Gone

1.

(The Story Left Untold - Every Avenue)

Amoura wakes up to her best friend, Alphonse filling her room with balloons, he smiles at her and wishes her a happy birthday, "Alexander wanted to be here but he had King duties." Amoura sits up.

"You do realize I just fell asleep, shifted for the first time last night remember," Amoura mutters bitterly.

"I'm exhausted Alphonse."

"Come on it's your birthday, you should be happy today," Amoura gives them a sour look.

"Did you miss the part where my parents are shipping me off to war?" Amoura has known Alphonse since their parents made a truce and decided their first borns were to marry, she was five then.

It wasn't until she was thirteen did she truly understand what it meant when they called her Alexander Sterling's bethroted.

Amoura wasn't upset with the new information, she was still too young to understand what it really means to be engaged to someone. The lack of a normal childhood has shaped her vision of the world. She didn't even know what it meant to be Queen, she always found it insane that she's supposed to be one.

"Amoura I know it sucks, but you'll be okay. You're smart and a survivor, you'll do what you have to, to come home," Amoura flops back into bed.

"Or would you rather begin Queen duties?" Alphonse asks her and Amoura changes the subject.

"Doesn't change the fact that I have no physical skills, I basically grew up in a bubble, wrapped in bubble wrap and watched by everyone. I couldn't even make a sandwich in fear I would some how hurt myself, it's still so pathetic." He sits at the side of her bed, he's always sits at the edge and listens to her talk, after all this time somethings never change.

Amoura sighs in disappointment, "I'm useless how the hell am I going to survive a war. If I die please don't let my mom burn me in pink clothes," He look at her as he find nothing to comfort her with.

"Well we can't change that, but you can, you can take as much training classes and you can become stronger and learn to defend yourself, show everyone you can defend yourself." Amoura looks at him as he breaks into a smile.

"You'll fine a way, its the least to say you're resilient." Amoura smiles at him

"But first we shall give you a proper goodbye party. You'll see Amoura you will be fine. You're the daughter of the famous Stone Alpha's, you will be fine." He gets up and walks up to her, he extends his hand.

"Come on." She takes his hand and gets out of bed. He leaves her to get ready before going downstairs for the birthday buffet in Amoura's honor.

"How are you feeling today Amoura?" Her father, the pack Alpha asks.

"Tired," Sirius squeezes her daughters shoulder, grateful she's not one to hold onto anger, or resentment, even though she has every right to.

Amoura's very pregnant mother Layla walks in then, "happy birthday sweetheart," Layla squeezes her daughter as tightly as she could.

"Thanks, mom." Amoura excuses herself after her sisters Sara who is eight and May who is six tell her happy birthday, her two younger brothers were still sleeping in the pack daycare.

Amoura heads outside after leaving her plate on the table. She sits on the balcony chair before impulsiveness fills her and she jumps off the balcony and heads to the all familiar clearing. Waiting there, across the clearing is the man she's known since she was eight.

"Heminsworth, I'm eighteen!" She breaks into a smile and jumps across and hugs him, she could never be sad around him, its Heminsworth, her Heminsworth. He watches her dance around him, he already knew that despite the news around him she can't be sad. He's going to miss this.

"Though I still can't believe my parents enlisted me in the S.I.D.O. I hate that they let parents enlist their children," Amoura mutters bitterly.

"It was meant for those who didn't want to wait till they turned eighteen to enlist, though it has unknowingly backfired," Electricity runs through her body as she holds onto Heminsworth.

"Ow. Heminsworth. You shocked me," He looks at her, she is still so naive, she may be an adult now but she's still a child.

She hugs him and he holds onto her, "we need to talk," she nods and steps back and looks at him.

"Maybe the S.I.D.O will help mature you. You act too much like a child," Heminsworth freezes over with each word. Amoura takes notice and looks from her hands to him.

"Well, of course, I spend every day of my childhood bubble wrapped. I'm making up for lost time since I never got to have the healthy normal childhood everyone else had. That being said it doesn't mean I need a shoving into maturity by being shipped off to war. When do I get to live the life I want?" Amoura asks as she swirls around.

"Today," She stops moving when she realizes Heminsworth has gone serious.

"What are you talking about? Just because I'm eighteen doesn't mean I have to grow up today, I get it incant stay childish forever but I can still have fun even if I have to be in the S.I.D.O," Amoura brushes Heminsworth off. It's moments like these where he can see the woman she will become. She resumes her dancing.

"Amoura you are my mate, but I don't want you as the female who stands at my side," He speaks seriously

Amoura facial expression falters, "what?" Her hands fall to her side as his words register.

"I'm rejecting you as my mate Amoura," Heminsworth doesn't hesitate to say it.

"We're are not mates," she spills out as emotions rise.

"We are. That shock is proof of it," Heminsworth speaks calmly.

"No. You wouldn't reject me, it's you, it's - no. You're -" she looks at him discourage.

"Why are you doing this?" Amoura cries to him, the tears threatening to fall.

"Why?" Amoura steps away from the man that just broke her.

"Why?" Tears were threatening her eyes and Amoura couldn't keep track of her thoughts.

"It's better this way," Amoura holds back the tears as his words settle in.

"For you maybe, but not for me," she wipes the tears as one realization comes to mind and everything inside fades as acceptance watches her.

"It makes sense though if my own parents don't want me why would my mate? Talk about a brutal wake up call," Amoura mutters as she looks at the ground.

"I must be a bigger nuisance than I thought," Amoura mutters as something breaks inside.

She looks at him with tears in her eyes, "I guess there's no reason to avoid the unavoidable," She wipes the tears before they can fall, she takes off the bracelet he gave her when she was eight.

"Fine then, I'll leave you all to your lives and I'll never come back looking for you. Or for anyone, I'll do this on my own." Amoura storms back to her room and packs her things. She's finally gotten the motivation she needed to pack her things.

A knock on the door doesn't stop her from packing. "Amoura what are you doing?"

Amoura doesn't look up her bags. "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm going to need a ride to the bus station."

"What! Why?" Lisa, the pack's adviser asks as she closes the bedroom door behind her.

"I'm leaving," Amoura zips up the duffle bag before putting on her shoes.

"Your party starts in a few hours," Lisa tries to stop her.

"They can celebrate just fine without me," Amoura splats as she ties her shoes angrily.

"Amoura please wait let me get your pare-" Amoura stops her.

"No! I don't want to see them, I just want to leave. Can you take me to the bus station or do I have to find another way there?" Lisa who has always loved Amoura like her own reluctantly agrees to take her.