by Rachel Jonas
His exposed shoulder was where my gaze locked, and I lowered my head too quickly for him to react, letting my teeth sink into the flesh. The satisfying crunch of bone followed, when I bit down with more pressure.
If my wolf hadn’t already had a hard-on for this fight, she definitely did once we’d hurt him, once he yelped out in agony.
Letting go, I returned the hard blow to the side of his cheek next, and he cried out again, but this time, he managed to draw his hind legs underneath me, letting his claws tear into my stomach.
Hot, searing pain exploded outward from the fresh wound, but my wolf wouldn’t let him know he’d successfully injured me. He didn’t deserve the satisfaction. Instead, she concealed that pain and surprised me when she faded into the background just a little. Enough for my dragon to come forth in part. The look on David’s face said it all when I slowly began to ignite while still in wolf form. Sheer terror filled his eyes, knowing I could command my flames to consume him at any moment—fire being the one true enemy of a lycan.
His breaths came rapidly and the wild look in his eyes grew more frantic with each passing second, with each moment he lay pinned beneath me. I wished I could be inside his head, knowing he must have wondered if I’d end him right here in this forest tonight.
A huge part of me wanted that, but it was that small sense of humanity that accounted for the fact that his heart was still beating.
My body lowered to the soil when David’s equally large one beneath me returned to its human form—filthy, naked, pitiful.
“Ok, you win,” he choked out, spitting out a mouthful of blood. A sheen of sweat coated his face, making him glisten beneath the moon.
My chest vibrated with a growl and I was at war within myself. Half believing this had been enough to show him he was no match for me. The other half wanting to get rid of this nuisance once and for all.
It should have made me feel ashamed how hard it was to decide.
“I was only going to scare you,” he lied. Based on what he told his friends, he intended to teach me a lesson.
My weight still held his limbs in place, and I couldn’t stop myself when the urge to sink my claws into the tender flesh of his bicep struck me.
David cried out, the volume of his voice bouncing off the surrounding trees. On his shoulder, a fresh wound still gushed blood, although I knew he would heal soon.
He’d heal soon …
Something about that idea made this moment feel heavier. As if the decision of whether to let him live or die here became more pivotal. My gaze lowered, settling on his pulse as it beat beneath the skin, tipping the scale in an unfavorable direction.
Well, for David anyway.
‘If you want him to learn … do it.’
I breathed wildly at the sound of Rayen’s voice. The question of whether the Darkness was at work within him was no longer a question at all, but a cold, hard fact. Killing anyone without just cause went against everything the Omegas stood for, making those words seem foreign coming from him.
So … why did I like hearing him say them so much?
My mouth watered as my jaw widened, bearing my teeth as I fought a losing battle. I wanted this too badly, though. A fact I could no longer deny as I lunged toward his artery and bit down.
Not with the intent to harm, but … with the intent to kill.
***
Ori
“Go!”
Somehow, I managed to speak that one word as pain ripped upward through my arm. The bite of any wolf was bad enough, but one from a hybrid like Noelle was unlike anything else. Bone splintered and then broke when she bared down.
Her eyes widened with the realization that the blood she tasted was mine, instead of the kid’s she intended to end. As awareness filled her senses, her eyes widened, and then the next instant, her jaws unclamped from around my bicep.
Being drunk with rage, she hadn’t heard me coming up from behind. It was the reason I’d been able to intervene at the last second, finally succeeding at saving someone from the wrath of my mate—the rogue queen herself.
Her head stayed low to the ground as she backed away, licking remnants of blood from her muzzle—mine and the kid’s. It almost looked like she felt ashamed for having lost herself. Although, I wasn’t even sure she was capable of feeling shame at this point.
At least not when it came to her actions.
Still seemingly in shock at having nearly lost his life, the kid posted near the trunk of a broad tree, covering himself with both hands as he stood naked.
“Get out of here!” I roared. “Go straight to the dorms to heal and clean yourself up. Tell no one what happened here. Make up whatever lie you have to, but the truth never leaves your lips. Trust me, if it does, I’ll hunt you down myself,” I warned.
Awareness filled his eyes and the next second, he took off into the night.
Slowly, Noelle’s wolf retreated, leaving behind smooth, tanned skin I could still feel against my fingertips if I concentrated hard enough.
I pushed aside what could have been a pleasant thought, if circumstances had been different. Now, as I watched her turn to stare longingly in the direction of her escaped victim, all I saw was a wasted opportunity. She could have been so much, could have done so much good—with her abilities, her status—but she hadn’t been able to fight the Darkness.
And I hated that beast all the more for what it had stolen from me—from my entire hive—when it took hold of her.
Her vision shifted back to me for a moment, and then her eyes fell closed. Slowly, the deep wound in my arm began to heal and close at a much more rapid rate than it would have on its own. Which meant magic was at play.
Her magic was at play.
The last trace of tattered skin moved back into place and Noelle’s gaze fell on me again. But only for a moment, before she glanced in another direction. As if she couldn’t look at me for longer than a few seconds.
