《Alpha Nox by Jane Doe》


 Prologue

    Prologue


    For as long as I lived, I would never forget that day.


    It was the day the people I considered my friends¡ªmy family, failed me irreparably. The day that the


    life that I knew and loved was ripped out from under my feet, splintered like the deck of a mighty ship,


    leaving me to drown in the ferocious waves below.


    This was the day I learned the sheer power of betrayal and how it can motivate a person to endure


    anything.


    The shackles around my wrists were heavy. Cold against the burnt flesh that spanned my wrists. Just


    as my skin would start to heal, scabbing over in rough patches caked with dried blood, the silver would


    brush up against them and split them wide open. With every step I took, the chains connected to those


    shackles rattled, singing a terrible song of agony, death, and unrequited love.


    The townspeople parted to let me through, keeping their distance only because the guards standing on


    either side of me forced them to. I was more than positive if they were allowed, they¡¯d hurl stones and


    throw fists, shouting words just as painful as their blows.


    If only they knew that had I wanted to, I could¡¯ve broken free.


    These were the people that had watched me grow up, that had stood on their front porches waving as


    their children and I walked to school each day. How quickly they turned on those they considered friend


    and family, tossing away their narrow-minded ideas ofmunity when it suited their sadistic needs.


    I¡¯d never forgive them for this.


    I held my head high because that¡¯s what Einar (AY-NAR) women did. Turning my nose up at the crowd


    like I was better than them because I knew the truth.


    It¡¯s what my mother did when the rogues murdered her, uncaring that she was holding my newborn


    sister against her chest. Using her abilities would¡¯ve saved them both but would also have painted a


    target on all our backs. One that could never be removed. It was their sacrifice that granted me life¡ªa


    life I threw away for something as fickle as love.


    The one sce I had to this entire situation was a double-edged de. One poised at my throat,


    pressing hard enough to draw blood that only I could see. Once this was all over, I¡¯d be with my mother


    and sister. I¡¯d walk into the Moon Goddesses arms, my head held high, and tears buried beneath silent


    rage.


    ¡­but my father.


    Titus Einar, the one man that believed me, that loved me despite the crime Imitted. He¡¯d spend the


    rest of his life mourning me, just like he mourned my mother and sister.


    The mere thought of my father made my eyes sting with tears. They would never know the pleasure of


    falling, of drying against pale skin, leaving salty kisses behind.


    I scanned the crowd, my neutral expression carefullyposed and perfectly in ce. Disappointment


    battered me upside the head when I failed to see his broad shoulders and long blonde hair, but I


    couldn¡¯t me him.


    What person on this Goddess-forsaken earth would want to attend their only daughter¡¯s execution?


    I was led through the moring crowd, shoved past their hateful words that ricocheted off my skin like


    spitballs, and into the city court room.


    Even though I¡¯d spent my entire life in this pack, I¡¯d never been in this building before. There was never


    a need toe here.


    The guards nking me bypassed the security check-in, escorting me around the metal detectors and


    to a series ofrge double doors. Seeing as I¡¯d been locked in a cell for the past three days, there was


    no need to check me for weapons. Hell, the scraps of cloth they called clothing didn¡¯t even have


    pockets.


    I knew which room we were going to by the sound of chatteringing from within.


    Part of me wanted to snort when I was escorted into thergest, grandest court room I¡¯d ever seen. Of


    course, Alpha Oliver would take every opportunity to make a spectacle out of this.


    Even my bastard of an Alpha, who was among the many that had watched me grow up, hadn¡¯t believed


    me when I tried to exin myself.


    No one had. Not even him.


    The moment I entered the court room, I could feel his eyes on my face. They had a weight to them that


    no one else seemed to have, inciting a pressure that rippled over the skin and caused one to shudder.


    Despite everything¡ªdespite every way he failed me, I could not stop myself from meeting his eyes.


    Nox Griffin, my best-friend, the boy I harbored a secret love for, and the son of our illustrious Alpha.


    He stared at me from the podium where he stood proudly beside his father, his eyes a bright whirlpool


    that sucked me in only to spit me back out. Just the sight of him cracked the mask I¡¯d spent three days


    crafting.


    How could you, Nox? I wanted to cry out.


    Everything I did¡ªeverything¡ªit was all for you.


    He looked so much like his father, rigid and immovable with hair darker than the prison cell I¡¯d been


    thrust into, an expression of malice on his face where there had once been fondness. I clung to the


    scraps of my mask because without them I knew I¡¯d cry.


    A gavel rang out, shing against wood and echoing in the courtroom until every witness in attendance


    grew silent.


    I stared at Nox unblinkingly, showing him with my eyes the horrible mistake he¡¯d made.


    I take back the love I gave you, Nox Griffin.


    I take back the future I pictured for us.


    I take back the mate-bond I prayed to the Goddess for.


    I take it all back.


    This onest time, I let myself drink him in. I traced the lines of his plump rose petal lips, ones I never


    had the pleasure of kissing but had often dreamt about. His shoulders, which had filled out more over


    the summer, along with the mop of unruly hair on his head, so thick and soft that I¡¯d often tug at it every


    chance I got.


    When his father began speaking, I was forced to look away.


    ¡°I, Alpha Oliver Griffin, have gathered you all here today to sentence Ms. Lc Einar for her heinous


    crimes against this pack.¡± He addressed the crowd, sweeping his pale eyes over every one of their


    faces.


    Murmuring rang out, rippling along the crowd that sat in rows at the back of the room and on the


    shoulders perched on small balconies overlooking the courtroom.


    ¡°Lc Einar, do you confess to the murder of Beta Ss Whitlock?¡± Alpha Oliver asked in a steady voice


    that made me want to roll my eyes.


    Your mate would watch Nox and I after school when my dad was busy at work. She¡¯d make us little


    sandwiches and give us juice boxes, watching with starry eyes as we yed. Yet now you stand here


    with wariness in your eyes, because now¡ªnow you finally see me for what I am.


    A threat you cannot contain.


    A threat no one can contain.


    So many memories, so many chances for them all to just listen to me, but they never did. They saw a


    fraction of what I could do and let the fear of it swallow them whole, stealing away their memories and


    reason.


    ¡°Yes.¡± I replied, chin raised and voice just as eerily calm.


    I hid my disgust for that wretched name beneath a carefully crafted fa?ade of heartlessness.


    There was nothing more for me to say. This wasn¡¯t a ce to express yourself, or to make notions of


    innocence. No, this courtroom was created for one thing¡ªdishing out sentences. And there wasn¡¯t a


    person in this pack who didn¡¯t know the punishment for murder.


    Alpha Oliver nodded to the gasping crowd as if to say, ¡®See? See what this girl has done?¡¯


    I didn¡¯t react, didn¡¯t dare turn around to where Beta Ss¡¯s family sat. I could feel the daggers his son,


    daughter, and mate were thrusting into my back. At the end of the day, it didn¡¯t matter. Their father¡¯s


    name was carved where no one could see, deeper than flesh and bone, right down to the soul.


    ¡°As Alpha of the Midnight Falls Pack, your punishment for murdering a beloved member of this


    ¡°Wait! Please, wait.¡± A voice interrupted.


    I knew that voice and knew it well. It was the one that would sing me lubies as a child, gruff and


    husky but full of so much warmth that I¡¯d never gone a moment in my life without feeling it¡¯s gentle


    touch.


    ¡°Father.¡±


    My mouth opened, forming the word, but no sound came out.


    In all of his six-foot glory, my father rushed into the courtroom through the side door. His long hair was


    unbound, showing me he¡¯d been in a hurry to get here. The dress shirt he wore was crumpled, as was


    his cks. He wasn¡¯t the type to wear suits. Mom was the one who would knot the tie around his neck,


    which is exactly why he wasn¡¯t wearing one right now. This wasn¡¯t unusual for him, but the sight


    managed to bring a smile to my face.


    That¡¯s what my father was. Light, undying warmth, and the only joy I had left in this bleak, miserable


    world.


    ¡°Titus, I understand this is difficult for you, but you must obey the rules of this court.¡± Alpha Oliver


    stared down at my father, but the indifference on his face wavered when looking into the eyes of the


    man he considered his closest friend.


    ¡°Oli¡ªAlpha Oliver¡­¡± My father corrected himself, clearing his throat. ¡°You make the rules here.


    Please, I beg you. All I¡¯m asking is for you to hear me out.¡±


    Slowly, without looking at the muttering crowd, Alpha Oliver nodded.


    Rage bubbled beneath my skin, charring my insides until I was sure my next exhale would be tinged


    with smoke. If only that had worked for me. If only they had stopped and listened to me instead ofContentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    tossing me into a cell, locking me away in the dark.


    My father, the man who swallowed his grief and showered the only daughter he had left with


    unconditional love, looked our Alpha in the eye and said the unspeakable.


    ¡°I ask to take my daughter¡¯s ce.¡±


    Gasps rang out, exploding across the courtroom in echoes of pure shock and panic. I barely heard


    them above the sound of blood rushing to my ears.


    Nox¡¯s eyes were on my face, the waves in his gaze churning viciously as they fought to pull me in, but I


    couldn¡¯t look away from my father.


    ¡°Father, no¡ª¡± I cried out, my heart shriveling in my chest.


    He whipped around, eyes zing with both fury and love, and I knew then that it wasn¡¯t only my heart


    that was breaking. His was too.


    ¡°Silence, Lc.¡± He bellowed harshly.


    No one else would know that this man had never, ever raised his voice to me in my entire fourteen


    years on this earth.


    Alpha Oliver¡¯s eyes flickered between open and closed, blinking away the shock that mirrored in the


    faces of everyone in this room. Everyone who couldn¡¯t quiteprehend how far my father was willing


    to go for me.


    ¡°Titus, you can¡¯t possibly¡ª¡±


    It was then that my father, one of the world¡¯s most prolific warriors with an ability so brutal he had long


    ago locked it away, fell to his knees.


    ¡°Oliver, I beg you. As your friend. As¡ªAs the man that saved your son¡¯s life. Please, please do not take


    my daughter from this world. She is all I have left. I cannot live in a world where she is gone. Let me


    stand in her ce. Take my life but spare hers.¡±


    One tear, one singr tear crested my lower lid and trickled down my cheek as I watched my father


    beg for my life.


    The man whose past was so terrible that my mother and I became the beacon¡¯s that kept his darkness


    at bay, the one that still to this day would wake in the middle of the night screaming at invisible enemies


    hiding in the shadows, was offering his life in exchange for my own.


    With nothing left to lose, my eyes snapped up and met Nox¡¯s, who had been watching me this entire


    time.


    If you let him do this, there will be no prison on this earth that will keep me from you. Even love won¡¯t


    be strong enough to stop me. I will kill you, Nox.


    I prayed to the Moon Goddess above that my plea¡ªmy threat made it through. That somehow the boy


    I¡¯d loved with every fiber of my being heard my words and cared enough to listen.


    ¡°Titus, old friend. What you¡¯re asking me for¡­I¡ªI cannot ept.¡±


    The only time I¡¯d ever seen Alpha Oliver torn was the night his mate, Nox¡¯s mother, was killed. His face


    held the same haunted expression, staring down at his closest friend, as it did when he carried his


    wife¡¯s lifeless body to the pack hospital.


    ¡°Oliver¡ª¡± My father began, but our Alpha raised his hand and cut his words short.


    ¡°Let me finish, Titus.¡± Alpha Oliver said not unkindly.


    His eyes swiveled to where I stood and that speck of emotion vanished, evaporating like water on


    scalding pavement.


    ¡°Lc Einar, this one time I will act against the best interests of my people, for the only friend I have


    ever had the honor of calling brother. You are hereby exiled from this pack and ordered to live out your


    days as a servant for the Lycan¡¯s, our kinds most brutal n of warriors. You will be ushered from this


    room directly onto the next flight to their training camp where you will remain until your final breath.¡±


    Alpha Olivermanded. ¡°Tonight, when you look up at the sky and feel the moonlight seep into your


    skin, I want you to remember one thing. It is not the Goddess you should thank, but your father.¡±


    I didn¡¯t have time to process my sentencing or what it meant for me. The court erupted in outrage,


    exploding in screaming matches directed to the podium at which I stood. Words were hurled, slicing


    through the air and cutting into my skin.


    The guards standing at my sides grabbed hold of my arms, the chains swaying as they lifted me a foot


    off the ground. I barely registered that I was fighting against them until I locked eyes with my father.


    I needed to say goodbye, to thank him for giving so much, for loving me more than he loved himself.


    I¡¯d like to think that the Moon Goddess heard my prayer, and that she was responsible for my father¡¯s


    voice floating into my head, the phantom touch of his love brushing against my thoughts.


    ¡®The Lycan¡¯s camp is a brutal, terrible ce that many do not survive. Remember what I have taught


    you. Hide in the shadows, learn what you need to make it another day. You are mighty, my beautiful


    Lc. You have my strength and your mother¡¯s cunning. You must use them to survive this.


    It is of the utmost importance that you never use your abilities. This alone is crucial. Death would be a


    kinder fate than what they would do to you if they found out the full extent of your power.


    We will meet again, daughter. We will meet at the ce where the moonlight and water touch, and


    when that timees, our family will be whole again.¡±

 Chapter 1

    Chapter 1


    Four Years Later


    ¡°Worm! Get your ass over here!¡± The one voice I hated more than anyone else¡¯s screeched.


    It was much raspier than I¡¯d ever heard from another she-wolf, if one could even call Harriet a she-wolf.


    I liked to think of her as a toad. A fat, wart-riddled toad that couldn¡¯t stop itself from croaking every


    single chance it got. Unfortunately, she was a poisonous toad, and I had no choice but to bow to her


    every whim or risk bing her next victim.


    I¡¯d made that mistake four months in and learned the hard way when she punched me so hard I took


    an involuntary three-day nap. Wolves with the ability of enhanced strength had a knack at hitting you


    where it hurt most.


    It wasn¡¯t the worst I¡¯ve endured, but it certainly made an impression.


