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32: BONUS CHAPTER - Is The Trap Set Or Did It Already Go Off?
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Related chapters
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
Of Teeth and Claws 35: The Knot Of Realization. Of Truth.
The air within the room thins as Cato goes to leave. He stops short and time stands still as he lingers in the doorway, a dark glare to his eyes, sinister smirk on his lips. “Get comfortable. You’re gonna be staying for awhile.” He doesn’t linger to take in the horror his words cause. Instead, he chuckles and slams the door shut, an audible click sounds from the otherside. As if being handcuffed to a bed isn’t enough. Suddenly, I’m forced to face my fate head on. Locked away like a prisoner, held captive by wolves. The silence from Cato’s retreat doesn’t come. Voices sound from outside. An argument. And my so-called sister is instigating it. Before my voice box can let a single peep out, Twyla snaps, “you’re welcome.” You’re welcome? What does that even mean? Sitting on the edge of the bed, tugging at the cuff, I strain to get as close to the door as possible. “Don’t let your ego get too large. One could say that your useless now.” Cato taunts. “Useless? She wouldn’t even be in
Of Teeth and Claws 36: He Wants Me To Obey, But He's Dying To Force Me
My breath is held as the door creaks out. A booted foot steps inside the room. I can hear him tsk me for my bad behavior. “Already being unruly.” He crosses the room slow and meticulous. “We punish those that don’t obey. Do you want to be punished, Nova?” He’s close enough to touch me. “Because I can. Punish you.” “You don’t need to keep on threatening me. more. I know you're not above murder.” He laughs in my face. "Already making me out to be a monster.” That’s because he is. I can see the evil in his eyes, the riptide of anger that’s waiting to be unleashed. “I’m not monstrous. I just expect submission like any alpha would. Like Nox would.” I want to believe he’s lying but the truth is I don’t know Nox when it comes to his leadership role with Gideon’s pack. We’ve had our tiffs even all those years ago. I don’t remember what they were about, but I have the feelings. The residual ache that comes from being hurt. Cato’s eyes lock with mine, a glisten of red mixes within the dark b
Of Teeth and Claws 37: Toddlers Have Temper Tantrums And To Them It Is Warranted Too
37: Toddlers Have Temper Tantrums And To Them It Is Warranted Too. By time the room comes back into view, Tariq is blabbing about me giving him the silent treatment. He deserves worse than the silent treatment. He deserves a swift knee to the balls and sucker punch to the face. “I wish we could’ve met under better circumstances,” Tariq claims, but his genuineness falls short. It’s a flat out lie. Does he take me for an idiot? “Better circumstances? You’re joking, right? After what you did?” My words are sharp and venomous. “You do remember I was there. I watched you kill her.” The irony is too much. “You’re a murderer asking for better circumstances in meeting the daughter of the woman you killed.” His gaze flickers to the floor as if ashamed by his actions. But I have a feeling that Tariq isn’t capable of shame or guilt or even regret. “I didn’t-” “You didn’t what? Mean it? You tricked her into showing up, you even told her that she wouldn’t be alive to see the end result of your
Of Teeth and Claws 38: Future Alpha Cato's Request
Solitary has never intimidated me. But here. Here it’s terrifying. Nerves make my mind race and my body react. My stomach growls with imaginary hunger. My throat turns dry and scratchy. My bladder acts up even. All the things that could be easily taken away from me. Food, water and something as stupid as using a bathroom.I hold out as long as possible. How long that is, who knows. But sooner rather than later, I need to pee. “Cato. I know you can hear me,” you fucking asshole, “Cato.” My fists bang against the door. How I would love to piss on everything Tariq and Cato own, I don’t want to be stuck smelling it. “Cato.”Nothing. Silence. Grumbling under my breath, I slam my palm against the door one last time before retreating. Slumping down onto the bed, I try to get my mind to focus on something else other than needing to pee. Mind over matter, right?The fact that he’s ignoring me is what bothers me the most. Does he not realize how hard it is for me to call out for him, to purpose
Of Teeth and Claws 39: Accepting Food From The Devil Is Wrong
I keep the charades up for days. Behaving nicely when Miranda comes to my aid. I hope she passes along a good word for me. Brags about how innocent and feeble I am. I haven’t tried to fight her once. That should be rewarded, right? Miranda’s arrival is announced by her light knocks before unlocking the door. I sit on the bed and look unthreatening. I like to think that I’m growing on her, that she trusts me, but I can’t be too sure. She’s been trained to remain emotionless or after years of abuse she’s learned to be a blank slate. Today she holds a long ivory dress in her hands. Immediately I freak out. A white-ish dress, Cato’s repulsive obsession with me. I’m nearly hyperventilating thinking about it. Her words are relieving, but still heavy upon my shoulders, “tonight you’re going to dinner.” She holds the dress up. “I’m here to help you get ready.” “Just dinner? It’s not some special occasion you’re not supposed to tell me about, is it? Like some ceremony to trap me here?” A s
Of Teeth and Claws 40: A Twisted Fate I'm Unable To Escape
I remain on edge after Cato’s whipping. Every little creak outside the door has me spiraling. Heart attack, panic attack, you name it, I crash and burn. I’m pushed into the submissive role for fear of getting another beating before I get the chance to heal from the last one. I can only imagine the smirks on their faces. The only face that visits me is Miranda’s. She cleans my wounds, changes my dressings. The lashings are still raw and sore, but I’m learning how to move without causing too much pain. Miranda comes like clockwork to walk me to the bathroom even though I don’t need to go. She urges me to drink some water from the tap and to eat the food that sneaks from the kitchen. I’m more than thankful for her, but I can’t help thinking that it’s come too late. Dark thoughts cloud my head. Maybe Tariq is right, Gideon isn’t coming for me and I need to face the future of staying here. Nights are the worst. Restless and anxious. Painful and exhausting. Nightmares and self induced de
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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
