Part 1: Chapter 3

Nova

I felt his hardness pressed up against me after I told him I didn’t have the money yet, and a hit to my nose caused my glasses to crack and fly from my face. He’s going to punish me right here in a back alley, and there wasn’t a thing I could do about it, half-blind and in mile-high heels.

I slammed my eyes shut, knowing what would come next and hoped it would be over quickly so I could get back inside the bar and continue my shift. This is humiliating. I fucking hate this. As tears stream down my face, I wonder what I’ve ever done wrong to deserve everything that has been handed to me.

A sudden growl snaps me out of my haze of self-pity, and the scent of smokey bergamot and mint causes me to perk up. I feel a splash of warm liquid on my back, and when I turn around, a sense of terror overtakes me but quickly dissipates when I see his familiar face.

As bad as my eyesight is, I will never forget his scent.

“Nikolai?” I whisper incredulously, my heart hammering at the sight of my mate. He’s still as handsome as the first time I saw him, but something feels different. “Why… why are you-”

Without another word or looking my way, he turns around and walks away from me. The anger is palpable in his scent and nearly causes me to fall at his feet in submission, but I pull down my skirt and run after him, grabbing him by his forearm. 

“Nikolai-!”

The words shrivel up in my mouth when he looks up at me with angry, silver eyes. He turns and looks at the scattered parts of Will to the side, then lets out a growl.

“How can you allow yourself to be reduced to this?” he snarls, then looks at me again. The look in his eyes made my heart drop with shame. “I’m passing through the area, only to find my mate bent over in an alley.”

I trip over my words, feeling the need to explain myself but getting nowhere. “That’s not… That isn’t-”

He scoffs. “What, it isn’t what it looks like? Cut the crap, Nova; anyone walking through that fucking door could see what was happening.” He says, ripping his hand out of my grasp and crossing his arms over his chest.

Anger, mixed with shame, bubbles in my chest when he says this. “What’s it to you, anyway?” I sob, not wanting to appear weak in front of my mate but failing. “You have some nerve to say that to me after ignoring me for four fucking years, Nikolai!” I spit out, then shake my head and turn away from him. 

Stupid me felt a little happy seeing my mate here, thinking he had been willingly protecting me.

“Who was he?” Nikolai suddenly says, causing me to stop in my steps. 

I breathe out a sigh and feel my shoulders sag. “He was my boyfriend and a pack warrior under Alpha Cain.”

“FUCK!” I hear him cry out, and when I turn around, I see him pull out his cell phone and put it to his ear. “Kai-” he starts, then launches into a completely different language. Was that Russian? German? 

Not knowing what else to do, I continue my walk towards the scattered parts of Will. /“Alpha,”/ I call Alpha Cain over the link, my headache starting since he’s not close by.

/“Nova, this is unexpected. Is everything okay?”/ He asks, and I let out a sigh. I hardly ever call him for anything over the link, so this must be odd to him.

“Not yet,” Nikolai suddenly says, holding up a hand but continuing to talk over the phone. Wait, how the fuck did he know I was speaking to my Alpha?

“Okay,” Nikolai says, kills the call, then puts the phone to his ear again. “Alpha Cain,” he says, and my eyes widen. “Yes, there has been an unfortunate… incident.” 

As he says this, he pins me with a blue-eyed stare, and when I catch his scent, I immediately feel a sense of calm coming over me. I know that he’s probably scenting me so I can calm down, but right now, all I feel is myself drowning in this delicious smokey bergamot.

“Yes, I’m positive, but I do think Nova would be the best person to speak to about it. Yes, I understand; thank you.” I catch the tail end of the conversation before he pockets the cell phone again.

He stares at me for a moment, then starts. “Your Alpha knows about this,” he says, but as he does, I hear Alpha Cain over the mind link telling me that I should close up the bar and that he and I need to have a long talk. Yeah, I think that long conversation is long overdue.

“Thank you. I’ll be going, then.” I nod, then turn around and walk away from him again; Nikolai may be here, but that doesn’t mean that I have to accept him again. I’ve waited long enough; it’s time for me to move on. So I cross my arms against my shivering body and walk towards the concrete steps leading into the bar.

“Nova,” I hear him call my name as I reach the back door and nearly whine at the sound of his voice. 

I turn around and raise an eyebrow at him as if to tell him to continue. He looks at a loss for words, and I can hear his heart beating as sporadic as mine. “Yes, Nikolai?” I ask, sounding like a lovesick puppy.

He maintains eye contact with me for a few seconds before shaking his head. “Keep safe,” is all he says before walking off and leaving me alone yet again. Gee, what exactly did I expect?

How long am I going to keep this up? Why can’t I just reject him and get it over with? It’s not like I want kids anyway. I’m sure this will benefit the both of us since he clearly doesn’t want me at all. 

When I walk inside, Estie takes one look at me and tells me to go home and that she will close up. I nod, feeling thankful to at least have one understanding friend on my side and make my way to my apartment.

I step inside my sanctuary, yet as I breathe out a pent up sigh, a sob escapes my throat, and I slide to the floor. To say that I am strung out and lost is putting it lightly; I’m a fucking mess. Nikolai killed Will right in front of me and tore him into three different pieces as he had me bent over in the alley.

All this, and my so-called mate didn’t even ask me if I was okay. I’m sure he saw my bloody nose and bruised cheek. Does he honestly not care that much for me? We hadn’t seen one another for over four years, and the only thing he did was insult me. Fuck him.

I sniff and wipe my tears away, the sudden thought of being alone hits me hard, and I am not sure if I should be happy or terrified. Will took my mind off the thought of Nikolai, but he also abused me profusely. Am I truly free now? Can I live my life as I please?

No. Not until I take care of one last thing.

“I, Nova Lorelei, reject you-”

“Sure you wanna do that right now?” In the dark, a hoarse, angry voice gets my attention, and my heart drops. How was he here already?