SWNOVELS : Chapter 12
‘What do you mean you’re not going back?’ Mark asks, his voice dropping an octave.
‘Flower, I’m not sure you understand the concept of a rescue mission. You were kidnapped. We found you. Now we all leave together and live happily ever after,’ Nico says, but I shake my head.
‘You don’t understand; I wasn’t kidnapped. Well, not exactly. I mean, I was at first, sort of, but then not so much.’
I’m not making any sense, and I’m growing increasingly aware of the whispers and glances in our direction.
‘Do you understand her?’ Mark demands, glaring at Nico as if he expects him to translate my rambling. The redhead only shrugs, the confusion apparent on his face even though his features are concealed by the blue mask.
‘The Night King invited me to stay in his court. This whole ball is to welcome me to his kingdom. I’m the guest of honor.’ It’s not a lie. It’s just not the whole truth.
A part of me worries they’ll fight me if I tell them why I have to stay. They’ll tell Tristan what happened, and my mate will come for me. He’ll fight for us to be together, and in doing so, he’ll risk facing the wrath of the Moon Goddess.
The other part of me is afraid that he won’t. What if Nico and Mark find out I’m half-vampire, and suddenly they don’t want to rescue me? If they ever saw me as a friend, this might be enough to make them see me as the enemy. The look of disdain and disgust on my cousin’s face flashes through the back of my mind.
Freak. Mutt. Half-breed. Abomination.
If any of the Rovers looked at me that way… it would break whatever was left of my heart beyond repair.
Either way, it’s safer for everyone if they don’t know the whole truth. I have to hurt them just enough to save them.
‘This isn’t a rescue mission, Nico,’ I try to explain. ‘Because I don’t need rescuing. I want to be here, and I’m not going back.’
Hurt flashes across his bright eyes, and he looks over at Mark as if the Beta might have some answer to my revelation.
But Mark doesn’t look hurt or confused. He looks downright furious, his grey eyes narrowing behind his mask, his muscles going tense.
‘No.’
‘What?’ I ask, blinking back at him. I’m not sure what to make of his expression or the force behind that single word.
‘I said no,’ Mark growls. ‘Tristan risked his life to find you. He’s been worried sick since you disappeared. You don’t get to abandon him now just because some vampire king decided to throw a party for you.’
‘It’s not that simple. I-I’m supposed to be here. This court is where I belong,’ I protest, but it sounds pathetic even to my own ears.
‘What are you talking about?’ Nico asks, incredulous, his voice rising. ‘You belong with the Rovers. You always have. That’s why you were in Sophie’s vision. Your fate is tied with Tristan’s, and your destiny lies with the Rovers. You can’t just leave us.’
His words are an arrow in my chest. While Mark seems ready to combust, Nico looks at me like a lost little boy, like he cannot fathom why I wouldn’t want to go with them, and he keeps waiting for this to make sense.
‘Sophie’s vision already came true,’ I say, and I realize with a start that it’s not just an excuse. Her vision led Tristan to the Banes, and by bringing me to his territory, he brought me closer to my father. If not for Sophie’s vision, I would never have found out the truth about my mother. Going with the Rovers changed my life. It revealed what I am and rewrote my destiny.
‘Think about it,’ I go on. ‘Sophie never saw me as the Luna of the Rovers. She never even saw me mated to your Alpha. She just knew I was connected to your pack, and she was right. Marco would never have found me if I’d stayed with the Banes. The Rovers are what led me here, to the nightwalker’s clan. This is my destiny.’
‘Bullshit,’ Mark hisses, drawing a few more worried looks around the ballroom.
From across the hall, my father sits on his throne at the dais.
How long has he been there watching me? Does he know what’s going on? His face is carefully neutral, but his blood-red eyes dart between me and the two wolves. A few of the nightwalkers look between their king and my friends as if waiting for his command.
My gaze flickers down to my father’s hand, propped on the armrest of his throne, and a chill runs down my spine. His palm is facing forward, the gesture subtle but unmistakable. He’s holding the nightwalkers back, wordlessly commanding them not to interfere.
We’re making a scene, and I can’t afford to let this escalate into a confrontation. Even if my father loved a wolf and his court is willing to accept a half-breed as their princess, vampires, and werewolves are ancient enemies. It’s in their nature to despise and destroy one another. Right now, my father’s affection for me and his clan’s respect for their king is the only thing stopping this room full of nightwalkers from descending on my friends.
‘You have to leave,’ I whisper to them, letting the urgency show in my voice.
‘Like hell we do. I don’t care if you’d rather be the Night King’s diamond than the Rovers’ flower,’ Mark retorts angrily.
‘It’s not that simple. You’re not safe here. You need to go,’ I insist, and Nico takes a step closer to Mark as he realizes how many nightwalkers are watching us. The music is still playing, the celebration still afoot, but even those who aren’t looking in our direction are probably aware of what’s happening.
Everyone is waiting.
I anxiously glance over their shoulder and lock eyes with my father once again. He arches a single brow in question.
‘They’re my friends. They just wanted to make sure I’m safe,’ I tell him through our mindlink.
‘They don’t seem very friendly.’
‘They’re just confused. They don’t mean any harm. I’ll get them to leave; just let me talk to them. Please.’
From across the hall, my father nods almost imperceptibly, and his attention moves away from me to survey the other guests. The tension in the room is palpable, but he won’t let anyone in his clan hurt me. He won’t let them interfere.
‘Thank you… father.’
‘Mark, we’re not welcome here,’ Nico says cautiously. ‘Maybe we should carry on this conversation elsewhere.’
‘There’s nothing more to say,’ I insist. ‘You’re leaving, and I’m staying. I know you don’t understand, but this is how it has to be. Tell… tell your Alpha I’m sorry.’
‘Tristan,’ Mark says sharply, the world like a blow across my face. ‘His name is Tristan. And he’s not just our Alpha; he’s your mate. You’re betraying your mate, and you can’t even say his name.’
‘I am not betraying him,’ I snap back, surprised by the sudden edge behind my voice. ‘I can’t explain it, but this is what’s best for everyone.’
He huffs, and Nico places a hand on his arm as if ready to pull him back if necessary.
‘Tell that to the man who’s been losing his mind trying to find you. He would risk everything for you, and you’re just going to abandon him. I won’t allow it.’
‘Why?’ I ask with exasperation, louder than I intended. ‘The only reason he sought me out was to fulfill Sophie’s prophecy, and that already happened. The Rovers now know about the nightwalkers, and I know where I belong. There’s no reason for me to go back. It’s not like he believes in the mating bond anyway. He never wanted this. Hell, neither did you!’ I jab a finger against Mark’s chest, a storm of exasperation, despair, and sorrow brewing inside me. ‘You hated me from the moment you laid eyes on me. You never wanted me in your home, and now you won’t have to live with me anymore. You should be happy.’
‘That’s not true,’ Nico pipes in. He stops surveying the crowd that surrounds us long enough to meet my gaze. ‘Tristan cares about you. We all do. That’s why we came all this way to bring you home.’
I shut my eyes and chose my next words like a weapon, dealing the final, desperate blow.
‘I’m already home.’ I force myself to open my eyes again, swallowing down the heartache. ‘You are not my pack, and you are not welcome here. Leave now and never come back. ‘