The Alpha’s Rejected And Broken Mate
Chapter 107

Amber POV

"Your highness there are two strangers at the front of the castle, requesting an audience with Miss Amber Henderson," said a guard, knocking on the door and interrupting the two of us. We glanced toward the guard, Stefan with raised eyebrows, wondering who the visitors could possibly be. We had just been about to kiss and judging by the annoyed expression on Stefan's face, he was none too pleased with the interruption. I stifled a giggle and looked towards the guard with a questioning expression on my face. "Do you happen to know their names?" I asked evenly.

The guard gave an imperceptible nod. "The visitors claim to be a Miss Clarissa Henderson and a man calling himself Alpha Rowan Craven."

I gave a gasp, feeling a swell of excitement in my b****t. My mother was here! I had no idea what circumstances had brought her here but I would be glad for her company. As for Alpha Rowan? Well, my heart skipped a beat at hearing his name. I had thought I was over Alpha Rowan, but a small part of me was delighted to learn that he was here as well and I fought to maintain my composure in front of Stefan.

"Clarissa Henderson is my mother," I told Stefan quietly "and Alpha Rowan is..." I trailed off helplessly, but Stefan knew instinctively who the man was. But then again, he knew my story and who Alpha Rowan was to me.

"The bastard who couldn't make a decision" growled Stefan looking displeased as he instructed the guards to let the visitors through.

"If he had made a decision, then I wouldn't be right here with you" I pointed out meekly, making Stefan smile in spite of himself.

"I guess his loss was my gain then," he said lightly, but frowning as he touched the nape of my neck with his long fingernail, where there were not one but two tattoos present. His mark and Rowans were still there. "I want to know why his mark won't disappear" he murmured "especially considering the bastard forcibly marked you" he added with a growl.

"Never mind that, let's go" I protested, heading out the doorway in a rush, a startled Stefan left to follow behind me in my wake. I literally jogged down the stairs and raced into my mother's arms as I saw her and Alpha Rowan standing in the doorway. "Mother" I exclaimed loudly as she burst into tears, holding me tightly to her "how I've missed you."

I felt rather than saw, Stefan's presence on the stairs as he came wandering down.

"Mother," I said, sniffling as tears formed in my own eyes "what on earth are you doing here?"

I felt her tense and then realized that Stefan's commanding influence was there.

"Amber," he said quietly, coming to my side "perhaps this is a conversation best done in private" he suggested and I gave a small nod. He was right. This should be discussed in private, well away from any council members. Something in my gut was telling me that mother and Alpha Rowan were not just here for a social call.

Speaking of Rowan. My eyes darted toward him, taking in his breathtaking appearance. His hair was disheveled and his dark eyes were piercing as they met mine. For a moment it felt like we were the only two in the room and I sucked in a breath, unable to look away from his handsome face or stop myself from gazing at his body. I quickly forced myself to come crashing back down to earth and smiled at Stefan.

"Of course," I said slightly stammering "mother this is King Stefan, Stefan this is my mother" I paused and hesitated before gesturing towards Rowan "and this is Alpha Rowan" I finished grimly, watching as Rowan inclined his head respectfully towards Stefan. "I think the throne room is empty," said King Stefan lightly "if you would all be so kind as to follow me."

He held my hand as we walked up the stairs together, my mother following in our wake while Rowan brought up the rear. We crossed several corridors before coming to the throne room, Stefan opened the doors and informed the guards that no one, besides his best friend Dylan, was allowed to enter. We certainly did not want council members interrupting our little meeting.

"Sorry about that, but privacy is a difficult thing to come by" apologized Stefan as he encouraged all of us to sit down together. Mother sat on one side of me, Stefan on the other. Rowan, looking extremely reluctant, took his place on the other side of Stefan and we all looked at each other. Finally, I spoke.

"Mother," I said with genuine curiosity and warmth in my voice "what on earth are you doing here and" I paused and looked towards Alpha Rowan "with Alpha Rowan?"

I added hastily, feeling myself babble "Mother, I am so happy to see you. I know I haven't kept in touch but I was planning to" "it's just things happened so quickly and then..." I trailed off apologetically.

My mother gave me a warm smile "it's alright darling I understand" she told me, wringing her hands together. She seemed nervous and I couldn't understand why. I leaned forward and glanced at Alpha Rowan. "How did you replace me?" I asked and then "and you were so kind as to accompany my mother here so she wouldn't be alone."

I knew that wasn't the whole story. There was no way that Rowan had done this simply out of the kindness of his heart. There had to be more to it than that. Especially with the way my mother was acting. Stefan could sense it too, his hand giving mine a squeeze as Rowan answered my question.

"We got lucky," he said "someone in another pack had heard about a red-haired girl called Amber who was the vampire King's guest" he finished. I huffed. Damn, the rumors were really flying thick and fast if I was being mentioned by shifters in passing.

My mother began to sob, loudly and I glanced at her puzzled. They sounded more than just happy tears. "Mother?" I asked her anxiously "What's wrong? This is a happy occasion isn't it?"

