Chapter Five
I stumbled into History of the Dominions the next morning, red-eyed and saggy-tailed. Snickers went up at the sight of me, loudest of all from Nyx, Badr, Orion, and Edric. I earned them fair and square. I looked like an asylum escapee, and that was putting it nicely.
But the cherry on top of an awful morning was that everyone, and I meant everyone, was wearing t-shirts with photos of my flurp-faced, flopping-in-the-mud self stamped on them.
How did Ava get those made so fast?!
“Turn in your summaries of chapter two,” Raza called. “Quickly now.”
I fished the pages out of my bag and walked them to her desk. I dropped them on the pile... and they sailed away.
“Hey!”
Shooting into the air, I jumped up, my fingers brushing the edges just as they caught fire. Grim and vibrating, burnt flecks of paper floated around me. The class laughed uproariously—no one louder than Orion and Edric—both of whom were wearing my humiliation proudly on their chests.
It was everything in me not to leap across the desk and punch Edric’s face, and that anger wasn’t solely mine. My wolf was internally snarling at him too.
She may be fated to want the guy more than water in a desert, but she also loved sleep. A lot. When they talked about waking up on the wrong side of the bed, she was my wrong side—and she didn’t mess around.
Smirking, Edric made the sign for money, driving his point home. I forced the same mocking on my lips and made the sign for video.
He laughed.
I wasn’t really after any private videos between him and Nyx. I only said that to shut down this ransom nonsense because I didn’t have time to take on someone else’s plots when I had my hands full with my own.
Honestly, even if he gave them to me, I wouldn’t watch them. The last thing on earth I needed to do was get my wolf even more revved up for the band of jerks that were getting in my way, and ruining the plan. If Orion hadn’t told the truth despite the others pressuring him not to, it all would’ve come crashing down before it ever started.
They’re irritating distractions that I don’t have time for. The only thing to do with them is put them down, then put them out.
“Detention, Miss Volana.”
“What? Me?” I cried. “Why?”
Raza smiled into my eyes. “For not turning in your assignment.”
My nostrils flared. “And I assume Edric and Orion will not receive detention for destroying said assignment?”
She was already turning her back on me. “There are several fire and wind wolves in this room. Do you have proof they are the ones responsible?”
“No, but—”
“Take your seat.”
I didn’t bother arguing and made for my desk. Mason winked at me as I went past.
“I’ve got detention too,” he said. “Can’t wait to be detented with you.”
The smirks wiped off Orion’s and Edric’s faces fast. They heard the fool clear as day.
I just rolled my eyes. “Even if that was a word, you’d still sound like a dumbass.”
Mason laughed. The guy was tall, cut, and handsome in a way that pissed me off. With his perfect, unblemished skin; crystal-clear blue eyes; wavy crown of chestnut curls; and lean, hard body, I could tell he was used to being the most handsome guy in every room he walked into, and it had gone to his inflated head hard.
My mother always said we had to go through that awkward, pimply, crooked-teeth, gangly adolescent phase so we learned never to mistreat someone going through theirs.
That phase blew past this pretty boy without making a pit stop.
“Well, maybe you can teach me the right word tonight.” His lecherous grin wrinkled my nose. “If we have the time.”
Mason was both handsome and fearless it seemed. He was completely ignoring both Edric and Orion sounding off like a couple of car engines.
I looked Edric and Orion both in the face, but my smile was for Mason. “Maybe I will,” I purred, blowing Mason’s brows up. “See you tonight.”
I made it two steps.
“It was us,” Orion barked.
“We did it,” Edric said. “We destroyed Volana’s assignment.”
Raza blinked owlishly at them. “Excuse me? You’re confessing?”
“That’s right.” Once again, Edric spoke to her but looked at me. “Detention, right?”
“I’m afraid so. Both of you. Tonight.”
Edric and Orion shared determined looks with each other, and hateful looks at Mason.
I just shook my head, hiding a grin as I took my seat.
Men are too easy.
“I CAN’T BELIEVE I HAVE to go to detention with you too,” Nia raged in between angrily reading.
I never knew someone could read angrily until meeting Nia. Didn’t know someone could bitch so much to the wrong person either.
“Trust me, I’d love to put some space between this twosome too.” We rounded the corner for the detention hall, catching sight of Orion’s back just as he slipped inside. “Look on the bright side, you can chill out and get homework done.”
“How is that the bright side? What kind of lonely, desperate nerd do you think I am? I’ll have you know I had a date tonight. A date I had to cancel because of you .”
I rolled my eyes. “Tip: dates don’t go for that whiny thing, so it’s a good thing you’re getting that all out now before you see them again.”
“Fuck you.”
I laughed. Nia wasn’t used to being afraid of people, so she bounced quick between defiance and suppliance. It really was funny. Like what I imagined it was like having a haughty cat who spurned your affection, but still ate, bathed, and shat by your allowance.
