Chapter 12
ADELINE
I had barely blinked before it happened. One second, the man was towering over me, his grotesque tneer twisting his face, and the next, he was sent flying across the hallway with a sickening crack. The air shifted, heavy with the scent of blood and violence.
Before I could comprehend what was happening, the other man, the one gripping Nicole, let out a guttural roar and charged. But his movement was cut short–abrupt and final. A flash of silver cut through the dim light, and then his head was no longer attached to his body.
Blood sprayed, hot and sticky, across my face.
A scream tore from my throat, but it never made it out. My voice was strangled by shock and terror as I stared at the lifeless body crumpling to the floor. My knees wobbled, and the room spun, but before I could collapse, a hand yanked me upright with bruising force
“Adeline,” Nicholas growled, his face inches from mine. His eyes burned like, sharp and unyielding. “You are starting to be more trouble than you’re
worth.
I opened my mouth, perhaps to apologize–though for what, I couldn’t say. My mind was a chaotic mess of terror, nausea, and disbelief. But he didn’t give me a chance to speak. With a firm shove, he pushed me toward Nicole, who had finally regained her balance after the chaos
*Take her,” Nicholas barked, his voice cutting through the air like a blade. “And get out of here. Stay the hell away from her, Nicole
1 blinked, startled. His tone suggested familiarity with Nicole, a fact I hadn’t anticipated. Nicole’s face flashed with something–surprise, imitation, maybe a touch of amusement–but she didn’t argue. She grabbed my arm and started dragging me toward the exit.
“Nicholas-“I started, turning my head slightly, but Nicole cut me off with a sharp tug
“Keep moving,” she hissed.
Behind us, a deep growl echoed off the walls. It wasn’t Nicholas. Trisked a glance back and saw the first man–bloody but alive launching himself at Nicholas again, his claws extended. But before I could see how Nicholas reacted, Nicole shoved me forward, effectively cutting off my view.
“We don’t have time for this,” she muttered, her grip on my arm unrelenting
The moment we stepped outside, a wave of fresh air hit me, but it did little to calm my nerves. The night was eerily quiet, the faint hum of crickets the only sound. My heart was still racing, and my legs felt like jelly.
“Stop dragging me,” I snapped, yanking my arm free from Nicole’s grasp.
But before she could respond, movement caught my attention. A group of men emerged from the shadows, their presence as imposing as it was sudden. My body tensed, ready to bolt, but they stopped a few feet away and bowed their heads.
“His Highness asked us to escort you both home, one of them said, his voice calm but firm.
Nicole, ever unbothered, simply nodded. “Good timing,” she said breezily. “We’ll take the ride.”
One of the men depped forward, gesturing toward a sleek black car parked nearby. Nicole grabbed my arm again, though more gently this time, and guided me toward it. I followed on autopilot, my thoughts a jumbled mess
Once inside the car, the events of the night began to replay in my mind. The blood. The screams. The way Nicholas had effortlessly sliced through that man’s head like it was nothing. I could still feel the warmth of the blood on my face, sticky and metallic, and I refused to touch it. A part of me knew tha acknowledging it, feeling it, would make everything even more real
Nicole, on the other hand, seemed completely unaffected. She leaned back in her seat, a grin spreading across her face.
“Well,” she said brightly, “wasn’t that fun?”
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Chapter 12
I snapped my are to her, my voice trembling with disbelief. “How is that fun? A man’s head was just sliced off in front of us
“[xactly,” she replied, bet grin widening
your name Igaped at her, my mind unable to process her nonchalance. “You’re unbelievable,” I muttered, shaking my head, And why did Nicholas eally like you two are familiar 7′′
She shrugged, unbothered. But then her expression shined, the grin fading slightly as she turned to me. “You picked up on it, huh?”
blinked, waiting for her to elaborate.
She sighed, leaning back in her seat. “Our paths kind of clashed a while back. It was at a bar. My friends dared me to go over to him–you know, the big scary Lycan King that everyone in our world whispers about, I figured, why not?”
“Nicole,” I began, my tore filled with disbelief, but she held up a hand to stop me.
“Let me finish,” she said. “So, I did it. Walked right up to him and, well… it didn’t exactly go as planned. He told me to get out of his sight. But because I’m me, I might’ve kissed him instead.””
My jaw dropped. “You what?”
She laughed, the sound light and carefree. “Yeah. Let’s just say it didn’t go over body, was because of my father”
[frowned but didn’t say anything.
rwell. The only reason he didn’t, as he put it, detach my head from my
She continued with a shrug, “Apparently, Nicholas knew who I was the moment I walked up to him. He spared me because of that, but i think I left an impression. Enough for him to remember me as the embodiment of trouble.”
