10. Chapter Ten
Chapter Ten
Amelia
I took a shaky breath, then finally spoke.
"Aidan…"
"Hmm?" He rumbled in his throat as he traced slow, lazy circles against my skin, completely relaxed.
I hesitated, then forced myself to speak.
“How did you find out Finn was a werewolf?”
“I had him investigated… why are you asking?”
“Just curious, do you think he’s okay?”
“I don’t understand these questions, we just made love, and you seem to be more concerned about Finn,” Aidan snapped.
“It’s not that… it’s just… I was just wondering if he’s okay. You both had a nasty fight.”
“He’s a werewolf, his injuries must have healed by now.”
“Is he still at your warehouse?” I asked.
“No, I told my men to let him go.”
“Are you sure he’s, okay?”
Would you like to video call him?”
“Come on, don’t be like that… I’m just worried about him. Don’t I have the right to be?”
Aidan remained silent and I could feel the tension.
The thick, heavy silence stretched between us. Then it broke.
"Are you in love with Finn?"
I felt my breath hitch. My body froze. My mind screamed at me to answer, to say no, to smooth over this crack before it split us apart.
But I couldn’t.
"Answer me," Aidan’s entire body tensed.
"I…" My throat was dry. I looked away.
The sound of fabric rustling, the bed shifting. When I turned, Aidan was already standing, grabbing his shirt with rough, jerky movements.
"That’s all I needed to know," he muttered, his voice edged with fury.
"Aidan, wait…"
He stormed out, slamming the door so hard the walls shook, leaving me frozen as his absence filled the room, heavy with the knowledge I’d hurt him.
“But what was I supposed to do? Lie? Pretend that the feelings didn’t exist?” I muttered.
"Great. Out of all the men in the world, I had to fall for a vampire and a werewolf," a bitter, humorless laugh bubbled from my lips.
I ran a hand over my face, exhaling sharply. “He just left me here,” I muttered to myself, pacing the room.
My eyes scanned the cabin—dark wooden walls, antique furniture, the faint scent of leather and cologne. It was all so… Aidan.
But then something caught my eye.
“What’s that?” I whispered, stepping closer to the far wall.
The wood paneling looked off, uneven. I trailed my fingers along the surface, my heart skipping a beat when I found a small latch.
“A hidden compartment?” I frowned, hesitating. “What are you hiding, Aidan?”
I pressed the latch.
Click.
The panel swung open.
“Oh my God…”
Inside were pictures. Dozens of them. Old, yellowed photographs, some framed, others stacked haphazardly.
I reached for one, my hands trembling.
“No… this can’t be…”
The woman in the photograph had my face. My eyes. Even the same beauty mark below her collarbone.
But she was dressed in a 19th-century gown, her hair pinned up in an elaborate style.
I grabbed another photo. And another.
“This is impossible,” I whispered, my voice shaking. “This isn’t real. It can’t be.”
Each picture was the same. Her. Or… me.
I stumbled back, clutching the photos.
“No, no, no!” A scream tore from my throat.
The door burst open.
"Amelia!" Aidan’s voice was sharp with concern, but the moment his eyes landed on the photographs, he froze.
His face went pale. His entire body stiffened.
I turned to him, my chest rising and falling in frantic, uneven breaths.
"What the hell is this?"
Aidan didn’t move. He just stared.
"Aidan!" I choked out. "Why do I look exactly like her?!"
He swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing. Then, in a voice so low I almost didn’t hear it, he murmured, "I can explain."
"Then explain!" I demanded, my voice shaking. "Who is she?"
A long silence. Then he spoke.
"Her name was Alma."
The world tilted.
Aidan took a slow, hesitant step forward.
"She was my wife."
I nearly dropped the photograph.
"Your…" My voice cracked. "Your wife?"
"Over a century ago," he said, his voice heavy, "she was murdered. A rival vampire clan attacked us. I held her in my arms as she died," his eyes darkened with old pain.
My breath came in shallow gasps as the weight of his words crushed me, and I turned to the photographs again, my mind spinning.
"I don’t know how… but you…" He exhaled sharply. "You look exactly like her," Aidan stepped closer, his voice barely above a whisper.
A sick feeling coiled in my stomach.
Slowly, I turned back to face him.
"Is that why you’re with me?"
"No," his eyes widened.
But something in his voice faltered, and as I searched his face desperately for the truth, I didn’t find it—not fully.
"You’re lying." My voice trembled. "Some part of you does see her when you look at me, doesn’t it?"
He opened his mouth, then closed it.
Tears burned my eyes as I stepped back, shaking my head.
"I was never Amelia to you, was I?" My voice broke. "I was just Alma’s shadow."
"No." Aidan reached for me, but I jerked away.
"Don’t." My voice was hoarse. "Just don’t."
I turned, forcing my legs to move.
"Amelia, please…"
“I want to go home, Aidan.”
“I promise, I’ll take you home tomorrow morning, it’s pretty late.”
“Take me home now!” I snapped.
“I understand your anger and trust me it’s valid but right now all I can think of is your safety. First thing in the morning, I’ll take you home. We are literally on the outskirts of town; it’s a long drive home.’ “I guess I will have to find my way home.”
I stormed out of the cabin, my heart splintering into a thousand pieces.
The cabin door slammed as I stepped into the cool air, but I froze when Aidan’s men appeared, and a tall guard blocked my path.
