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26: Welcome To The Pack House
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Of Teeth and Claws 27: Nothing More, Nothing Less
(Song: The Death Of Peace Of Mind by Bad Omens) I’ve never been desperate before, but recently I’ve been nothing but desperate. Finding myself in the middle of the woods, even in the broad daylight, by my own means, I’m getting that feeling again. My nightmares come back to me tenfold. Why did I think this was a good idea? Desperation is what had my feet walking before my hands did some talking. Is what Raelyn said true? But what did she say that bothers me the most? This passing of daughters to the next alpha in line or that she has possibly been romantically involved with Nox? Both, but for some reason the latter leaves my chest burning as if it's been ripped open. Lost in thoughts, all bad, my feet continue to shuffle along. It isn’t until I come to a stop, nearly tripping over my own feet that my eyes lock onto a particular tree. It’s not like I'm not surrounded by trees, but this one. This is the one from that memory of Nox and I. I haven’t the faintest idea how I know that,
Of Teeth and Claws 28: I'm Busy...F*cking My Prized Wife
(Song: Animals by Call Me Karzima) Anxious, I speed walk down the path that will lead me back to the house. My feet stumble over small rocks and branches, which gets me grumbles from Nox. But there’s no way I’m slowing down. He follows just behind me, slow and calculated. He could easily reach my side, stop me and force me to listen. Among other things. Is it because he’s giving me the space I desperately want or because he’s waiting for me to slip up? But the longer he lingers without interference the more paranoid I get. I’m nearly out of breath from holding every ounce of oxygen in my lungs. All that air rushes from my mouth when I finally enter the pack house. He still hasn’t said a single word and hasn’t strayed more than a few steps behind me. I nearly get through the entire mansion and back to my room without a scene. But causing a scene is exactly what Raelyn wants to do. And it’s exactly what I need. I catch her in a bedroom, a door I haven’t seen open as of yet. Her room
Of Teeth and Claws 29: I Guess I Have To Go Straight To The Wolf In Charge
I wake up to an empty bed. Is there another situation or is he running from me, not willing to tell me what the hell is going on. I’ve been here three days with not a single reason as to why my mother was killed or why I constantly have a chaperone watching my every move, babysitting me. After changing, I head out in search of him hellbent to get something out of him. But as I go through room after room, I come up empty. Either he’s behind a closed door or he’s not here. And without knocking on every single closed door in the house, which is the last thing I want to do, I decide to head outside. But my search is abruptly halted when I try to leave the house. Silas always seems to be there, lurking, ready to force me back into my cage. “I don’t think you should be wandering the woods, SuperNova.” he tells me in his typical demeaning tone. “And why is that?” I reply back with just as much snark. Except I’m met with silence. Everyone seems to be able to tell me what I can and cannot
Of Teeth and Claws 30: Don't Get all Pouty Because You Didn't Get What You Wanted From Daddy
Fuming, I reach the house only to run into Silas. Again. “That didn’t take long. I’m assuming he didn’t tell you what you wanted to know.” How observant of him. “Where’s Gideon?” “Oh, you’re going to the big man.” He’s unable to hold back his laughter. “He’s in his office.” Twisting his torso, he points into the house, “left of the staircase, down the hall, third door.” As I step forward, he wishes me luck as if this is going to be another pointless conversation. Following Silas’s direction, I enter an unfamiliar section of the house. Counting the doors, I stop in front of the third one, knuckles lightly knocking. A nervousness attacks me as I wait for him to acknowledge that someone is requesting entrance. It’s mere seconds before he hollers for me to come in. Entering the room, I find him behind a large desk, nose deep into a bunch of papers. So werewolves really do have business to conduct. It’s not just pissing on their territory and having howling contests? “Gideon.” As I an
Of Teeth and Claws 31: Good Girl
(Song: Animal by Tom Morello and Barns Courtney) Bumbling around like an idiot is the last thing I want to do. Should I have trusted Raelyn? This would be the perfect opportunity to get rid of me. Help me slip out unnoticed and possibly forever lost. Before the trees thin they get thicker. The wheels on my bag continually get hung up on gnarled roots and twigs. A tightness in my chest can either be from paranoia or exhaustion. Maybe both. Maybe one causes the other. Talking to myself, I try to keep my feet going and my heart from crushing itself. With no idea of how long I’ve been out here, I’m more than grateful when the forest opens up to a road. Raelyn wasn’t lying. But her help isn’t without hassle. The trek through the woods didn’t lead me to the city. Hell, I don’t even know where the city is. So logically, standing on the edge of this unknown road, I choose left or right and hope that it leads me somewhere that has a phone. Somewhere that I can reach out to home. Left seems
Of Teeth and Claws 32: BONUS CHAPTER - Is The Trap Set Or Did It Already Go Off?