“Just stop getting detention,” Nia said. “Some of us have a social life that doesn’t include sitting around in an empty classroom half the night.”
“Tell me about it,” I mumbled.
I had names to be checking off my list, and a project in the woods that needed checking of its own. Instead, I’d be spending another night in detention with Orion gagging us on his cigarette smoke to keep playing his role of being the disinterested bad boy who “doesn’t care” that everyone he knows and loves rejected him... or is a serial killer.
Meanwhile, strong, silent, judgmental Edric will sit on top of his high horse, smirking down at me like torturing me into blackmail made him better than me.
Still like those jerks? I thought at my wolf.
It wasn’t true words that came back at me because wolves didn’t speak. It was more like my wolf tapped into my primal subconscious, or that she was my primal subconscious, and she didn’t have to speak because her voice was already a part of me.
Therefore, with her being me, and me being me, and me knowing myself, her reply was, Don’t need to like someone to want to fuck their brains out.
Oh yes, all parts of me were a hot mess.
“Look,” Nia said, “let’s just do our homework, keep our heads down, and maybe Raza will let us out”—we stepped into detention hall—“early.”
“Or,” I sang, taking in the scene before me. “She’ll put us all in detention for the rest of forever.”
Party.
That was the only word for what my eyes were seeing. Instead of the three guys I was expecting to be in this room, there were about seventeen guys and twelve girls, and they were all getting themselves comfortable passing out bottles, putting desks together for a card game, arguing in the corner about how to set up the music, and glaring at me fit to explode my head.
The last one was Badr, who was standing huddled up with Orion, Edric, Paxton, and Nyx. They weren’t all supposed to be here. What were they all doing here!
Ava scoffed between swigs of whiskey. Naturally, she wore a muddied-up me on her chest. “Aww, you’re worried about more detention, widdle baby? I didn’t take you for a weak-ass pussy who’s afraid of a little punishment, Volana.”
“And you’re ugly,” I replied, breezing past.
“Hey— I’m not— Your pathetic comebacks don’t bother me!” She sounded pretty bothered to me. “I’m not the one eating mud in my granny panties! If anyone’s ugly, it’s you! You—”
“Oh, Ava, one more thing,” I cried. “Your mama’s ugly too.”
“Fuck you, bitch!”
Her shout rolled off my back.
Nia trailed behind me. “What’s going on? What are you all doing here?”
“Someone snitched about the party last night,” Paxton replied. “We’re only allowed alcohol at mealtimes, and no hard stuff. Dagem found out we blew up that rule and...” He shrugged. “Here we are.”
“First,” Mason said, pushing through the pack to come up next to me. “There is no we , fish. You crashed our party last night, got a taste of the good life, and then you no doubt snitched to Dagem so that you could end up here with all of us again.” Mason scoffed. “Pathetic fucking leech.”
Paxton’s lips curled. “I’ll take blood-sucking leech over self-obsessed jackass any day.”
“Then you’re already winning at life,” Mason tossed back, dismissing him completely, and turning his grin on me. “Anyway, it’s ridiculous that these fuckers think they can treat us like children. We’re all grown. We’re all past the drinking age. So this is what we say to their detention.”
I crooked a brow at him. I had no idea why he was saying this to me, or why he was doing it so casually. I tossed him half a flirt to mess with Orion and Edric and get them to bust themselves for destroying my homework.
He doesn’t seriously think he has a chance with me? In front of my fates? In a room full of people? While we’re seconds away from getting blasted with demerits?
“You don’t care that Raza is going to rain demerits on you when she walks in?” I asked.
A snicker sounded behind me. “Trust me, she won’t be stopping in anytime soon,” Ava replied.
I just sighed. If Ava seriously did what she was implying she did to Raza, then I was starting to get a picture of her that was becoming more and more pitiful. Life can be tough for epsilons. We didn’t quite fit anywhere. We were seen as both special and spare parts, so we were shoved into temples scattered across Wolf Nation and forgotten about.
Since we couldn’t be with each other, and because shifter wolves invented the term pack mentality, we were often alone and on the fringes of society. The result was that most epsilons did whatever it took to fit in—including throwing banned parties and attacking teachers to make themselves look cool.
Patting the air next to Ava’s shoulder, I threw her sad eyes. “It’s going to be okay, Ava. You’re not that ugly. One day you’ll have friends too.”
“What the fuck are you talking about!”
Laughing. I brushed past Mason and continued on.
He stuck right on my heels, proving alphas were born with reckless confidence on top of their command voice. Ten eyeballs were burning the back of our necks. The growls had already started.
“So where you been the last year, Volana?” he asked.
I sat down at a desk in the front and pointedly took out my homework. Bold as shit, Mason laid himself on my desk and notebook.
Nia veered off fast, finding a desk as far from the both of us as possible. She wasn’t about to get between whatever was about to happen.
“Went backpacking through Europe,” I replied. “Did some eating, sightseeing, paragliding. Fun times. What about you?”
