Chapter Seven

It was almost 6pm when Selina turfed me out in front of the Alpha Mansion straight into the care of four of Wyatt’s most trusted men; Carter, Hunter and Jared alongside another who I hadn’t cared to ask the name of.

“C’mon, Luna” Carter mumbled gruffly, hanging back to follow me up the stairs. Whatever Wyatt had told the guys had clearly prepared them for the worst. They surrounded me in every direction, none more than a half step away from me.

“Fuck you” I snarled, storming past them all up to the door and hurling it open. Immediately the intoxicating smell of roast chicken hit my nose and I salivated. I hadn’t eaten since a few rushed bites of toast in the morning and my stomach was done waiting to be satiated.

I followed the scent of food all the way to the formal dining room and hesitated for just a moment, acknowledging it could be a trap before swiftly deciding I didn’t care if it meant a hot meal, and barged in.

Of course he was there, sitting at the head of the table. Waiting for me like a good husband greeting his wife after a long work day. I scowled at him and he let out a loud, deep laugh.

He said cheerily, “I see you had fun with Selina? Don’t worry, you’ll get used to her. Come, have some dinner and tell me all about it”, and extended his arm to gesture towards the chair to his left.

I stalked down to where he was, snatched up the plate and set to task greedily piling it with all the foods laid out on the table; roast chicken, greens, cornbread, squash and black eyed beans. He looked on with amusement as the stack of food on my plate rose ever higher but didn’t say a word as I spooned it all on. Eventually even my hunger-wracked stomach knew it was time to stop, so I walked back down to the other end of the table to sit opposite my enemy and feast.

Food had never tasted so good. The perfectly seasoned chicken melted in my mouth, cooked just enough to fall apart in the right way. The green beans had been boiled with bacon, the squash buttery and soft, the cornbread heavenly, especially when doused heavily in the chicken gravy.

I didn’t care that he watched me, and in fact didn’t even look his way as I scoffed down the food in front of me. After I’d finished every last scrap on my plate I finally sat back in my seat rubbing my stomach, thankful to be wearing sweatpants. Even with the generous space they gave I had to slide them down to my hips to make room for my bloated stomach.

“You can’t already be pregnant, surely? I must have made quick work out of you, indeed” he teased, giving me his arrogant knowing wink that instantly made my blood boil.

“Oh shut up. I haven’t eaten a meal in almost two days. Wonder who’s fault that it?” I snapped accusingly, folding my arms and giving him my best glare.

He shrugged, before saying matter-of-factly, “I would say it was more a personal choice. None of that would have happened if you’d just accepted me from the beginning”. He paused to roll his eyes and added, “but you just had to be difficult. No matter. I do so enjoy putting you in your place”.

He smirked at me knowingly and shifted his belt, causing it to clink just as it had the night before. He took a long sip from his tumbler of whiskey and I saw red-literally. 

Before I had time to comprehend what I was doing, I’d launched my wine glass full of Merlot down the table at his head. I saw it all in slow motion as the glass flipped in the air spraying its contents across the walls, table, serving omegas, as well as both me and Wyatt. Just as the flecks of wine landed on his face he looked up only for the glass to land on his forehead that same moment, smashing into hundreds of tiny pieces.

His eyes glowed wolf yellow immediately and his face darkened. He was looked positively demonic with those eyes peering out from a mask of red wine and blood, long white canines exposed by the deep snarl currently directed down the table right at me.

I let my wolf surge forward and growled right back, openly challenging him. I felt my senses sharpen, and my own fangs extended in response to his threat. The two serving Omegas looked horrified; one of them held her hand over her heart while the other was using the food tray in her hands as a makeshift shield.

Wyatt roared, “GO!”, and they scampered out like rats on a sinking ship.

As soon as the door closed, he came for me.

He stood up purposefully and came down the length of the table in long strides, his large frame intimidating as he stormed towards me. He wore a black v-neck T-shirt with dark jeans, his hair messy and half-tucked behind his ears, loose sections falling over his face.

When he got within arm’s reach I hopped up on the table and ran back down the other end away from him. For a few moments we feinted left and right as each of us anticipated the direction the other would take, until he lunged across and swept my legs out from underneath me with one his long arms. His arms were pure muscle and he moved faster than any wolf I’ve ever known, so I hadn’t been prepared to go down so fast. I belly flopped onto the table with head landing right next to the chicken dish-where a carving knife had been left stuck into the rear of the carcass.

I snatched up the knife as he pulled me down the table to him by my feet.

“Will you never stop playing these fucking games, Nova! How dare you treat your Alpha this way?! In front of Omegas, fucking Omegas!” he bellowed, pulling me ever closer.

My heart pounded in my ears as I gripped the blade behind my back.

This could all be over. I could sink the knife into his heart now and watch the light fade from his eyes. Vengeance will be mine.

I hesitated.

My mind played a reel of his face, those piercing blue eyes and how he looked at me when he realised what Mason had done. How proud he had been that night of the gathering watching me act like a regal Luna to members of both our packs. Confiding in me about his hopes and dreams for the future of our kind.

But the tender moments were a stark contrast to the wolf I had in front of me, altogether terrifying yet handsome all at once. He stood me in front of him and I felt small and feeble; he was so tall my eyes were level with his chest, his body thicker than mine even with my curvy frame. He shook me by the arms so violently I would have lost my balance had he not kept a vice-like grip on me. I caught myself zoning out and tuned back in to his yelling.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?! Do you want me to beat you, is that really what you want? So that’s what you liked about Mason, huh? Goddamn, you are the craziest little bitch I’ve ever met!” his voice echoed off the walls as shook his head incredulously.

With my free hand I slapped him across the face with every ounce of strength I could muster, and it landed with a loud squelching slap. His reaction was instantaneous, and he launched my body into the wall while gripping me by the neck tightly. I scratched at his hand with my weapon-less hand and he noticed I was shielding something behind my back.

“What are you hiding, Nova?” he said, in a threateningly low voice. “Something good I hope, or it doesn’t bode well for you”.

I put up a fight but still he was able to drag my arm forward, the 12in blade flashing under the dining room lights.

“Ooh my, we do have an appetite for violence, don’t we?” he mocked, and began to pry it from my fingertips.

Oh, no you don’t.

I feigned headbutting him as a distraction and when he dodged, I used the moment to knee him square in the crotch. He howled in pain and I moved to escape; as I leapt to the side he tried to reach out to grab me, but in his distracted state he landed a whopping back hander on my left cheek which almost threw me off my feet.

I plunged the knife into him without a second thought.

I’d never stabbed anyone in my entire life (though I’d daydreamed about it many, many times) and the sensation shocked me. It didn’t sink in like a hot knife in butter like in the movies, rather more like trying to spoon out frozen ice cream with a dull spoon. I’d been holding the knife in my left hand and swung it up to gain momentum, stabbing him in the right side of his upper chest.

He looked down in shock, pausing for a few seconds while he assessed it, his howls instantly silenced.

Even with the momentum and pushing with all my strength, the sheer size and density of his muscles had stopped the blade getting further than a quarter of the way in. I exhaled slowly and stepped away from him, thinking he’s actually going to kill me this time.

He yanked out the knife and laughed bitterly.  

“Oh my little Luna, you’ve really fucked yourself now”.