The word ‘shame’ came back to me.
It was only now, as the last bit of pain subsided, that I realized she’d been injured, too. A large gash that ran from her ribs to a few inches below her navel nearly made me take a step toward her, forgetting for a moment the state we’d been in lately. Catching myself at the last second, I pretended not to be affected.
After tending to me with whatever spell she had mumbled, she healed her own wound.
My first thought should have been to ask why she was here, in the middle of nowhere, but after having recognized the guy I just spared, I refrained. Best guess? They’d been among the group I spotted on the beach a few miles away, and he’d made the mistake of taunting her again. Then, the reaction that likely seemed fair to Noelle had been the same as every other instance lately: attack.
“You’re all right?” The tone of my voice was hard, unfeeling. Despite the latter being a complete lie. I only wished I felt nothing.
Her eyes found mine again when she nodded, my chest tightened accordingly. Still, despite her actions being a direct contradiction of what the Omegas stood for, Noelle affected me. My mind kept telling me to prepare for the worst, to detach now instead of when it was too late. But my heart? It had a mind all its own, and what it wanted … was her.
Seeming suddenly aware of not being clothed, she made her way to a nearby tree. She slipped back into her swimsuit, then a pair of jean shorts and a tank top.
A glance passed between us. “I’m sorry about your arm,” she said quietly, and then turned as if she could just walk away after this.
“Who’s supposed to be watching over you?” I asked, ignoring the apology.
She stopped, but didn’t turn to face me.
Her shoulders moved with the deep breath she took. “Does that even matter to you, Ori?”
A hollow ache in my chest contradicted what she implied, that I didn’t care for her.
I pulled my emotions in to keep her from either seeing or hearing them.
“How is it possible that you’re out here while someone’s
on watch?” I repeated, asking the same question in a different way.
“I’m not anyone’s prisoner,” she declared coldly. “And let’s not pretend you and I are still on the same team. You made your stance loud and clear the day you left.”
“You mean the day the others took a stand against me? The day you forced them to choose between our mission and our queen?”
“Don’t call me yours,” she hissed, finally facing me. I fully expected to see hatred in her gaze when they met mine, but that wasn’t the case. The only thing present was sadness.
I breathed deep and tried to ignore how her words stung. “Fine, then what should I call you?”
She shrugged and when her eyes flashed thoughtfully toward the sky, a single tear fell. “Oh, I don’t know. Maybe you can call me a monster?” she suggested. “Because that’s how you see me now, isn’t it? Despite the reason for my sacrifice being that I had to save one of your brothers?”
“Every time you use that as an excuse, I’m even more aware of how you’ve missed the point. It has nothing to do with you wanting to save Rayen, and everything to do with you not being able to see the forest for the trees, Noelle.”
She winced at the sound of her name leaving my mouth.
“Sometimes, hard decisions have to be made,” I tried reasoning. “We can never be so caught up in our own wants that we overlook what’s best for everyone else. What you did for Rayen is not outside the scope of what any of us would have wanted, but the difference is the rest of us have boundaries!”
I hadn’t meant to yell, but I was sick of not being understood.
“The rest of us knew there would be consequences and took ourselves out of the equation. The decision never should have come down to what you wanted the outcome to be.”
“So, I was supposed to just let him die?” Her voice was shrill as more tears fell.
“Don’t you get it? There was no choice to be made, whether to let him live or die. He was already gone!” I pointed out. “Death is not just the sort of thing you decide to undo. It’s final,” I said harshly, bringing my fist down on my palm when my heart began to race. “You had no right to tamper with things you don’t understand.”
The rims of her nostrils flared as she stared into my soul, the pools in her eyes reflecting moonlight. It took a measure of strength I didn’t even know I had not to pull her into my arms, tell her everything was all right.
Because everything was not all right.
“I don’t know what you want from me, Ori,” she said quietly. “I can’t take back what I’ve done, so I don’t know what this means for us.”
There was a long pause that lingered in the air. The very bond that brought me to that spot, brought me to the middle of the forest seconds before she mauled a guy to death, was the same that caused us both to take a few steps closer. We were, unintentionally, in one another’s personal space despite me being highly aware of the need to distance myself.
“I can’t just accept that you want me to let you go,” she spoke, barely louder than a whisper.
Was that what she thought? That I wanted to be let go? While that couldn’t have been further from the truth, I couldn’t deny that we had reached a stalemate. We couldn’t be together with her in this reckless state. Nor could I just … pretend she didn’t have my heart.
I wanted to touch her so badly, I practically felt the warmth of her hair in my hands. In response, I tightened them into fists at my sides, and forced a step backward.
“Noelle, you’re playing right into what Chief wants,” I warned her. “Which means you’re playing right into the Darkness’ hand, giving it exactly what it wants.”
“What does it matter anyway?” she scoffed. “I think you and I are the only ones who’ve accepted the truth, that I’m already doomed.”
I shook my head and let my gaze drop. “Not if you start accepting responsibility for the things you’ve done. That’s the only way you’ll ever find your way back to the light.”