“Didn’t have as much fun as that.” Mason couldn’t have been more relaxed or breezier. He had to know he was pissing off four alphas and an omega who were more than happy to rip off his limbs for even thinking of touching me. He knew.
He just didn’t care.
“I spent the whole time drawing lots and taking bets,” he continued, “on why you killed Castor and who you’ll kill next.” Mason leaned in close. “Want to make me a winner?”
My tone was no less breezy. “How? What’s your theory?”
“It’s exactly what you said that night. You—” Mason drew a line across his neck, crossing his eyes and sticking out his tongue. “Because you didn’t want to pop out that prick’s brats. So you killed him.”
“Prick?”
“For sure.” Mason uselessly dropped his voice. “I knew the guy. Castor was a self-righteous asshole who thought he ruled the world because his daddy’s on the alpha council.” He shrugged. “Honestly, I don’t know why everyone’s coming down on you so hard. Far as I’m concerned, you did us all a favor taking that shit out.”
Crash!
I twisted around, seeing the sight I expected to see. Edric, Nyx, Orion, and Paxton all struggled to keep hold of Badr, who crashed over a desk fighting to get to Mason.
Turning back, I faced Mason’s open grin. “You’re trying to piss my fates off,” I dropped.
He grinned wider. “Why not? They’re a bunch of self-righteous pricks too, and you feel the same or you wouldn’t have used me to trick them this morning.”
My brows rose slightly. Seemed Mason wasn’t the empty-headed jock I took him for. “In that case,” I said, lips twisting to match his. “Get me a beer. It’s a party.”
Whooping, Mason jumped off. “Coming right up.”
Mason waded through a group of gyrating girls for the cooler. I abandoned my homework and joined them on the makeshift dance floor. The alpha girls bared their teeth at me, giving me a wide berth, but that didn’t stop me.
I jammed out to the music—shaking and dropping my booty like I was trying to get rid of it.
“Enough!” Edric barked. I had no doubt he was talking to me. “Sit down!”
Bold as shit, I jumped on the teacher’s desk instead. Looking Edric straight in the eyes, I smirked as I did my dance—raunching it up hardcore.
“Yay!” Mason cheered, and despite my loathed status, he wasn’t the only one. “Now it’s a party!”
“Go, psycho, go, go!” they started singing and chanting. “Go, killa, go, go!”
I didn’t much approve of the lyrics, but who was I to deny it was pretty catchy.
“Get down!” Orion belted. “All of you, shut the fuck up!”
A hard force hit me from behind, nearly dropping me face-first on the hardwood.
Ava elbowed me out of the way and started dancing. Before everyone’s eyes, she peeled the hem of her shirt up, and ripped it over her head.
“Whooo! Yeah!”
Another elbow came flying at me and I got the hint. Jumping off, I left Ava to her attention-seeking, smothering a laugh as half a dozen girls tried to climb up on the desk with her.
Please, Luame, if you love me at all, make them break that desk and drop them heels over head on their asses. It’d be the funniest thing to ever happen in the history of ever.
I made my way over to Mason. “What happened to that beer?”
“Sorry, I was distracted by the show. Nice, by the way.” We pushed through to the cooler. “Will I get a private dance tonight when we—?” His fingers were inches away from a chilling beer when the cooler shot up and blasted out the window.
“Ahh!”
The desk dancers burst out screaming. Three of them granted my wish and fell off the desk—one being Ava. Everyone jumped back, their eyes wide as cascading cracks brought down the entire wall of windows—unleashing sharp, chilling blasts of air that ripped through the warm and pleasant mood.
Nia just sat there—eyes huge and expression saying she wished she was anywhere but here, because when Dagem saw what we did, we’d be in detention for the rest of our lives.
“Party’s over,” Edric said. He blasted the speakers out the hole in the wall for good measure, ending my second favorite song with a crash. “Sit.”
Party was over indeed. All the alcohol and equipment were shattered on the lawn, and the dancing girls were rushing into their clothes—fighting off the chill.
And none of it made a lick of difference to me. Shrugging, I brushed past my fates, and their dirty looks, and went back to the homework I was trying to get done in the first damn place.
One by one, the others found a desk and followed suit.
“Wait, hold on,” Mason cried. “That’s it? The party’s not over just because he says it is.”
“Let it go, Mason,” one of his friends said. “We don’t have any beer, any music, or any naked girls. That’s Dre’s house on a Saturday night, and it’s damn sure not a party there.”
“Hey!” someone shouted. I assumed it was Dre.
“There’s more beer in the kitchen and we can get more speakers from our rooms. You.” He gestured to Dre. “Summon up some boards to cover the windows. I’ll get the music. The fish will get the beer.”
Paxton roared up. “I’m not—!”
“You.” Mason pointed right at Nia. “Come on. You’re getting the beer.”