“Miss Amelia,” he said gently, his voice firm but respectful. “It’s not safe for you to leave. It’s dark, and the woods… they’re dangerous at night.”
“I don’t care. I need to get out of here,” I clenched my fists, frustration bubbling up inside me.
“I’m sorry, but I can’t let you go. It’s for your safety,” he shook his head, his expression apologetic but resolute.
I don’t understand why am I being protected? Why so many guards? Am I in trouble? I thought.
Overwhelmed, I sank onto the porch steps, and when Aidan sat beside me, his silence spoke volumes.
“I never meant to hide it from you,” finally, he spoke, his voice low and rough.
I didn’t respond. I couldn’t. My throat felt too tight; my emotions were too raw.
“Do you remember the first time we met?” he asked, his tone softer now. “I called you Alma.”
The memory hit me like a punch, rushing back, the way he’d looked at me, his voice faltering as he said her name, a moment I’d buried under everything that had happened since.
“I thought it was a mistake,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “I thought you were just… confused.”
“I wasn’t confused,” he said, his voice steady but filled with emotion. “I was stunned. You looked so much like her, Amelia. It was like seeing a ghost.”
I turned to him then, tears burning my eyes.
“And that’s why you’re with me, isn’t it? Because I remind you of her?”
“No,” he said firmly, his gaze locking onto mine. “That’s not why I’m with you. Yes, you look like her. Yes, it shook me to my core when I first saw you. But you’re not her. You’re Amelia. And I don’t see you as a replacement.”
I wanted to believe him. I really did. But the doubt lingered, a sharp thorn in my heart.
“Then why didn’t you tell me? Why keep it a secret?”
He sighed, running a hand through his hair.
“Because I was afraid. Afraid that if I told you, you’d look at me differently. That you’d think I was using you. And I couldn’t bear the thought of losing you because of my past.
His words hung in the air, heavy with sincerity. I searched his face, looking for any sign of deception, but all I saw was raw honesty—and pain.
“I loved Alma,” he continued, his voice breaking slightly. “She was my everything. But she’s gone, Amelia. And I’ve spent over a century mourning her, carrying the weight of her loss. When I met you… it was like the world gave me a second chance. Not to replace her, but to love again. To live again.”
Tears spilled down my cheeks, and I quickly wiped them away.
“But how do I know you’re not just seeing her when you look at me?”
He reached for my hand, his touch gentle but firm.
“Because I see you. I see the way you laugh, the way your nose scrunches when you’re annoyed. I see the way you fight for what you believe in, even when it terrifies you. That’s not Alma. That’s you. And I love you for it.”
His words shattered something inside me, breaking down the walls I’d built around my heart. I wanted to believe him, to trust that what we had was real. But the fear still lingered.
“What if I’m not enough?” I whispered, my voice barely audible.
He cupped my face in his hands, his eyes blazing with intensity.
“You are more than enough, Amelia. You’re everything. And I don’t want to lose you because of my past mistakes.”
I stared at him, my heart pounding in my chest. The sincerity in his eyes, the raw emotion in his voice, it was impossible to doubt him. And yet, the fear still lingered, a shadow in the back of my mind.
“Aidan,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “I… I forgive you.”
His eyes widened, and he pulled me into a desperate, tender kiss, lifting me effortlessly taking me to the bedroom, his gaze never leaving mine as he laid me down.
“Amelia,” he murmured, his voice thick with emotion. “I love you. Only you.”
“I love you too, Aidan,” I reached up, cupping his face in my hands.
Our lips met, bodies entwined, every touch a promise of love as the world faded, and later, Aidan held me close, his soft kiss bringing a peace I’d never known.
“Sleep, Amelia, remember the doctor said you needed to rest,” he whispered. “I’ll be here when you wake up.”
I nodded; my eyes were already heavy with exhaustion. I nestled closer to him, feeling safe and loved in his embrace. As I drifted off to sleep, I felt a sense of contentment I hadn’t felt in a long time.
But that peace was short-lived…
In a dark, misty forest, I turned to see Alma, my mirror image, her eyes filled with sorrow, step closer, her voice a haunting whisper.
“Amelia,” she said, her voice echoing in the stillness. “You are my reincarnation. You carry my soul, my memories, and my pain. And you have a mission.”
“No… this can’t be real,” I shook my head, my breath coming in shallow gasps.
But Alma’s gaze was unwavering.
“You must stop the tragedy that is coming. If you fail, the ones you love will perish.”
Before I could respond, the scene shifted. I was standing in a room, the walls splattered with blood. My heart stopped as I saw them.
Aidan and Finn.
They lay on the floor, their bodies broken and lifeless. I screamed, falling to my knees beside them, my hands trembling as I reached out to touch them.
“No! No, please!”
I jolted awake, my heart racing, my body drenched in sweat. I gasped for air, my eyes wide with terror. Aidan stirred beside me, his arms tightening around me.
“Amelia?” he murmured, his voice thick with sleep. “What’s wrong?”
I turned to him, my breath coming in ragged gasps.
“Aidan… I… I had a dream.”
He sat up, his eyes filled with concern.
“What kind of dream?”
I opened my mouth to speak, but words failed me. Yet, as I met his gaze, I knew I had to tell him—the dream was a warning, and if I didn’t act, those I loved would die.
“Aidan,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “Something terrible is coming. And if we don’t stop it… we’re all going to die.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Alma appeared in my dream.”
“Wait … what!”