Chapter 5

Beneath my hands, Nox’s muscles went taut. The way his eyes widened with bittersweet realization was better than I could’ve ever imagined—the drug of all drugs.

If I could bottle it, I’d make a fortune. There had to be millions of poor souls out there who had been wronged, salivating for revenge just as I was.

Oh, I was going to savor this.

“Lilac? You’re here? You’re alive? You’re my…” Nox sputtered.

Waves of icy blue splashed against the barrier of his eyes, the spray carrying hints of shock, horror, and something I might’ve compared to joy if I cared enough to analyze it further.

“Your mate. I’m your mate.” I said slowly, dragging my tongue along each word as though it were the sweetest of songs.

Around us, couples danced. They spun and twirled to the squeal of a violin, yet their eyes remained on us. Nox didn’t notice, though. How could he when he was too busy gaping at me like a corpse that had crawled from it’s grave?

Suddenly, the sharp slashes that were his brows fell downward, and the waves in his eyes evaporated, leaving an ocean that was eerily calm. As a young teen, I’d memorized every expression that beautiful face of his had made. I was surprised to realize that I remembered his tells, though it was different seeing it on his face four years later.

“The dance is almost over. Leave with me. My father is going to want to speak with you.”

Ah, there it was. I had waged a bet with myself earlier, wondering how quickly Nox would try to order me around—as if I were his to command. Pleasure rushed through me, even better than the pitiful orgasm’s I’d managed to give myself over the years, at the mere thought of disobeying him.

His eyes moved from my face to survey the crowd, and while it might’ve not looked like much, the simple action made my blood boil. The mate of the grand Alpha Nox Griffin was none other than Lilac Einar, the banished murderer.

The asshole was looking around to make sure no one recognized me.

“Mm, I think I’m fine where I am.” I hummed.

A flash of irritation sparkled in his eyes, tightening the muscles along his jawline. Biting back the urge to snicker, I batted my eyelashes innocently. The hand that was on my waist tightened ever so slightly, enough to keep me from slipping away. As he moved, I followed.

Nox led the two of us into the hall, past the voyeuristic eyes and ears that were undoubtedly listening.

“I need to speak with you in private, Lilac. This isn’t negotiable.”

Seeing the man Nox had become was fascinating. Within him was traces of his father, which I picked out with the barest of effort. His voice had deepened exponentially, thick like honey with a raspy edge that reminded me of tree bark.

He was gorgeous, standing there in his all-black suit, but even his god-like looks couldn’t deter me from my mission—from what I was owed.

“You don’t get to command me, Nox. Not now, not ever.”

My voice was the softest of silk, slithering over his shoulders and around his neck, captivating as it tied itself into a noose. I made a show of yawning, patting my hand over my glossy lips.

“You know, I’m actually a bit tired. I think I’m going to head back to the hotel and get some shut eye.”

Nox lunged with his hand extended, but I predicted the move long before he pulled me into the hall. His speed was impressive, though. Everything I expected an Alpha’s to be, but it would never be enough to keep me in place.

I avoided his touch easily, gliding out of the way as though my body itself had melted into a stream of crystal-clear water.

Those eyes of his lingered on my back. His surprise felt similar to the adrenaline coursing through my veins, consuming and horribly addictive.

Not once did I look back, though I did toss two carefully crafted words over my shoulder.

“Goodnight, Nox.”

The plan Delphine and I had come up with didn’t entail me leaving the party so soon. I wasn’t supposed to be due back for another hour, which meant the maid that snuck me out wouldn’t know to meet me at the back door on the ground level.

I had no intention on waiting an entire hour outside in this gown, which meant I had to get creative.

Scaling the building wasn’t nearly as terrifying as it seemed, and actually proved to be an incredible source of exercise. The ledges beneath each window were the perfect footholds to keep me in place, along with the rough brick exterior.

Sweat clung to my back and arms, but I didn’t have to worry about overheating. My gown was slung over my shoulder, the lace tickling my nose as I climbed to the third floor.

It wasn’t ideal, climbing in nothing more than a bra and panties, but it sure beat lingering outside.

Finding the window to our hotel room was easy considering Hakeem had spent the entire day in bed watching reality television. The curtains were drawn back, giving me a clear view inside the room.

Gritting my teeth, I used what upper body strength I had to pull myself further onto the ledge, enough to raise my fist and knock on the window.

Hakeem’s head popped up, swiveling towards the window. His lips popped open with surprise, and I swore even with the sheet of glass between us, that I could hear the sound they made.

I couldn’t help the mad grin that spread across my face, making my muscles ache.

He slid the window open and stepped back, giving me room to pull myself inside. I landed in a heap on my dress, my muscles burning as I pushed myself off the floor and onto my wobbly legs.

“That was kind of fun.”

Hakeem looked me up and down, taking me in from my feet to the mess of curls on my head. Typically, anyone who gawked at me in my underwear would get a fist in their teeth, but there was something about Hakeem that made this moment different. I didn’t get the sensation that he was undressing me with my eyes or lingering anywhere he shouldn’t. If anything, I had the strongest feeling he was taking me in, analyzing the way I looked as he tried to piece together how I’d gotten this way.

“You’re insane, you know that?” He said, folding his arms over his chest.

The tone of his voice brought another grin to my face. I hadn’t smiled this much in years, but that was what the high of adrenaline did to you.