Nia blinked at him. “Um, actually, I’m not. I want no part in this. I’m doing my homework and minding my—”
“ Get the beer! ”
Nia toppled her chair jumping to her feet. She bolted out the door so fast, she blew my notebook off my desk. Her wolf charged off to do the alpha’s bidding.
Mason loped off after her while Dre’s wood power fashioned wooden planks over the busted windows, and wooden stakes to hold them in place. Believe it or not, earth wolves were the most dangerous enemy against the vampires. Well, them and sun wolves. Between summoning scorching sunlight to turn them to dust, or stakes to drive through their dead hearts—sun and earth wolves made vampires feel something most of them hadn’t felt in centuries—
Afraid.
It was that very reason that vampires played dirty, and didn’t face earth and sun wolf communities head-on. Instead, the bastards employed their favorite weapon of choice and poisoned their water supply with wolfsbane. I’d never forget the day Father and I traveled to Lehanna, a small sun wolf town near Uluru, and found hundreds of corpses rotting in the dirt.
My father vomited on sight. I had nightmares for weeks. And why? As far as we knew, those wolves had nothing to do with the Sydney vampires who poisoned them. They killed them just because they felt like it.
“Stay away from him.”
I came to, pulling out of the horrible memory. One of many horrible memories that made up my childhood. Sometimes I felt as if there weren’t any good memories in my head anymore. They’d all been poisoned too.
I looked up at Nyx. “Excuse me?”
“Don’t bother with the big, brown, innocent eyes,” he snapped. “Stay away from that bastard, or he’ll regret it.”
My brows climbed my forehead. “Well, that’s a surprising turnaround.”
Nyx’s face crumpled, and it was still as handsome as ever. His long hair fell over us both—trapping us in a cloud of sweet citrus-and-cedar shampoo. He cut himself shaving that morning. I could tell because his wolf healing closed the cut so fast, it left a tiny pinprick of blood behind.
“I thought you all wanted our bond to erode to nothing. What would achieve that better than me staying close to Mason?” I tipped back, whispering against his lips. “Very, very close.”
Nyx’s eyes flashed. “Careful,” he hissed, lips peeling back from his teeth.
I mock pouted. “Why should I be careful? I don’t want to be careful. My wolf’s been aching for some mating for a year now. Maybe I want to give her and you what you both want,” I said softly, rubbing my mouth against his snarling one. “One roll in the sack and the bond between us is that much closer to snapping.”
“Daciana,” he growled, using my name for the first time since ever .
“Say it.” My warm breath rolled over his bottom lip. “Say you don’t want me to touch Mason... because you want me to touch you.”
“I... I...” Nyx swallowed hard. “All right. Maybe... Maybe I’ll say it if you say something for me.”
I pressed the tiniest kiss to his lips, my wolf purring as he groaned. “Anything.”
“Say... pinata.”
“Wha—”
Something clamped my ankle and lifted me heels over head out of my chair. Before I could blink, I shot up through the air and my feet slammed against the ceiling. Body dangling, I shrieked as my vision cleared on the two wooden manacles pinning me upside down.
Raucous laughter assaulted my ears, drowning out my screeching and demands to be put back down.
Nyx smirked at me, his wolf’s eyes burning with equal parts hate and lust. “Get down yourself, Volana. You can phase right through that wood. What’s stopping you?”
“Nyx!”
“Oooh, that’s right,” he crowed, snapping his fingers. “You’d have to hit the ground solid, or you’d go right through the floor and wake up in hell. And a fall from that height is going to break something.”
Damn these fucking high ceilings! Who the hell said a wolf academy needed to be in a castle!
“Party’s back on, guys,” Nyx shouted, high-fiving Badr, Orion, Edric, Ava, and all the hooting alphas. “And I brought the games.”
Long, thick pinata sticks appeared in every one of their hands. Who was I kidding? They weren’t pinata sticks. They were fucking bats. I couldn’t help it, my eyes bugged.
“She’ll phase, so aim for the feet,” Nyx went on. “Direct hits get a prize.”
“Nyx, stop,” Paxton warned.
“What kind of prize?” Ava asked, twirling her bat as she planted herself front and center.
I saw Nyx’s upside-down smile. “What would you like?”
“Strip-pinata. Lose an article of clothing for every direct hit.”
“Because you haven’t seen my fates naked enough times!” I screeched.
Badr, Nyx, Edric, and Orion laughed in my face.
“She sounds jealous,” Badr drawled. “Stripping it is.
“Go.”
“Stop!” Paxton jumped in front of them. “All of you, calm the fuck down. You’re not beating anyone—”
Badr punched him dead in the face. Paxton went down like Jenga, crumpling on the floor—out cold.
“I said go.”
That was all the warning I got before Ava smashed the bat into my shoulder, ripping out a scream that echoed through the halls of Corvin Academy.
Just like that, they were on me—pummeling every inch of my body, and delighting that I gave them a nice, varied target.