    I entered the Trainer¡¯spound where all of the higher-up¡¯s gathered for circuit week. Harriet stood


    with her back to me, hunched over the table as she reviewed this year¡¯s circuit map. Her muddy brown


    hair looked exactly the same as when I¡¯d first met her four years ago, pulled into a bun so tight that I


    just knew she had chronic headaches.


    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am.¡± I announced myself, standing erect and holding my breath until my lungs burned with


    need.


    ¡°Have you filled the snake pit yet?¡± She called over her shoulder, her voice crackling like she¡¯d just


    smoked a pack of cigarettes.


    I gritted my teeth. ¡°No, Ma¡¯am. I was ensuring the spikes along the climbing walls were operating


    correctly.¡±


    Her fear was ripe and salty as it stained the air.


    Snakes¡ªthat¡¯s what she feared most. The irony of it was sweet on my tongue, like the chocte chip


    pancakes my father would make every single morning. Someday, when revenge was no longer a


    concept but a reality, I¡¯d use her fear against her.


    The phantom pain of silver thorns digging into my flesh speared my mind. Their little circr scars were


    added to my collection. As though I could still feel the heavy shackles on my wrists, my eyes trailed


    down to stare at the slightly darkened skin.


    ¡°Get on with it then!¡± Harriet snapped, smacking her meaty hand down on the table. The mess of maps,


    battle arrangements, and little figurines shuddered upon impact. If she had used her full strength, the


    table would¡¯ve likely shattered. ¡°We can¡¯t have the second and third Division¡¯s arrive until everything is


    prepared. Do you understand how poorly that would make us look?¡±


    I rolled my eyes at the back of her head, silently wishing she¡¯de up with a vicious migraine.


    The Circuit is the biggest event, apart from Graduation, that the Lycan¡¯s held. It¡¯s urred once a year,


    its location switching between the three divisions. When I first arrived at camp, the event had juste


    to an end. The next year it was held at the second Division, all the way in Northern Russia, andst


    year it was held at the third Division in Africa.


    Both times I was left behind, forced to stay here in Juneau ska while most of the camp left for the


    other Divisions. As incredible as it would be to visit both the Taiga Forest and Congo¡¯s Rainforest, this


    was the one time of the year where I was left the hell alone. There were no beatings, no public


    humiliation, no looking over my shoulder any time I dared to eat, sleep, or shower.


    It was the worlds greatest injustice that this year the Circuit would be hosted here, at the first Division.


    Lucky me.


    Harriet spun around; her spine stiff from the stick she kept lodged up her ass. Her thin, puckered lips


    were ttened, vanishing since she didn¡¯t have that much to begin with.


    ¡°Thest thing we need is Phineas Striker on our asses, worm. So help me, if you don¡¯t get this shit


    done, I¡¯ll tell him exactly who¡¯s at fault. You hear me?¡± She sneered, barring her yellowed teeth,


    sending a wave of garlic and curdled milk scented breath my way.


    Harriet really needed toy off the onion and cream cheese bagels.


    I waited for my body to react to that name, for a jolt of fear to encase my heart or for my adrenaline to


    spike, but nothing happened.


    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am.¡± I replied with a scathingly fake amount of sincerity.


    Her eyes shed with anger before narrowing into tiny slits.


    It was hrious, really. There probably wasn¡¯t a Werewolf in this world who wasn¡¯t afraid of Phineas


    Striker. Well, except for me, but I didn¡¯t feel much of anything these days. How could I when this ce


    had beaten, burned, sliced, and diced every emotion from beneath my skin? Each one slipped through


    my fingers, watering the earth along with my blood until almost nothing was left.


    Phineas Striker, a man who spent as much time on his appearance as he did torturing people, was the


    first Division¡¯s Executive Director, a.k.a. the big man in charge. My first year I¡¯d made the grievous


    mistake of insulting him. It didn¡¯t matter that I was fourteen years old or that all I¡¯d done was snicker at


    his perfectly pressed suit and teal handkerchief. He still punished me like I¡¯dmitted a war crime.


    The memory of being tied against a wooden stake at the center of camp was still fresh in my mind. On


    bad nights, I could still hear the crack of the whip slicing through the air, and the p it made as it hit


    my back.


    Tenshes, and he made me count out loud for each and every one.


    It was thest time I allowed them the pleasure of hearing me scream. Now, they see nothing but the


    monster they turned me into, a vast pit of emptiness so feral and hungry that they know if I were to ever


    be released, I¡¯d swallow them fucking whole.


    In those precarious moments where I hovered between life and death, there was one thing I managed


    to hold onto, and it alone was what kept me sane.


    Vengeance.


    Harriet snapped her fingers, then pointed at the ground right in front of her gargantuan feet. Seriously,


    herbat boot was bigger than my head¡ªsomething I also learned the hard way.


    ¡°Here.¡± She said curtly. ¡°Now.¡±


    I already knew what wasing, which is why I couldn¡¯t bite back the eager smirk that tugged at my


    lips. I did as she said and stopped just a foot away from her, my feet nted firmly where she had


    pointed just three seconds ago. Garlic and rancid cheese surrounded her in an aura of filth.


    Harriet cocked her meaty fist back and decked me square in the face.


    One wet crunch and a sh of electrifying painter, and I knew my nose was broken.


    Twinkling stars danced behind my eyes even though the warmth of sunlight soaking into my skin told


    me it was still daytime out. Hot rivulets of blood spilled from my nostrils, tickling my upper lip as it


    dribbled down my chin and into the grassy floor.


    I¡¯d endured worse, so much worse.


    Pain was a fickle thing, and at the thought of the more gruesome things I¡¯d endured, it quickly faded


    into the background.


    Harriet¡¯s upper lip quivered spitefully, and not a secondter she spat at my feet. Her foaming wad of


    saliva mixed with the droplets of blood that sttered on top of my busted up athletic shoes.


    ¡°If I didn¡¯t need you to finish setting up for the Circuit, I¡¯d backhand you into next Tuesday. Get the hell


    back to work, worm.¡±


    My smirk deepened, blood filling my mouth.


    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am.¡±


    After setting my broken nose and washing the blood from my face at one of the water fountains, I made


    my way to the outskirts of the Camp, past the Mess Hall, Barracks, and the Kitchens, towards the small


    brick building and rows of wooden sheds that served as our storage facility.


    The sun was shining bright overhead and would be for the next sixteen hours since June had just rolled


    around. I still wasn¡¯t used to ska¡¯s strange daylight hours, but I found myself preferring the winter.


    Despite the fact that I loathed the cold, it was much easier to evade punishment in the dark.


    My father taught me from an early age how to use my surroundings to my advantage. I¡¯d never been


    thing that would ensure my death.


    My abilities.


    I peeled the neckline of my ratty sweatshirt away from my chest, scowling down at the splotch of dried


    blood. Before long, I¡¯d be stealing from the other recruits just to keep myself clothed. As a servant, you


    did not want to be caught naked around here.


    That was just asking for trouble.


    Doingundry was chore since the recruits liked to destroy what little clothing I had. There was a


    nearby stream I used whenever the chance presented itself, but with the Circuiting up, I barely had


    the time to eat and shower.


    Nestled directly in between six wooden sheds was a buildingprised of auburn brick. It stood out in


    the winter and blended in during the summer. The Armory, as many called it, was where every de,


    sword, and gun was stashed when not in use.


    During my first year, I¡¯d snuck in with the hopes of stealing a weapon to protect myself with, but that


    was before I realized how thoroughly this camp kept track of things. Anytime someone wanted to check


    out a case of throwing knives, or perhaps a machete or two, they had to be signed in and out.


    Stealing weapons around here was an impossibility, which is how I became skilled in the dubious art of


    shiv whittling.


    I patted the waistband of my ratty sweats, making sure it was still there. Approaching the second


    wooden shed in the row, I plucked the key off its nail and jimmied the door open. The scent of lumber


    and gasoline permeated the air. It would¡¯ve been pleasant if not for the undertone of hissinging


    from the eightrge oil barrels inside.


    The key remained clenched in the palm of my hand as I entered. A lot had happened my first year


    here. I¡¯d been knocked out, whipped, beaten, had my hands broken and smashed, among many other


    things, but one event in particr that stood out the most was when I was ambushed in the storage


    shed.


    I¡¯d been ordered to grab some sparring pads and made the mistake of hanging the key back on it¡¯s


    hook after unlocking the door. The moment I stepped inside, my stomach contracted with dread. I¡¯d


    heard the snickers then, but it had been toote. The door was mmed shut, and the lock bolted in


    ce.


    It had taken three whole days for someone to find me, and even then I¡¯d been punished for never


    returning.


    Grabbing the metal dolly off the wall, I swatted away the spider webs and got to work wedging the


    tform beneath the bottom of the first barrel.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah. I¡¯m not happy about this either.¡± I said in response to the snakes veracious hissing.


    The snake pit was a measly three-minute walk from the sheds. I stuck to the outskirts of the camp,


    avoiding the recruits as they went to and from their training courses, conserving my energy for what


    was toe.


    Why they couldn¡¯t pick a simple garden snake was beyond me, but what did I know? I was just the


    help.


    Lugging eight giant oil barrels full of venomous snakes was no easy feat, but I relished the burn in my


    arms and calves. The pain reminded me that I was alive, and that the possibility of revenge was still


    feasible.


    The pit I spent thest month digging was just outside of camp, only a few feet inside the forest. This


    part of the circuit had four rows of monkey bars stretched over top a long, rectangr pit of what would


    soon be filled with vicious snakes. The recruits would race through the various traps the circuit had to


    offer before making it here.


    Taking my time, I situated each barrel at the edge of the pit. Using the strap I¡¯d taken from the shed; I


    wrapped it around the neck of the barrel and looped it so that it couldn¡¯t slip off. I then popped the top


    off the barrel and hastily shoved the entire thing into the pit, holding onto the straps for dear life.


    I¡¯d end myself right here if I had to wade through poisonous snakes to fish out these stupid oil barrels.


    It took a few minutes, shimmying the barrel left and right to make sure all of the snakes had gotten out,


    but I managed to pull it out with zero injuries.


    Rubbing my hands together, I stared pointedly at the others.


    ¡°One down, seven to go.¡±


    Repeating what I¡¯d done with the first barrel, I worked down the line until each one was empty. The


    floor of the pit was no longer brown and coarse frompacted dirt but was now a writhing mass of


    slithery bodies and angry-looking eyes.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, soon enough you¡¯ll have some juicy recruits to sink your fangs into.¡± I told them.


    A branch snapped in the distance, and I spun around, facing where the sound hade from. The air


    was heavy with silence that made my finely tuned intuition scream out in danger, shing its neon signs


    and effectively turning my insides to mush. There was no fear. Fear was for those who weren¡¯t steeped


    in rage and brewed in mania.


    ¡°How¡¯s about they start with you first?¡± A voice with a heavy Southern twang called out.


    I groaned inwardly, cursing myself for having even the smallest shred of joy that I¡¯d finished this idiotic


    task without a single injury.


    Of all people toe and fuck with me, it had to be Weston Phillips.


    He came from the front, all swagger in his muscle tee and cut off jeans. His shit eating grin made the


    she-wolves swoon, but not me. The man had the sex appeal of a wet sock.


    I contemted making a run for it when two more faces appeared from the brush. After four years in


    this hellscape I made it a point to remember every face and name of those who hurt me. These two


    pig-nosed bitches were towards the top of my long list of people to maim, torture, and kill.


    Kaylee Smith, who was creeping at me from the left, had thin lips that looked like chewed bubblegum


    and theugh of a toothless hyena. To the right was Ivy Davenport, a resident mean girl who I¡¯d made


    the mistake ofughing at when she imed her blonde hair was natural.


    Nothing about those roots were natural.


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    Both Weston and Ivy were a bit of a big deal around camp. When a Werewolf had a coveted ability, it


    gave them more than just bragging rights. Weston here was a shifter, a wolf that could take the form of


    other animals, while Ivy could cloak the scents of over a dozen wolves. It not only meant they were hot


    shit to the Lycan¡¯s, but that their pedigree was strong.


    ¡°Hah. Funny, West. She¡¯s not even a recruit.¡± Kaylee sneered, rattling out her high-pitched hyena


    squeal. ¡°She¡¯s a lowlife servant. An orphan.¡±


    Most of the servants were magicless orphans. They weren¡¯t just at the bottom of the totem pole; they


    were the dirt it sat upon. That¡¯s what the recruits assumed I was as well, and I never cared to correct


    them. The only ones who knew the real reason for me being here was Phineas Striker, Harriet, and the


    Crawford twins.


    I shouldn¡¯t strike back, but I really couldn¡¯t help myself. Keeping quiet, being obedient¡ªit just wasn¡¯t


    possible for me.

 Chapter 2

    Chapter 2


    ¡°Yep. That¡¯s me, orphan Annie over here.¡± I smirked at the three musketeers. ¡°My parents didn¡¯t want


    me, so they gave me up. Better than what yours did, Kaylee. Late term abortions are bad enough, but


    to try it when the child is outside the womb? Ouch, that must¡¯ve stung. Can¡¯t say I me them, though.¡±


    I said, inspecting my nails. ¡°What family would want a magicless wolf?¡±


    It was a cheap shot for sure, but so was the time when Kaylee poisoned my food with wolfsbane for a


    week straight. If I thought hard enough, I could still taste the blood-tainted vomit in my mouth.


    Besides, nothing I said was a lie. It wasmon knowledge Kaylee¡¯s mother tried to murder her as a


    child¡ªall because Kaylee here didn¡¯t have abilities of her own.


    ¡°You slick bitch. You think you¡¯re so funny, don¡¯t you?¡± Kaylee hissed.


    ¡°I¡¯m hrious, ask anyone.¡± I deadpanned.


    I ran through the different scenarios that could get me out of this, but there weren¡¯t many. All three were


    approaching from various sides and I had a gaping pit of snakes at my back. Even with my father¡¯s


    training, and the lessons I¡¯d learned from spying on the recruits¡¯ sessions, I wasn¡¯t going to make it out


    unharmed.


