Escaping the Alpha, Claimed in the End novel Chapter 15

Chapter 15: My wolf was calling me!

Amelia’s POV

When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was Ryder sitting beside me. His head was resting close to my arm, and he seemed to be breathing in my scent from my wrist. His face looked calm–so calm that it almost didn’t seem like him.

The way he was holding my arm so gently made my cheeks heat up.

I tried to get a better look at him without disturbing him, but I must have moved too suddenly because his eyes snapped open. He flinched, then lost his balance and fell right off the bed with a dull thud.

My eyes went wide. “I–I didn’t mean to-”

He quickly sat up and shook his head. “It’s fine. Are you okay?”

I nodded, still embarrassed. “Yeah… I’m okay. I was just… um… thirsty.”

Without saying anything else, he stood and poured some water from the jug on the side table, then handed the glass to me He made sure I had a good grip before letting go. His movements were careful, like he was afraid of hurting me.

I took a sip and glanced at him. “Where are we?”

“Pawmoon Pack,” he said simply.

My stomach tightened. “So… what happens now? Are you going to send me back? Or-” I bit my lip. “-are they going to hurt me here?”

His gaze softened. “No one’s sending you back, and no one’s going to hurt you. You’re staying here. With me. But I’m not going to force you into anything.”

His words should have eased me, but Jasper’s voice came back in my head, clear as day–telling me Ryder despised weak wolves. My chest felt cold.

I swallowed hard. “Are you… going to kill me?”

His eyes widened. “What?”

“Because I’m a weak wolf,” I said, my voice trembling. “I’m not useful. Jasper said you-” My words broke off as tears started sliding down my cheeks.

Ryder moved closer, looking more shocked than angry. “Amelia… no. I would never do that to you. I don’t punish weak wolves. That’s not who I am.”

I wiped at my face quickly, embarrassed for crying in front of him, but he leaned forward slightly. “Can I… touch you? Just to wipe your tears?”

I nodded. Something about the way he asked, like I could say no, made my chest ache. I could feel his pain even though he wasn’t saying anything about it.

His fingers brushed softly over my cheeks, drying the tears. Without thinking, I leaned forward and wrapped my arms around him. He froze for a second, then hugged me back.

Warmth spread through me, wrapping around like a blanket.

“You’re safe now,” Ryder murmured. “No one will hurt you again.”

His arms tightened around me, and for the first time in a long time, I believed those words.

Not long after, Ryder called for one of his men to bring me something to eat. I tried to say I wasn’t hungry, but he gave me a look- one that made me feel like saying no wasn’t an option.

When a plate of fresh fruit arrived, I ate a little to make him happy. But after a few bites, a dull ache twisted in my stomach. I set the fork down with a quiet sigh.

He noticed right away. “The doctor mentioned this might happen. Fruit can be too much for your stomach right now. If it bothers you later, switch to lighter foods.”

He left for a moment and came back with a glass of warm milk. “Here,” he said, holding it out. “And… is it okay if I call you‘ baby‘?”

I looked up at him, surprised by the question, then nodded slowly.

A small smile tugged at his lips. “You’re my Mate. One day, you’ll be Luna of this pack. And I’d rather you call me by my name, not ‘Alpha.”

After I finished the milk, he told me I should focus on recovering fully. “Once you’re better, Kara will take you shopping. Maybe go out and have some fun.”

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Chapter 15: My wolf was calling me!

I hesitated, my fingers curling into the blanket. “I… I don’t have any personal savings,” I admitted in a low voice.

Back at the Pack house, I’d earned a fair amount doing odd jobs, but I had to hand all of it over to my dad and Jasper/ Jasper always said living in the safehouse was payment enough. The little I managed to keep–before Jasper officially became Alpha of Silverlight Pack–was what I used to pay for the train ride the day I ran. Now, I truly didn’t have a penny to my name.

Will Ryder despise me because I’m poor? I wondered, stealing a quick glance at him.

Ryder’s brow creased slightly, but when he spoke, his voice was warm. “Baby, you’re my Mate. Why are you thinking you have no money? Whatever’s mine will be yours too.”

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a sleek black credit card, holding it out. “Here.”

Kara stepped forward and took it before I could say anything. “I’ll handle it,” she said with a small smile.

Shocked and a little flustered, I murmured a soft “thanks.” Ryder responded by giving my hand a gentle squeeze before standing. “Rest. I’ll be back later.”

The next evening, I woke up feeling better–stronger than I had in days. After a warm shower, I sat on the bed, towel–drying my hair.

Kara came in to check on me, and we ended up chatting while she tidied up the room. She told me little tidbits about what had been going on around the Pack–who got caught sneaking into the kitchen at midnight, whose mate was already arguing with them two days after finding each other, and how a certain warrior had tripped in front of the training group and pretended it was “part of the drill.”

I couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at my lips at one of her stories. That’s when she gave me a sly look. “Oh, and in a few days, there’s a Pack dinner,” she said, her voice dropping like she was sharing some big secret. “And since Alpha Ryder won’t shut up about you being his Mate, obviously you’ll be going with him.”

The idea of facing so many people made me nervous, but I didn’t say anything.

After Kara left, the room felt unusually quiet. I sat there for a moment, fiddling with the edge of the blanket, then decided to get up and put away the towel I’d left on the chair. As I passed the dresser, my gaze caught on the mirror–and I froze.

I leaned in, gripping the sides of the dresser for balance. My eyes had always been silver, the same shade I’d seen in my reflection for as long as I could remember. But now… now there was something else. The silver was still there, but it shimmered with faint streaks of violet, like sunlight catching on the surface of a gemstone. The glow pulsed faintly, almost in rhythm with my heartbeat.

“What…?” I whispered, unable to look away.

Before I could even process what I was seeing, a voice brushed against the edges of my mind–soft, warm, and undeniably

real.

Amelia…

I gasped, my hands flying to my temples as my knees wobbled.

Was that… my wolf?

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