Alpha Nox

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 be coming back home, I planned 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 had come to accept 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 the last 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 Silas Whitlock. Silas's children had never liked me to begin with, but murdering their father amplified dislike into pure hatred.

Where Silas'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 Lilac.” Nox commanded, 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 little comment? If only he knew I'd met snakes with worse venom than his.

Literally. Ha-ha.

Nox's eyes were flat 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 slam 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 become 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 clasped behind my back for Nox to turn and start his bitching.

"You can't be saying things like that, Lilac. 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 molar. 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, Lilac.

I wanted—no, I needed to savor this.

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

Hakeem cleared his throat, effectively breaking me from my blood-thirsty trance. His eyes found mine, dark and calm, as though he could see the storm raging inside of me. The slightest twitch of his jaw told me he understood how I felt. In his own way, at least.

I backed away from Nox. If he knew how close he came to feeling my claws in his throat, he didn't give 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 flashed with heat and his jaw tightened, but what I focused on was the way his nostrils flared.

“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 one last 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 claws on one, anyway.

This meant my bare back was on display 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 uncomfortable. 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 observant companion 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 place.

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 his late father had worked tirelessly to expand our lands 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 elaborate 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 eyes landed 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 uncomfortable 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 overlapped the present version. When had his features become so hard?

It couldn't have been the day of the trial. No, that kind of ruthlessness is built over time. I, of all people, would know. I didn't wonder if he was seeing the same thing when he looked at me—the past overlapping with the present—because I simply did not care.

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

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

Beneath layers and layers of carefully crafted walls, the terrifying beast my rage had become thrashed, spitting fire, and snapping its many sets of jaws. Nox was privileged to be able to say that. His privilege came from me—from what I was forced to do that night.

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

“Everything has changed.”