Chapter 7


    After kicking Nox out of my head, and hopefully onto his ass, I managed to sleep the rest of the night


    without a single dream.


    Sleeping in for even an hour past nine a.m. was clearly asking too much, because the three of us were


    all startled awake by a heavy knock on the door.


    Delphine muttered under her breath and staggered into the bathroom. A sliver of golden light spilled


    onto the floor as she stepped inside and closed the door behind her. Seconds passed when the shower


    kicked on.


    I rolled out of bed, my shoes already on my feet, and took my time padding to the door.


    The moment I realized I’d being back home, I nned out every decision and potential


    consequence ahead of time. I had always suspected who my mate was, even as a child. That hope


    had long died out after being convicted of murder, and I hade to ept that a happy ending wasn’t


    meant for me in this life.


    After everything, I wasn’t at all disappointed to find out my mate was Nox. In fact, it was one of the best


    parts of this entire situation.


    Being Nox’s mate gave me a reason to stay in this pack and gave me the power to get revenge on


    every trainer and trainee that had tormented me for thest four years.


    When I opened the hotel door, I wasn’t at all surprised by what I saw.


    Harriet stood front and center, her face beet red with rage. She bared her teeth at me when the corner


    of my lips lifted in triumph. I didn’t bother hiding it from her. It’s not like she could punish me anymore.


    In fact, she’d have to watch her back from now on because it was her turn to feel the heat.


    Standing behind her was Nox and another face I unfortunately recognized. It wasn’t a coincidence that


    the man standing next to Nox glowered at me with a look of unfiltered hatred.


    I should’ve figured I’d see his face eventually. How wonderful.


    Jeremy Whitlock just so happened to be the son of the man I murdered four years ago, Beta Ss


    Whitlock. Ss’s children had never liked me to begin with, but murdering their father amplified dislike


    into pure hatred.


    Where Ss’s daughter looked nothing like him, Jeremy could’ve been twin. He had the same blonde


    hair, cropped short and close to his ears. His face had almost no shape to it, and his jawline was non-


    existent, sloping downwards to blend into his skinny neck.


    Actually, scratch that. His face did have shape to it.


    He looked like a weasel.


    If it wasn’t for his ability, he would’ve had little to no muscle on his body. Enhanced Strength, which is


    also what Harriet had, helped a wolf pack on a bit of extra meat.


    “Both of you can wait in the hall. I need a moment with Lc.” Noxmanded, using his voice as


    though it were a weapon of sharpened steel.


    His sidekick bristled instantly, opening his abnormally small mouth to let out a cry of protest.


    “What if she tries to kill you? It wouldn’t be the first time she’s murdered someone.” Jeremy spat,


    thrusting out his bony chin in defiance.


    What, did he expect me to lose my shit from his littlement? If only he knew I’d met snakes with


    worse venom than his.


    Literally. Ha-ha.


    Nox’s eyes were t as he stared Jeremy down. Even as a teen, before Jeremy had inherited his


    father’s position, Nox could barely stand him. It seemed some things would never change.


    “Where would she go? As long as she’s in this pack, she’s surrounded.”


    It was too early for this bullshit, but as much as I wanted to, I couldn’t m the door in their faces.


    They’d never let me go back to sleep. Instead, I smirked and forced a heavy dose of sweetness into my


    voice, so much that I hoped the three of them choked on it.


    “No worries, I wouldn’t dream of making the same mistake twice.”


    Jeremy, who clearly hadn’t be any more intelligent the four years I’d been gone, took a step


    closer.


    “You’re saying murdering my father was a mistake?” He asked in a pinched voice.


    Oh, he wasn’t going to like this one bit, but I sure would.


    I shook my head. “No. I’m saying getting caught was a mistake.”


    Instantly, his hands became fists at his side. His lips puckered and face turned red with outrage. The


    guy looked pissed enough to breathe fire. I was very much looking forward to this fight, but of course,


    Nox had to ruin it.


    “Wait. Outside.” Nox forced the two words out through his teeth.


    I backed away from the door, sweeping my hand out towards the rest of the room. Kicking the door


    shut behind me, I waited with my hands sped behind my back for Nox to turn and start his bitching.


    “You can’t be saying things like that, Lc. Not after what you’ve done.” Nox said, scolding me like I


    was an insolent child.


    That, out of all the things he’s said to me so far, ignited a fire in my veins.


    My skin grew warm and itchy, my wolf alert and already beginning to pace with restlessness. She didn’t


    give two shits if this was our mate. He’d betrayed us in the worst of ways, and if wolves were good at


    one thing, it was holding a fucking grudge.


    I approached him with slow, even steps, gritting my teeth hard enough to crack a mr. We were


    inches apart, so close that if I wanted, I could reach up and touch his face. That was all it would take to


    end his life, a single touch. All I’d have to do was open the box I’d hidden deep within my mind, the box


    that held my deadly ability.


    Not yet, Lc.


    I wanted—no, I needed to savor this.


    “After what I’ve done?” I whispered, craning my head to stare up at him. “What pretty little victims you


    all are.”