    My abilities could get me out of this, but that was a box I could never, ever open. If I was going down,


    you could bet my perky ass was taking one of them with me.


    Ivy Davenport whipped her bleached ponytail over her shoulder. ¡°She won¡¯t beughing when she¡¯s


    being strangled by a boa constrictor.¡±


    A what now?


    ¡°Have you even seen a boa constrictor, Ivy?¡± I asked, my eyebrows sky high in the face of her sheer


    dumbassery. ¡°For crying out loud, these are ck Mamba¡¯s.¡±


    ¡°Same fucking thing.¡± She spat; her toilet water eyes narrowed into slits.


    I scoffed. ¡°Yeah. Totally, same fucking thing.¡±


    ¡°Darlin,¡¯st I checked it don¡¯t really matter. Either way, you¡¯re going to meet them bad boys up close


    and personal. I¡¯ve been dyin¡¯ to try out this new move we just learned in Krav Maga ss.¡± Weston


    drawled, rubbing his hands together, looking like a predator in the bad way (if you catch my drift).


    Laughter tickled the back of my throat. Jokes on him, I knew the move too.


    Kaylee and Ivy closed in on my left and right, crouched in fighting positions with their hands out, ready


    to grab hold of me incase I tried to flee. I braced myself for the impact of his meaty fist. As it hit my


    cheek and the blunt pain of busted blood vessels pped me upside the face, I made a show of falling


    to the ground.


    ¡°Get the hell up.¡± Ivy snarled.


    ¡°What a fucking weakling.¡± Kayleeughed.


    Oh, if only they knew. If I wasn¡¯t worried about getting my revenge on those who sentenced me here,


    these three would be dead in the dirt. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.


    I whimpered, my lower lip quiver pathetically. All three exploded inughter, and while the sound made


    my eardrums contemte suicide, it kept them from noticing the fist full of dirt I held in my hand. I didn¡¯t


    give him time to make the first move. That punch of his had my adrenaline flowing, singing its siren-


    song of blood, agony, and beautiful pain.


    Since Kaylee was such a grade-A bitch, I threw the fistful of dirt in her face and swung without


    abandon. She let out a squeal of outrage that quickly turned into hacking and sputtering. I ducked in


    time to dodge Ivy¡¯s heavy-handed punch, but not in time to miss Weston¡¯s knee-kick.


    It hit me in the gut hard enough to rip the air from my lungs.


    Mid-kick, time slowed, and I noticed something about Weston¡¯s form. While his kick was solid, his


    bnce was subpar. I wasn¡¯t usually a glutton for pain, but once the idea popped into my head, it was


    just too sweet to resist.


    The force of his kick made me stumble back, but there was only open air and a pit full of snakes to


    break my fall. iling, I reached out and snagged the back of Weston¡¯s shirt. The second the ultra-soft


    cotton brushed my fingertips, I grabbed on for dear life and used his body weight to pull myself closer.


    The seductive purr of victory washed over me as I wrapped my arms around his neck and my legs


    around his waist. I grinned without abandon because even Weston Phillips couldn¡¯t fight gravity.


    Weston let out a wail that would put Kaylee¡¯s hyenaugh to shame, trying valiantly but failing to free


    himself from my hold. Didn¡¯t he know? Once I sink my ws into something, I never let go.


    As for me, I tossed my head back and let loose a wildugh, pulling us both into the pit of angry


    venomous snakes.


    Delphine Hawk, my favorite Medic in all of the First Division, took one look at me, covered in blood, hair


    tangled to hell, and a snake still dangling from my back, and let out a string of curses that made me


    blush¡ªand I had the potty mouth of a sailor.


    It was Delphine that took care of me the first time Harriet knocked me unconscious. When I¡¯d made the


    grave mistake of pissing off Phineas Striker and received those tenshings, she was who I called out


    for in those blurry moments before the numbing relief of unconsciousness took hold.


    ¡°I am going to be the youngest wolf in history to die of a heart attack, and it¡¯s all because of you, Lc.¡±


    She groaned, rubbing at her eyes. ¡°You¡¯re not even a recruit here and I swear I see you more than any


    other patient. I¡¯ve got your aura practically memorized at this point.¡±


    I made a sound of agreement deep in my throat. Delphine was the one person in this entire shit hole


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    that I semi-trusted. Delphine was easily the best aura reader in the country, and even she could barely


    get a read on me. It meant my emotions were tightly under wraps, easy to tuck away in some dark


    corner of my mind where they would never again see the light of day.


    I batted my eyshes at her, swaying on my feet since the ck Mamba¡¯s venom was currently


    coursing through my body. I¡¯d lost all feeling in my left leg on the walk here, which wasn¡¯t a good sign at


    all.


    ¡°Aw, you care.¡± I cooed.


    ¡°Hush up, troublemaker.¡± She grumbled, side eyeing me.


    Delphine ushered me into one of the examination rooms. She flitted to the tall medicine cab against


    the wall and snatched the key from out of her pocket. Pill bottles rattled on the shelves and


    prepackaged syringes ttered to the floor in her hasty search.


    ¡°Tell me how you¡¯re feeling, Lc. I can see you fighting to stay awake. You know by now that you got


    to stay conscious for me.¡±


    Fuck, it felt like my body was on fire. Was my blood actually boiling in my veins, or was that just the


    venom? I hadn¡¯t felt pain like this since the Crawford twins made me y punching bag for entire ss


    of trainees.


    ¡°Like, emotionally or physically? Because emotionally, I¡¯m a ray of fucking sunshine. Physically? Eh, I


    could be better.¡±


    Delphine turned to face me with a syringe in one hand and arge pair of forceps in another. She had


    that loathsome look on her face, like she was seeing me. I didn¡¯t fucking like it, even half-dead from the


    ck Mamba¡¯s venom.


    ¡°Is it time for my annual pap smear already?¡± I teased, straining my eyes as my vision blurred.


    Delphine snorted, utterly unamused by my bullshit. ¡°This is not the time for jokes, Lc. You know if you


    were a human you¡¯d be dead right now?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I had a whole damned parade to escort me to the Medic¡¯s unit. I walked here on my own


    two feet.¡± I snarled weakly.


    Poor Weston had to be fished out, then carried away by Ivy and Kaylee. I had garnered a few more


    bites by wrestling him back in a second time, but I didn¡¯t regret in the slightest.


    Delphine pulled the ck Mamba from my back and chucked it into the trash can, mming a textbook


    on top to keep it from springing back out. She forced me onto the padded seat, and while she hooked


    up a heart rate monitor and jabbed a needle into my arm, I continued to fight to stay awake.


    The two of us fell into afortable silence and I watched her closely as I had every other time I came


    to her for mending. Her eyebrows were always pinched, that much remained the same. Sometimes her


    nose would wrinkle, but only when the wound was severe. If it was messy, her lips would part, and the


    tip of her tongue would rest against her canine.


    It was her ability that made her so skilled at her job. Reading auras was a lucrative business, one that


    could reveal a lot of secrets about a person. There was a reason many of the werewolves steered clear


    of Delphine, choosing other medics to tend to their wounds.


    She had skin as dark as the night sky, warm from its rich brown tint. There were splotches of white skin


    around her mouth, left eye, down her neck, and on both arms that she¡¯d once told me was due to a skin


    condition called Vitiligo. I¡¯d found the two contrasts in colors interesting as a young teen, and Delphine


    had been more than happy to educate me.


    ¡°Alright, I¡¯ve got you hooked up on a slow intravenous injection. The anti-venom will take about an hour


    or so to get into your system, but I need to monitor you the entire time incase you have a bad reaction.¡±


    She huffed, her shoulders slumping as she settled into her chair.


    ¡°Yes, Ma¡ª¡± I began, grinning when her face morphed into a death re. ¡°Yes, Delphine.¡±


    If there was one thing Delphine hated, it was being called ma¡¯am.


    ¡°Now, why don¡¯t you tell me what happened at the snake pit. Clearly you managed to fill it up.¡±


    ¡°It was an ident.¡± I stated inly.


    Delphine lifted an eyebrow, pinning me in ce with those smoky eyes of hers. I¡¯d been around her


    enough to know her tells, and right now her expression was telling me she smelled bullshit.


    ¡°Mmm, okay. An ident, I see. Let me guess, Weston falling in was an ident too?¡± She mused,


    her voice taking on a smart-ass tone.


    I fought a grin. I liked Delphine more when she got snarky.


    ¡°Yep.¡± I popped the ¡®p.¡¯


    ¡°Really?¡± She pressed, then leaned back in her chair. ¡°Then what¡¯s this I heard about you trying to


    strangle him with a snake.¡±


    I held back augh. Again, it garnered me a few more bites, but it was so worth it.


    ¡°There wasn¡¯t any trying¡ª¡± I started but caught myself when Delphine¡¯s eyebrows shot up. ¡°I mean, an


    ident. It was an ident, of course.¡±


    ¡°Right, that makes sense.¡± Delphine drawled, not at all convinced by what either of us were saying.


    ¡°And you cackling as you and Weston ¡°fell¡± into the snake pit?¡±


    I grinned manically. ¡°That? Oh, that was on purpose.¡±


    Then, Delphine did the one thing I could¡¯ve never anticipated. She flicked the lock on the door and


    rolled over to my bedside. Leaning in much too close, she lowered her voice to a whisper.


    ¡°I want to help you, Lc. I can¡¯t stand seeing you here anymore. Every day I think that this will be it,


    that this will be the day they bring your body in here.¡± Her smoky eyes were tight with fear even though


    the room was thoroughly sound-proofed. She wouldn¡¯t just be punished for this. She¡¯d be killed. ¡°I want


    to help you escape.¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t be serious, right now. Even if I escaped this ce, what do you think my life would look like?


    They¡¯d hunt me, Delphine. I¡¯d be a rogue, fair game for any werewolf in the country to kill. Besides, I


    wouldn¡¯t run.¡±


    ¡°What would you do, Lc?¡± Delphine asked.


    The thought was so sweet, so fragrant that I couldn¡¯t help but smile.


    ¡°I¡¯d find my father. I¡¯d kiss him and tell him how sorry I am for what I was about to do. Then, I¡¯d find the


    boy that betrayed me¡ªthough, he¡¯s more than likely a man now, and I¡¯d end his life. Once I drained


    him of his blood, I¡¯de back here. I¡¯de back to this hellhole¡­and I¡¯d burn it to the fucking


    ground.¡±


    By the time Delphine cleared me, night had fallen and most of the recruits had ventured back to the


    barracks.


    It was now 9 p.m. and despite the fact that the sun was still out, it had lost most of its intensity. The


    rays of gold which were responsible for lightening my hair over the course of four years, had softened


    into mellow tones of yellow and orange. They trailed along the horizon, weaving in between the


    snowcapped mountaintops in the distance, like streaks of bleeding water paint.


    The rumbling of my painfully empty stomach brought me back to the present. I hadn¡¯t eaten since this


    morning, when I woke up at the crack of dawn to sneak into the kitchens. It was the only way I could


    scrounge up a decent meal considering the lunch staff were a bunch of heartless fucks.


    It took energy I didn¡¯t have to trudge across camp to the barracks. There were two of them, both sitting


    next to one another. The in brick buildings were unassuming, lined with windows that looked into the


    trainee¡¯s dorms. They were long and about three stories high. Wedged in the middle of the barracks


    was a smaller and equally in building with rows upon rows of showers inside.


    My room, if it could even be called that, had nothing of the sort. It was a glorified coat closet with a


    cracked mirror, stained toilet, and a sink that spewed water that smelled like sewage. The one and only


    time I¡¯d asked to have the sink fixed I wasughed at, then thrown into the mud for daring to speak in


    the first ce.


    Every step was calcted so that my busted sneakers didn¡¯t squeak against the tile. My room was two


    doors away from the staircase that led to the second level. With my shiv gripped in my hand, I nudged


    open my door and crept inside.


    After a quick scan of my room, I shut the door behind me and set to work rearming my make-shift


    security system. It wasn¡¯t much, just a bunch of empty soup cans I fished out of the trash, held together


    by decaying string, but it gave me a head start if anyone decided to break into my room.


    Keeping my blood-stained clothes on, shoes included (you never know when you might need to run), I


    crawled onto the lumpy mattress sitting in the corner of the room. There had once been a bed frame in


    here, but it had been so rusted that the smallest bit of weight made it copse.


    With a groan, I curled up on my side and stuffed my shiv under my pillow. It was never too far from


    reach.


    ¡°Monday¡¯s suck ass.¡± I muttered into my scrappy, moth-eaten nket.


    Holding close the promise of the breakfast I¡¯d steal tomorrow morning, I let the thoughts of bacon and


    scrambled egg chase me into heavenly oblivion.

 Chapter 3

    Chapter 3


    The Mess Hall had just a tad bit more personality than the barracks, but not much. If I wasn¡¯t constantly


    on alert, I might¡¯ve even liked sitting in there, surrounded by the floor-to-ceiling windows and cushy


    booths that gave the same rxing feel as a restaurant.


    As soon as I¡¯m within sniffing distance, I notice something¡¯s off.


    Trainee¡¯s and the asional Trainer are all showing up for lunch, but there¡¯s a pulse of electrifying


    excitement in the air that ripples along my skin and fills my mouth with the tang of metal. Outside of the


    Mess Hall, lingering around the bulletin board where all of the camp¡¯s announcements are posted, were


    groups of trainees in private conversations. Heads were hunched and whispers were exchanged, but


    no eyes trailed my way.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take some of thesagna.¡± I said as sweetly as I could manage, even more starving after waiting


    fifteen minutes in line.


    The lunchdy peeled her mustached lip back in a sneer. I let my bullshit sweet act drop, giving her a


    t stare that was very much a threat, though I doubt she¡¯d pick up on it.


    Darlene wasn¡¯t known for being smart.


    ¡°Can¡¯t have that.¡±


    I exhaled sharply through my nose. ¡°A burger then.¡±


    ¡°Nope, try again.¡±


    ¡°Sweet and sour chicken.¡±


    ¡°Nuh uh.¡± She shook her head.


