Amber

I watched him as he walked away from me, leaving his last words hanging in the cool night air. He disappeared into the darkness and I just gaped after him.

"Inform me when you're ready to leave and I'll have your travel arranged." The words were almost incomprehensible. They meant that I could leave tomorrow, or the next day, or the one after that.

My chest felt tight at the thought, but I also felt excitement. They meant I could go where I wanted and do what I wanted for the first time in my life.

This freedom I could almost touch was terrifying. I had no idea how to navigate in the human world, but I had to believe that I would figure it out.

My head was spinning with all the ideas rushing in at me, and I decided it was late enough that I could retire to my room.

—————

The alpha was in my dreams again, and I woke with a heavy heart. I dragged out of bed and got ready, and I looked for him throughout the day, but he was nowhere to be seen, as if he had left his own territory.

It felt odd, because even when he had been staying away from me before, it was almost as if he was still watching. Now it felt empty and strange.

I shook off the feeling. There was a lot before me to look forward to. He had said that I should inform him, but how was I supposed to do that if he was nowhere to be found?

Eventually, I gave in and spoke to Oliver. Finding him was a bit of a challenge, but not as much as trying to find the absent alpha. "Can I talk to you?" I asked him tentatively when I found him outside the house.

"Yes, of course. Why?"

"The alpha told me to talk to him, but I can't find him."

"He was at the training grounds all morning, but I don't know where he went after that. He's not in his office and he's not answering me right now," Oliver admitted. "Come to my office and we'll talk there, it's soundproof."

I nodded. He was clearly avoiding me, so the beta was probably my best shot, plus I liked Oliver.

Once we were safely tucked away in his office, he looked at me with his blue grey eyes that were so much like his brother's. I looked down at the floor. "He said I could leave whenever I wanted, just to tell him when."

"He's letting you go that easily?" Oliver asked, clearly shocked.

"He said he would."

"Well, he'll do it if he said he would. But are you sure?"

I wasn't, but I didn't want to put that into words just yet.

"I don't want to push you, but what do you think you'll find out there? You're not going to find someone who will be more dedicated to you than he would be, I can promise you that."

The frown that creased my forehead could not be prevented. "I'm not really looking for that. I want to be free. I've never been, and now I have a chance."

I risked a look at him and the sad expression on his face flared my guilt. "I'll talk to him for you, if that's what you want," he said.

"I want that," I said, even if I wasn't sure it was entirely true.

He sighed. "Tell me if you change your mind, Amber. This doesn't have to be set in stone."

I nodded and stood up. I left the room.

—————

A few hours later, Oliver told me that they were making the arrangements. Word spread fast, judging from the uptick in strange expressions I was getting from people in passing. Megan looked at me with what seemed to be real disappointment so I avoided her eyes, too.

Sarah continued to be nice enough when I was dealing with her, but some of the vivacity had left her tone. She came up to me and said, "So, I've talked to Devon and I'm going with you."

I just stared at her before remembering myself and looking away. "What do you mean?"

"I'm going to come along and help you get set up in your new life."

"You don't have to do that," I protested.

She gave me a stern look. "It's amazing that he's got the willpower to let you leave, Amber. At least let me go along for a while to ease his mind. And mine, too. I'm worried about you. Plus, I haven't really explored the human world myself, so this is my golden opportunity."

When she said it like that, what could I say to refuse? I nodded reluctantly.

—————

It took a few days for everything to be prepared, but for my part, I mostly just waited and looked through information on different places in the human world. I didn't know where I wanted to go, but Sarah assured me that we would be fine. "We'll just go see things until you figure out what you want. Like an adventure."

The day came, and the few people in the pack who I had spent time with it saw me off, although the alpha was notably absent. There was an odd pain in my chest, but I could understand why he would not want to see me leave.

Sarah and I travelled with a pair of guards who had been foisted upon me. I didn't want them, but I hadn't been able to make myself protest. After a day of travelling by car, we stopped in a motel. It did not escape my notice that they were paying for everything and pretty much taking care of all the plans. I felt conflicted, but I let them continue.

I didn't complain, but when we reached a thriving human metropolis, I put my foot down and insisted on a modest apartment and sent away the guards, although Sarah was insistent on staying. She had never been anywhere besides the pack lands and was eager to take her chance to explore, and who was I to ruin her enjoyment of the experience?

Besides, it was nice to have a roommate who I knew. With Sarah's help I got a fake identity since the hunters had never bothered to register me in human society. I found a job serving coffee so that I could pay my share of the expenses. She claimed I didn't have to, but it was unfair of me to take anything from the alpha when I had left him.

I ignored the sinking feeling I got whenever he crossed my mind and pretended to be completely content now that I had gotten what I wanted.