everyone believed them over me.”

I hesitated before admitting, “I believed you.”

Her eyes snapped to mine, surprise evident in their amber depths.

“But I couldn’t do anything about it,” I continued. “As the future Alpha King, my position wasn’t secure. Any involvement with you would have brought more attention from my rivals–attention you didn’t need.“.

“So you asked Ryan to investigate instead,” she surmised.

I nodded. “His findings were… inconclusive. The kidnappers‘ story never made sense to him. Why kidnap a wealthy pack member to sell to strays for a small fortune when ransom would be more lucrative?”

“And Victoria’s alibi was airtight,” Amber added, “Mourning her biological father’s death when I was taken.”

A heavy silence fell between us. I knew what came next in her story–the ugliest part.

“The rumors that followed were worse than the captivity,” she finally said, her voice hollow. “Everyone speculating that I’d been… violated. That I was ruined for any future mate.”

Amber’s Scarred Past

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I reached across the table and took her hand. “Those rumors were cruel and baseless.”

“My own parents believed them,” Amber whispered. “Even Ethan who claimed to love me, had doubts. The way they looked at me, the questions they asked without asking…”

Her voice broke, and she took a shuddering breath.

“I went to Crescent Hospital,” she continued. “I demanded a gynecological exam to prove I hadn’t been harmed that way.”

I tightened my grip on her hand. I couldn’t imagine her desperation–the immense pressure she must have felt to prove her ” innocence” to a world eager to condemn her.

“Even with medical proof, the gossip continued,” she said. “Some questioned the results. Others accused me of faking the whole kidnapping for attention.”

“The malice of the members of the wolf pack was just so senseless,” I recalled.” They were relentless.”

Amber nodded.” It wasn’t until my family sent me overseas to ‘learn how to control my uncontrollable wolf‘ that I got away from all that. But I realized that really they just wanted me gone until the scandal died down so as not to affect the pack’s reputation.”

Her expression remained grim at the mention of it, and I just stayed quiet with her and didn’t say anything. I remembered my car accident – I was 25 years old when it happened – an attack planned against me by my older brother.

Before the car accident, I had considered withdrawing from the Blackwood Pack power struggle altogether and returning to Europe to live a life of leisure on the estate my mother left me.

But then Amber saved my life on the Ravenclaw Bridge. Her actions that day changed everything for me.

“But being hurt, you still kept your pure, kind heart, remember? You saved me.” I looked at Amber tenderly, and she looked at me quietly, not saying anything. I wasn’t saying anything more.

The day she saved me, her bright eyes lit up my heart like moonlight. After I recovered from my injuries I investigated her specifically, and from then on my life plan changed. I regrouped and began to fight for control of the Blackwood Pack, and I ⚫ succeeded.

After successfully controlling the wolves, I had my treatment center develop a number of treatments for wolves that shapeshifted early, although by the time the research was successful, she no longer needed them.

If she married Ethan, I would be her backer in the Blackwood Pack, and now that she’s married to me, I won’t let any more harm come to her, I vowed in my heart.

“I recognized that your outward pride and arrogance were masks,” I continued. “Shields to hide your vulnerability. I knew you were unhappy, that you hadn’t moved past the trauma.”

I didn’t mention how I understood that the humiliation of having to obtain that medical certificate was a source of deep shame and fear for her. Some wounds were too raw to acknowledge directly.

“Leo has been waiting,” I said softly. “Waiting for you to trust us enough to share these burdens.”

The music in the restaurant shifted from saxophone to violin, the melancholy notes matching the mood at our table.

I noticed Amber’s hands trembling again as she absently picked at her brownie dessert. I covered them with my own, my touch warm and steady.

“Don’t you like brownies?” I asked gently.

She startled, seemingly unaware she’d been destroying her dessert Cora, her wolf, was likely fretting over the painful memories we’d unearthed.

“No, I like it,” she insisted, embarrassed.

Without comment, I exchanged my untouched brownie for hers and calmly ate the

one she’d been picking apart. I felt her

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watching me, confusion and warmth battling in her expression. I pretended not to notice she’d already taken a bite.

Outside the restaurant, standing in the cool evening air, Amber turned to me once more.

“Please,” she said, amber eyes meeting mine with rare vulnerability. “Let me pretend I’m courting you because of my memory loss. Just for a little while.”

Leo protested within me, but I understood her need for this shield, this time to heal and prepare.

After a long silence, I nodded. “Alright.”

Her relief was palpable.

“But don’t make a habit of it,” I added firmly.

(Ethan’s POV)

The rumors were everywhere after the New Year’s holiday. Amber Chase had fallen from the second floor. Amber Chase had amnesia. Amber Chase was pursuing Dominic Blackwood with the same intensity she’d once pursued me.

Noah, my wolf, paced restlessly within me, irritated and suspicious. He didn’t believe for a second that Amber was genuinely memory–impaired.

“She’s faking it to get back at us,” I muttered to myself, scrolling through yet another message about Amber’s bizarre behavior. Some in Silvercrest’s upper–class supernatural circles bought her act completely. They recalled similar incidents where falls caused brain damage, affecting the bond between wolves and humans. They believed her condition was sincere—the result of loving me deeply and being emotionally traumatized by our broken engagement.

Others expressed sympathy for Dominic, believing him trapped by the life–debt he owed Amber for saving him years ago.

I knew better. This was classic Amber–dramatic, attention–seeking, and vengeful.

I tried calling her to warn her to stop this ridiculous charade. No answer. Text messages went undelivered. Email bounced back “She’s blocked me,” I realized with growing anger. “On everything.”