I had no choice. I wanted to phase, but I couldn’t because of my clothes. Moon wolves found a way to make our clothes phase with us decades ago, but those were special clothes made of unique, magic-kissed thread.
They were clothes I didn’t have because I stole my entire wardrobe.
The only moon clothes I had were in the backpack I stashed away in the woods on the day I killed Castor, then took off. Running with my entire wardrobe was never going to be possible, and getting more moon wolf clothes while hiding out among the mundanes—also impossible.
So of course the day of all days when I needed my moon clothes, they were in the wash.
Don’t phase. A vicious hit struck my spine, arching my back in half. Pained eyes took in a grinning Nyx, and his camera phone. Don’t phase!
Turned out the earth alpha did like to make videos. He was already filming my humiliation. The last thing I was going to let him do was film my naked humiliation for all of Wolf Nation to see on Loop-Garou—the wolf version of social media.
Thud!
Crunch!
Smack!
Every hit made me bite deeper through my lip, and made my wolf howl louder. The best I could do was protect my head by letting their hits sail through it, and fuck her, Ava kept aiming for my head.
Don’t phase! Don’t phase! You can take more pain than this. Don’t phase!
I phased.
My clothes slipped through the nothing that became of me, and since it wasn’t a new moon, nothing was still plenty.
“Whoo! Yay!”
Pain, anger, and mortification flooded me as the alphas and epsilons hooted, hollered, and carried on. Through it all, my fates laughed... and kept on filming.
With my body no longer a target, they pummeled my feet. I screamed unreservedly when one of my toes crunched and broke.
“Tell us where the girl is,” Badr demanded, “and the pain stops.”
“Why don’t you ask your buddy Edric!” Ava threw the whole bat at me. It sailed through my body but I still flinched. “He’ll tell you all about it!”
Badr slid a confused look to Edric, who shrugged.
“I have no idea what she’s talking about,” Edric said, as breezy as his power. “I’m starting to think she really is crazy.”
“Well, if she’s crazy, she’ll have to take her medicine.” Gesturing to Orion, Badr stepped back. “Do it.”
Smirking, Orion came forward and stared at me hard.
I didn’t have a damn clue what he was doing... until my feet got hot.
“Stop!”
The wood around my ankles smoked and charred—the flames hungrily eating through and seeking flesh.
The whole of me leaked agony. It was impossible to believe I had any pain left to feel, until the bottom of my feet caught on fire.
“Ahhh!”
“Where is she!”
“Fuck you!” Tears leaked down my cheeks. As fast as my feet were healing, that’s as fast as Orion was burning them away. “Fuck—!”
“...stop... help...”
My wolf burst out of me. I crashed to the floor, landing awkwardly on my side. Bleeding and burning, I scrabbled up on my haunches and took off—scattering my attackers like bowling pins.
“After her!”
Crunching bones and thudding pawfalls. My fates were after me—minus one.
I healed much faster in my wolf form. Bones knit themselves back together. Cuts sewn into a spotless, blemish-free skin. Scorched flesh flaked away and new, healthy brown skin claimed its place.
I was healing, but not fast enough for my burnt feet. Every step was a lance through my heel. I wanted to run far, fast, and away to a dark corner to lick my wounds in peace, but something was spurring my wolf on, and she wouldn’t be stopped.
I burst through double doors, exploding them to splinters. Snapping, snarls, and hot breath were inches from my tail. My fates were coming after me, and they weren’t messing around anymore. They were beings of pure instinct now, and as much as their wolves wanted me, they wanted a lot of other things too—like my complete and total surrender.
Sensitive ears picked up another noise, sending me racing off faster. A mass of snow-white fur, muscles, and claws tumbled into the mess hall, and kept tumbling. Fur and snout rolled across the floor and became legs, teeth, and flesh.
I skidded to a hard stop at the foot of the dais, and held still—listening.
Thud.
My head snapped up, fixing on the kitchen entrance as Orion, Badr, Edric, and Nyx burst in after me. I was off and running before the threats and shouts poured from their throats.
I threw open the kitchen door, locking eyes with her immediately.
“ Hmmph! ”
“Get—!”
A hard force tackled me from behind. Nyx and I rolled across the floor—every intimate bit of our bodies banging together, and startling Mason. I threw Nyx off as the others pummeled each other forcing their way in.
“Get off of her!”
Mason arched a brow at me, his surprise fading. “Whoa, girl, calm down.” Shaking his head, he resumed rolling on the condom. “There’s plenty of me to go around.”
Nia bent over the stove, naked as the day she was born, and eerily still. Her arms flopped across the countertops. Her body was noodle-limp. She didn’t move. She didn’t twitch. She didn’t look like she was breathing too hard. You could almost believe she was fine, if not for the terror in her wide, bulging eyes.
Badr, Orion, and Edric sliced off whatever they’d been about to shout at me. Nyx’s grip on my shoulders fell away. An edge I’d never heard before, not even when he was speaking to me, laced Badr’s voice.
“What the fuck are you doing, Mason?”
