Chapter Four
“ W as Hall really murdered?”
“Yeah. There were signs of a struggle on the roof. Plus, the killer left a creep-ass note behind saying they were just getting started.”
“That’s awful. It had to be Volana, right? She’s the only psycho killer running around.”
“Nah. She was in the detention hall getting fucked.”
I glared at Nia through slitted eyes. She had the decency to look sheepish.
“She wasn’t anywhere near the guy when it happened,” the rumor mill continued.
“Does that mean there are two killers in this school?! What the hell is going on!”
Everyone was asking that, and everyone was talking about the night before.
Nia and I sat at our breakfast table in the back, scarfing down eggs Benedict with mint fruit salad and bellinis. The drinking age in Wolf Nation was eighteen, and I was appreciating that big-time right then. I needed a drink more than anyone.
I had to go after the next person on the list with the school on high alert, and everyone looking harder at me because I couldn’t resist leaving that note. I made an impossible task even harder, but I had my reasons.
I wanted those bastards to know their time was up.
Nia turned around to look at her friends for the fiftieth time.
“Just go already,” I snapped, making her jump. “Hang with your friends. You don’t have to stalk me all day.”
She blew out a breath. “Actually, I do. Dagem ordered me not to leave your side from now on. I wouldn’t be surprised if she announces we’re going to be roommates.”
“But you can’t be by my side all the time. We’re not in separate classes. We’re in completely separate buildings.”
“Actually...”
“What? What is it?”
“You’re looking at the second omega in history to be accepted into the alpha track.”
I blew back in my seat, brows high. Wow. Dagem is really determined that the next time the only witness by my side is one Dagem can order to say what she wants.
There was no doubt in my mind that was the reason Dagem was assigning me my own personal stalker, because Nia’s omega power mollified my wolf, but it wouldn’t stop me from hurting someone else if I really wanted to. It’d only stop me from hurting Nia. Therefore, Nia was also a witness I couldn’t kill.
“Gotta give it to her. She’s cleverer than she looks,” I muttered. “So, what did you get out of the deal?”
“Excuse me?”
“Don’t tell me you let her rip you away from your friends and your life to be a lovable psychopath’s shadow, and didn’t ask for a single thing in return?” I caught the look on her face. “Unless...” I grinned. “You did. Nicely done, omega. You’re not taking anyone’s shit.”
“It’s not like that! It’s not like I blackmailed her like a certain person,” she snapped back over my laugh. “All I did was say I wouldn’t do it unless set design was put back on the approved list.” Nia sniffed, turning her nose to the air. “It shouldn’t have been taken off in the first place, so I did nothing wrong.”
“No arguments here, but you and I will need to make a deal too.”
“What deal?”
The friendliness melted off my face, making her scoot her chair back. “Anything private you overhear about me and my fates, stays private.”
Nia stiffened. “It’s not my job to keep your secrets. When we agreed to be friends , I was clear that I wouldn’t do that.”
My eyes narrowed. “Is that a no?”
She locked eyes with me, defiance rising up in her hot and fast. It was gone in a blink. “No, it’s not,” she said, surprising me. “If it’s private like that kind of private, I’ll keep it to myself. It’s no one’s business no matter who you are, and... and if I’d known they were going to slut-shame you like this, I wouldn’t have said anything. If we’re going to be stuck together, we’ve got to have boundaries like you said, so...” Nia tipped her head. “Won’t happen again.”
“Thank you,” I replied, and meant it. “Same goes for you. That kind of private stays private. I know how to mind my own business.”
She just nodded. “But that’s all. If you break the rules, or so much as break someone’s nail, I won’t protect you. Actually, I’ll be riding everyone’s shoulders while they laugh and cheer your cuffed ass out of here.”
“Oooh, someone’s finding their claws. I like it, but don’t get too carried away,” I sang. “My wolf fought her instincts to kill my fate. Something tells me she can shake off her sleepiness for you if she’s really motivated.”
Nia scooted back at my smile. “Of course, High— Daze. I didn’t mean any disrespect.”
“Yes, you did, but I’m nothing if not forgiving.” I sighed, flipping my hair over my shoulder. “Another one of my loveable traits.”
“—take our mind off of all this.” Ava’s voice broke through the noise. “Party tonight in my dorm. Alphas and epsilons only— Sorry, Packer.”
“It’s Paxton,” Paxton gritted.
Ava waved that away. “Whatever. Like I was saying, alcohol is welcome. Clothing is optional.”
“Yeah, nice,” the guys hooted, clapping and high-fiving each other.
I really, really , didn’t want to be that pathetic fate making moon eyes at her mates from the shadows, but I couldn’t help it. The popular crowd always manages to set itself apart, and somehow, my fates were at the top.