    ¡°Then what can I have, Darlene?¡± I asked, grinding my mrs together.


    Darlene, being the sweetheart she was, let out a wet cough inches from my face and spun around. She


    waddled somewhere across the kitchens, then waddled back with a saran wrapped tray in her hands.


    ¡°Here you go.¡± She smirked, the wrinkles on the left side of her face bing more prominent.


    ¡°Sandwich is past its date, not that it matters. Eat up.¡±


    Staring down at the pathetic sandwich with it¡¯s two slices of lunch meat, the bruised apple, and milk


    carton, an explosion of frustration began to boil my blood. I clenched my fists, snatching the tray off the


    metal track. If looks could kill, the re I was giving Darlene would stop her damn heart.


    I couldn¡¯t help myself. Really, I couldn¡¯t.


    I leaned in and bared my teeth in a smile that made my face ache.


    ¡°You¡¯ve got a lot of lip for a fucking lunchdy. Wait until I find out where you sleep at night, Darlene.


    Just wait.¡±


    Darlene wasn¡¯t as dimwitted as the other servants insisted she was because she had themon


    sense to be afraid. It was hidden well behind her wall of wrinkled skin, but I caught it in her dull as


    dishwater eyes anyway.


    ¡°Next!¡± She rasped, her voice cracking as she ushered the next person in line forward.


    ¡°Bitch.¡± I hissed under my breath and scurried off to find somewhere private to inhale my food.


    The furthest corner of the Mess Hall is where I chose to eat my lunch. It was far enough away from the


    crowd, and I¡¯d be able to see anyone that dared approach. Even better, there was an exit just a couple


    of feet away, which meant I could haul ass if needed.


    The bread on the sandwich was definitely stale, but I didn¡¯t see any mold, which meant it was good


    enough. Eating around the browned parts of the apple, I lifted the carton of milk to my mouth and


    recoiled the second the chunky liquid hit my lips.


    It wasn¡¯t just expired; it was cottage cheese level expired.


    I got the hell out of there fast after that, washing my mouth out using the water fountain just outside the


    doors. While I was bent over, straining my ears for anyone that dared to approach, I heard a group of


    female trainer¡¯s giggling.


    ¡°It¡¯s a grand celebration, Cindy.¡± One tittered.


    Another chimed in, sighing dramatically. ¡°One where there¡¯s a chance to be a Luna¡ªan actual


    Luna. Ugh, I just can¡¯t believe it.¡±


    ¡°Neither can I. Between us three, I¡¯d pick being a Luna over this shit any day of the week.¡± A third


    groaned, lowering her voice. ¡°Apparently, the Head Trainer¡¯s are talking about moving the Circuit to the


    Midnight Falls pack so we can make the ball in time.¡±


    Every other sound, from the birds cawing in the treetops, to the chattering of the trainee¡¯s, evaporated


    into thin air. The only sound that was left, whispering in my ears like the heavy swipe of a razor de,


    was those two words.


    I never thought I¡¯d hear them again.


    Midnight Falls.


    Home.


    It took a few minutes, but the second there was an opening in the crowd, I crept over to the bulletin


    board. My heart hammered with each step I took, and for the first time in four years, staying


    hypervignt became difficult. The only thing I seemed able to focus on was the blue pastel paper


    nailed to the bulletin board, swaying in the chilly breeze.


    Digging my toes into the dirt, I scoured the page from top-to-bottom.


    Dead center, in bold font, were the words, ¡°Mate Ball.¡±


    As interesting as they were, they paled inparison to what came next, to the name that stuck out


    the same way the stars lit up the sky. My mouth moved with every syble, stopping at that name¡ªthe


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    name I refused to utter aloud, even after four long years.


    ¡°Newly appointed Alpha Nox Griffin is in search of his mate and requires all unmated she-wolves to


    attend this grand celebration. Upon identifying his mate, the she-wolf will be excused from all duties,


    responsibilities, and legally binding contracts, to take her ce at Alpha Nox Griffin¡¯s side as Luna of


    the Midnight Falls Pack.¡±


    An idea, a beautifully twisted idea, came to life inside my brain. With it came a thin, rubbery smile that


    shed itself across my face, weeping blood the way everyone who wronged me would soon be.


    Finally, after all this time, I had found my one-way ticket out of here.


    Watch out, Nox.


    I¡¯ming for you.


    All week I waited for Harriet¡¯s call, for her deep voice to echo across the entire camp like a banshee¡¯s


    shrill scream. The ground would quake, buildings would fall and crumble. Trainees would scatter,


    running for their lives as¡ª


    Alright, I was being a bit dramatic, but I¡¯d definitely earned it. This was the first and only opportunity to


    present itself in four years and with each day that passed I became increasingly paranoid that the


    chance would slip through my fingers.


    ¡°You want me to put the snakes back into the barrels?¡± I deadpanned.


    One small slip up, one twitch of a single facial muscle and Harriet wouldn¡¯t hesitate toy into my ass.


    Any other time I wouldn¡¯t give two shits about pissing her off, but I needed to be on whatever smidgen


    of a good side Harriet had.


    She whipped around, her greasy ponytail stiff as she did so. ¡°Did I stutter, worm? You having a hard


    time understanding English now?¡±


    Grinding my teeth, but not hard enough for my jaw to clench, I shook my head. ¡°No, ma¡¯am. I just


    wanted to make sure I heard you correctly.¡±


    Considering she didn¡¯t deck me right away meant she was definitely neck deep in work. I nned to


    use that to my advantage.


    ¡°The lot of us will be leaving for the Midnight Falls Pack by the end of the week. I expect you to be on


    your best behavior while we¡¯re gone. You understand, worm?¡± She drawled, giving me the opening I¡¯d


    been waiting for.


    ¡°I was actually wondering if I might go as well.¡±


    Harriet threw back her head of greasy hair andughed, spewing her onion breath like a geyser of pure


    nastiness. If only she knew how predictable she was, and how dangerous of a quality it was for a


    warrior to have. The urge to hurt her, to sink my teeth into her and use my ability to make her scream


    was strong, but I had to remain cold and diplomatic or else I¡¯d never get what I wanted.


    ¡°You think I don¡¯t know what pack youe from, worm? I know the new Alpha¡¯s father is the one that


    sent you here. You think you¡¯ll waltz in there and show him up? You think you will be his mate?¡± She


    rasped, barking out another slew ofughter.


    ¡°Will you be helping the other servants set things up for the Circuit, ma¡¯am? You know how slow they


    are. It took Annie two days to set up the first half of spike wall. I had my half up and running in an hour.¡±


    I shrugged nonchntly, ignoring the re of her nostrils and sh of heat in her mud puddle eyes.


    ¡°With the other servants doing things up, you¡¯ll need another three months before everything¡¯s ready.¡±


    Harriet¡¯s thin lips puckered, and from the silence that spanned between us, I knew well enough that she


    was deep in thought. Her eyes narrowed and victory red in my chest.


    ¡°I¡¯ll let youe, but on one condition.¡± She drawled, and from the smug tilt to her lips, I knew this


    condition of hers was going to be a good one.


    Sure enough, she nted her hands on her hips and said haughtily, ¡°If you can pack everything up for


    the Circuit by the end of this week, I¡¯ll grant you permission toe. Mr. Striker was already furious


    enough that we¡¯d have to cut out some of the obstacles this year, but if you can manage the workload,


    we won¡¯t have to make any cuts. Think you¡¯re up to the task, worm?¡±


    ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. I¡¯m very much up to the task.¡± I turned to leave when she called out to me.


    ¡°Onest thing. Don¡¯t think you¡¯re going anywhere near that ball because you¡¯re not.¡±


    Delphine¡¯s head snapped up from her desk the second I busted into the examination room. My


    shoulder stung a bit from mming into the door, but pain was an afterthought to the sheer excitement


    I felt.


    The way her eyes flickered, darting around the space that spanned my body, told me she was looking


    at my aura.


    Her lips parted in shock. ¡°Your aura is full of color, just like a sunset. You¡¯re happy, aren¡¯t you? Who did


    you kill?¡±


    Aura reading wasn¡¯t a cut and dry ability, apparently. Not only did the colors mean a variety of different


    things, but the amount, shade, and the way it moved all came into y. Once, she¡¯d told me about


    Phineas Striker¡¯s aura and how it had been almost entirely green. Typically, a green aura might mean


    luck, healing, or wealth, but Delphine had said that the shade of green reminded her of mildew and wet


    dor bills. As for myself, I didn¡¯t need to see his aura to know he was as greedy and vicious as they


    nting my hands on my hips, I shed her a victorious smile and said, ¡°I didn¡¯t kill anyone, yet. Guess


    what, though? I¡¯ve got a way for you to help get the hell out of this ce.¡± I waggled my eyebrows at


    her. ¡°You in?¡±


    After a quick run-down of my n, Delphine sat back in her seat with her arms crossed over her chest,


    mulling things over.


    ¡°That¡¯s all you want from me? Are you sure?¡± She frowned, confusion evident on her face.


    ¡°That¡¯s it. No muss, no fuss.¡± I pped once, then spread my hands. ¡°Think of it this way, Delphine. If


    you get caught, you¡¯ll get fired instead of murdered. Isn¡¯t that a plus?¡±


    ¡°Lc, you¡¯ve got your ¡®I¡¯m going to murder someone¡¯ smile on and it¡¯s freaking me out a little bit.¡± She


    huffed. ¡°Please don¡¯t take this the wrong way, Lc. You know I care about you like a little sister, but¡­I


    feel like by agreeing to help you, I¡¯m letting a monster out of its cage. Just promise me you won¡¯t go on


    a killing spree and hurt innocent people.¡±


    My grin turned positively savage. I leaned forward and patted the top of her hand gingerly.


    ¡°I promise, Delphine. You have nothing to worry about. There¡¯s nothing innocent about the people I¡¯m


    going to hurt.¡±


    I went for the servants with the most muscle and motivation, the one¡¯s I could easily bribe into lending a


    hand.


    Nathan wanted a pack of cigarettes. Annie was desperate for a break from being the resident fuck toy,


    Derek needed another toothbrush (he wasn¡¯t the only one), Cecil requested a hot meal once a day¡ª


    On and on the list went. Some were harder than others, like the new set of clothes Chyna demanded,


    while others were downright impossible.


    ¡°It¡¯s not going to happen. There¡¯s no way in hell I can help you escape.¡± I, very much exasperated after


    the week I¡¯ve had, told the servant who had followed me into the forest, all the way to the snake pit.


    I bit my lip, staring at the muscr, dark-skinned servant that had asked for my aid in his escape. It


    was a tough call. The guy had that guarded look in his eye that I knew so well. It had been in my own


    once, the stare of an animal slowly turning rabid.


    He had strength to him, though. His body was stacked with muscle, taut with a six pack one only saw


    on the warriors here. I knew all of the servants at camp, and this one had only been here for ten


    months.


    After taking one look at him, I knew why he was so well fed.


    It wasn¡¯t only the male warriors that enjoyed having a servant warm their bed. While I¡¯d judge the


    trainees to hell and back, I knew what it was like to do anything to survive. I didn¡¯t me this guy for


    doing what he had to do¡ªfor using his body to get the things he needed. Too bad it couldn¡¯t offer him


    an escape.


    The servant guy wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his arm and leveled me with a


    knowing look. ¡°Look, I got a sister in the Midnight Falls pack, alright? I know you¡¯re not trying to go


    there on some whack ass vacation. She¡¯ll help us both, hide us where no one will think of looking.¡±


    I felt no sympathy for him, not even a speck. Sacrificing my soul and everything good about myself was


    a necessity to survive in this ce, but one thing I did value was revenge.


    And this guy, he was craving it.


    ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡± I asked him.


    ¡°Hakeem Wilson.¡± He replied, then fell silent.


    The fact that he used hisst name was important. Servants forfeited theirst name once they


    stepped foot into camp. We relinquished all ties to our family, to the world we hade from. In doing


    so, we were epting that we were vermin, beneath even the lowest of Werewolves.


    The sun¡¯s light dimmed as it drifted below the tree line. Streams of gold peeked through the foliage,


    hitting Hakeem along the slope of his lifted cheekbones. There was something beautiful about the


    searing look of vengeance and how it could both erase one¡¯s humanity while also enhancing it.


    Hakeem¡¯s dark, smooth skin soaked up the rays of gold, reflecting them in his eyes and bringing out


    their hidden wisps of color.


    ¡°I¡¯m Lc Einar.¡±


    He didn¡¯t blink as he said, ¡°I know who you are.¡±


    ¡­and I know what you¡¯ve done.


    He didn¡¯t say the words, but his tone alluded to them.


    ¡°You¡¯re asking for my help in escaping knowing who I am. Are you insane, Hakeem? Has ten months


    sapped all of your sanity?¡±


    The left corner of his full lips lifted, drawing my eyes to the deep curve of his cupid¡¯s bow.


    ¡°What if I said it has? What would that mean for you? You¡¯ve been here longer than the others. Four


    years if I¡¯m not mistaken.¡± He drawled in a voice like melted honey, nothing like Harriet¡¯s rasp. ¡°How


    insane does that make you?¡±


    ¡°Enough for me to agree to help you.¡± I smirked.


    I¡¯d made my decision, and although I had no clue how I¡¯d pull it off, it felt almost nice to have a partner


    in my revenge scheme¡ªno matter how short lived it would be.

 Chapter 4

    Chapter 4


    It wasn¡¯t nearly as difficult getting Harriet to let Hakeeme with us to the Midnight Falls Pack as I¡¯d


    initially thought.


    She must¡¯ve really had a lot on her te because she barely put up a fight. All it took was a short


    nce at the musclepacted onto his lean frame, and my promise that he moved almost as quickly


    as I did, and she was sold.


    There were six charter busses primed and ready to take the four-hour long journey to the nearest


    airport. The airport was small with a whopping twones, which meant more nes had to be flown in


    to carry us all. The others from the Lycan¡¯s second and third divisions would be making the trip from


    Russia and Africa sometime this week.