Mason laughed. “Damn, you don’t know? Best not to let anyone else know, bastard. Your old man doesn’t have time for weak-ass virgins. Now if you don’t mind, we’re busy.”
“Nia, can you move!” I shouted over Mason’s bullshit. “Can you speak?”
Tears leaked down her cheeks—her only reply.
“Kill him.”
I don’t know who said it, maybe it was me, but it sounded the call better than a trumpet. We surged forward, maws elongating and fur sprouting—launching at the vile, smirking piece of trash.
Mason slashed the air and a wall of flames erupted between us, blowing me and my fates back. The others tumbled ass over head. In a flash, I phased and bolted at him—running through the fire.
Mason spun, fur sprouting as he tried to shift. I slammed into him, throwing him off his feet, then fell on Nia.
I grabbed her up and pulled her away. She was dead weight in my arms, bringing us both down to the floor. Best I could, I covered her as I tugged her away—pulling her far from Mason.
The flames were dying down. I spotted an apron slung over a deep freezer and snatched it up, using it to cover a still-and-limp Nia.
“Guys!” I shouted to Nyx, Edric, Badr, and Orion. Orion was racing to turn on the lights while the others—a mix of changed and unchanged—righted themselves. “Do something!”
Edric realized what I was asking right away. “ Nia, move! Speak! ”
Nia came to with a scream that flattened my ears. Kicking free, she scrambled back until she hit the fridge. Clutching her scant cover, she screamed.
I approached her slowly. “Nia,” I whispered, reaching out. “Nia, I’m so sorry. I’m going to get you help.”
“Guys,” Nyx said.
“That bastard won’t get away with this.” She flinched when I touched her knee, dissolving into tears. “I promise, I—”
“Guys,” Nyx called louder. “Look.”
The strange note in his tone drew my eyes up and across the room.
Mason lay on the shining tile—a growing pool of blood staining it red. Riddled in his chest were the knives that tipped and fell on him when my hit sent him flying.
Mason gasped, blood gurgling from his mouth. His head flopped back and he stilled—dead.
Silence spread through the kitchen, heavy and choking for all but Nia’s hiccuping sobs. Slowly, achingly, the guys turned to me.
We stared at each other for a long, tense moment. They were likely wondering what was going through my head, but I didn’t need to ask what was going through theirs.
“You killed him,” Orion said, voice flat.
“Clothes,” I rasped.
Badr’s brows crumpled.
“Put clothes on her, Nyx,” I clarified. “Please.”
Nyx did it without saying a word. Snapping his fingers, leaves and palm fronds flew in from outside and covered us both, fashioning into itchy, but effective knee-length forest dresses.
Nia barely took notice of this. She hadn’t moved from her corner. She hadn’t stopped crying.
My fates and I stared at each other some more, heavy clouds of silent judgement swirling around us. I broke first.
“What are you going to do?”
Nyx, Orion, and Edric shared a look, then they all turned to Badr—who hadn’t taken his eyes off me for a second. Of course, this decision was going to be his...
...and I was done for.
I killed Mason. There was no way around it. There was no way out of it. My scent was on his body. My witnesses were not on my side. It wouldn’t matter to Dagem that it was an accident. It wouldn’t matter what we came in here and found that low-down dirty shitheel doing to Nia.
He was an alpha and she was an omega. You didn’t kill an alpha to protect an omega. The value of a fish would never measure to a wolf. That was just the way it was in Wolf Nation.
What fitting irony that for all the awful things I’ve done proudly, I’m to go down for the one thing I did unintentionally... and right.
“No.”
I blinked. “What?”
“No,” Badr repeated. “I don’t decide what happens now.” He slid off me, and looked to Nia. “She does.” Badr crouched down, looking into her eyes, and the first expression that wasn’t hatred, malice, or disgust overcame his handsome face. “Nia, what do you want? Do you want Dagem to know what happened here?” Badr cast me the barest glance. “ Everything that happened here?”
Her wide eyes nearly all white, Nia shook her head hard.
“Orion.”
Orion waved his hand in a sharp upward jerking motion, and Mason caught fire. My arms flew up, covering my face as flames hotter than the sun consumed Mason—body and steel. Within moments he was nothing but dust, and then even the dust was gone when Edric summoned a wind that blew it down the drainpipes.
I could only stand there in disbelief. Even though I knew they were doing it to protect Nia, not me. I still couldn’t believe they were giving up their chance to out me as the murderer they knew I was, and force the alpha council to get rid of me for good—video or no video.
Nyx stepped forward. “Here, Nia, let me help you—”
“No!”
My back nearly snapped in half. Nia grabbed me, shoving me between her and Nyx, and hugging me in a death grip that nearly finished the job.
I held up my hand. “Nyx, I don’t think she wants to be alone with any more naked alpha boys,” I said, tone hard. “Do you?”
He winced. “Of course not. I’m sorry.”