They sat at the head of the table on the dais, surrounded by epsilon girls, each prettier than the last. And by surrounded, I meant they were hanging off their biceps like howler monkeys—caressing their bare chests and giggling in their ears.
I bared my teeth, barely holding back a growl. They were all tall, strong, and gorgeous, so naturally they got attention everywhere they went, but this was ridiculous. They were riding off the infamy of being fated to the mother wolf, being the future fathers of the most powerful generation of shifter wolves ever to be born, and... oh yeah... being fated to a psychopath.
Everyone was latching on to their drama, power, tragedy, and fame like the soul-sucking vampire leeches we all hated.
“You are coming, right?” Ava asked, draping herself across Badr’s lap. My metal knife snapped in my grip. “School just started and it’s already been hell for you. You know, with them letting your brother’s murderer run loose around the school.”
Yes, he knows! You needed to explain it like you need to be on his lap!
“Come,” she purred, snaking her arm around his neck. “It’ll be fun. I promise to take your mind off of everything.”
Badr shrugged, highly unfazed by the beautiful woman on his lap. “We’ll come, but only if Paxton gets the invite.”
Ava’s grin twitched. Either because her blatant flirting was having no effect on Badr, or because she couldn’t stand to have an omega that close to her. “Ugh, fine.”
Paxton perked up. “Thanks, B. I really—”
“Pax, get me a beer,” Badr said, pulling out his phone. “Thanks, man.”
Paxton slunk off to get it without a word.
Okay, so maybe they’re not all at the top of the popularity pyramid.
“So about tonight,” Ava chirped, trying to tip Badr’s chin back up. “I was thinking after the party you and I could go for a run. My wolf is dying for one. And then after, we could take a dip in a beautiful little waterfall—”
“No can do,” Badr dropped. “Volana killed Hall and I won’t rest until I prove it. It’s the only explanation for why she seduced that empty-headed pussy hound for a false alibi.”
A growl leaked through Orion’s teeth. “You’ll have an empty fucking head when I punch through your skull.”
Badr laughed, proving I would never understand male friendships. He also proved that he was much smarter than he looked.
Heaving her up, Badr plopped Ava back on her own seat. “You’re pissing off my wolf,” he said to her confused look, then sat back down—waving away the other girls hovering over him.
One of the staff chose that moment to bring a little present for my fates. Thanking them, I stood up and crossed the room through the rumors, insults, and whispers—heading straight for the dais.
Edric, Orion, Nyx, and Badr snapped up when they scented me on the air.
“No,” Orion blared. “Fuck off.”
“Oooh.” I climbed the dais. “That’s not what you said last night.”
Fury flashed in his eyes as silence in the mess hall dropped like a hammer. Fury... with a little splash of lust mixed in. “Last night was a mistake.”
I hummed. “Would it be a mistake if we played our little get-to-know-you game tonight too?” I swayed my hips side to side, drawing his gaze.
“Y-yes,” he forced out.
“So you’re saying you don’t want me to sneak into your room tonight, strip off all my clothes, and ride your cock until it pops?”
Ava choked on her drink, coughing and hacking up a lung. Her cronies didn’t even notice. They were too busy looking where everyone was looking—at the sweat beading up on Orion’s quivering brow.
“Orion,” Nyx hissed, grabbing his shoulder. “Keep it together, man.”
“I... don’t need to.” Orion rose up, his light pools drowning my reflection. “Go ahead, Volana. Sneak into my room tonight and strip off all your clothes. Then I’ll be perfectly justified when I strangle you with them.
“I don’t want you. I’ll never want you. My wolf’s got shit fucking taste in women,” he whispered—his warm, minty breath rolling over my lips. “But I see you for what you are, and you disgust me.”
I nodded along to his speech, lips pushed out. “I see. And do you all feel this way?” I inquired, voice light.
“Absolutely.”
“Obviously.”
“Fuck you,” Badr spat.
I tsked. “Pity. Despite all the threats and insults you made sure I overheard, I had hoped the six of us could call a truce, and enjoy all the sexual benefits that truce would include. But alas”—I heaved a dramatic sigh—“it’s not meant to be.”
“Uh, hold on.” Paxton edged into my vision. “What kind of sexual benefits are we talking—?”
“Ladies, escort Paxton out,” Badr said, glare latched on to me. “He’s catching a viral case of bitchitis.”
I laughed out loud. “Oooh, good one.” I tossed Paxton a wink before a group of alpha girls carried him away. “You don’t need to be so worried about his willpower, or even your own,” I remarked. “Because the truce is now off the table.”
