Amelia decided it was time to make a beeline home. The last thing that she needed was a run-in with the 'it' girl of the pack.
She touched her wound which had begun throbbing. She still couldn't believe how her life had changed in a matter of just one bite. But it was something that she now had to accept, there was nothing that she could do about it.
"I was waiting for you to come over and tell me that you're leaving," said Lucia as she smiled, bent forward, and hugged her daughter goodbye, "take another dose of the medicine as soon as you get home. It's best that you rather get back and go and rest. Tomorrow is another busy day for you here in the pack. Tomorrow you get introduced to the training for the Omega rank that you will join the pack as. It is best that you get to know the other Omegas as soon as possible, that way you can make some friends and better settle into the pack."
Fear overtook Amelia and she began to visibly shake. If only her mother knew what went down between her and Stephanie. The last thing she needed was to be the center of attention. She'd already had her fill and was not looking forward to the next day or many more thereafter. Let alone being near her fiery foe.
Lucia kissed Amelia on the cheek and Amelia turned to leave. "There is no need to lock the cabin door. You are perfectly safe here." Lucia was still holding her daughter by the arm.
There were so many new things for Amelia to get used to. Locking her front door was one of them. She was so used to being 'safety first' that it felt strange to live in a place where you always felt safe.
The guards at the main gate made sure that no trespassers made their way into the compound. Their large frames would scare the dickens out of anyone who even tried.
Amelia looked around for Jax and Blake once more. She wanted their scents to be the last thing she smelt before she left. She wanted the last fill of her lungs to be that of them. Once happy that she'd scented them both and had her fill, she slowly left the hall and descended the front steps. She looked back to ensure that the fiery foe hadn't followed her. She was in no state for a standoff.
Amelia could still smell Jax even though she'd left the hall and was at the bottom of the steps already.
"Amelia! Wait up!" she heard someone call her name. She smelt his scent and immediately knew that it was Jax who had called for her to stop.
She closed her eyes to steady herself before he came nearer. She needed to show that she wasn't shaken by being close to him. Why would he have called for her? Why would he have followed her out of the hall?
Amelia waited at the bottom of the steps until Jax had caught up to her, which didn't take too long for he took them two at a time.
She noticed that he wasn't even out of breath as he reached her side. He was super fit and trained every day. He'd had to as Second and his physique showed it off, she could just imagine his six-pack beneath his shirt and she gulped a breath.
"Leaving so soon?" asked Jax and he almost looked sad. Amelia thought that she read too deeply into the look on his face. He probably just had a lot on his mind. Pack business and all. Either that or the fact that he already had a mate and all of a sudden felt awkward now that we'd been introduced. Jax usually kept his feelings well hidden with a good poker face.
"Yes," smiled Amelia meekly. Jax was about to reach for her but then pulled his hand back just before taking hers. He wanted so badly to touch her and feel her soft skin against his own. "It has been a very long day for me and I feel it's time for me to head back home. That and the fact that my wound seems to have 'woken up' again due to the medicine working its way out of my system."
"Please look after your wound," said Jax and Amelia saw a look of genuine concern cross his face, "you need to remember to go back to the Salutaries so that they can take a look and redo the dressings. Infection is the last thing that you want. Those bites can get nasty." All he wanted to do was hold her and not let go, but he knew that that would have scared her off for good, especially now after the lie Stephanie had told. He knew he needed to speak with Amelia about it but just needed to find the correct time.
Amelia nodded in agreement with Jax and a feeling of warmth ran through her. Was he still trying to protect her? Hadn't he already done enough? She loved being near him and didn't want to leave but her shoulder had begun throbbing and she needed to urgently get home. She looked back at the hall to double-check that Stephanie hadn't followed Jax out. For if she had then trouble would ensue.
Amelia hated confrontation and usually tried to avoid it as best as possible.
"I'll see you around," said Amelia awkwardly as she turned and began to walk away from Jax.
He took hold of her arm which stopped her in her tracks. His touch was electric.
Amelia turned to face him and he let go of her arm.
"May I walk you home?" asked Jax and Amelia was taken off guard. Why would the Second take time away from the festivities to walk the new pup home? Was he possibly afraid that she would get lost? "I just want to make sure that you get home safely and don't pass out along the way." The look of concern hadn't left his face and she could see that he wasn't going to let up, so Amelia agreed that he could accompany her. She felt quite faint just being so close to him. He had such a profound effect on her and she just loved it. Loved the feeling of the rush that she got when he was near and they were alone together.
"You don't have to escort me home," smiled Amelia, who blushed once more, still happy that it was dark out and he wouldn't notice her flushed cheeks.
"It would be my pleasure," said Jax as they began to walk, breathing in her scent of Jasmine. His heart yearned for her but there was nothing that he could do now for it was too early to start pursuing her. He just hoped that her meeting Stephanie hadn't messed everything up. If it had he'd surely kill Stephanie for her foolishness and spiteful nature.
Their stroll was lazy as if neither of them wanted it to be over too quickly. Both wanted to stay in each other's company a little while longer than the walk straight to the cabin. They opted to take a long way around, therefore spending more time together.
Jax didn't know what to do with his hands so he walked with them interlocked behind his back, resting on the base of his spine. He wanted to stare at Amelia but only glanced at her every now and then when she spoke.
