Oh Uncle

Amber POV

I went to get out of Damien's arms to make my way to my father when Damien's grip tightened around me. He took in a deep breath and whispered, "Put something on first." He put me down on my feet and quickly bent down to grab a bag of clothes from right next to him. Opening the bag, he took out a black t-shirt and pulled it down over my head. As I put my arms up through the sleeves, he tugged the shirt down and pulled me into a tight hug. "God Amber, I was so fucking scared. Don't do that to me ever again! I could have lost you; I would be nothing without you. You are my everything."

I felt his words seep in and my heart started to flutter. I took my hands and put them on either side of his face making him look at me with those emerald eyes I love so much. "But Damien, I am fine. I am standing right here with you. You will never lose me. It is you and I together forever." I gave him a quick peck on his lips and stepped around him towards my father.

My father was on his knees sobbing uncontrollably. I ran to him and wrapped my arms around him. "Oh Dad, you're alright. Mom's alright, she is still alive! You should be celebrating and not sitting here crying your eyes out." I spoke to him while rubbing his back to try to calm him.

He hugged me tighter, seeming to quiet down a little bit. After a few minutes he pulled away slightly so that he could speak to me while looking at my face. "Oh. my Rose, tell me she is alright. Please tell me she hasn't suffered this whole time." he begged.

"Daddy, I don't know what all mom has been through. I just know that it WAS her! I didn't put it all together before, but Dad I smelled Honeysuckle! That is her scent! Once I smelled it, I remembered." I spoke to him with excitement in my voice, and he smiled at it.

"Oh, my Rose, where is she? How do we find her?" he asked.

At this my face drooped. I had no idea how to answer this because I had no idea where I had come from. "Daddy I don't know. I don't know where they had me. All I did was teleport here. I thought of Damien and it brought me here."

I felt Damien's presence behind me. "Amber." his deep voice came. I stood up from where I was with my father and turned towards him. "I think we should get you checked out. We are about thirty minutes from the packhouse. Can you make it?" he asked as he came and wrapped his arms around me protectively.

I looked at him with furrowed brows. "Damien what do you mean we are thirty minutes from the packhouse? Why were you going to your packhouse? And I don't need to get checked out, I need to find my mother!" I wrestled to get out of his arms.

"Stop fighting me! Amber just calm down! Babe please!" Damien's voice boomed. "Amber we were on our way to the packhouse to find you!"

I stopped moving at once. I couldn't help standing there in shock and confusion, "What do you mean you were going to the packhouse to find me? Why on earth would I be at the packhouse?"

Damien looked down at me, pausing before he answered. "Because...because Gretchen lives in a property located on the pack lands. I have reason to believe that she hasn't been acting alone." he was just about whispering the last part.

"Damien what do you mean she hasn't been acting alone? I know she hasn't been acting alone. Jeb was there with her, and while I'm still determining if he was a willing participant, I already know she hasn't -"

"Amber NO, listen to me!" Damien yelled as I stopped talking quite abruptly. Looking up to him in puzzlement, I waited for him to continue. "I have reason to believe that Gretchen has been working with my father." Damien looked down to the ground. He refused to make eye contact with me.

I put my hands on his face and pushed hard until he had no choice but to meet my gaze. "Damien, what do you mean you think your father has been working with Gretchen?" I asked. "What would make you think that?"

I saw a few tears fall from his eyes as he closed them. "Because he was the one who gave her a place to live, and he hates me. He always has, but I don't know why he hates me. And now all the puzzle pieces add up to Gretchen and my father working together for some odd reason. I have to find him, find her, I have to get rid of them, all of them! I have to keep you safe." Damien looked so broken as I watched him reveal this information.

I wiped the tears away from his eyes and put my hands on his cheeks. "Damien my love. Open your eyes and look at me." Once he opened his eyes, I smiled at him. "My love, my prince charming. You are the love of my life, my everything. Please don't for once second ever believe that I would leave you or hold against you the actions of others. You have always been there for me when I needed it, you have always shown me just how much it is that you love me. We are in this together, ALWAYS. If your dad is involved, we will handle it together."

I watched as relief made its way into his eyes and he smiled back at me. "Amber I don't know what I would ever do without you. Please don't ever leave me again." he said as he wrapped his arms around me.

I giggled quietly. "Damien, I didn't mean to leave you, I mean I was kind of kidnapped."

He brought his lips to my ear and whispered, "well the only person who is allowed to kidnap you in the future is me." My body instantly responded to his husky words and the implication of them. Goosebumps erupted all over my skin begging me to move forward with any of the images playing in my mind. I took a deep breath and pushed him away slightly.

"Damien as much as I miss you and I would love nothing more than to be with you right now, we have unfinished business to take care of. I believe I have thought of the solution. I will need you, Jeremy and Todd ready."

Damien groaned at the loss of contact as I furthered my distance from him to calm my hormones. "What do you need us ready for?" he asked.

I smiled brightly. "Todd! Jeremy! Come here please!" I yelled out.

Todd came running over and crushed me in a bear hug. "Cuz you are alright! Oh my gosh am I so happy to see you!"

I returned his hug and gave him a smile. "I'm glad to be back too, you better believe it. Where is Jeremy?" I asked Todd and Damien both.

"Jeremy is at the pack house. I had him turn around on his way to the castle, so he should already be there." Damien quickly answered me.

"Hmmm well then...who else do we have here that would be of value to fight when needed?" I looked to both Damien and Todd for an answer.

They both sat there thinking, but the silence was broken by someone clearing their throat. "Ahem." I looked to see that it was Uncle Adam.

"Uncle!" I yelled as I ran to his arms that were there held open waiting for me to come give him a hug.

Taking me in his embrace he chuckled at my excitement. "Oh, Amber Rose, I am so proud of you. You are just the leader we have needed for a very long time." I looked up at his face which showed utter adoration and proudness. "With that being said, I will come."

I smiled and sighed in relief just before I heard Damien cut in, "Come where? Where are you planning on going?'

I let go of my uncle and turned to Damien and Todd. Just as I was about to answer my uncle answered for me.

"I believe Amber plans to teleport the four of us to where she was held, or at least where her mother is. Like she said earlier, she only needs to think of a person to teleport to where that person is. While we can teleport to her mother, we are not entirely sure that it will be safe to do so, hence she will need the strongest and smartest with her."

I jumped up and down clapping my hands in excitement.

"Exactly! Who's ready?"