Stefan grasped my hand and held onto it tightly, both of us sensing something was seriously wrong.

My mother sobbed harder: "It's a happy occasion" she choked out and then reached over and took my hand, Alpha Rowan looking grim now "but there is something I need to tell you. It's about your sister Sophie" she added.

I was confused now. What was so upsetting about Sophie? The last I had heard, my sister had been deliriously happy with Darius. I was immediately concerned. "Did something happen to the baby?" I asked in a panic, putting a hand to my throat "oh my god, I knew I should have contacted her" I wailed.

My mother shook her head, tears trailing down her cheeks. "Your sister is dead, Amber. She died a few weeks ago."

Your sister is dead, she died a few weeks ago

Your sister is dead she died a few weeks ago

Your sister is dead

The words repeated themselves in my mind and all I could do was gaze at my mother horrified. Surely I had misheard her? Wouldn't I have felt Sophie die? Weren't twins meant to have some sort of special bond when it came to stuff like that? Mother had to have been making a horrible mistake. But when I looked over at Alpha Rowan and saw the way his jaw was clenched, and the sadness in his eyes, I knew that it had to be true and just like that I felt like my world was crashing down.

"She can't be dead" I cried, tears trailing down my cheeks as Stefan reached over and grasped me in a hug, letting me cry all over his shoulder. "What, how" I spluttered "what happened."

I was inconsolable, and it took Stefan several minutes before I was able to regain some of my composure. My mother sat in silence, stiff as a statue, and Rowan said nothing, but his eyes were sympathetic toward me.

"Your sister was poisoned," said my mother quietly "she ingested something that was fatal, by someone who breached the grounds and pretended to be an omega. We don't know why it happened, perhaps someone saw her as a threat by her becoming the future luna of the pack. We discovered her too late to save her" she finished with a sob.

Why would anyone want to kill Sophie? It didn't make sense. I felt sick to my stomach. Bile rose up in my throat. I swallowed it down, glancing at Rowan. "Do we know who it was that killed her?"

Why would anyone want to kill Sophie? It didn't make sense. I felt sick to my stomach. Bile rose up in my throat. I swallowed it down, glancing at Rowan. "Do we know who it was that killed her?" "No," said my mother smoothly "we have no proof of who it was."

But Rowan was hesitant. "I believe it might have been Stacey" he admitted wryly "and Darius."

"Darius" I gasped "but he loved Sophie with all his heart. Sure he didn't like being forced into the marriage, but he came around to it and he never would have harmed his baby."

My mother sighed. "Sophie lost the baby a few weeks before she was poisoned, another incident where there was no proof and she claimed she had fallen down while out in the woods."

I was having trouble digesting all this. I felt like I was becoming hysterical, my breathing hyperventilating as Stefan tried to rub soothing circles onto my back.

"What does Stacey have to do with Darius? I didn't even think they knew each other" I added pointedly, sucking in deep breaths of oxygen.

"I can't prove it" Rowan drawled "but Stacey was a prisoner in my dungeon and on the same day Darius visited, she was suddenly gone. I know it was him though."

Why the f**k had Stacey been a prisoner? My head was spinning with all this information being thrown at me. It was almost too much for me to handle.

"Why was Stacey a prisoner?" I asked, feeling dread inside of me. I didn't dare speak out that she was in fact, now working at the castle.

"She put a spell on me to make me fall in love with her," said Rowan with a low growl and shake of his head "I found out I figured the dungeon would be more merciful, considering she was pregnant." "What would" I choked out "you have done with her once the baby was born?"

An awkward silence. Rowan's face flushed red. He put a shaking hand through his hair and looked at me with a sheepish expression on his face "I would have killed her."

"Do you think Stacey killed Sophie?"

"I think Darius put Stacey up to it," Rowan said pensively "but I can't prove it. It could have just as easily been someone else" he added with a frown "your sister did have some enemies."

Oh, I bet she did. She wasn't exactly the nicest girl in school that was for sure. Still, I resolved to replace Stacey after this and demand the truth from her. I didn't want my mother anywhere near her, in case she lost the plot or something. For all, I knew there was a rational explanation for it all or Stacey might not have had anything to do with it at all. I was the only one who even knew she was in the castle and I had to keep calm and be logical. But how do you be rational when you've just discovered that your other half, your twin sister is dead? You can't be. Emotion defies logic. My heart felt like it had been torn in two and ripped to shreds, leaving behind a void that could never be filled by anyone else. I had been looking forward to Sophie meeting my child, even if I had dreaded going back on the custody agreement I had initially agreed to. I had wanted my child to have an aunt to love and who would help to raise them and now that was all gone. Stolen away from me and my child. I wanted justice, I thought with a grimace and I wouldn't hesitate to get the answers I sought.

Rowan reached over and grabbed my hand and I instantly jolted, feeling the tingles running down my hand and spine. Crap. I knew what that meant and I wondered why he hadn't accepted the rejection. But the feeling couldn't be denied and I glanced at Stefan, knowing by the grim expression on his face, that he had just caught on to what was happening and he was anything but happy about it.