Waiting For Darkness ( The third book in the Silver Wolf series.)

COUNCIL MEMBER PERRY It has been two months since the body of Claude Simmons was dumped outside of the gates to the werewolf council compound. We had been on high alert ever since, but so far, nothing. The council leader was starting to believe that it hadn't been the threat that we had thought. I, however, wasn't ready to believe that yet. I wasn't in charge, though. He had decided that now that he believed the threat to be of little concern, it was time to deal with other matters. He ordered me to go to the Lakeside pack and convey a message to Amber and Adam. He felt that my relationship with them would be a benefit. I was dreading it. I knew that it wouldn't be well accepted. I pulled up at the guard gate and was greeted by a young male werewolf that I didn't recognise. I introduced myself and told him that the Alpha and Luna were expecting me. He told me that his name was Dale and waved me through. I kept driving until I reached the pack house. I had suggested to Adam that we meet there as I was coming on official business. I knocked on the door to the Alpha's office, full of trepidation. He called for me to enter, and I pushed open the door. Adam was inside, but there was no sign of Amber. I enquired as to her whereabouts, and Adam said that she would join us shortly. There was an air of sadness to his voice. I had to admit that i had been kept rather busy lately and hadn't checked in on my froiends quite as often as I would have liked to. I wondered if there was something going on that I had missed. Before I could ask, the door opened, and Amber entered the office. She looked as beautiful as ever. Her chestnut hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and she was dressed in a simple green shirt dress and sandals. She greeted me and gave me a hug. I expected her to go and sit on Adam's lap. It was a natural thing for werewolf couples. The closeness that it gave them brought peace and comfort to them both. They could probably use that today. To my surprise, Amber made her way over to the sofa and made herself comfortable there instead. "I wish that I had come with good news, but I am afraid the council leader...." I began but hesitated. I really didn't want to have to give them this message. "He wants to Adam to produce an heir again, doesn't he?" Amber asked. I was confused. She had said it as though it was nothing. I nodded, "I am afraid so. It is not just that, though. Given your reluctance the last time he ordered it, he has now given you a one month period in which to find a suitable surrogate and make the arrangements. If you dont comply, he is threatening to remove you as Alpha and Luna of the Lakeside pack," I informed them. Adam nodded, seeming to be taking it all in. "Thank you for coming and telling us personally," Amber said. Her voice was cracking ever so slightly as she tried to hold her emotions in. "Is there anything else?" she asked. I shook my head. "Well then, if you will excuse me, I have a lot to be getting on with. It is lovely to see you, and I hope that you will join us for dinner tonight," she said. I, of course, accepted, and she left. Adam was still strangely quiet. I figured that the news had been hard for him to take. "Are you okay? I'm sorry that I had to bring such news with me," I said. He looked up at me and smiled slightly. "It's not your fault. We knew that this day was coming sooner or later," he told me. Something seemed off with both of them. "How are those beautiful babies of yours?" I asked, trying to lighten the mood a little. "William and Mary are doing great," he said, perking up a bit. He told me all about the twins, and I listened. I couldn't help but notice the change in his demeanour as he talked. Perhaps I should stick around for a couple of days to try and get to the bottom of whatever was going on with those two. AMBER I locked my office door and curled up in a ball on the sofa and cried. Things had been strained between Adam and I since just after we got back from the Moon River pack. We had stuck to what we had said and taken the day after we got home to ourselves. Just Adam, me, and the twins. It had been wonderful for us, and it felt as though we really connected and found each other again. We even spent that night having the most amazing s*x. I had honestly thought that everything was behind us, and we were back on the road to happiness. It was the next day that something changed, and I still wasn't sure what it was. Adam had gone up to the pack house to get some work done, and I had stayed at home. Everything that needed to be done by me could be done from there. This way, I could be home with the twins while still performing my duties as Luna. Around lunchtime, I had gotten an unsettling feeling in my the pit of my stomach. I didn't know what it was, and it didn't last long. When Adam got home that night, he seemed a little distant. He had said that it was nothing and perked up after I gave him a kiss. So, I just let it go. Now I was wondering if that had been a mistake. Things had only gotten more distant between us since. He stayed up at the pack house until later, and we hadn't had s*x again since that first night. I wasn't sure what was wrong or what had caused this space between us, but today's news had felt like a wrecking ball had hit me. The worst part of it, though, was that I could feel that it didn't hurt him anywhere near as much. It had taken every ounce of control that I had to try an appearance, matter of fact, about it all, but inside, I was in agony.