    Nox had no clue the chaos that was headed his way.


    It took some serious effort not to squeal when I stepped onto the charter bus. Two plush, padded seats


    sat next to one another on either side, separated by a long aisle that led to the bathroom in the back.


    Television screens were mounted every other row, ying some overly cheery advertisement for


    skan hot springs.


    ¡°I¡¯d take this over the shit beds they gave us any day.¡± Hakeem muttered, his dark eyes scanning the


    heads that filled the other seats.


    I snorted, fiddling with the controls that allowed the seat to recline. I slowly went from a sitting position


    to practically lying t on my back. The entire time Hakeem watched with one of his eyebrows raised,


    clearly finding some semnce of amusement in my actions.


    ¡°Four years, Hakeem. Four years of that pathetic piece of fabric and cotton they called a bed. Four


    years of being jabbed in the ass by rusty springs. If you get tired of me, I¡¯m sure one of the trainee¡¯s


    wouldn¡¯t mind you sitting with them.¡± I lowered my voice and leaned into him, my eyes flickering


    towards the front of the bus. ¡°They can¡¯t take their eyes off of you.¡±


    His lips were round,rger on the top than they were on the bottom. It made his sneer positively


    threatening. ¡°They see me as their whore.¡±


    Disgust oozed from his voice, which he hadn¡¯t bothered to lower. It made me wonder who his disgust


    was towards, the trainee¡¯s or himself.


    ¡°You did what you had to do to survive.¡± I said sharply, careening my eyes towards the massive bus


    window, watching as puffs of exhaust filled the air, listening to the hiss of the driver letting off the


    breaks.


    With a slight groan, the bus began to move.


    I still wasn¡¯t looking his way when I said, ¡°¡­if anyone¡¯s disgusting, it¡¯s them.¡±


    Before we could really take off and leave this cursed camp, the charter bus squealed to a stop. With


    another hiss, this one quieter than the breaks, the doors slid open. A pleasant pang of surprise


    smacked me square in the chest when Delphine¡¯s head of kinky hair came into view.


    Before we piled onto the bus, she promised the favor I asked of her was tucked away in the carry-on


    her.


    She walked down the length of the aisle, all the way to the back of the bus where Hakeem and I sat.


    ¡°Your aura lit up like a damn firework the second you spotted me.¡± She whispered, leaning across the


    aisle. ¡°And here I thought you only enjoyed mypany because you had to.¡±


    I nced up the aisles to make sure none of the trainees were listening. Thankfully, most of them had


    headphones in or were messing around with the televisions.


    ¡°You know you¡¯re the only person I¡¯ll spare once I burn this ce to the ground.¡± I winked.


    Hakeem tilted his head but said nothing.


    The trip on the charter bus was long and drawn out, but not nearly as bad as the flight from ska to


    Oregon. From there, we took a train all the way down to Nevada. It was there, in the Humboldt-Toiyabe


    National Forest that the massive Midnight Fall¡¯s pack called home.


    None of it, not the bus ride or the flight, felt real until I followed the crowd out of the train station.


    There was a thin veil of humidity hanging in the air, one that would fade as the afternoon came to an


    end. Through the tall peaks of the tree¡¯s, thest embers of sunlight peered through, as though they


    were weing me home.


    White fir and ponderosa pine trees jutted up from the earth as far as the eye could see. No matter


    where you were in the Midnight Fall¡¯s pack, if you delved deep enough, you¡¯d always be able to pick up


    on their scents.


    Delphine stood at my side, watching with obvious curiosity as I closed my eyes and breathed deeply.


    The tangerine-like scent of the white fir¡¯s washed over my senses, mixing with the vani undertones


    that only the ponderosa could emit.


    My shoulders slumped lower than they ever had before, and if I were capable of it, I might¡¯ve even


    cried.


    ¡°Your home is beautiful, Lc.¡±


    In another life, I might¡¯ve thanked her for thepliment, but only one thought stood out in my head. It


    was a realization of sorts, one that must¡¯ve changed my aura to some capacity because Delphine¡¯s lips


    quickly curled into a frown.


    I didn¡¯t break my stare from the sky as I replied.


    ¡°It is stunning, but it¡¯s not my home. Not anymore.¡±


    From there, we traveled to the bustling town of Primrose, the capital of the Midnight Fall¡¯s pack.


    I¡¯d walked down these roads a million times, visited each and every store, and stared into the eyes of


    every townsperson as Alpha Oliver¡¯s warriors walked me to the courthouse, to my prison sentence I¡¯d


    been serving for four long years.


    With every memory that came rushing back, I was reminded of the girl that died that day, and of the


    monster that was birthed in her ce.


    By tomorrow, every single hotel in the pack would be filled to the brim. From what I heard


    eavesdropping on the other trainer¡¯s gossip, there wasn¡¯t an unmated she-wolf in the second or third


    division that wasn¡¯t frothing at the mouth at the chance to be Nox Griffin¡¯s mate.


    It wasn¡¯t until we made it to the hotel room that Delphine, Hakeem, and I shared, that she broke open


    her suitcase and pulled out the dress bag from inside.


    I unzipped the bag and stared down at the sea of silky fabric, admiring the gown I¡¯d asked Delphine to


    acquire. She¡¯d gotten everything correct, right down to the smallest of details. Excitement curled in my


    belly, and a grin shed itself across my face.


    ¡°Perfect. Absolutely perfect, Delphine.¡±


    Harriet, the Crawford twins, and the other trainers were remapping theyout to adjust to the changes


    in thend, which meant Hakeem and I had one day¡ªone single day to rx. After that, we¡¯d have to


    endure the pure chaos of setting up every obstacle and trap for the circuit.


    Lounging about in a three-star hotel room with greasy take-out food, reality television shows, and a


    working shower might¡¯ve not seemed rxing for most, but after four years without a single day off, this


    was easily the equivalent of a luxury cruise.


    Hakeem was sprawled out on one of the Queen-sized beds, which was where he¡¯d spent the majority


    of the day. It seemed like my quiet friend here liked reality television even more than I did. It made me


    want to uncover the mystery of why he was sent to the Lycan¡¯s training camp even more.


    That would have to wait untilter though because I had a Mate Ball to crash.


    Delphine, being the multi-talented Goddess she was, did my hair and make-up for the event. I hadn¡¯t


    yet told her who the Alpha was to me or what he¡¯d done, but she knew that tonight I needed to be a


    showstopper. She curled my hair until it fell down my back in waves of gold.


    Before all of this, I had brown hair like my mother, cropped close to my shoulders. Over four years it


    had grown down my back, and with just a smidgen of hair dye, it was the same silky blonde as my


    father¡¯s.


    She dusted my lids with a dark shadow, blending it outwards to create a smoky eye that made the


    green within my hazel iris¡¯s shine. After applying two wings of liner, sharp enough to slit the throats of


    my enemies, it was time to put on my dress.


    ¡°You¡¯re aware this is a ck and white themed event right?¡± Delphine met my eyes through the mirror


    as she zipped the back of my dress¡ªa dress that was most definitely neither ck nor white.


    ¡°Sure do.¡± I smirked.


    Hakeem¡¯s head popped up from the bed, his eyes taking in the entirety of my form.


    ¡°Damn.¡± Was all he said, but I had a feeling that was a majorplimenting from him.


    To save her ass from Harriet, who would blow a gasket once she realized I disobeyed her, Delphine left


    for the ball first. I waited an hour, listening to the two posted guards outside our hotel room pace. My


    opportunity came when both guards ventured down to the vending machine at the end of the hall. A


    quiet knock sounded at the door, and I opened it to see the maid Delphine had sent up.


    Climbing into the massiveundry basket, I burrowed under the mountain of dirty sheets and held my


    breath as the maid wheeled me down the hall and into the elevator. From there, it was all too easy to


    hail a taxi to the extravagant country club Nox¡¯s Mate Ball was being held at.


    Showing up over an hourte meant that not only did I slip inside the building with ease, but there was


    little to no faces to gawk and stare at my dress. Those who did linger in the massive corridors, admiring


    the artwork and sculptures ced in their own unique alcoves, quickly scurried inside the ballroom


    when the announcement was made that it was time for line-up.


    Even from the hallway, I could hear the hundreds of she-wolves preening, chittering with excitement


    and the start of what would soon be vicious jealousy.


    I peeked my head into the ballroom, ncing up at the arched ceiling and the orbs of light that hung


    suspended in the air. They were the product of Photokinesis¡ªa wolf with the ability to manipte light.


    Lining the walls were actual trees. Their vines, speckled with milky flowers, spiraled around each


    marble pir in the ballroom. The nts were the result of another ability, this one known as


    Chlorokinesis¡ªnt maniption.


    It seemed Nox went all out for tonight.


    Rather than enter the ballroom, I slipped back into the corridor and made my way around, searching for


    the entrance to the balcony that overlooked the entire event. Nox must be making his way through the


    crowd, because almost all the guards were in the ballroom. The few that patrolled the halls were easy


    enough to avoid.


    By sheer luck I found the right door and slipped inside, taking the steps two at a time until I reached the


    top, where another door stood.


    As it swung open, spilling pale light from the orbs that hovered in mid-air, the sounds of the party


    slipped through. Theughter and twinkling music spurred my adrenaline until my entire body vibrated


    with it, drowning in the sheer anticipation of what was toe.


    I stepped through the door, onto the balcony where the great Alpha Nox Griffin himself had made his


    grand entrance mere minutes ago.


    Both the tform and it¡¯s railing were made of pale marble, the same as the staircase that led to the


    ground level. It took several seconds for anyone to notice me standing up here, giving me plenty of


    time to scour every head in the massive ballroom. When I finally spotted him, I thought my heart might


    stop. The way it mmed in my chest overshadowed everything else¡ªeven the music that thrummed


    throughout the room.


    Everything I¡¯d endured thesest four years, every horrible, gruesome thing, rose up from the depths of


    my mind and sunk it¡¯s ws into my heart. ck and white began to bleed into one t shade of grey,


    only separating when I dug my nails into my arm and reminded myself of the truth.


    This is real. I¡¯m here. I¡¯m home.


    From all the way up here, I couldn¡¯t catch his scent. It didn¡¯t matter, though. I had every facet of it


    Nox¡¯s back was turned as he talked to a gaggle of she-wolves all d in ck and white gowns, but I¡¯d


    recognize that head of hair anywhere. It had always been darker than midnight itself, always untamable


    on his head. He must¡¯ve switched up his hairstyle, because it was now shaved short on the back and


    sides, but the top was as unruly as ever.


    His shoulders had filled out considerably, as did his torso and legs. I could only see the outline of his


    arms from where I stood, but all things considered, Nox truly looked the part of a man.


    One of the she-wolves in the group nced my way, doing a double take before settling on where I


    stood. Her red-painted lips moved, the sound drowned out by the music and chatter. When her hand


    lifted to show a finger pointed in my direction, I knew the moment I¡¯d been waiting four long years for


    had finallye.


    At long fuckingst.


    Nox turned, and time itself slowed. The illusive and cruel God that counted every moment of our fickle


    lives stretched this one moment into an eternity, giving me the chance to relish every emotion on Nox¡¯s


    face as his eyes climbed the steps and settled on where I stood.


    Those eyes of his hadn¡¯t changed one bit. They still held every ounce of the sea, every wave as it


    crested the shore. They sparkled as they saw me¡ªsparkled.


    He didn¡¯t recognize me, nor did I expect him to. Heads began to turn in my direction, eyes in every


    color trained on my face and gown. They saw the same thing Nox saw: A beautiful girl with long honey-


    colored hair and eyes dusted with ash. A gown not ck or white, but a color both pale and bold,


    oveid with darkce and gems that caught the light and twinkled as I moved.


    Just as I began to descend the stairs, Nox turned away from the other she-wolves, granting me his full


    attention. With a swipe of his hand, he waved away the guards that were inching closer.


    Three steps and every head in the room was turned my way, but it wasn¡¯t until the tenth that Nox¡¯s


    scent hit me like a ton of bricks, more painful than anything I¡¯d endured these past four years.


    Just as it had at fourteen, Nox¡¯s scent embodied everything beautiful about this pack. It carried the


    vani and tangerine notes of the white firs and ponderosas, interwoven with the spiciness of tree bark,


    and the freshness of the crisp breeze.


    It stirred the bloody and broken parts of my soul, the shards quivering as they sliced into my flesh. The


    girl I once was sobbed at the realization that she was getting everything she¡¯d ever wanted, but that


    she could keep none of it. My wolf lifted her head and unleashed a sorrowful howl.


    Mate.


    ¡°Mate.¡± Nox whispered as I reached thest step.


    His lips were just as soft and full as they were at fourteen. Even now, I was caught in his web, watching


    them dance over every syble.


    He held out his hand. ¡°May I have this dance, mate?¡±


    Not trusting my words, I stayed silent as I ced my hand in his. I held my breath, schooling my face


    into neutrality to keep from being swept away by the sparks that consumed my skin and set my nerves


    ame.


    We glided to the center of the dance floor, moving in tandem, flowing the way the ocean¡¯s waves did as


    they drifted further and further up the shore. I¡¯d known it since I was a little girl¡ªin my heart of hearts¡ª


    that Nox and I were meant for one another.


    Music trickled into the air, slow at first as Nox pulled me close and began to sway. He blinked wildly,


    taking me in.


    ¡°You have no idea how long I¡¯ve been waiting for you.¡± He purred, ever the gentleman.


    Somehow, in the midst of the storm, I found my tongue.


    ¡°The best things in life are worth waiting for.¡± I replied, a coy tilt to my lips.


    He lifted his arm and spun me in a circle, making the bottom of my dress re out. I was pulled back


    into his chest, the breath knocked from my lungs as I felt bands of hardened muscle beneath my


    palms.


    ¡°Tell me your name, beautiful. I can¡¯t spend the rest of our lives calling you mate.¡± Nox said, sounding


    just as breathless as I felt.


    I leaned into whisper in his ear, my breath catching at how close my teeth were to his neck. With one


    swift move, I could tear his throat out.