In another surprising move, he stepped to the side. They all did.
“Get her out of here, Volana,” Badr said. “Take care of her.”
Slowly, I made for the door—taking Nia with me. I didn’t take my eyes off of Badr for a second, going so far as to turn my back toward the door, and keep him in sight as we left.
He looked back at me just as steadily. “This one, and only this one,” he gritted. “I’ll let you have for free.”
THAT CONFUSING SENTENCE , and their shocking caring and considerate response to Nia—rattled my brain for the rest of the night.
After we left the mess hall, I asked Nia if she wanted to go to the infirmary and got a rough headshake and more tears in response. I then asked if she wanted me to wake up her friends to be with her, and got another headshake.
“Just... take me to my room,” she rasped.
I didn’t fight her. I led the silent walk to her room, letting my nose guide me to the place where her scent was the strongest. There were locks and warning signs on the entrances to the alpha wing, but none for the omega wing. Together we entered a space that was nothing like the one we left.
Bare, asylum-white walls glared down on me. Beneath my feet spread out grimy, boring blue carpet—nothing like the gorgeous polished hardwood, or mural-painted walls in the alpha wing. I counted twenty metal doors going up and down both sides of the hallway, whereas the alpha wing only had five doors on each side of a hall the same length—meaning the rooms in the omega wing were much smaller. Stepping inside Nia’s room only proved it.
My nose wrinkled on first sight. Nowhere to be seen were the four-poster beds, fireplace, lounge chairs, plushy rugs, desk, antique wardrobe, or second door leading to a luxurious bathroom. The entirety of Nia’s room could’ve fit into my bathroom, and if it did, I would’ve demanded a decorator.
Crammed into the tiny space was nothing but a small, twin-sized bed that reeked from years of use, a single rickety chair, a trunk I was sure Nia brought from home, and a small sink and mirror attached to the wall.
That was it.
I looked around the place trying to think of ways it was different than a jail cell, and came up with nothing.
Nia shuffled inside and quietly changed out of her frond dress while I just stood there feeling less than useless.
“Can I get you anything?” I heard myself say. “Water, food, better blankets or pillows?”
Her back to me, Nia just shook her head.
“Okay... well...” I backed away. “I’ll leave you in peace.”
“Don’t,” she said so softly only a wolf could hear her. “Don’t leave.”
I stopped. Of course I did. “Okay, I won’t, but... Nia, you should be with friends right now. People who love you. Not me—”
“Why did you come?” Her back was still to me as she pulled on her cardigan and drew it tight around her. “Why did you come, Daciana?”
I frowned. “Why? Because I heard you. I heard you call for help.”
“If you heard me, everyone else in that room heard me. Why did you come running when no one else did?”
I scoffed remembering my short role as a pinata. “To be fair to those bastards, they were a bit preoccupied at the time. They weren’t paying attention to—”
“But you were,” she sliced in. “You were paying attention. Why?”
My furrows deepened staring at her back. “Nia, I don’t understand what you’re asking me.”
“Yes, you do,” she rasped. Nia climbed into her bed and pulled the covers almost to her forehead. She still didn’t look at me. “I asked for help, and you were there in seconds. All of you were. But when the guys burst in, they were surprised at what they saw. You weren’t.
“You knew about Mason. How?”
“I don’t know what you mean.” I picked at my itchy makeshift dress. “I didn’t know about Mason, except that he’s a disgusting pig, and you don’t strike me as the type to go for that. Also, someone in a consenting situation doesn’t scream for help”—Nia visibly flinched—“so no, I wasn’t surprised by what I burst in on.”
“But you were listening for me—”
“My wolf was listening for you,” I corrected. “She heard you were in trouble and raced to help before the thought formed in my conscious mind. For some reason, she likes you. No idea why, but you’ve met my fates, she’s got terrible taste.”
I thought that would get a chuckle out of her, but only silence came from Nia’s side of the room.
I grimaced. Nice, dumbass. Real great time to be cracking stupid jokes.
“Sorry,” I said, and meant it. “I used to be good at this, but a year on the run did nothing for my social skills.” Taking a deep breath, I tried something I hadn’t done for a long time. Honesty. “I did it because I said we were friends, and when people say something, they should either mean it, or shut the fuck up.”
She started, blinking at me.
“Yeah, okay,” I sighed. “I still could’ve said that better but—"
“You saved me.” Nia’s voice was small—shaking—but clear. “You’re good enough.”
With that, she flipped over, drawing the covers over her head. That was the end of our talk.
I glanced at the door that would take me out of this depression jail cell they called a dorm room. Standing up, I grasped it, and firmly closed it shut.
Sighing, I plopped down on the rickety chair in my dress made of dirty tree droppings, and settled in for a long night.
I BOLTED UPRIGHT AND tipped the chair, falling flat on my ass. Groaning, I shoved up on my feet—looking around.
My sweep took half a millisecond and confirmed what my nose was telling me—Nia was gone.
