Fuming, I reach the house only to run into Silas. Again. “That didn’t take long. I’m assuming he didn’t tell you what you wanted to know.” How observant of him. “Where’s Gideon?” “Oh, you’re going to the big man.” He’s unable to hold back his laughter. “He’s in his office.” Twisting his torso, he points into the house, “left of the staircase, down the hall, third door.” As I step forward, he wishes me luck as if this is going to be another pointless conversation. Following Silas’s direction, I enter an unfamiliar section of the house. Counting the doors, I stop in front of the third one, knuckles lightly knocking. A nervousness attacks me as I wait for him to acknowledge that someone is requesting entrance. It’s mere seconds before he hollers for me to come in. Entering the room, I find him behind a large desk, nose deep into a bunch of papers. So werewolves really do have business to conduct. It’s not just pissing on their territory and having howling contests? “Gideon.” As I an
(Song: Animal by Tom Morello and Barns Courtney) Bumbling around like an idiot is the last thing I want to do. Should I have trusted Raelyn? This would be the perfect opportunity to get rid of me. Help me slip out unnoticed and possibly forever lost. Before the trees thin they get thicker. The wheels on my bag continually get hung up on gnarled roots and twigs. A tightness in my chest can either be from paranoia or exhaustion. Maybe both. Maybe one causes the other. Talking to myself, I try to keep my feet going and my heart from crushing itself. With no idea of how long I’ve been out here, I’m more than grateful when the forest opens up to a road. Raelyn wasn’t lying. But her help isn’t without hassle. The trek through the woods didn’t lead me to the city. Hell, I don’t even know where the city is. So logically, standing on the edge of this unknown road, I choose left or right and hope that it leads me somewhere that has a phone. Somewhere that I can reach out to home. Left seems
Nox’s POV The sound of tires speeding down the narrow road to the barn has me tensing up. At first, I wonder how Nova got her hands on a set of keys, but with a quick glance at the driver, a different panic consumes me. Something’s wrong. Gideon doesn’t step out of the car, instead he barks orders through the open window, “get some clothes on, we have to go.” His face is emotionless and his shoulders are tense. It has my mind racing and muscles tensing. “What’s going on? Where’s Nova?” She said she was going to speak to him. Did she? Did she barge out of the house? Did she get her hands on a different pair of keys? Scenario after scenario race through my head. “Nova’s fine. The problem is Tariq. He has Roman and Michaela.” Shit. Sweaty and more than a little dirty, I put my shirt back on and hop in the passenger seat. We don't go back to the house to announce our departure. Instead, we leave immediately. Does Nova know we’re leaving? Does she know I’m leaving? Gideon’s priority
Nearly an hour of being trapped in this god forsaken truck with him, he decides to make small talk. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting for you to come back." His eyes remain on the road as divulges his most inner feelings. "You're a little rougher around the edges than the last time I saw you. What a little time away from Nox will do. You’re finally able to use your brain.” “You suck at giving compliments.” His lips smack open in a wide grin, “maybe it wasn’t a compliment.” So, he’s flat out calling me stupid. “Don’t be sad,” his cuffed hand goes to stroke my cheek, my own hand hand dangling in the air. “I know it’s not your fault. It’s him. And with him out of the picture, you’ll come to your senses.” “I have a pretty clear head right about now,” I grumble. And without Nox in the picture, the future looks dark. Very dark. His words hiss through his teeth, “we were friends and then big, burly Nox comes strutting in and he makes sure that you don’t give anyone else an ou
Nox's POV Time drags out. Minute by minute. The ride back to the pack house drags out. That terrible feeling only intensifies. “Stop.” I shout, “stop the car. Now.” Before Gideon brings the car to a complete stop, I leap out and run back down the street to the object that caught my eye. Luggage. Nova’s luggage. Suddenly, it gets too hard to breathe, the ground starts to teeter beneath my feet. This can’t be real. This is a dream. A nightmare. “It’s Nova’s. What the fuck is it doing out here?” I holler to no one in particular. Roman and Michaela stand dumbstruck and silent. Gideon mutters lies. It’s not hers, there’s an explanation. It is hers and there is no explanation. I trail along the street, sniffing her out. The trail is getting colder by the second, but I follow it into the woods. What the fuck was she thinking? Without wasting a second, I follow it. It doesn’t take much to figure out that I’m heading straight to the pack house. Barging in through the back door, I immedia
The air within the room thins as Cato goes to leave. He stops short and time stands still as he lingers in the doorway, a dark glare to his eyes, sinister smirk on his lips. “Get comfortable. You’re gonna be staying for awhile.” He doesn’t linger to take in the horror his words cause. Instead, he chuckles and slams the door shut, an audible click sounds from the otherside. As if being handcuffed to a bed isn’t enough. Suddenly, I’m forced to face my fate head on. Locked away like a prisoner, held captive by wolves. The silence from Cato’s retreat doesn’t come. Voices sound from outside. An argument. And my so-called sister is instigating it. Before my voice box can let a single peep out, Twyla snaps, “you’re welcome.” You’re welcome? What does that even mean? Sitting on the edge of the bed, tugging at the cuff, I strain to get as close to the door as possible. “Don’t let your ego get too large. One could say that your useless now.” Cato taunts. “Useless? She wouldn’t even be in
My breath is held as the door creaks out. A booted foot steps inside the room. I can hear him tsk me for my bad behavior. “Already being unruly.” He crosses the room slow and meticulous. “We punish those that don’t obey. Do you want to be punished, Nova?” He’s close enough to touch me. “Because I can. Punish you.” “You don’t need to keep on threatening me. more. I know you're not above murder.” He laughs in my face. "Already making me out to be a monster.” That’s because he is. I can see the evil in his eyes, the riptide of anger that’s waiting to be unleashed. “I’m not monstrous. I just expect submission like any alpha would. Like Nox would.” I want to believe he’s lying but the truth is I don’t know Nox when it comes to his leadership role with Gideon’s pack. We’ve had our tiffs even all those years ago. I don’t remember what they were about, but I have the feelings. The residual ache that comes from being hurt. Cato’s eyes lock with mine, a glisten of red mixes within the dark b
37: Toddlers Have Temper Tantrums And To Them It Is Warranted Too. By time the room comes back into view, Tariq is blabbing about me giving him the silent treatment. He deserves worse than the silent treatment. He deserves a swift knee to the balls and sucker punch to the face. “I wish we could’ve met under better circumstances,” Tariq claims, but his genuineness falls short. It’s a flat out lie. Does he take me for an idiot? “Better circumstances? You’re joking, right? After what you did?” My words are sharp and venomous. “You do remember I was there. I watched you kill her.” The irony is too much. “You’re a murderer asking for better circumstances in meeting the daughter of the woman you killed.” His gaze flickers to the floor as if ashamed by his actions. But I have a feeling that Tariq isn’t capable of shame or guilt or even regret. “I didn’t-” “You didn’t what? Mean it? You tricked her into showing up, you even told her that she wouldn’t be alive to see the end result of your