The Amber Shift

Thirty-Seven

Noelle

What are you talking about? I sit up straight and tilt my head to the side. The whole truth meaning...what?

He shakes his head. Can we shift back for this?

I answer by hopping up onto the bed and shifting back, sliding under the covers and pulling the sheet up to my chest.

He does the same and pulls the blankets over his lap, and I turn so I am facing him and keep most of my body covered. But right now, I don't really care. I just want to know what the hell he's talking about.

"What is the whole truth, Elijah?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper. I'm terrified to hear it; I mean, what more could he possibly say? I'm already a lycan with a dead mom, an evil father who hates my very existence that killed my mate's mother, and said mate pretty much won't touch me. What else could there be?

He takes a deep breath and looks at the ceiling, holding himself up on the mattress with his palms. "Remember when I told you I couldn't be with you because it wouldn't allow me to fully focus on avenging my mother's death?"

"Yes. I remember," I say, scooting a little closer to him so our pinkies are centimeters apart.

He stretches his finger so it covers mine, and a chill runs through me. "It's more than that. Your fa—Dante did kill my mother. That is true. But what you don't know is why he did it."

I chew my lip and wait for him to continue, giving him the time he so clearly needs to get this out.

"He wanted my mother. She already produced one strong son, and he still needed to ensure his legacy with an heir who the Goddess blessed." He bites his lip and blinks back tears. "She had just given birth to Avery months before, and then lost my dad right after and wasn't ready to move on. Dante didn't appreciate being told no."

"What did he do to her?" I ask, fighting through the bile rising in my throat.

"He pinned her against the counter. She fought...she fought hard, grabbing a knife from the block and stabbing him in the arm. I told you that there are two acts that are unforgivable to our people—rape and abusing children. Both are punishable by death, even the king isn't shown mercy. But she acted before he did and attempting to murder the king also comes with a death sentence. He killed her right there."

Elijah takes several deep breaths while staring up at the ceiling. His muscular chest heaves up and down as he clenches his jaw and runs his hand down his face. "Dante didn't know I was in the house and saw everything. I raced out of the hallway when my mother's lifeless body hit the floor, flinging myself on top of her. He picked me up from the puddle of her blood by the scruff of my neck and he made me an oath. My line would end with me, and if I ever found my mate, they would meet the same fate as my mother." His blue eyes lock with mine. "Our promises are binding. When broken, our ability to shift is severed."

He looks away from me. Tears are running down my cheeks and I just stare at the satin sheets until they're a red blur. Finally, I look up at him and whisper, "I'm so sorry for what he did to her." I reach up and place my palm on his cheek and turn his face to mine. "To you. Do you really think he'd kill his own—" I stop and shake my head. Of course he would. He's already tried it twice. Of course he would try to kill me.

Elijah just looks at me with immense sadness in his eyes, as if he knew exactly what I'd been thinking.

I grit my teeth and slide my fingers into his hair bringing his forehead to rest against mine. "There has to be a way to beat him. He deserves to pay for all the shit he's done. And we, goddamnit, we deserve to be together."