I lifted my foot to take a step that would put her out of arm’s reach, but hesitated, touching her fingers instead. Because I simply couldn’t leave this place otherwise. To say she’d been all I could think about would have been an understatement, like saying the ocean’s wet.
“Despite what you think,” I said, “you’re still … everything to me.”
A confession like that should have ended with some grand, romantic gesture. However, instead, it ended with me taking flight when it all got to be too much, when I couldn’t trust myself not to give in to the one my heart wanted.
That night, I left my heart standing alone among the trees.
Chapter Thirteen
Noelle
I’d had some pretty low points in Sanluuk, but tonight felt like the lowest of all. Having Ori see me fail so hard, when we were already barely dangling by a thread … it felt like the last straw.
As my feet dangled in the lagoon, I glanced toward the bungalow and, for the first time in a long time, felt like I didn’t belong here. The very foundation of the Omega Hive had been built on peace, love, and balance.
Then came me.
I was the opposite of the “peace and balance” part, and love was beginning to feel like a moot point compared to the chaos. Yes, I loved them all, but I was toxic to them. They were less effective Firekeepers because of me, divided because of me, and losing the ultimate battle because of me.
Hence the reason I strongly considered heading inside, packing a bag, and never looking back. They deserved better than everything I had to offer, and then some. Actually, the strongest argument I had against leaving was that I still held Tristan prisoner, behind the very waterfall currently serenading my thoughts.
I breathed deep and let my eyes fall closed, running back through the chain of events that led me to this spot tonight—sitting on the edge of the dock, feeling sorry for myself. I’d nearly killed a guy tonight, and all because he bruised my ego a little. Before, I used love as an excuse, the reason I crossed the line to save Rayen in those caves, but I had no such excuse tonight. Ori knew that as well, which was why he left me where I stood tonight, forcing me to accept that there was absolutely no middle ground between him and I. The crack between us, had become a mile-wide trench without me even realizing it.
And that was on me.
Tepid water rushed over my feet as I swung them back and forth. Once, being out here near the water would have terrified me, given my experience with the Darkness several months ago. Now, I realized I didn’t care a whole lot what my future held. The beast could rise from the lagoon right now, and my only hope would be that no harm came to my mates, my friends, and any other innocent soul on this island.
From where I stood, I was a lost cause.
“Mind if I join you?”
I peered up at Kai where he stood behind me—a broad silhouette with the length of his hair blowing in the breeze. My hand opened to the space beside me, welcoming him to my pity party.
The dock groaned beneath his weight when he lowered and sat. He stayed close and I didn’t think I deserved to enjoy being in his company as much as I did.
The two of us had a very special bond, perhaps different than any other I shared with the Omegas. Out of the four, he saw me first. Not with his eyes, but with his soul. While the others were still plotting to get rid of me, Kai … felt me. The guys had said on many occasions that I was the heart of this hive, but I’d always seen that as Kai’s role.
“Rayen’s been quiet. Something happen tonight?” he asked. In my peripheral vision, I saw his gaze settle on me.
“I … I messed up. Again,” I added regretfully, leaving out the part Rayen played in all this. That was a completely separate issue all its own—the way he fed into my dark nature, stoking the fire of my rage. I knew I promised him I’d keep some things just between us, but we’d been known to break rules and promises in this hive, when it came down to saving someone from themselves.
Sometimes, family did what had to be
done.
“Are you sure it’s as bad as you think it is?” he asked, sounding so hopeful I dreaded having to break his heart with the truth.
“At least that bad.”
He was silent for a moment after my reply, but then his hand went into mine and I swear I could feel the goodness within him. Maybe because I harbored so much of the opposite.
“It’s been a rough few months,” he admitted. “I know there isn’t much I can say to open your eyes to the future I still believe is possible, but if you’ll let me, I think I might be able to show you something that could help.”
I peered over at him, and the smile he wore melted the ice that had begun to form over my heart.
“Where are we going?” I asked, knowing I wouldn’t deny him whatever he asked of me.
“We’re going nowhere.” The coy grin that followed made me more curious. “Can I show you?”
Confused, I gave a thoughtful nod, and then stared as he turned to face forward.
“We have to close our eyes,” he instructed, making my heart race with anticipation, but I trusted him completely.
“Okay.”
With my hand still in his, a vague sense of warmth radiated from his palm, spreading up my arm to my shoulder, and then covering me completely.
The lull of the breeze, the babble of falling water, and even the crickets’ song was transformed in an instant, vibrating through the atmosphere in reverse. There was a sense of it suddenly only being Kai and me. My heart raced even faster as I wondered what he’d done, but I kept my word and my eyes remained closed until he spoke again.
“All right. Look around.”
I was admittedly a bit hesitant at first, but when my gasp hit the air, Kai watched me with a smile parting his lips.
Everything had changed and … it took my breath away.
When the Darkness brought me over to its realm, it had shown me a devastating view of the island. A plane void of life and full of destruction. This, what I set my gaze upon now … was the complete opposite.