    Hakeem cleared his throat, effectively breaking me from my blood-thirsty trance. His eyes found mine,


    dark and calm, as though he could see the storm raging inside of me. The slightest twitch of his jaw


    told me he understood how I felt. In his own way, at least.


    I backed away from Nox. If he knew how close he came to feeling my ws in his throat, he didn’t give


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    it away. A single deep breath was all it took for me to get myself under control, to bottle the rage I’d


    been so close to unleashing. There wasn’t so much as a tremor in my voice as I spoke.


    “Let’s make one thing clear, Nox. Right here, right now. You do not order me. I do as I please because


    that’s the only way you’ll ever be Alpha. Now, lets go. You’re wasting my day.”


    Nox’s eyes shed with heat and his jaw tightened, but what I focused on was the way his nostrils


    red.


    “I didn’t even tell you why I came here.” He grunted, showing some sense when he chose not to argue


    with me.


    I snorted at him and made my way to the duffle bag I’d brought with me. There wasn’t much inside in


    terms of clothes, but I was pretty sure I had onest clean outfit to wear. I spotted my shiv in the mix


    and slipped it into my hand where it couldn’t be seen.


    Just because I wasn’t in camp anymore didn’t mean I wouldn’t need a weapon.


    After finding a clean grey sweatshirt, I peeled off the one I had on and tossed it to the floor. Since bra’s


    weren’t a necessity among the servants, most of us didn’t bother wearing one. It would’ve been nearly


    impossible to get our ws on one, anyway.


    This meant my bare back was on disy for both Nox and Hakeem, but I’d never been shy to begin


    with.


    Thankfully, Delphine was in the shower because I had no doubt she’d throw a fit.


    I could feel both of their eyes on my back, but it was Nox’s I noticed the most. His burned, scraping


    along the mess of scars that ran from my shoulders, all the way down to my hips.


    Thanks a lot, Phineas.


    Turning around, there was a look in Nox’s eyes that made me deeply ufortable. It was a look


    reserved for the boy I knew, the one that hadn’t betrayed my trust and shattered my love. Rather than


    analyze something I didn’t give two shits about, I turned to Hakeem and thrust my chin in his direction.


    “You ready, Hakeem?”


    My silent, but very observantpanion shrugged and stood from the bed. He made a show of


    stretching, raising his arms above his head and cracking his neck.


    Nox looked between the two of us, his jaw rigid and lips pursed. Rather than say what was actually on


    his mind, he grunted, “Lets go,” and ushered us to the door.


    Primrose City Hall was a ten-minute drive away from the hotel, a straight shot through the heart of


    town, bypassing everything I had once loved about this ce.


    The Midnight Fall’s pack was one of the three oldest packs in existence. A single stroll through town


    and you’d be able to tell. If you paid attention, that is.


    Over the years, Alpha Oliver and histe father had worked tirelessly to expand ournds and


    modernize our pack. They did an incredible job at ushering in the age of technology whilst keeping the


    unique and vintage qualities the people here had grown to love.


    Storefronts had borate signs in a variety of fonts, with awnings of every color and pattern. Some still


    retained their dark brick walls, while others were painted over. Murals were pasted along the sides of


    many stores, a whirlwind of emotion and memory given life by something as simple as paint and a


    brush.


    On the corner of Main St. was the clock tower with its auburn brick and eggshell trim. Its appearance


    matched that of City Hall, right down to the marble stairs and columns. As we pulled up to the curb,


    right next to the perfectly trimmed hedges that sat in a row of cubes, I was assaulted by a vision of the


    past.


    Sliding out of the car, the sun warm as it soaked into my skin and coaxed the slightest hint of sweat


    from my pores, I inhaled deeply. The scent and scenery were the same, exactly the same as they had


    been four years ago.


    Nox’s eyesnded on the side of my face, and I wasn’t at all prepared for my body’s reaction to them.


    His attention rivaled the sun itself, burning brighter than the star ever could. It made me feel both


    ufortable in my skin and undeniably alive.


    I shoved the useless and pesky emotions he evoked deep, deep down and met his stare with my own.


    A sheer, translucent image of the Nox I knew four years ago ovepped the present version. When had


    his features be so hard?


    It couldn’t have been the day of the trial. No, that kind of ruthlessness is built over time. I, of all people,


    would know. I didn’t wonder if he was seeing the same thing when he looked at me—the past


    ovepping with the present—because I simply did not care.


    Neither of us spoke, oblivious to Harriet, Hakeem, and Jeremy waiting impatiently nearby.


    “Nothing has changed.” Nox said, finally opening his mouth, shattering the image of the past my mind


    had conjured up.


    Beneathyers andyers of carefully crafted walls, the terrifying beast my rage had be thrashed,


    spitting fire, and snapping its many sets of jaws. Nox was privileged to be able to say that. His privilege


    came from me—from what I was forced to do that night.


    I stared him dead in the eyes, the ckest parts of my soul staring out, and said:


    “Everything has changed.”