Nox’s POV The sound of tires speeding down the narrow road to the barn has me tensing up. At first, I wonder how Nova got her hands on a set of keys, but with a quick glance at the driver, a different panic consumes me. Something’s wrong. Gideon doesn’t step out of the car, instead he barks orders through the open window, “get some clothes on, we have to go.” His face is emotionless and his shoulders are tense. It has my mind racing and muscles tensing. “What’s going on? Where’s Nova?” She said she was going to speak to him. Did she? Did she barge out of the house? Did she get her hands on a different pair of keys? Scenario after scenario race through my head. “Nova’s fine. The problem is Tariq. He has Roman and Michaela.” Shit. Sweaty and more than a little dirty, I put my shirt back on and hop in the passenger seat. We don't go back to the house to announce our departure. Instead, we leave immediately. Does Nova know we’re leaving? Does she know I’m leaving? Gideon’s priority
Of Teeth and Claws 33: Lies To Protect Me. Lies To Have Me As His Own.
Nearly an hour of being trapped in this god forsaken truck with him, he decides to make small talk. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting for you to come back." His eyes remain on the road as divulges his most inner feelings. "You're a little rougher around the edges than the last time I saw you. What a little time away from Nox will do. You’re finally able to use your brain.” “You suck at giving compliments.” His lips smack open in a wide grin, “maybe it wasn’t a compliment.” So, he’s flat out calling me stupid. “Don’t be sad,” his cuffed hand goes to stroke my cheek, my own hand hand dangling in the air. “I know it’s not your fault. It’s him. And with him out of the picture, you’ll come to your senses.” “I have a pretty clear head right about now,” I grumble. And without Nox in the picture, the future looks dark. Very dark. His words hiss through his teeth, “we were friends and then big, burly Nox comes strutting in and he makes sure that you don’t give anyone else an ou
Of Teeth and Claws 34: BONUS CHAPTER - All The Things I Haven't Said Choke Me
Nox's POV Time drags out. Minute by minute. The ride back to the pack house drags out. That terrible feeling only intensifies. “Stop.” I shout, “stop the car. Now.” Before Gideon brings the car to a complete stop, I leap out and run back down the street to the object that caught my eye. Luggage. Nova’s luggage. Suddenly, it gets too hard to breathe, the ground starts to teeter beneath my feet. This can’t be real. This is a dream. A nightmare. “It’s Nova’s. What the fuck is it doing out here?” I holler to no one in particular. Roman and Michaela stand dumbstruck and silent. Gideon mutters lies. It’s not hers, there’s an explanation. It is hers and there is no explanation. I trail along the street, sniffing her out. The trail is getting colder by the second, but I follow it into the woods. What the fuck was she thinking? Without wasting a second, I follow it. It doesn’t take much to figure out that I’m heading straight to the pack house. Barging in through the back door, I immedia
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Of Teeth and Claws 52: Prologue
Nexus and I leave the pack house for the city. With appointments for manicures and a hair appointment, I start to relax. Nexus’s smile is contagious. Her happiness is infectious. I don’t know what she sees in Silas or if there was a choice in the matter when it comes to werewolf mates. With happiness comes sadness though. It was saying goodbye to Levi. Telling him that I was moving back to Fairbanks crushed him. It crushed me, but it had to be done. I’ve missed so much already. Tariq and Cato took so much away from me and Levi knew he couldn’t do the same. From the minute I stepped foot here everything was slowly putting itself back together. I found my family and I couldn’t be more grateful. And being maid of honor for Nexus feels right. It feels normal. After our nails are done and our hair is styled, we head back to the pack house. Only Gideon and a few random pack members are there. The twins and Nox are at Nexus and Silas’s house in wait for the wedding to start. Gideon greets
Of Teeth and Claws 51: To Feel His Hands On Me. To Have His Mouth Devour Me.