The jail cell didn’t have a window, so I couldn’t tell what time of night or day it was, but my exhausted mind felt clear enough that I guess I slept for several solid hours. It had to be sometime around early morning.
Nia’s not here, and that’s good, I thought, slipping out the door. She must’ve gone to find a friend like I suggested.
I truly hoped she had. I may have been on a homicidal mission to slaughter a few or more people, bring Wolf Nation crumbling to its knees, and crown myself as its first and unquestioning queen, but that didn’t mean I wanted people to be hurt.
Well, at least, not the people who weren’t standing in my way.
Making it to my room, I crossed to the rug and threw it off the floor. The loose wood came off easily, revealing my new hiding place for the list. I crossed Mason’s name off with a satisfaction that was obscene even for me.
Killing him the way I did was not how I wanted it to go down, including accidentally killing him in front of my fates.
“Oh, well.” I dropped the paper back, writing him off metaphorically and mentally. “Couldn’t have happened to a sweeter guy. Have fun burning in hell, bitch.”
Getting up, I got my stolen pajamas out of the wardrobe, hopped in the shower, and washed the whole night off me.
My bruises and burns were all healed. My headache from my sleepless night was gone, and Mason was dead. The night started off shitty for more than just me, but it ended up okay. Especially between me and my fates.
I wanted nothing to do with that band of irritatingly hot alphas and omega. They were distractions I didn’t need, and if they couldn’t be useful, they could stay out of the way. But surprisingly, last night they were useful, and shockingly, it seemed as they stepped aside and allowed me to help Nia, they were silently agreeing to stay out of the way.
“Good.” Climbing into bed, I crawled over to the other side and riffled through my nightstand. Carefully, I drew the old jewelry box out and placed it on my lap. “I know you said the best day of my life would be meeting the mate that was perfect for me in every way, but you were wrong, lady.” I smiled at Mom’s picture, matching her beaming grin.
It amazed me somedays how much I looked like her. We had the same umber skin; same eerily light, golden eyes; same thick, curly dark locks; and the same crooked smile. The only thing my dad kicked in were my sticky-outty clown ears that looked like two open car doors whenever I pulled my hair back. Thanks, Dad.
“But that’s okay,” I continued. “Not even you could’ve predicted what massive assholes they would be. Even Luame was shocked by their massive assholery.”
I heaved a sigh. “But I’m talking to the wrong picture.” I set down the photo of Mom on her wedding day—resplendent in a blush-pink gown with an illusion neckline. Most werewolves didn’t bother with an official wedding day because the mating day did the trick. But Daddy always said he loved her so much, he married her twice.
Yeah, my dad was always saying sweet stuff like that to and about Mom. She was the only person on earth who tapped into his soft side.
“But I bet on this day, you wanted to kick his soft side up his backside.” I stifled a laugh as I picked up my second favorite picture of Mom. Ratty hair, dark bags under her eyes, and spit-up on her sweatshirt to offset the blood. Clutched in her arms was a screaming, kicking baby me with half-changed claws where my hands should be, and blood on my mouth after taking a baby-sized chomp out of her mid-breastfeed.
Werewolves were born with the shifting but not the control. Let’s just say for wolf moms who choose to breastfeed, they are never so thankful for their speed-healing as they are those first six months. Even so, Mom’s raging, head-exploding glare wasn’t for the little hellion in her arms. It was for the laughing bastard who stopped to take a picture of her instead of helping.
Dad said Mom kicked the entire changing table over on top of him, and stormed out while he flailed and shouted for help.
I burst out laughing then just as I did the first, second, and third time I heard that story. I didn’t always use to be the weirdo who talked to old pictures, but Mom was gone now and my dad... Well, my dad was gone in his own way too. Pictures were all I had left.
“Pictures, and these,” I whispered, taking out the letters and holding them close to my heart.
After the first vampire assassination attempt on my mother failed, she started writing me letters to read in case something happened to her. She dated them for different birthdays and times in my life, but one lonely night, I opened them all—needing her love and wisdom more than I ever needed anything.
She wrote me a letter for my sixteenth, eighteenth, twenty-first, twenty-fifth, and thirtieth birthday. She wrote me a letter for my mating, for becoming a mother, and even for the day I graduated Corvin Academy.
“But, strangely, there was no letter for what to do after murdering my fate Castor Tahan, abandoning Wolf Nation, dashing their hopes for the new golden age of wolves, returning under a cloud of hate and suspicion, and taking up a homicidal mission of revenge that will end with me bringing Wolf Nation to its knees while I stand high above them as their merciless and dictatorial queen.
“No, there’s no letter for that,” I said softly as I took out the picture of Mom on her academy graduation day. She graduated top of her beta class because of course she did. My mom was never anything less than the best. “But I have a feeling you would approve, because who better than you knows that when it’s all going wrong and a douchebag stands there laughing instead of helping you... the only option is to bring it all crashing down on his head.”