A Winters Memory

Chapter Fourteen

The longer the alpha kept Ara locked down in the basement the crazier with lust she became. Every waking moment was utter torture as her need to be claimed took over with each passing second.

Alec had still been missing from the moment he left the cabin. Amelia had been praised by her father, even had the other female members make Amelia something that she favorited most as a gift for having been able to get Alec to mate with her.

He had been so proud that Alec had finally come around to bedding her, now it was only a matter of time before she would grow round with his child and when that happened, he would get rid of that she-wolf once and for all.

Once their celebration was over Amelia headed back to the room she shared with Alec and laid down staring up at the ceiling, her small hands moving down to her belly and rubbing gently as she imagined herself round with his child she smiled lightly at the image.

She loved her brother dearly and she knew what they had done went against everything he stood for and yet she felt as if it was right and justified but still that pang of guilt she felt was there rearing its nasty little head.

Sighing she stood up and left the room and headed out of the cabin in search for Alec, she needed to speak with him; she needed to know how he felt about her and how he felt about the girl her father had brought home so many months ago.

She knew deep in her heart exactly how he felt, after all, she had walked in on them in an intimate moment and heard the words he said to her; she was, in fact, his one true mate. She shook her head, now anger flooding through her, she skidded to a stop and planted her bottom down on the rich earth and shut her eyes.

Did she really want to go against her father's wishes and help the slave girl? Or did she want to just act as if the girl were no one important? She gave a mental sigh as she battled with her conscience and what was the right thing to do here even if the right thing was screaming at her in the face.

Alec lay silently by the edge of the lake where he had seen the beauty for the first time fully the day they met. He pictured how mysterious she looked with those striking blue eyes of hers; he remembered how she looked at him that day full of curiosity and wonder, even fear.

He remembered the first time he heard her voice and how it sounds in his ears as if it were music only being played just for him. His thoughts were broken by the sound of a twig snapping a few feet from him, he turned to see Amelia approaching him slowly, her body fully exposed to him making him cringe inwardly; not wanting to deal with her again he sighed and turned away from her as she continued to close the distance between them.

"I wish to be left alone, Amelia..." He said in a curt manner.

She moved in and knelt down beside him.

"Alec, I need to know something, and I want the truth."

She placed her hand under his chin and turned his face to look at her.

He sighed once more and met her gaze.

"What is it, Amelia?"

She searched his eyes for a moment before asking even though she knew the answer before she asked her question; she could see it in his eyes so clearly.

"Do you regret what happened between us?"

He stayed silent but that only confirmed her already unanswered question.

"Alec, please answer me... I need to know."

He turned away from her, his answer soft, almost inaudible.

"Yes, you are not the one I love. I've known you your whole life and I have loved you then as I have loved you now and the love I have for you could never compare to what I feel for her. It isn't anything you have or could have done, it is as I said; she is my mate and she will be the only woman I ever love, the only woman that I would ever want to touch that way..."

Tears began to fill Amelia's eyes as she listened to his words allowing them to sink into her very soul. She fought the urge to let them fall, biting her lip for a brief second and clearing her throat as she asked another question.

"Do you hate me for not stopping you?"

He turned to look at her as he shook his head. "No, I could never hate you, but I do wish that it had never happened..."

He placed a hand on her cheek, making her close her eyes and lean into his touch with a small sad smile.

"We only did what our father wanted us to do, after all, he got what he wanted from me, soon you will be carrying my child and then all this will blow over and hopefully, he will release her, and we can move on with our lives."

He knew the odds of that happening was slim to none, but he had to imagine that life would somehow get better for her now that he had filled Amelia with his seed. But deep down he knew his father would never allow Ara to go free so long as he was alive and breathing. The only chance Ara ever had of leaving their place was if his father was dead and that wouldn't certainly happen for a while.

Amelia stood up and turned to walk away but not before Alec stopped her with a grab of her wrist.

"Where are you going?"

She turned back to face her brother and smiled. "Don't worry; everything is going to be alright, Alec..."

Without another word, she walked away leaving him staring at her in confusion and a raised brow.

Amelia reached the cabin in minutes but turned the corner leading towards the doors to the basement from the outside, she looked around and listened to make sure no one was coming out of the house or if anyone was outside.

She walked up to the double doors and looked down at the large lock that held two ends of the chain to keep the girl sealed beneath. She tilted her head and walked away looking for something she could use to break the lock without causing too much noise. She knew what she was doing was going against her father, but she couldn't help herself.

Alec had always done what was asked of him whether he liked it or not, it wasn't fair that he had to give up the one person who was truly made for him for their father's selfish ambitions and as much as she loved her brother, she knew he could never return the love she had for him and so, the only way she could make up the wrong doings of her family, she would help Ara as much as she could and setting her free would be the start of it.

"Amelia? What are you doing out here?"

Amelia froze in place and turned to see one of the male pack members watching her with an arched brow.

"Oh, I was just seeing if Alec was here... I haven't seen him all day."

She swallowed hard as she stared back at him.

"Your father said to let him have his time alone, he's looking for you, come back inside."

Amelia let out a silent breath of relief and nodded her head with a smile. "Okay, I'll be in in a moment."

The male arched a brow again and walked towards her, she instinctively ran forward.

"Or we can go right now too."

She pulled him along with her taking him bysurprise as she dragged him along with her. She looked back towards the doubledoors then towards the cabin, she would have to try and get her out another waybut if she did, she would have to wait until everyone was asleep, it was easierthat way and no one would be wandering about the house.