I can ignore the heavy rustling and the mutter of words, but the slam of the door startles me awake. Crawling out of bed, shuffling across the room, rubbing my eyes to clear my sleepy vision away, I spot Nox in the living room.A smile spreads across my face and my heart beats out of my chest. The relief in seeing him has me lightheaded. He hasn’t noticed me yet and I’m struck dumbfounded, unable to speak. I’m frozen in place watching him.He’s clearly drunk as he sways on his feet while struggling with taking his t-shirt off. Frustrated at his lack of coordination, he bickers with himself. Giving up, he drops down onto the couch, kicking up his feet.“Nox,” I quietly say into the room, finally finding my voice. He doesn’t answer. Did he fall asleep? Creeping further out of the bedroom, I approach the couch, “Nox,” I repeat a little louder this time.A deep groan fills the room. It’s hard to tell if it's from annoyance or rage. “Jesus, Nexus. I knew I should’ve took your fucking key a
Of Teeth and Claws 50: Where Is He?
The faint echo of my name piques my attention, but not enough to get my eyes to open. They call for me. Over and over again, but I remain immobile, drifting further and further into sleepiness. I can feel the stomping of feet race against the floorboards. They step right next to me, but I can’t get my eyes open to look at them.It could be Twyla coming to get revenge. It could be Cato coming to finish the job. “Nova. Nova, how-” A pair of arms latch onto me. They’re not clawing at me, but they do tug and prod. “I got you, baby. I got you.”Scooped off the ground, my aches and pains have my breath hitching. He shushes me as he gathers me in his arms and retreats from the room. “Gideon,” I mutter. “I’m not dead,” I mumble.A chuckle sounds under his breath and rumbles within his chest. “No, you’re not,” he agrees as he lays me in the backseat of a car. “I need you to try to stay awake, okay.” His plea is said on a shaky breath. Am I in that bad of shape? Am I scaring him?All I can mus
Of Teeth and Claws 49: I Shuffle Inside To Find The Eye Of The Storm
Driving up on the house, my stomach turns to knots. It’s in the early morning hours and I have no idea if she’s sleeping inside or if the house is empty. Exhaustion has my mind racing and my heart fluttering. All the different possible outcomes have me dizzy. Sitting in the car, I begin to rethink my plan. Why am I here? Searching for family. For a place to belong. To fill the emptiness of losing a part of myself. A part that was taken away from me. A part I’m stupidly desperate to take back. Staring at the house, I heave in a few breaths before finally gathering enough courage to exit the car. With slow cautious steps, I approach the house thinking about what I’m going to say. Whether or not I should ring the doorbell or knock or maybe just turn around and go somewhere else. But before I can decide, I notice the door is cracked open. Panic overtakes logic. Not a single thought or reason stops me from entering the house and calling out for her. Even in the darkness that shrouds the
Of Teeth and Claws 48:But If I Belong To Any Pack, To Any Wolf, It Would Be To Gideon and Nox.