After that humiliating scene at Ryan’s birthday party, Amber had cut me off completely. The memory still burned–her public rejection, the witnesses, Dominic’s interference.

A week later, my phone rang. It was Marcus, a pack brother I occasionally drank with.

“You need to come to the Moonlight Club,” he said without preamble. “Right now.”

“I’m busy,” I replied, though I was merely lounging in my apartment, brooding.

“Trust me,” Marcus insisted. “You’ll want to see this.”

Something in his tone convinced me. Twenty minutes later, I pushed through the crowded club, finding Marcus at the bar. “What’s so urgent?” I demanded.

He grinned and pointed toward the dance floor. “Aren’t you looking for Amber? She’s right over there.”

I turned, and my heart nearly stopped.

There she was—the most beautiful woman in the room, drawing every eye as she moved with sensual grace. Her long black hair cascaded down her back, and her amber eyes seemed to glow in the club’s dim lighting.

Amber Confronts Ethan

+25 BONUS

Amber Confronts Ethan

(Amber’s POV)

I had fully committed to my role as Dominic’s obsessive admirer for the past week. Cora seemed to enjoy the charade, practically preening whenever we were in public with him.

“I’m heading north for three days to discuss territory boundaries,” Dominic informed me over breakfast at my apartment. “And no, you cannot chase me across the territory.”

I pouted dramatically, playing my part. “But how will everyone know how devoted I am if I don’t follow you everywhere?”

His lips twitched with barely suppressed amusement. “Trust me, your public displays have already convinced the entire Northern Territory of your infatuation.”

“Are you sure? I could make a bigger scene,” I suggested, only half–joking.

Dominic shook his head, his blue eyes serious despite his light tone. “Your injuries need time to fully heal/Rest while I’m gone.”

He pulled out his wallet and extracted a black credit card, sliding it across the table. “Use this if you need anything ”

I stared at the card, surprised by the gesture. “I don’t need your money.”

“I know,” he replied simply. “But it’s there if you want it.”

I pushed the card back toward him. “I’m perfectly capable of buying my own things.”

Maintaining this charade was exhausting, especially since Dominic clearly saw through it. Even Cora was growing tired, whining inside me for honest communication instead of games.

What confused me most was how frequently my wolf became aroused around Dominic. This contracted marriage was supposed to be a business arrangement, yet Cora’s reactions suggested something deeper.

After Dominic left, I found myself alone in my riverside apartment. Paige was busy with wedding preparations, so our planned shopping trip was canceled.

That evening, my phone rang with Lucas Blackwood’s name flashing on the screen.

“Amber! I’ve just finished renovating the Moonlight Club,” his cheerful voice announced. “Want to come see it? First drink’s on me.”

Lucas had always been a good friend. Unlike Ethan, who was his cousin, Lucas never betrayed

trust.

“I’d love to,” I replied, already thinking about which dress to wear.

The Moonlight Club was buzzing when I arrived, werewolves from all oyer Silvercrest mingling in the exclusive venue. I’d chosen a black silk dress that hugged my curves perfectly, drawing appreciative glances as I made my way through the crowd.

Lucas met me at the entrance to the Alpha’s Den, an exclusive section reserved for high–ranking pack members. His eyes widened slightly as he took in my appearance.

“You look stunning,” he said, giving me a quick hug. “But you’re attracting too much attention.”

I smiled, enjoying the stares. “That’s kind of the point.”

Once seated in the private booth, Lucas leaned forward, his expression serious. “What are you doing, Amber? This pursuit of Uncle Dominic… it’s dangerous.”

I sipped my moonlight wine slowly. “I don’t know what you mean.

“There’s no history between you and Uncle Dominic,” he insisted. And there certainly won’t be a future–not when everyone thinks your infatuation is just the result of amnesia.”

Amber Confronts Ethan

+25 BONUS

I’d known Lucas since childhood. His father was Dominic’s fifth brother, illegitimate with no inheritance rights to the pack. We’d played together as children, along with Ethan, though Lucas had always been closer to me.

I’m’just having fun,” I said lightly, not wanting to reveal the truth

Lucas shook his head. “You don’t understand the consequences. Dominic is the future Alpha King. He won’t reciprocate your feelings, especially not with the pack politics involved.”

“You don’t know that,” I argued, though I knew perfectly well that Dominic and I were already married.

Before Lucas could respond, a familiar scent hit my nostrils. Ethan

I stiffened as he approached our table. His eyes flashed with anger as they locked onto mine.

Lucas immediately moved to stand in front of me, his posture shifting subtly to place himself between us. The protective gesture touched me.

“I need to speak with Amber,” Ethan demanded, his voice tight with barely controlled rage. “Privately.”

I ignored him, turning to Lucas instead. “You should step back. I don’t want you to spill blood when he confronts me.”

Lucas hesitated, clearly reluctant to leave me alone with Ethan. “I’ll be right over there if you need me.”

As Lucas moved away, Ethan took his seat, leaning across the table toward me. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?”

Traised an eyebrow. “Enjoying a drink with a friend. What are you doing?”

“Cut the crap, Amber. We both know you’re faking this amnesia to provoke me.”

Cora snarled inside me, and I felt my control slipping. “If you doubt my memory loss, why don’t you test your own theory? Jump from the second floor. Maybe you’ll forget you’re a cheating asshole.”

His face darkened with fury. “This is ridiculous. You’re making a fool of yourself, chasing after my uncle like some lovesick

teenager.”

I noticed the growing audience around us. High–ranking members of various Silvercrest packs were watching our exchange with undisguised interest.

“Why do you care who I pursue?” I asked, my voice rising slightly. “You’re supposed to be marrying Melissa, aren’t you?”