Prologue

Six months earlier, May

TV Week Logie Awards, Crown Casino, Melbourne, Australia

The flash of so many cameras nauseated Amber Porter. The buzz of commotion as the journalists struggled to be heard over one another only added to her discomfort. Before tonight, she’d loved all of the attention. She was one of the celebrities invited to this award show, after being nominated in the Most Outstanding Actress in a Drama category. She would also present an award. It was supposed to be a night in which to rejoice, but her good cheer had been replaced by nerves.

Tonight’s celebration was the night of nights for the Australian television industry. This type of event used to be her favorite; she already had one Logie in her collection. Tonight, however, she didn’t particularly want to attend, but Justin had been adamant that they make it. He enjoyed rubbing shoulders with the celebrity crowd, even if his only claim to fame was being Amber’s boyfriend.

He dragged her by the hand, urging her further along the red carpet as they left the limo that had dropped them off. She craved its barrier of safety, and the sentiment made her wonder what her new state of mind was all about. Attending events such as this one was what she’d strived for since she’d been a teenager—popularity, money, and fans. She was supposed to be happy.

 Her silky crimson designer dress made her skin itch. Her heels were too tight and awkward. Her face was rigid with makeup, and the earrings were a burden pulling on her earlobes. Amber had never felt so uncomfortable in her own skin. The life she’d been so happy to achieve and had lived for almost a decade, suddenly suffocated her. She was fed up with other people’s expectations, especially those of her family.

Since her mother’s tragic death, she’d stayed clear of those money-hungry pigs.

“Amber—” Among the voices and flashes of random people trying to get her attention, only one stood out from the rest.

“Amber…” It was almost like a whisper caressing her bare arms. A male voice unlike any she’d ever heard before.

“Turn around,” the voice continued.

She looked over her shoulder with a smile. No one would think her gaze was anything more than another pose for the cameras. Yet her eyes scanned the crowd, eager to find the owner of that alluring voice.

Finally, her gaze locked on him.

Time halted. Amber sucked in a deep breath that took too long to reach her lungs. Several strands of hair escaped her elaborate hairstyle to tumble over her forehead and into her left eye, but she could still see him. A bizarre sensation washed over her as the camera flashes around her continued in what seemed like slow motion.

The man, who wore a dark hooded sweatshirt, took a step toward her. The barricade kept him behind the red carpet, but Amber was still compelled to take several steps in his direction.

She slipped her hand out of Justin’s and moved forward, as if in a trance. The brightness of the event dimmed with every step she took toward the compelling stranger. Amber had never experienced such a strong pull toward a fan.

“I wish to give you this,” the man said when she stood close enough. He held his cupped palms in front of her face.

Shadows crept around them. She caught a movement out of the corner of her eye, but it was gone by the time she turned to look in that direction. The red carpet event faded a little more with each passing second.

“Focus only on me,” the stranger in the hood ordered.

She obliged him. Now that she was closer to him, Amber noticed just how tall he was. His broad shoulders strained his sweatshirt, and both sleeves were rolled up to display his forearms. The hint of a tattoo on his left arm teased her until the intrigue made her stomach churn with wonder.

Who was he? What did those symbols that disappeared beneath the fabric represent? They reminded her of Maori designs she’d seen on many of her co-stars during her years in television.

 “This matches your name.” His big hands lifted high enough for her to catch a glimpse of gold. An amber stone of some sort glowed inside his cupped hands.

She offered him a smile when she suddenly realized the connection. He was offering her a stone which shared her name. How fascinating for a fan to go out of his way like this.

He lifted it closer to her. “Take it.”

“Who are you?” she asked, her whisper too husky. There was something about this man that made her pulse quicken. She couldn’t even see his face, and yet the exhilaration of what lay beneath the cover of his hood made her knees weaken.

“Amber!” She ignored the familiar call.

A few snaps of flash ignited around her, but the shadows kept the light at bay.

Amber wrapped her arms around herself to lower the burden of the cold suddenly surrounding her. She took a deep breath. When she released it with a cough, the air misted in front of her. An oddly rotten stench raced into her nostrils, and she coughed again.

“My identity isn’t important right now, but one day it might be. You will know when it is time. Pray that we never need to cross paths again.” The man shook his hands in what looked like an impatient last thrust of his offering. “Please, I have chosen you specifically—”

How could she say no to a fan who so desperately wanted to share such an intriguing gift?

Amber released a breath and took the chain. An electric shock jolted her fingertips when she accidentally touched the man’s skin. She searched his face in all that darkness but couldn’t see his eyes, though she felt his heavy stare upon her. She drew her hand away, taking the amber stone and gold chain with her. A warm sensation ignited along her fingertips when she dangled the stone in front of her face.

She dropped the chain into her palm and closed her fingers around it. A yellowish glow seeped from her fisted hand, and Amber opened it slowly.

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