“I want to go home?” I whine.“You can barely stand,” Wes argues back.“That’s not true.” I can stand, but it’s as if he doesn’t want me to. He’s been crowding me. Hovering. He’s lying to my face and boxing me. “I just want to be in my own bed…” my words die off as my gaze flickers to Levi.I might keep the rest of my words to myself, but Levi knows. What I want most is to get away from wolves. But they’re everywhere. Wes is always here and every time the door opens when he or Levi come and go, there are always wolves in the halls.Levi tries to give me peace of mind, “I’ll speak to the doctor. I don’t see it being a problem.” His words are cautious and almost forced. He’s told me that more times than I can count in the last two days. Does he know something I don’t? Am I not allowed to leave?“Why do we need to ask permission? It’s like I’m being held captive.” The frustration that boils within me tries to explode. It has me jumping to my feet, which I immediately regret. The stitches
Of Teeth and Claws 47: Please Tell Me It Isn't Werewolf Blood
I’m not sure what wakes me from sleep, but the more awake I become, the more aches and pains I endure. Eyes barely open, I struggle to sit up. “Ugh, that hurts.” The reason why it hurts slips my mind for a fraction of a second. Cato stabbed me.“Damn it, Nova. You’re gonna bust your stitches.” The familiar voice startles me as he comes from out of nowhere.“Wes? Where am I?” The room is unfamiliar, but Wes seems at ease. This has to be his pack house. “Where’s Gideon and Nox?” I left in the middle of a full out brawl. I need to know what happened. Desperate, I swing my legs out of bed only to have Wes push me back down.“You’re safe. That’s all that matters.” He grabs a chair that was at the foot of the bed, sliding it closer. Was he sitting there all along?No matter what Wes wants to believe, my safety isn’t all that matters. “That’s what I asked.” When he doesn’t reply, I force a response from him, “where are they?” Is his silence because he doesn’t know or because he doesn’t want
Of Teeth and Claws 46: It's Fate
Paranoia has me blacking out. Not literally. If only I would pass out. It feels as if I should, but I remain awake and aware of what’s bound to happen. However, I’m not aware of the motions it takes to get there. One minute I’m in the car and the next I’m walking down a trail with Cato right beside me, knife poking into my back. Our final destination, a small gazebo, was already picked out way before our arrival as we’re met with five wolves that seem to step out of the shadows. The perfect vantage point for Cato. Place the bait in the middle and easily surround it from every corner. “You’re gonna sit here,” he pushes me aggressively down onto the bench that runs along the inside of the structure, “try to make yourself look…fragile. You can do that, can’t you?” I don’t answer, so he bends down making sure our eyes meet. “Do I have to make you look fragile? Rough you up a little bit. It’ll make for a good show.” A malicious smile spreads his lips apart. I don’t have to answer before
Of Teeth and Claws 45: Fucking Brat
Standing in the entryway, staring at Twyla, has my entire body on edge. All it takes is a twitch of my legs as if I’m about to make a mad dash for her to tackle me. What next is a confrontation I’m not ready for. “Walk. Dad’s waiting.” My feet don’t move, but when I feel the edge of a weapon dig into my back, I’m forced to comply. She leads me straight to Levi who’s tied to a chair with Cato right behind him, blade to his throat. There’s already a cut across his cheek, blood dripping from his chin. Levi’s cry of my name is cut off as the sharp edge digs in a little deeper. "Nova,” Cato says clearly disappointed, “did you think you could hide from me? Running away was a mistake, but you have a chance to fix it." Sure I can. Cato’s mind is already made up. Someone is going to die tonight. "When you left, I had to make adjustments, settle so to say." "Excuse me?" Twyla snaps. "Settle? You’re not referring to settling…for me, are you?" Wait? What? Cato and Twyla? “Because this means
Of Teeth and Claws 44: Constantly Crashing Into Each Other
I refuse to acknowledge the new day. My second day home. It still feels wrong for some reason. There’s a tension that strains my muscles that I can’t quite shake. It’s like I’m a sitting duck waiting for something to happen. Waiting to hear awful news. Levi tries to talk to me, but I can’t seem to hear his words. I’m tired and sore and more than anything I want the thoughts to stop. The guilt and heartbreak. The disappointment that someone I care about will feel when I’m forced to choose which life I want. It’s only when my stomach grumbles that I realize I’ve been sitting here for most of the day. The sun is starting to set and I have still yet to reach out to Lyra and Eden. Not wanting to use Levi’s phone, I open my laptop and message Lyra through her favorite social media site. I’m back! Lost my phone. Coming over. I wait for her reply which doesn’t take long. She wants me to meet her and Eden at The Black Plum. Carelessly, I throw on some halfway fancy clothes as the restauran