    ¡°You mean you don¡¯t recognize me? Take another look at my gown. Tell me what you see.¡±


    Still dancing, he wracked his eyes up and down my body. Thezy smirk his lips melted into fit perfectly


    with every sharp angle of his face.


    ¡°Well, it fits you like a fucking glove and makes your tit¡¯s look perfect. It¡¯s low in the back, draws the


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    attention to your amazing ass. Oh, and it¡¯s purple.¡±


    Purple? The man didn¡¯t know his colors, it seemed. It was too pale, too dusty to be called something as


    basic as purple.


    A giggle slid past my lips, tainted with venom that Nox failed to notice. Like a snake, my beauty


    distracted him from how deadly I truly was.


    Shaking my head, I whispered. ¡°Silly, Alpha Nox. It¡¯s not purple.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not? Then what is it?¡± He tilted his head curiously.


    A savage grin shed its way across my face.


    ¡°It¡¯s lc.¡±

 Chapter 5

    Chapter 5


    Beneath my hands, Nox¡¯s muscles went taut. The way his eyes widened with bittersweet realization


    was better than I could¡¯ve ever imagined¡ªthe drug of all drugs.


    If I could bottle it, I¡¯d make a fortune. There had to be millions of poor souls out there who had been


    wronged, salivating for revenge just as I was.


    Oh, I was going to savor this.


    ¡°Lc? You¡¯re here? You¡¯re alive? You¡¯re my¡­¡± Nox sputtered.


    Waves of icy blue sshed against the barrier of his eyes, the spray carrying hints of shock, horror,


    and something I might¡¯vepared to joy if I cared enough to analyze it further.


    ¡°Your mate. I¡¯m your mate.¡± I said slowly, dragging my tongue along each word as though it were the


    sweetest of songs.


    Around us, couples danced. They spun and twirled to the squeal of a violin, yet their eyes remained on


    us. Nox didn¡¯t notice, though. How could he when he was too busy gaping at me like a corpse that had


    crawled from it¡¯s grave?


    Suddenly, the sharp shes that were his brows fell downward, and the waves in his eyes evaporated,


    leaving an ocean that was eerily calm. As a young teen, I¡¯d memorized every expression that beautiful


    face of his had made. I was surprised to realize that I remembered his tells, though it was different


    seeing it on his face four yearster.


    ¡°The dance is almost over. Leave with me. My father is going to want to speak with you.¡±


    Ah, there it was. I had waged a bet with myself earlier, wondering how quickly Nox would try to order


    me around¡ªas if I were his tomand. Pleasure rushed through me, even better than the pitiful


    orgasm¡¯s I¡¯d managed to give myself over the years, at the mere thought of disobeying him.


    His eyes moved from my face to survey the crowd, and while it might¡¯ve not looked like much, the


    simple action made my blood boil. The mate of the grand Alpha Nox Griffin was none other than Lc


    Einar, the banished murderer.


    The asshole was looking around to make sure no one recognized me.


    ¡°Mm, I think I¡¯m fine where I am.¡± I hummed.


    A sh of irritation sparkled in his eyes, tightening the muscles along his jawline. Biting back the urge to


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    snicker, I batted my eyshes innocently. The hand that was on my waist tightened ever so slightly,


    enough to keep me from slipping away. As he moved, I followed.


    Nox led the two of us into the hall, past the voyeuristic eyes and ears that were undoubtedly listening.


    ¡°I need to speak with you in private, Lc. This isn¡¯t negotiable.¡±


    Seeing the man Nox had be was fascinating. Within him was traces of his father, which I picked


    out with the barest of effort. His voice had deepened exponentially, thick like honey with a raspy edge


    that reminded me of tree bark.


    He was gorgeous, standing there in his all-ck suit, but even his god-like looks couldn¡¯t deter me from


    my mission¡ªfrom what I was owed.


    ¡°You don¡¯t get tomand me, Nox. Not now, not ever.¡±


    My voice was the softest of silk, slithering over his shoulders and around his neck, captivating as it tied


    itself into a noose. I made a show of yawning, patting my hand over my glossy lips.


    ¡°You know, I¡¯m actually a bit tired. I think I¡¯m going to head back to the hotel and get some shut eye.¡±


    Nox lunged with his hand extended, but I predicted the move long before he pulled me into the hall. His


    speed was impressive, though. Everything I expected an Alpha¡¯s to be, but it would never be enough to


    keep me in ce.


    I avoided his touch easily, gliding out of the way as though my body itself had melted into a stream of


    crystal-clear water.


    Those eyes of his lingered on my back. His surprise felt simr to the adrenaline coursing through my


    veins, consuming and horribly addictive.


    Not once did I look back, though I did toss two carefully crafted words over my shoulder.


    ¡°Goodnight, Nox.¡±


    The n Delphine and I hade up with didn¡¯t entail me leaving the party so soon. I wasn¡¯t supposed


    to be due back for another hour, which meant the maid that snuck me out wouldn¡¯t know to meet me at


    the back door on the ground level.


    I had no intention on waiting an entire hour outside in this gown, which meant I had to get creative.


    Scaling the building wasn¡¯t nearly as terrifying as it seemed, and actually proved to be an incredible


    source of exercise. The ledges beneath each window were the perfect footholds to keep me in ce,


    along with the rough brick exterior.


    Sweat clung to my back and arms, but I didn¡¯t have to worry about overheating. My gown was slung


    over my shoulder, thece tickling my nose as I climbed to the third floor.


    It wasn¡¯t ideal, climbing in nothing more than a bra and panties, but it sure beat lingering outside.


    Finding the window to our hotel room was easy considering Hakeem had spent the entire day in bed


    watching reality television. The curtains were drawn back, giving me a clear view inside the room.


    Gritting my teeth, I used what upper body strength I had to pull myself further onto the ledge, enough to


    raise my fist and knock on the window.


    Hakeem¡¯s head popped up, swiveling towards the window. His lips popped open with surprise, and I


    swore even with the sheet of ss between us, that I could hear the sound they made.


    I couldn¡¯t help the mad grin that spread across my face, making my muscles ache.


    He slid the window open and stepped back, giving me room to pull myself inside. Inded in a heap on


    my dress, my muscles burning as I pushed myself off the floor and onto my wobbly legs.


    ¡°That was kind of fun.¡±


    Hakeem looked me up and down, taking me in from my feet to the mess of curls on my head. Typically,


    anyone who gawked at me in my underwear would get a fist in their teeth, but there was something


    about Hakeem that made this moment different. I didn¡¯t get the sensation that he was undressing me


    with my eyes or lingering anywhere he shouldn¡¯t. If anything, I had the strongest feeling he was taking


    me in, analyzing the way I looked as he tried to piece together how I¡¯d gotten this way.


    ¡°You¡¯re insane, you know that?¡± He said, folding his arms over his chest.


    The tone of his voice brought another grin to my face. I hadn¡¯t smiled this much in years, but that was


    what the high of adrenaline did to you.


    ¡°That any way to talk to the future Luna of the Midnight Fall¡¯s pack.¡± I teased, then proceeded to flip my


    hair over my shoulder dramatically.


    Oh, that did it. Hakeem¡¯s jaw dropped and his eyes went wide. So wide that I could see a clear ring of


    white around his dark iris¡¯s.


    Just then, the door to our room swung open. Before I could think to cover myself, Delphine rushed in,


    her milk white dress swishing around her calves. Her chest heaved as though she¡¯d sprinted here, and


    a fine sheen of sweat clung to her dark skin.


    ¡°Did you know? Did you know you were his mate?¡± Delphine panted.


    She kicked the door shut behind her, then wiped the palms of her hands on her dress.


    I pursed my lips, a quick pang of guilt striking me in my chest for leaving without telling Delphine.


    ¡°I had a feeling.¡±


    Her face was frozen in panic, the patches of pale skin on her face spreadpletely smooth. She


    brushed past Hakeem, closing in on me. I¡¯d never seen Delphine this frazzled before and remained still


    as she leaned into my personal space and spoke in a hushed voice.


    ¡°Lc, I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re nning, but you can not kill the Alpha.¡±


    The room fell quiet. All that could be heard was the sound of two women screeching at one another on


    the reality show Hakeem had been watching, throwing shitty punches as they made grabs for one


    another¡¯s hair.


    ¡°You don¡¯t know him, Delphine. Not like I do.¡± I tossed the dress onto the bed and headed for the


    bathroom, not wanting to waste any more breath on the likes of my dearest mate.


    What I needed was a shower hot enough to melt skin, and a long night of uninterrupted sleep. Before I


    could close the bathroom door, Delphine called out with a heavy voice.


    ¡°Harriet knows someone from our division was revealed as Alpha Nox¡¯s mate. She doesn¡¯t know it¡¯s


    you, but it¡¯s only a matter of time before she finds out. I hope you¡¯ve prepared for that.¡±


    All I could muster was a nod before I closed the bathroom door and basked in the glory that was a


    clean, working shower.


    Delphine was knocked out on the second bed by the time I finally got out of the shower. Bundled up in


    myst pair of clean clothes, my fingers and toes wrinkled, I plopped on the bed beside Hakeem.


    He wasn¡¯t my friend, but I didn¡¯t consider anyone a friend. However, much like Delphine, I found myself


    actually liking the guy. It wasn¡¯t hard to be around him. There was no pretending to be normal, no


    hiding the monster that so desperately wanted to break free.


    It made me wonder what Hakeem would think of me if he knew what I could do.


    No, that was a terrible idea in the making. He¡¯d react the same way everyone else in my life had, by


    running in the opposite direction.


    Tomorrow was hovering close, a mere ten hours away. I knew what to expect and nned ordingly,


    eager to see if my predictions were correct.


    ¡°Hakeem, could I ask you something?¡± I hummed, staring up at the popcorn ceiling.


    My fellow servant sat propped against a mountain of pillows; his arms folded behind his head. He didn¡¯t


    turn in my direction, but his eyes slithered my way for just a few seconds.


    ¡°I suppose. Can¡¯t promise I¡¯ll answer, though.¡± He shrugged.


    ¡°That¡¯s fair.¡± I replied. ¡°If you could have one thing in this world, what would it be?¡±


    When I first met Hakeem, I saw something inside of him that reminded me of myself. I hadn¡¯t seen any


    trace of it since agreeing to help him escape. Well, not until now.


    Hakeem didn¡¯t hesitate to answer. He didn¡¯t even take a moment to think my question over.


    ¡°My parents are well known in this pack. A part of high society if you will. They¡¯re powerful, with abilities


    they¡¯re more than proud of.¡± Hakeem exined in his low, sultry voice.


    I made a sound of understanding. ¡°Mm, strong pedigree.¡±


    Hakeem chuckled, but it wasn¡¯t a sound of amusement.


    ¡°You understand, then. My sister is their golden child, as is my younger brother. As the eldest son, they


    had high expectations. I exceeded them all except for one. As fate would have it, I did not get the ability


    they wished I would, and now I am punished for it.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious? They sent you to be a servant for the rest of your life because of that?¡± I couldn¡¯t help


    it. It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t take Hakeem¡¯s story seriously, but he had to be joking. There couldn¡¯t be that


    many families willing to murder or toss away their children based on something as absurd as their


    ability.


    Hakeem¡¯s attention was no longer on the television. The two of us stared up at the ceiling, lost in the


    darkness that seemed to shift and change shape, cloaking us both from the horror story that were our


    lives.


    ¡°My father¡¯s ability is Cryokinesis. His magic lets him manipte temperatures to one extreme or


    another. My mother¡¯s skilled with Astral Projection. My younger sister took after her. In fact, she¡¯s


    probably surpassed her at this point. Somewhere down the family line, there was a distant rtive with


    the ability to tell if someone was lying. It disappeared for awhile, but not for long. My mother is kind.


    She never wanted to send me here, but in our house my father holds the final word. His decision had


    been made the second my little brother¡¯s ability manifested. I¡¯m sure you can guess what it was.¡±


    Hakeem forced out a long breath of air through his nose.


    ¡°Cryokinesis.¡± I whispered, sending the word into the darkness hovering above our heads.


    Hakeem said nothing, but he didn¡¯t need to. I could taste the rightness of it on my tongue.


    Seeing as I hadn¡¯t finished high school before being sent to the Camp¡¯s, I had little knowledge behind


    how a Werewolves¡¯ magic worked. I knew it was inherited, passed down through the generations, but


    there was always that chance the ability could mutate into something new, or that one could seemingly


    pop up out of nowhere.


    Sometimes, if the parents were strong enough, a child could receive a mixture of two.


    ¡°What I¡¯d want more than anything in the world is to be more powerful than my father. Since my ability


    is no where near theirs, the only other alternative would be to be a Lycan¡ªone of the world¡¯s


    greatest warriors.¡±


    Hakeem¡¯s words, his one wish in this world, chased me in circles as I fell asleep, creating images of


    pain and despair that were quickly shed through when a presence¡ªhis presence¡ªwormed its way


    into my dreams.


    Nox.

 Chapter 6

    Chapter 6


    As I slipped into the darkness that was unconsciousness, the bed melted from beneath my body and


    gave way to a cool breeze that ruffled my sweatshirt and pants.


    My feet met something solid, but it wasn¡¯t the ground. No, it was a rooftop. More specifically, the


    rooftop of the hotel.


    Past the ledge, which stood at about two feet high, I could make out the entire town of Primrose. Every


    road and building were lit up, creating a map I¡¯d studied throughout the years of my life, plotted by my


    own two feet.


    I inched closer, taking in the vast expanse ofnd and the houses scattered along its surface. In the


    dark, they appeared to rise up out of the ground. The mountains in ska were beautiful, but this was


    art. Art that invoked both positive and negative feelings, a nket of serenity to cover up the blood and


    chaos.


    It drew me in, pulling me into it¡¯s orbit until the ledge grazed my thighs.


    The hotel was easily ten stories high, plenty enough to kill a Werewolf if they fell. Luckily, this was


    nothing more than a dream.