My joking tone evaporated. “I didn’t kill Hall, and I’m no threat to anyone here—least of all the five of you. I even swore an oath to Luame to prove it. All I’m here to do is mind my own business and graduate the alpha track. But if you’re so determined to cause me problems, I’ll warn you right now I won’t take it lying down.
“I don’t need to lay a finger on you to make your lives hell.”
Scoffing, Badr smirked. “That was a cute little speech. I’m so scared. Don’t I look scared, guys?” He turned his grin on Nyx, Edric, and Orion—who laughed along with him. “Shall I tell you how it’s actually going to go down?”
“Please do,” I replied just as conversationally.
“Well then, here are the facts. You did kill Hall,” he said firmly. “You’re the only homicidal psychopath in the building, and he pissed you off on the first day. Gave you two demerits and a detention. Crazy-ass sociopaths like you tend to take things like that a little too personally.
“You got him first, but the other six to go were already on your kill list, and that’s why you forced yourself into the academy,” he said. “Me and the guys take up one through five, but who is the sixth person?” Badr cocked his head. “Care to come clean and tell us all now?”
“Oooh, can’t, because I have no such kill list.” I shrugged. “But be sure to ask the real killer when you find them.”
“That’s all right. You keep singing your innocence if you need to. It won’t make a difference,” he said. “I will prove you killed Hall, I’ll protect that last person on your list, I’ll avenge my brother, and I’ll find that filthy fucking traitor Lucia and throw her in the same hole I’m going to put you.”
I grinned wider. “Ahh, about your little search to find Lucia. I’m guessing that text you just got was from the person you gave my sim card.”
Badr’s smirk melted away.
“Yeah, I knew your little theatrics with smashing my phone was a trick to get your hands on it,” I said. “Lucia caught them trying to follow the number back to her, and she sent them a nasty little virus for their trouble.” I winced. “I hope you didn’t pay too much for that waste of time.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he snapped.
“Sure you don’t. Just like you don’t know who searched my room and all of my stuff yesterday. They must’ve found my backup phone, and that’s why you all thought you could get away with stealing the first one without risking me dropping my blackmail bomb, but that trick will only work once.
“I don’t have a third phone, so if you break this one too, Lucia won’t get my call, and she will hit the doomsday button.” I switched what I was holding to my other hand and held out my new phone. “Go ahead. Take it. Break it. Test me.”
The veins shone stark in his neck, he was straining so hard to hold himself back. But he didn’t take it. Badr made no move to touch the phone.
“No?” I taunted, making him growl. “Oh, well.” My phone disappeared back in my pocket. “I guess there’s just one thing left to say, then.”
Sidestepping him, I placed the cherry sundae on their table.
“Game on.”
“ Game on. ”
If I’d known the bastards were going to take that so literally, I never would’ve said it.
I beat it across the field, clutching the football for dear life while the howling hounds of hell descended on me. Orion, Edric, Badr, Nyx, and seven other players chased after me—their amber wolf eyes spotlights on my demise.
I had my own team, but they were nowhere to be seen. Hanging out on the sidelines. Kicking back on the grass. Putting on a show of running around in circles. Not a single one of them would defend me. No one was leaving themselves open to catch the ball.
I was on my own.
Edric caught up to me first and swiped at my head, lethal claws ready and willing to separate it from my shoulders. They passed straight through me.
I shrieked victory and he jumped.
Shifting in midair, all two hundred pounds of ebony, oversized wolf came down on me, and crushed my feet.
My screams echoed through the rising night.
Pain blinding me, I yanked myself free and stumbled across the grass on the bloody stumps that used to be my feet.
As cool as a moon wolf’s powers are, everything had a downside. And we had a big one. No matter what, when we phased, we had to keep our feet solid, or we’d phase straight through to the earth into the cold, dark, and dirt below.
Leave it to my fates to know this. They had been hiding out for a whole year, waiting for me to bust in the door and murder them. Of course they brushed up on my weaknesses.
Suck it up! My speed healing consumed my feet, already pushing back on the pain. They don’t get to beat you at anything, so win. Win!
The internal pep talk lit a fire under my backside. I was halfway to the end zone. I could win this. I would win this.
Heat roared up on my back. I ducked Orion’s fireball, hit the ground rolling, and popped up limping on as fast as my ruined feet would carry me.
“Argh!” Badr roared. “Get her! Stop her!”
Little mounds erupted from the dirt, desperate to rip me up. I jumped, dodged, spun as the goalpost loomed closer and closer. The thrill of victory rising up in me.
Thud!
“Oh, shit! Badr!” someone shouted. “Guys, stop. I think he’s dead!”
What? I whirled around, coming face to face with a golden-furred wolf barreling toward me faster than the wind. Bright, blinding light erupted from him, and I clapped my hand over my eyes—dropping the ball.