She laughed again, though this time it felt slightly forced. “Which, let’s be honest, I totally am. Then her los cursed up in a mischievous smile, “Don’t worry you beautiful little head about it. Nothing over hspoobed between us but they won’t stop me from poking at him. It is just what I do and with this alliance with my father, I have full blown immunity.”
Despite myself, I found a small laugh escaping my lips. Nicole was undeniably ridiculous, but her humor was infectious and it wasn’t like I cared about who he had been with. I didn’t like him. The only feeling I had towards him was one of fear even though I couldn’t deny the fact that he was unbelievably
She squeezed my hand then, her expression turning serious. “Adeline, what happened back there? That’s just a preview of the Lycan world. If you’re going to survive….whatever this thing is between you and Nicholas, you’re going to have to toughen up.”
Her words sent a chill down my spine. “What do you mean?”
Nicole’s gaze was steady, “Lycans are beasts, Adeline, Blood fuels them. The only thing keeping them from unleashing that monstrous side on the world is their human half. But it’s a constant battle. You need to understand–more bloodshed will come. As long as you exist in their world, violence will
follow.”
I swallowed hard, her words sinking in like lead. The image of Nicholas slicing through that man’s head replayed in my mind, vivid and unrelenting
Nicole’s voice softened. “I’m not trying to scare you. I’m just being honest. This isn’t some fairytale, Adeline, It’s brutal it’s bloody. And if you’re not ready for that, it’s going to break you.”
I looked out the window, the dark landscape rushing past as the car sped through the night. Nicole’s words hung heavily in the air, but beneath the fear and uncertainty, a strange resolve began to take rool
I didn’t know what this connection with Nicholas was or
or why it existed. But one thing was clear–I was in over my
my head. And there was no going back.
The car rolled to a stop in front of Nicholas’s mansion, the towering estate bathed in soft, eerie light that made it feel as though it were watching me. My stomach churned as the driver–a stoic man who had barely glanced in my direction all night–turned in his seat and addressed me
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“Miss Adeline, this is your stop. His Highness instructed us to ensure your belongings escort you to your room. Miss Nicole will be dropped off afterward”
removed to the man. Someone will be
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His calm, businesslike tone didn’t match the chaos still whirling in my mind. My thoughts jumbled over the Ingistics. How was ficholes managing all of this? Giving orders, arranging everything – while in the middle of whatever that was back there?
I nodded mutely, my voice lodged somewhere in my throat, and turned to Nicole. She was already watching me with an amused expression, one corner of her mouth tilted up.
“Looks like this is where we part ways–for now,” she teased, Will I see you later?”
I managed a weak smile. “Nicole…I don’t know why, but I feel like you’re going to get me into a whole lot of trouble.”
She grinned, leaning back casually in her seat, “Trouble? Me? Never”
I couldn’t help but laugh, though it was shaky and faint. “Maybe during the week… for coffee?” offered
Nicole rolled her eyes, raising her hands to air quote as she said, “For coffee. Sure, Adeline.”
I started to respond to ask for a number siddenly realizing that they had taken my phone
Like she could read my mind, she waved off my concern. “Don’t worry about it. I find you. Somehow.”
I gave her a small smile turning around and reading into the mansion. The moment I stepped inside, the air shifted. It was warmer, heavier, and almost. suffocating in its stillness. A woman dressed in a sharp black uniform approached me immediately, bowing her head slightly as she said. “Miss Adeline, I’ve been instructed to escort you to your-
She stopped mid–sentence, and her eyes widened as she abruptly dropped into a deeper bow.
The room seemed to grow colder.
I didn’t need to turn around to know why.
I felt him before I saw him, his presence cutting through the space like a blade. A shiver ran down my spine as the sound of his polished shoes echoed faintly against the marble. My breath hitched as I realized how impossibly close he was
“Leave us.” Nicholas said, his voice low and commanding, resonating with an authority that left no room for argument
The woman stammered something inaudible before scurrying away, her heels clicking rapidly as she disappeared down one of the many hallways.
I swallowed hard and turned, my movements slow and deliberate, untill was lace–to–face with him.
Nicholas stood there, pristine and composed, his suit utterly immaculate despite the bloodbath I’d witnessed earlier. Not a single stain, not a single hair out of place. His blue eyes burned into mine, unrelenting and unreadable.
My lips parted to speak–though I wasn’t sure what I intended to say–but before I could utter a word, he cut me off
“You and I have a lot to talk about,” he continued, his gaze never leaving mine. His voice dropped a notch, “Especially how you just made strike three.”