    I didn¡¯t have to hear Nox¡¯s voice to know that this dream was a product of his abilities. Well, one of


    them, at least. It was a unique kind of magic, one not often seen by our kind. Dream Walking¡ªor


    Dream Weaving, depending on where you came from, was incredibly rare and often sought after.


    Only a person familiar with its touch would know when a Dream Walker had slipped into their mind.


    Nox¡¯s magic had a way of changing things, altering the dream and its colors, turning it into something


    almost otherworldly. The sky was no longer streaked with darkness but tinted with a deep purple hue.


    Even the clouds followed suit, melting into powdery shades of lc and pink. The glow of the lights in


    the distance became warmer, no longer a pale yellow, but a warm and almost tangible gold.


    I didn¡¯t bother to look over my shoulder where Nox stood several feet away.


    ¡°You just couldn¡¯t help yourself, could you?¡±


    Taking onest look at Primrose, I slowly turned around to face Nox. If I hadn¡¯t perfected my self-


    control over the years, the first thing I would¡¯ve looked at was the hard expanse of his bare chest and


    the dark swirls of ink that covered it. I didn¡¯t bother thinking about his lower half or the silk pajama pants


    that hung low on his hips. I kept my eyestched onto his face, not letting them stray in the slightest.


    Propping a hand on my hip, I smirked. ¡°To what do I owe the pleasure of this little visit?¡±


    As a young teen, Nox had popped into my dreams hundreds of times. It was how he perfected his


    ability, after all. Even though we¡¯d spend all day together, it was never enough for either of us. The


    moment my head hit the pillow; Nox would slip into my dreams.


    Of course, that stopped once I was sentenced to the Lycan¡¯s camp.


    No more nightly visits. No more Nox.


    ¡°We thought you were dead.¡±


    He folded his arms, which were also covered in shes of dark ink, over his chest. His voice was


    husky, still cloudy with sleep. It was colder than the breeze that caressed my arms.


    Huh. Who knew? Certainly didn¡¯t expect that one.


    I tilted my head, hiding surprise behind a wall of granite.


    ¡°Who is we?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Me, my father¡­your father.¡± He replied slowly, his words quickly trailing off.


    I was no fool, despite what Nox might think. The way he stared at me was nothing short of analytical.


    He was gauging my reaction, trying to dig into my mind to pick up on any shred of emotion he could


    find.


    Two could y at that game.


    ¡°Now why would you guys think that?¡±


    Nox¡¯s eyes narrowed slightly, his iris¡¯s taking on a faint glow as he worked his magic.


    ¡°Executive Director Phineas Striker told my father you had died.¡± He exined.


    That wasn¡¯t the least bit surprising considering Phineas Striker was Satan incarnate.


    There wasn¡¯t a hint of emotion in his voice or within his eyes, but I knew he felt something. With how


    close we had been, always teetering on the verge of something more, my death would¡¯ve affected him


    whether he liked it or not.


    ¡°When exactly did he ry the news?¡± I asked purely out of curiosity.


    Everything Phineas Striker did was for a reason.


    ¡°Three and a half years ago.¡±


    Ah, now it all made sense.


    Six months into my sentence, I¡¯d made the grave mistake of pissing off dear old Phineas. He had


    whipped me within an inch of my life, and once he was finished, had left the camp without looking back.


    I had no doubt in my mind that he knew I¡¯d survived, but as a precaution had told my old pack about my


    demise.


    It didn¡¯t matter, anyway. When someone dies in the Lycan camps, their body is thrown into the forest for


    the animals. There is no going home, even in death.


    I spread my arms wide, putting on a dazzling smile to match it.


    ¡°As you can see, I am very much alive.¡±


    Nox wasn¡¯t at all amused, which was concerning considering he had an amazing sense of humor as a


    child. Losing his personality must¡¯ve been the consequence he paid for betraying his closest friend.


    Tension thickened the air between us, and I breathed in every syrupy drop with glee.


    ¡°You need to reject me, Lc.¡± Nox said out of the blue.


    Since when had he be so predictable?


    I feigned surprise and just a smidgen of offense, raising my eyebrows as though I couldn¡¯t believe the


    words I was hearing. Really, I¡¯d seen theming from a mile away. Initially, I¡¯d contemted letting a


    gasp or two slip through, but I felt that was a bit too much.


    ¡°Now, why would I do that when this is everything I¡¯ve ever wanted?¡± I asked innocently, cing a hand


    on my chest, right above my beating heart.


    A wave of irritation crashed behind Nox¡¯s glowing eyes. He took a step forward, uncrossing his arms to


    run a hand through his hair. I didn¡¯t have to look to know it was messy, now sticking up in tufts on his


    head. He always woke with the craziest bedhead in the morning.


    ¡°You can¡¯t be Luna of this pack, you know that. They¡¯ll never ept a murderer as their leader.¡±


    There was a harshness to his voice that he¡¯d never used on me before. The Lc of the past would¡¯ve


    flinched hearing that icy coldness, but not I.


    I shrugged indifferently, even though the rage I felt that day was still very much alive and thriving.


    ¡°That¡¯s where you¡¯re wrong, Nox. They won¡¯t have a choice. We both know thew prohibits you from


    rejecting me, which is exactly why you¡¯re trying to force me into doing it for you. News sh, I won¡¯t.


    You¡¯re not getting out of this.¡±


    Satisfaction rushed in my veins, so potent my toes curled. My smile conveyed everything words


    couldn¡¯t, every dark and depraved thought that had kept me upte into the night.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to ept your fate the same way I epted mine.¡± I purred.


    His anger was sweet on my tongue, better than the most expensive, luxurious chocte. It melted


    along my taste buds and warmed my cold heart from the inside out.


    With his long legs and broad shoulders, Nox stepped forward.


    ¡°I can always make you, Lc. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve forgotten that?¡± He said darkly.


    Again, past Lc would¡¯ve been horrified, betrayed even, to hear Nox saying those words¡ªthreatening


    to use his other ability on us.


    Nox was a wolf with one of the highest pedigree¡¯s our kind has ever seen. That¡¯s typically what


    happened when two mates reproduced. Any child they had would inherit abination of each


    parent¡¯s abilities, which is exactly what happened with Nox.


    While his mother, thete Luna, had the ability to Dream Walk, Nox¡¯s father had something even more


    N?velDrama.Org holds ? this.


    powerful. To our kind, the ability is known as Persuasion.


    It¡¯s unofficial name: Mind Control.


    Nox and his father could make anyone do anything, and all it took was a split second of eye contact.


    Teen Nox would¡¯ve never used Persuasion on anyone, but clearly I wasn¡¯t the only one that had


    changed.


    It was obvious Nox expected me to show some sort of fear, or at the very least, hesitation. The proof


    was written across his plump lips, which parted in surprise when I began to giggle. It was adorable in a


    na?ve, stupid sort of way. How his sculpted eyebrows furrowed, creating that little crease on his


    forehead that I knew so well.


    ¡°Oh, I haven¡¯t forgotten.¡±


    I shook my head slowly, using his momentarypse to my advantage. The ledge of the roof was short


    enough for me to step onto without looking back. An eruption of butterflies swarmed in my stomach at


    the feeling of open air just inches behind me, but rather than being followed by fear, it was excitement I


    felt.


    Hoping this moment would imprint itself in his brain, I grinned until my cheeks ached.


    ¡°I remember everything.¡± I said, then stepped backwards off the ledge.

 Chapter 7

    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¡ªno, 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¡ªthe past


    ovepping with the present¡ªbecause 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¡ªfrom 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.¡±

 Chapter 8

    Chapter 8


    Nox¡¯s father, the previous Alpha of this pack, waited for us inside his office on the top floor of City Hall.


    The retired Alpha Oliver, who had once been like a second father to me, was also the man who had


    sentenced me to my fate. He¡¯d done so knowing the horror¡¯s the servants of the Lycan Camp faced.


    He was going to regret not executing me when he had the chance.


    It was our custom to call all retired leaders by the title of Sir or Ma¡¯am. While they were no longer


    considered the Alpha or Luna, there still had to be a certain degree of respect when addressing them.


    Too bad respect was the one thing I didn¡¯t have for Oliver.


    N?velDrama.Org ? content.


    ¡°I apologize for arrivingte, father. There were a few unexpected hold ups.¡± Nox said, announcing our


    presence.


    I didn¡¯t miss the way he side-eyed me, making it known I was the one that held us all up.


    Nox¡¯s father stood at the window overlooking the town, his hands sped at his front. It seemed he


    hadn¡¯t given up his need to look impable at all times, because he wore a te grey suit that looked


    freshly cleaned and pressed. Not a speck of dust rested on the fabric, but if it had, Oliver would¡¯ve


    found it.


    He turned, and as he did so, I spotted the wisps of grey at his temples, fading into the inky ck hair


    that he and Nox shared.


    Oliver and Nox shared many things inmon, actually. One of their few differences was their eyes.


    Where Oliver¡¯s was dark, almost as dark as the thick mop of hair on his head, Nox¡¯s were the same


    pale blue as his mother¡¯s.


    ¡°Lc.¡± Nox¡¯s father said with equal parts disdain and contempt.


    Did he think I¡¯d cower before him? Did he think I cared how he felt about me?


    ¡°Oliver.¡± I sang his name sweetly. ¡°Or should I call you father-inw?¡±


    The fine lines etched into the corners of his eyes thinned out in his irritation. To further show how


    unfazed I was, I proceeded to walk the length of his office, eying the knick-knacks and books he kept in


    neat little rows upon a wall of built in shelves.


    With the flick of my wrist, I spun the sphere of a miniature globe.


    ¡°Oliver is fine.¡± He replied stiffly. The granite in his voice told me that it was in fact not fine, but I didn¡¯t


    particrly care regardless.


    I knew it was not me he was speaking to when he said, ¡°Did she not learn respect at all in those four


    years under your supervision?¡±


    A little hour ss sat atop a stack of books on one of the shelves. Humming quietly to myself, I flipped


    the piece over and watched as the sand began to trickle and fall. One by one, the granules hit the


    bottom of the ss.


    Harriet¡¯s raspy voice came next.


    ¡°I taught her many lessons, Sir. It seems they didn¡¯t take.¡±


    A chuckle must¡¯ve slipped past my lips because Oliver spoke directly to me.


    ¡°Is something amusing to you, Lc?¡± The distinctck of curiosity in his voice showed he also couldn¡¯t


    care less, but I felt obliged to answer anyway.


    ¡°There are many things that are amusing to me.¡± I replied, stopping my perusing of Oliver¡¯s shelves.


    ncing down at my feet, I couldn¡¯t help but notice the way my beat up sneakers stood out against the


    expensive Persian rug covering the floor of the office. Jeremy, who had been growing more red-faced


    by the second, chose this moment to open his mouth.


    ¡°This is all just a game to her. You¡¯re wasting your time here.¡± He said sourly .


    ¡°Be that as it may, we have no choice but to participate. As Nox¡¯s fated mate, we need her cooperation


    if he is to officially step into my position.¡± Oliver sighed, gesturing to the center of the room. ¡°Let us all


    be seated. It¡¯s about time we make a deal and see what Lc here wants.¡±


    What I want your downfall¡ªto see the look on your face as I tear down your pack brick by brick and


    steal from you the life of your son. That is what I want.


    Even as the thought entered my head, bringing the sweetest of smiles to my face, I said nothing. Doing


    as Oliver instructed just this once, I waltzed over to therge oak table at the center of his office. The


    circr monstrosity was clearly to host board meetings or some other form of boring event, and had


    nearly a dozen chairs perched around it¡¯s edges.


    I pulled one out and plopped into it, meeting Hakeem¡¯s eyes as he followed suit. When Nox drifted by, I


    grabbed the empty chair to my left and pulled it out.


    ¡°Sit next to me, mate.¡± I cooed, fluttering myshes at him.


    Oh, how I enjoyed the agitation that rippled across his rugged face. The tendons in his throat


    constricted, but I had a feeling that was for another reason entirely. Surprisingly, he did as I said and


    lowered himself into the seat at my side.


    To my right, Hakeem shed me a curious look, which I returned with a devious grin.


    Oliver sped his hands together and rested them on the surface of the table. He looked almost regal


    in that suit of his, broad shouldered and hair speckled with grey. Nox embodied the youth his father no


    longer had, only minus the suit. Nox had always preferred a simple t-shirt and torn jeans, another thing


    that hadn¡¯t really changed.


    Oliver¡¯s baritone cut through the tension clogging the room, demanding we all fall in line and pay


    attention. ¡°Our terms are as such. You will y the part of my son¡¯s mate, stand by his side, and fulfill


    all duties as his Luna. You will have a total of one week to be marked and fully mated. After this point,


    you will have one year before I expect you to carry his pups.¡±


    I snorted audibly, smacking my hand on the table. ¡°A week? No, that¡¯s not happening. Six months.¡±


    Oliver¡¯s jaw clicked shut, clenching tightly enough that I could see the muscles ovepping his bones.


    ¡°Six months? You need half a year to bite my son and ept him into your bed?¡± He said with a raised


    eyebrow.


    Little did he know, Nox would never see the inside of my bed. I¡¯d sooner pull my own teeth out than let


    that happen.


    ¡°You¡¯re strangely invested in your son¡¯s sex life.¡± I murmured, refusing to back down.


    If I thought Oliver had been pissed earlier, I hadn¡¯t seen anything yet. The notes of warm amber that


    swam in his eyes brightened as his wolf pushed itself to the surface. Once, I would¡¯ve been scared


    shitless at the thought of pissing off Alpha Oliver, but I¡¯d looked death in the face and knew her


    intimately.


    This man could not scare me.


    Oliver stood, using his masculine build and height to tower over me, mming his hands down on the


    table hard enough to make the likes of Harriet jump. I leaned back in my seat, folding my arms over my


    chest as I peeled back my lips in a grin.


    That¡¯s right, Oliver. Look at you, powerless for once in your life.


    As if he could read my thoughts, his face twisted and contorted into a look of fury. I was no longer


    staring at Nox¡¯s father, the man that had a hand in raising me after my mother had been murdered, but


    the acting Alpha of the Midnight Fall¡¯s pack.