“That any way to talk to the future Luna of the Midnight Fall’s pack.” I teased, then proceeded to flip my hair over my shoulder dramatically.

Oh, that did it. Hakeem’s jaw dropped and his eyes went wide. So wide that I could see a clear ring of white around his dark iris’s.

Just then, the door to our room swung open. Before I could think to cover myself, Delphine rushed in, her milk white dress swishing around her calves. Her chest heaved as though she’d sprinted here, and a fine sheen of sweat clung to her dark skin.

“Did you know? Did you know you were his mate?” Delphine panted.

She kicked the door shut behind her, then wiped the palms of her hands on her dress.

I pursed my lips, a quick pang of guilt striking me in my chest for leaving without telling Delphine.

“I had a feeling.”

Her face was frozen in panic, the patches of pale skin on her face spread completely smooth. She brushed past Hakeem, closing in on me. I’d never seen Delphine this frazzled before and remained still as she leaned into my personal space and spoke in a hushed voice.

“Lilac, I don’t know what you’re planning, but you can not kill the Alpha.”

The room fell quiet. All that could be heard was the sound of two women screeching at one another on the reality show Hakeem had been watching, throwing shitty punches as they made grabs for one another’s hair.

“You don’t know him, Delphine. Not like I do.” I tossed the dress onto the bed and headed for the bathroom, not wanting to waste any more breath on the likes of my dearest mate.

What I needed was a shower hot enough to melt skin, and a long night of uninterrupted sleep. Before I could close the bathroom door, Delphine called out with a heavy voice.

“Harriet knows someone from our division was revealed as Alpha Nox’s mate. She doesn’t know it’s you, but it’s only a matter of time before she finds out. I hope you’ve prepared for that.”

All I could muster was a nod before I closed the bathroom door and basked in the glory that was a clean, working shower.

Delphine was knocked out on the second bed by the time I finally got out of the shower. Bundled up in my last pair of clean clothes, my fingers and toes wrinkled, I plopped on the bed beside Hakeem.

He wasn’t my friend, but I didn’t consider anyone a friend. However, much like Delphine, I found myself actually liking the guy. It wasn’t hard to be around him. There was no pretending to be normal, no hiding the monster that so desperately wanted to break free.

It made me wonder what Hakeem would think of me if he knew what I could do.

No, that was a terrible idea in the making. He’d react the same way everyone else in my life had, by running in the opposite direction.

Tomorrow was hovering close, a mere ten hours away. I knew what to expect and planned accordingly, eager to see if my predictions were correct.

“Hakeem, could I ask you something?” I hummed, staring up at the popcorn ceiling.

My fellow servant sat propped against a mountain of pillows; his arms folded behind his head. He didn’t turn in my direction, but his eyes slithered my way for just a few seconds.

“I suppose. Can’t promise I’ll answer, though.” He shrugged.

“That’s fair.” I replied. “If you could have one thing in this world, what would it be?”

When I first met Hakeem, I saw something inside of him that reminded me of myself. I hadn’t seen any trace of it since agreeing to help him escape. Well, not until now.

Hakeem didn’t hesitate to answer. He didn’t even take a moment to think my question over.

“My parents are well known in this pack. A part of high society if you will. They’re powerful, with abilities they’re more than proud of.” Hakeem explained in his low, sultry voice.

I made a sound of understanding. “Mm, strong pedigree.”

Hakeem chuckled, but it wasn’t a sound of amusement.

“You understand, then. My sister is their golden child, as is my younger brother. As the eldest son, they had high expectations. I exceeded them all except for one. As fate would have it, I did not get the ability they wished I would, and now I am punished for it.”

“Are you serious? They sent you to be a servant for the rest of your life because of that?” I couldn’t help it. It wasn’t that I didn’t take Hakeem’s story seriously, but he had to be joking. There couldn’t be that many families willing to murder or toss away their children based on something as absurd as their ability.

Hakeem’s attention was no longer on the television. The two of us stared up at the ceiling, lost in the darkness that seemed to shift and change shape, cloaking us both from the horror story that were our lives.

“My father’s ability is Cryokinesis. His magic lets him manipulate temperatures to one extreme or another. My mother’s skilled with Astral Projection. My younger sister took after her. In fact, she’s probably surpassed her at this point. Somewhere down the family line, there was a distant relative with the ability to tell if someone was lying. It disappeared for awhile, but not for long. My mother is kind.

She never wanted to send me here, but in our house my father holds the final word. His decision had been made the second my little brother’s ability manifested. I’m sure you can guess what it was.”

Hakeem forced out a long breath of air through his nose.

“Cryokinesis.” I whispered, sending the word into the darkness hovering above our heads.

Hakeem said nothing, but he didn’t need to. I could taste the rightness of it on my tongue.

Seeing as I hadn’t finished high school before being sent to the Camp’s, I had little knowledge behind how a Werewolves’ magic worked. I knew it was inherited, passed down through the generations, but there was always that chance the ability could mutate into something new, or that one could seemingly pop up out of nowhere.

Sometimes, if the parents were strong enough, a child could receive a mixture of two.

“What I’d want more than anything in the world is to be more powerful than my father. Since my ability is no where near theirs, the only other alternative would be to become a Lycan—one of the world’s greatest warriors.”

Hakeem’s words, his one wish in this world, chased me in circles as I fell asleep, creating images of pain and despair that were quickly slashed through when a presence—his presence—wormed its way into my dreams.

Nox.