Amelia too felt nervous but decided to swing her arms at her sides while she tried to act as normal as possible. She shouldn't be seen alone with another pack member's mate. The last thing that she needed was for someone to see them and for it to get back to Stephanie… or her father.
Lucia had stepped outside the hall once Amelia had left. She wanted to make sure that she got back safely to the cabin.
Lucia was surprised to notice Jax had run after Amelia. He'd never run after an Omega before, especially a female one. A smile crossed her face and warmth filled her heart.
Lucia immediately noticed their body language and could see that they felt awkward. They looked like two uncomfortable teenagers being alone together for the first time.
Amelia was about to ask Jax more about Stephanie when he spoke first and brought up Amelia's past. "I'm guessing that you have a home and job in town. Probably a boyfriend too?" He thought that he'd be subtle and throw that in there to find out details about her dating life. All of him prayed that she was single. What had she done to him? His heart melted each time she was near. His palms became sweaty and his heart rate increased. It was as if she had him in the palm of her hand.
"Yes to the first two questions and no to the last," smiled Amelia, as she looked over to Jax, taken aback that Jax wanted to get to know her better. "I work at the library in town and I live one block away from work so there is no need for transport. I guess I'll be giving notice to my landlord as I'm living at the compound now."
Amelia sighed deeply and looked down at her hands which were now interlocked in front of her. "My life will never be the same again… I've lost everything." She looked close to tears.
"Of course, it will be," replied Jax as he tried to lift her spirits. Seeing her down and not being able to pull her into his arms was killing him. "We can work your training schedule around your job. I'm sure it won't be too much of a hassle. I know just the person to train you. Her name is Chloe. She is a Beta female and I'm sure that the two of you will become good friends fast."
The mention of a friend in the pack piqued Amelia's attention. "You mean I don't have to give up my life as a human?" answered Amelia who nearly jumped up and down she was so excited. The thought of leaving the human world altogether was her biggest fear. She still wanted to feel human, even though half of her was now a wolf. Just thinking about it made it all feel unreal.
"Your life is not over Amelia…it has just begun!" Answered Jax as he looked into Amelia's bright green eyes, he saw the glimmer of hope she had. "You still have so much to learn and you will learn to love being a wolf, I can promise you that." Jax was always so positive and that was one of the many qualities Amelia loved about him. He was a glass-half-full kind of guy and she, now more than ever, needed someone like that in her life because she felt as if it was falling apart. He was her lifeline.
Amelia had thought about leaving her life and friends behind, but the news that she no longer had to made her so happy she wanted to cry with joy. She could still live a normal life and be a wolf at the same time. Working around the two halves of her life was going to be tricky but Amelia was up for the task.
Amelia played with her hair, her nerves getting the better of her. She reached her hand around the back of her neck and pulled it over so that it hung over her right shoulder and down the front of her chest.
This nearly drove Jax wild for he could now see her mating glad and all that he so desperately wanted to do was rub his thumb across it and nip at it. Just to tease Amelia and let her know that he wanted to claim her as his own. He just hoped that Stephanie's stupid actions hadn't spoilt any chance that he had with Amelia. The last thing that he wanted was for her to pull away from him. That would surely kill him. The thought was unbearable.
But he couldn't think about Stephanie now and wouldn't. He wanted Amelia with all of his being but he would never be forward toward someone he'd just met. It wasn't in his nature and he always stayed true to himself, even if it killed him inside.
"Well, this is my stop," smiled Amelia as she turned to Jax and he noticed the crinkle in her nose again as she smiled. Jax was falling hard for Amelia and it scared him to no end. What if she rejected him? He'd feel quite the fool for following her around like a puppy dog. What if Stepanie had stuffed everything up?
"Yes, this is true," replied Jax. His smile made Amelia weak in the knees and she had to draw on all of her strength to act normal. They both hated that their time together had to end. Jax tried to think of a way of spending more time with her but came up blank.
"I would have invited you in for tea, but I'm honestly too tired. All that I want to do is take my medication and climb straight into bed." Said Amelia as she stifled a yawn. Jax could see that she was knackered. She'd been through a lot that day and needed to rest to build up her strength. He would still have many moments with her and needed to let her go for the evening.
Amelia looked deep into Jax's eyes before he left and thought that she saw a sense of longing. Did he want to spend more time with her or was she imagining it? The medication that she was on was rather strong and she thought that it might have caused her to imagine things that weren't there.
"Good night then, Amelia," said Jax as he took her hand and kissed the back of it. Her heart lept as their hands touched. His skin was as warm as she'd imagined it would be. He held her hand for a second too long, he didn't want to let go. "It was a pleasure walking you back to your cabin. I enjoyed our time together very much." It was now Jax's turn to blush, but the night sky hid it as the moon lit up the compound. The night was clear, with not a cloud in the sky. The stars, somehow, shone brighter than normal for Jax. He must have imagined it, or was it because of the fact that he was so close to Amelia?
Jax turned to leave and Amelia's heart saddened. Seeing him go felt as if a part of her was leaving. But how could she feel this way about someone she'd only just met, only just spoken to? Was it because he had saved her? She kept asking herself those questions, but she doubted that it was the reason.
Amelia opened the door and went inside, she gave Jax one last smile goodbye. She closed the door, which took all the strength that she could muster, and leaned her back against the door as soon as she had closed it. She already missed Jax.