    His eyes flickered with magic, but I was more than ready.


    ¡°I can and will make you do this, Lc.¡± He said, his voice several notes deeper.


    ¡°I knew you¡¯d say that.¡± I whispered with a sickening smile.


    mming my hand down on Nox¡¯s arm hard enough to bruise, Itched onto him and sunk my nails


    into his skin. My lovely mate snarled under his breath, his head whipping in my direction to stare at me


    with icy blue daggers.


    ¡°Go ahead, Oliver. Use your magic on me, try and persuade me. You just might be fast enough, but is


    that a risk you¡¯re willing to take? You know what I can do.¡± Darkness flooded my voice in waves of


    glistening oil, and that box¡ªthe one I kept shoved into the very back of the closet¡ªquivered with the


    prospect of being opened, of being set free.


    ¡°He¡¯ll be dead before you get a single word out.¡±


    Just like that, the fury in Oliver¡¯s eyes vanished.


    If there was one thing in this world I could count on¡ªcould bet my life on, it was the fact that Oliver


    Griffin loved his son with every fiber of his being.


    Apart from my father, only Oliver and Nox knew what I could do. After all, they were the ones that dealt


    with Beta Ss¡¯s body.


    ¡°Three months.¡± Oliver said, the note of finality in his voice unmistakable.


    It wasn¡¯t much time to get revenge and systematically destroy this pack from the inside out, but I could


    manage it well enough. I removed my nails from Nox¡¯s arm, and as I ttened my hand on the cold


    surface of the table, I was left with the slight tingle that rippled across my skin, an after affect of the


    sparks from the mate-bond.


    ¡°Three months.¡± I rolled the words around on my tongue before giving him a curt nod. ¡°Alright, deal.¡±


    ¡°Wonderful, d we coulde to this amicable agreement.¡± Oliver¡¯s voice and expression were both


    very dry, a fact I found hrious. He lowered himself back into his seat and gestured at me with an


    open hand. ¡°Go ahead and state your terms.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t ever want to step foot in another Lycan camp ever again. I can¡¯t make that clear enough.¡± I


    said.


    Oliver made a sound of agreement. ¡°Is that all?¡±


    ¡°Onest thing.¡± I hummed. ¡°I want my friend here to made into a Lycan.¡±

 Chapter 9

    Chapter 9


    Hakeem visibly stiffened, and while I was overjoyed that I managed to coax an actual reaction from


    him, I needed to keep my game face on. He and Oliver weren¡¯t the only ones surprised, though. The


    entire table was gawking at me. Nox included, though his look of surprise had a harsh edge to it that I


    did not miss.


    Harriet¡¯s thin lips vanished behind her sneer. ¡°That is uneptable. He is a servant, a warden of the


    Lycan Camps. Phineas Striker will have my head if he finds out I let this happen.¡±


    Oliver regarded Harriet with a bored stare. It brought me an absurd amount of pleasure that someone


    else found her as insufferable as I did, even if it was the likes of Oliver.


    ¡°Phineas Striker cane directly to me if he has an issue with this. As one of the three leading


    Alpha¡¯s in this country, I might not have the power to single-handedly change things in the Lycan


    Camps, but I do have the power to promote one of my previous citizens from servant to trainee.¡± Oliver


    drawled. He turned his attention to Hakeem, managing to surprise me by asking, ¡°Is this what you


    want?¡±


    Hakeem nodded impassively. ¡°Yes, this is what I want.¡±


    ¡°Very well, then. Lc, you have yourself a deal.¡± Oliver stood from his seat, pushing the chair back


    Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDra/ma.O(r)g!


    under the table. He didn¡¯t wait thirty seconds before dishing out orders, but I expected as much. He


    never was one to waste time.


    ¡°Your first duty lies in your education. It is imperative you finish schooling. Even though my son will


    make the decisions for this pack himself, we cannot have someone uneducated representing our


    people. You will get your GED and uponpletion, will start attending sses at our local University.¡±


    He exined whilst adjusting his cufflinks. ¡°You may take one of the spare rooms on our property¡ª ¡°


    ¡°Ah, no thanks on that.¡± I interrupted him. ¡°I¡¯m not staying in your house.¡±


    That sounded like hell on earth considering Jeremy lived there as well. No way did I want to run into


    him while going pee at three in the morning. Hard pass.


    ¡°Lc, you are my son¡¯s mate and future Luna. How are you going to fulfill your duties if you do not live


    under the same roof as him?¡± Oliver asked.


    ¡°When we¡¯re ready to bite and fuck, we can meet up like all teenagers do. See? Easy peasy.¡± I


    shrugged, spreading my hands out at my sides. ¡°I¡¯ll find my own ce to live. Oh, and I¡¯m getting a job.


    If Nox here is going to make all the decisions for this pack by himself, I¡¯ll need something to keep me


    busy. I¡¯d rather go back to the Camp then risk dying of boredom in this ce.¡±


    ¡°Very well.¡± Oliver replied stiffly. He clearly wasn¡¯t happy about it, but at least he wasn¡¯t fighting me.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to need some of your men to aid the other servants in setting up for the circuit considering


    you¡¯ve relieved two of my fastest from their duties¡­sir¡± Harriet grumbled sourly.


    To my left, Jeremy leaned in to where Nox sat and said loud enough for me to hear, ¡°Sha¡¯s on her


    way here.¡±


    Fuck if I¡¯d give Jeremy the reaction he was craving, even if my wolf did bristle at the mention of that


    name. Sha Whitlock, daughter of the man I murdered, had always harbored a crush on Nox. Even


    when we were kids, and he gave no one the time of day apart from me, she¡¯d follow him around like a


    lost puppy.


    I had tried to be her friend once, but that came to an end when she snarled at me to back the hell off of


    Nox. No way would I abandon my best-friend, especially after the death of his mother.


    She probably didn¡¯t even wait until I boarded the ne to try and take my ce.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure you have the hands you need, Harriet. If that¡¯s all, then I¡¯d say this meeting has reached


    its conclusion. You¡¯re all free to go.¡± Oliver announced.


    Wasting no time, I stood and made my way to the door, relieved when I nced back and saw Hakeem


    was following.


    ¡°Lc, might I have a moment?¡± Oliver of all people called out, stopping me before I could race out the


    door.


    I turned slowly, a skeptical look on my face. ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°If you were interested in paying your father a visit, I can give you his address.¡±


    This couldn¡¯t be real. In no reality would Oliver ever do me any favors. Either he was out of his mind, or


    I¡¯d been knocked out and thrown into some other world. Besides, there was something that didn¡¯t quite


    add up.


    ¡°Is he not at my old house?¡± I asked him.


    He and my mother had bought their house, a vintage brick building with a tower that had made me feel


    like a princess growing up, one year before I was born. My mother had poured her soul into that ce,


    repairing the porch, and renovating the inside with her own two hands.


    My father would¡¯ve never given that ce up.


    In between the harsh lines on Oliver¡¯s face, there was a glimmer of what I could only describe as guilt.


    There was something grating about the emotion. Perhaps it was because he felt bad for how his


    decision effected my father, but not for how it affected me.


    ¡°Following your sentencing, your father moved out of Primrose. He built his own cabin in the forest. He


    exined. He reached into the pocket of his jacket and fished out something ck. With one swift


    movement, he slid them across the table. I pped my hand down, opening it to see a set of keys. ¡°If


    you insist on getting a job and living on your own, you¡¯ll need a vehicle. The car is parked in the lot.


    Use it to visit your father.¡±


    What I should have done was thank Oliver, get my father¡¯s address, and be on my merry way. As


    usual, my brain and tongue disconnected, and the words I should¡¯ve held back began to flow freely.


    Oliver jotted down my father¡¯s address on a piece of paper. I didn¡¯t speak until it rested in my hands.


    ¡°Can you me him for what he¡¯s been doing?¡±


    ¡°No, I cannot me him, but I did what needed to be done.¡± Oliver growled, his expression melting into


    one of agitation. ¡°Even so, I acted with considerable mercy.¡±


    Mercy? He called sending a fourteen-year-old girl to the Lycan warriors camp¡¯s a mercy?


    Snickering under my breath, I backed away to the door. Nox¡¯s eyes were heavy on my face, as was


    Jeremy¡¯s re, but I ignored them both. Each of them would get what they hading, but right now, I


    had a bone to pick with Nox¡¯s father.


    ¡°More than once I wondered what you¡¯d tell yourself to sleep at night. If that¡¯s it, then I hope you have


    fucking insomnia.¡±


    With nothing left to say, I opened the door and stepped into the hall. Hakeem followed close behind,


    and as we passed Sha Whitlock her eyes nearly bulged out of her head.


    As for me, I didn¡¯t spare her a single nce.


    I kept my game face on until Hakeem and I reached the parking lot, following the chirp of the vehicle


    Oliver left in my possession. After one nce at the silver Benz, I spun on Hakeem and blurted out the


    first thing to pop into my head.


    ¡°Come with me to visit my father.¡± It hade out as amand, but I suppose I intended it that way.


    My father was the one person on this earth that stood any chance at resurrecting the old Lc, and I


    needed every scrap of strength I could manage to keep that from happening.


    Fighting the urge to wince, I stood my ground and silently prayed he wouldn¡¯t ask me to borate.


    Of course, the asshole did exactly what I didn¡¯t want him to do.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t seen your father in four years. Why would you want me toe with you?¡±


    Hakeem had the same look on his face that Delphine often got. The kind that felt too personal, like they


    were attempting to peer past theyers of armor to what hid underneath. I ground my teeth together,


    the ache in my jaw making it easier to think of an excuse.


    Man, I sure knew how to pick my allies, didn¡¯t I?


    When I realized the obvious, that the perfect excuse was right in front of my damn face, I nearly


    exploded inughter.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know how to drive.¡± I smirked, tossing the keys into the air, and walking my happy ass to the


    passenger side.


    It was true, though. I didn¡¯t know how to drive. Being sent away at fourteen crushed any dreams I had


    at getting my learners permit early. I could only hope I weaseled my way around Hakeem¡¯s pesky


    ability to tell when someone was lying.


    Technically, it wasn¡¯t a lie.


    As I anticipated, Hakeem caught the keys with ease and started the engine by pressing a button on the


    remote. It took some serious effort not to gawk. When the hell did cars get that feature?


    I slid into the seat, my stomach doing backflips. I¡¯d put off seeing my father for this very reason. Not a


    single part of me dreaded seeing Nox again, but my father¡ªthat was a whole different can of worms.


    Hakeem took the paper with my father¡¯s address from my hand and tapped away on the screen built


    into the car. Afterwards, he turned a little dial on the console and the car glided out of its parking space


    like it was on ice. As eager as I was to zone out and lose myself to the hum of the engine, my


    observantpanion had other ideas.


    ¡°After what you did for me back there, this is the least I can do. However, there is something I¡¯d like to


    ask of you.¡±


    I smirked at his carefully chosen words, pondering if his ability made him like that or if it had been his


    parent¡¯s strict hands that molded him into the man he now was.


    ¡°Can¡¯t be too grateful, right?¡± I teased, my impable sense of humor slicing up the tension.


    ¡°I¡¯d be eternally grateful if you came with me when I visited my family. They won¡¯t believe that I¡¯m no


    longer a servant, but a trainee. Not even for a second. Having their future Luna at my side will force


    them to listen.¡± He exined in that velvety smooth voice of his. ¡°As well, it would bring me great


    pleasure to see the looks on their faces when you ryed the news.¡±


    I let out a little gasp and ced a hand against my chest. ¡°Hakeem, I never would¡¯ve taken you for the


    cruel type.¡± Snickering to myself, I added, ¡°¡­I like it. I¡¯m in.¡±


    ¡°Turns out there¡¯s a lot we don¡¯t know about one another.¡± He replied.


    His tone was neutral and to most wouldn¡¯t have warranted any additional attention, but I wasn¡¯t like


    most. I¡¯d spent four years on high alert and that wouldn¡¯t change overnight. Despite his calm baritone,


    my gut was telling me he had a reason for stringing those particr words together.


    Two could y at that game Hakeem.


    ¡°Mm, I like the mystery. Don¡¯t you?¡±


    Hakeem considered my words for a moment before replying, his long fingers drumming up an idle beat


    against the steering wheel.


    ¡°I do, but for one reason. Mysteries are like lies and secrets. They¡¯re meant to be uncovered. I¡¯ve


    always been curious. Too curious for my own good, my sister would say.¡± He turned his head away


    from the road, locking his dark, soulful eyes on my face. ¡°You make me very curious, Lc.¡±


    This wasn¡¯t flirting. At least, I¡¯m pretty sure it wasn¡¯t. I didn¡¯t get the sense that Hakeem was trying to


    sneak his way into my pants¡ªor worse, my heart. No, what Hakeem wanted was even darker than


    those two thingsbined. He wanted in my head.


    Well, that¡¯s too damn bad.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you know I¡¯m an open book, Hakeem? Go ahead, ask me anything.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t help but tease him. ying this game where he tried to nitpick my thoughts was much more


    entertaining than drowning in the anxiety of finally reuniting with my father.


    ¡°Just ten minutes ago, you had the Alpha on the verge of passing out. What was it you said again? If


    I¡¯m not mistaken, it was something along the lines of: ¡®You know what I can do. He¡¯ll be dead before


    you get a single word out.¡¯ I¡¯m not mistaken, am I?¡± Hakeem said.


    ¡°Is that really the question you¡¯re asking?¡± I hummed.


    ¡°What can you do, Lc? That is the question I¡¯m asking.¡±


    And there it was, the million-dor question.


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid it¡¯s the only question I can¡¯t answer.¡± I replied smoothly, not a lump or bump in my calm


    fa?ade.


    Hakeem went radio silent so long that I thought he finally dropped the subject entirely. This was one of


    those unfortunate instances where I was wrong.


    ¡°It¡¯s that bad?¡± He asked.


    Staring out the window, my lips moved to form a reply.


    ¡°You have no idea.¡±


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