A hard force slammed into me and sent me flying. I regained my form midair, and every soft, fleshy inch of me crashed on the metal bleachers.
Roaring cheers went up from both teams and everyone watching. Broken, dazed, and wracked with pain, all I could do was lie on the twisted hunk of metal that broke my fall, gazing at my own broken bone piercing through my elbow as blood pooled around me.
Fweet!
Coach’s whistle cut through the noise. “Excellent, red team. Great coordination. Great use of power, skill, and killer instinct. I want to see more of that from you, blue team,” she said. “Dismissed.”
A shadow fell over me.
“Are you dead?” Nia asked—more curious than concerned. “Should I call someone?”
“Call... someone to... do what?” I croaked around my broken jaw. “Take pictures?”
“Oh, no need.” Ava’s voice grated on my ears. “Pics are taken care of.”
Half a million shutter noises broke the air, driving the point home.
“Shifter football is hardcore, but still, they were pretty brutal,” Nia remarked. “You’re not going to freak out because you got your ass kicked, and expose all of Wolf Nation, are you?”
“Nia, can you give me some space, please?” I bit out. “I’m sure you’ve got more hearts to rip out and eat whole, so don’t let me keep you.”
“I said it wasn’t like that!”
Whether it was or wasn’t, the comment pissed her off enough to send her stomping away. That left the way clear for everyone and their phones to document my agony as my bones snapped back into place, knit themselves back together, and heal in time with the bruises marring my skin.
I couldn’t even be mad or claim persecution or unfairness. Anything goes in shifter football, and if it was me, I’d have done the same thing to them.
“And will,” I gritted, heaving myself up. Edric, Nyx, Paxton, and Orion smirked at me from among their adoring fans. Shifting during the game left them bare-ass naked, and their groupies were taking full advantage as they ran around getting them spares, and helping them put them on. “If that’s how you want to play,” I said, knowing they could hear me. “That’s how we’ll play.”
I stomped off the bleachers to where Nia waited—my forced follower.
Stepping off the final step, solid ground gave way. My foot came down in a grotty puddle of mud, and went flying. I splashed face-first into my sudden mud bath.
“Nyx!”
Roaring laughs bounced off the night air—shutterclicks going off hot and furious.
“Game on, baby,” Nyx tossed over his shoulder as he walked away with two women under his arm. “But fair warning, you can’t play on this level.
“And you fuck sure won’t win.”
I STOMPED THROUGH THE hall, leading a hissing Nia after me.
“Daciana, please! Please, listen to me!” She shot in front of me.
I feigned right, spun, and ran around her—laughing when she squawked and rapid footfalls ended up chasing after me again.
“Will you stop!” she cried. “You’re not allowed out of your room after curfew. You’ve already got three demerits. Two more and you’re out.”
I rolled my eyes. “Oh, please. They can’t get me on murder. You really think a broken curfew is going to take me down? Those demerits are a joke.”
“They might be to you, but they’re not to me!” Her voice climbed higher and higher over the thumping bass. “Dagem said if I don’t keep you in line, my ass is out too!”
“Not too . Only,” I corrected. “So that’s a you problem, not a me problem.”
Nia let out such a string of vile, filthy insults at my back that I laughed so hard I choked.
“I like you.” I tossed her a wink over my shoulder. “You come off so calm and collected, but there’s a fierce wolftress in you after all.”
She snarled—golden eyes taking over and bleeding even more malice. “I hate you.”
“Oh, come on, Nia. Cheer up”—I busted Ava’s door in—“it’s a party.”
Music poured out of the hole in the wall. Taking up every available surface was either alcohol, amorous couples, bodies gyrating to the soca music, or discarded clothing. Strip poker in one corner. The beginnings of an orgy on the king-sized bed. Lines of shots across her bare desk that two people were banging out as fast as possible, trying to be the first one to down the last and win the coveted prize of alcohol poisoning.
Blowing inside, my second thought was this party was insane. Ava would be a legend before the sun rose. My first thought was too bad she wasn’t going to live to sunrise to enjoy it.
Ava chose a theme for her back-to-school party, and it was me.
Or to be more accurate, my complete and utter humiliation.
Blown-up photos of me were plastered everywhere. Me screeching my head off when Edric stomped my feet on the field. Me taking an impromptu flight through the air. Me lying crumpled and bleeding. Me pulling the most unfortunate grimace while flopping around in the mud. Ava even had me as a slideshow on the big-screen TV.
And under that television, she held court with my fates, the six of them laughing and yucking it up while Ava sat proudly on Badr’s lap. Seemed his wolf wasn’t so pissed off anymore.
If I expected everyone to get angry and lose their minds at the sight of me, I was disappointed.