The scent of Maddox is the first thing that hits Amara when she starts to wake. Prying her eyes open, she sees he is gone which she had fully expected all things considered. Hopefully, soon everything will get sorted and they can have a regular routine together. He had looked so wound up the night before that she couldn't let him leave. Madd confirmed no one was hurt but something obviously had him on edge.

A dull ring finally registers and she turns to see the notification light on her phone flashing. Unlocking it, she sees a ton of text messages about her pack birthday celebration today. Amara suspects that Maddox will also officially instate them as part of the pack during it. She reads one from Sina about getting ready together so she replies to let her know she is in.

Thinking about the party reminds her that it was her and Maddox’s mother who planned it. She feels a little guilty because she hasn’t shared more than a passing greeting with Fia and then there is her own mom. Amara knows she was right to want answers but hates fighting with her parents, especially when they are obviously tense and bracing for something. With a deep sigh, she resolves to go clear the air with them before going to Sina’s.

For now, she wants to block the world out for a little longer so she grabs the journal from its hiding spot and flops back onto the bed. She is finally about halfway through the book although she has been enjoying it and briefly wonders if perhaps studying history is her calling since it has always fascinated her.

Putting that thought aside to ponder on later, Amara turns the page and immediately freezes. The page is torn in half whether deliberate or unintentional it's hard to tell. That isn't what makes her freeze. What is on the remaining chunk of paper is what sends shockwaves through her system. It is a drawing of an emblem. Even from the small piece, she could still recognize that design anywhere. Fishing out the pendant that always hangs around her neck hidden under her clothes, she carefully compares them.

There is no denying it, they match up perfectly even without having all of the drawing intact. Amara rereads the page before but it offers no information on it so she turns to the page after but can now see the following page has been ripped out completely. Whatever explanation there was for the symbol on this page is impossible to read with almost all of it missing and the one after isn't even there.

For nearly ten minutes she just sits there trying to put all of the pieces together and they all fall into place but there is still something missing. She needs to know how or why things happened and Carter needs to know as well...Carter, her maybe brother? Fuck, this is all a mess.

Looking down at it once more, she tucks the necklace back in. The only people who will have answers are the same ones that had told her to hide the pendant all along and she won’t allow them to keep evading her anymore. She tugs some sneakers on and decides her t-shirt and legs look good enough to go out on. Amara is about to grab the journal off of her bed when there is a knock on her door.

Pushing the book slightly under her pillow, Amara opens her door to find Lyam standing there looking agitated. “Uh, you okay Ly?” She asks, taking in how fidgety he is. His eyes snap to hers and he gives her a small strained smile. “Yeah Ama, I’m good just...can you come with me? I-it’s kind of important please” he grabs her hand and pulls her along without waiting for an answer and Amara has to speed up to not trip over her own feet.

“Woah! Hey, what’s going on? Did something happen?” She asks urgently, straining to hear any sounds of panic or alarm but nothing seems off which somehow only worries her more. Lyam’s nervous glances back at her don’t assuage them either especially when he drags them out of the front door towards a patch of woods near the gates.

“Lyam, you’re freaking me the fuck out. Say something!” she shouts just as they break through the tree line. Suddenly, he stops and turns, grabbing onto her upper arms “You know I care about you, right? I just want to make sure you’re safe and they can keep you safe” he practically spits out, his eyes pleading for her to understand.

Amara’s senses are going haywire and she pulls herself free. Her wolf is snarling, an unknown danger making her muscles tense, ready for a fight. She opens her mouth to demand Lyam let her go when another presence makes itself known, greeting Lyam and Amara instantly knows something is off about him.

“Glad you could join us little wolf,” the man says smugly.

“Don’t call me that!” she hisses, slowly backing away but a pair of hands are now there, holding her in place. How had she not scented them?

“Please Amara. I’ve been talking to Devon since you arrived. He told me why you’re in danger. The ulfhednar are after you because you are special. I can’t let them hurt you, that’s why I’ve been working with these guys especially after I found out the ribbon that rogue had was yours. They are good guys! They’ll take care of you” Lyam rushes to explain and Amara doesn’t doubt that he truly believes what he is saying.

Unfortunately, it is clear to her that these guys never planned to keep her safe or whatever other bullshit they fed Lyam. That’s when she realizes what feels so wrong, none of them have a scent. “You! It was one of you at the fucking parking garage! You did something to me that messed with my senses” she growls, now struggling in their grasp.

Amara manages to pull away enough to elbow one in the gut and the other's nose, breaking it in one blow. Blood pours out and the guy groans, cursing before he is lunging at her again. The man obviously in charge between these three- Devon- laughs, smile widening with malicious glee. “It’s a special little something one of our men came up with, too bad our scout wasn’t using it when he crossed into Onyx territory or he wouldn’t have been caught out” he reveals, flashing his canines.

Lyam whirls towards Devon as Amara keeps fighting the other two. “No! No no no, that would mean...” Ly whispers, horrified when he comes to the realization that he has been played by the ulfhednar and he has just handed them what they wanted. Ly throws himself at Devon but the other man is obviously older and stronger.

One of the lackeys manages to get his arms around Amara’s waist, lifting her off of the ground. She uses that as leverage to kick the other in the chest, knocking him back. She brings her arms back, hooking them behind the guy's neck who is holding her and remembers her mom’s training, using the anchor to flip her legs up and over, breaking his hold on her while dragging him to the ground then punching him in the sternum, hearing it crack slightly beneath her fist. “Reach out to Maddox!” she orders Lyam.

She hears the sounds of him fighting but can’t spare the attention to help him or see how it’s going because the rogue she kicked is back up and rounding on her. Amara tries to keep her awareness of where they both are at all times so she is not caught off guard but their lack of scent is throwing her off.

“I-I can’t! It’s not...It’s like that night again” Lyam’s panicked voice calls back. It sounds a little watery and thick like his own nose has been broken and Amara has to grit her teeth against the urge to go help. She knows turning her back on these two will just land them both on the losing end.

A cackle raises the hair on her arms “Idiot boy. For as good a warrior as Maddox is, he must not have spent much time teaching you shit cause you sure are slow on the uptake bud. You see, I’m gifted. I can disrupt mind waves. I’ve been doing it to you since we first met, kid. Couldn’t have you alerting big brother when this moment came. Now I’m getting bored and this is lasting too long” he ends his little monologue by driving his knee up into Lyam’s stomach while elbowing his neck, effectively knocking him out.

Amara whines, feeling despair for her friend and hoping someone will come along soon. She continues to fight with every bit of skill she has cultivated but these are seasoned fighters and now it’s three against one. She rushes Devon, managing to use her momentum to wrap her legs around his shoulder and waist, bringing him to the ground. She is about to dislocate his arm when breaks free, flipping Amara over and pinning her down.

She bucks and tries any maneuver her panicked mind brings up but she is tired and bruised, her ribs ache where she took a hard punch and her knee is throbbing where it was stomped, nearly popping it out of its socket. There is a slight sting on the side of her neck and everything seems to slow. Darkness creeps in and the last thing she sees is Lyam’s unconscious form on the forest floor.