Chapter 15
NICHOLAS
Lalmost smiled. Almost
The comer of my mouth twitched, the ghost of amusement rising, only to be swallowed back down as I stared at Adeline. The audacity. The sheer nerve
of her.
She stood there, in the grand hall, head held high despite knowing her position or lack thereof. A weaker creature, my supposed Luna–to–be, daring to defy me in front of my pack. The very act was laughable. And yet, that was exactly why I chose her.
Anyone could’ve played the part of my Luna, But I didn’t need someone to simply play the part. I needed someone to be the part. Strong Resilient Fierce, even when she had no right to be. And Adeline? She was proving to be exactly that, even after what I had done to her yesterday and the fact that she knew she held no power over ending the mating ceremony but since we were playing make believe to the world and no one could no that- she was leveraging it.
Impressive, Adeline. Very impressive.
lalmost admired her for it.
But admiration didn’t mean forgiveness. Not in my world.
The hall was silent now, a heavy tension hanging in the air. Hundreds of Lycans stared, their gazes bouncing between me and the boy who had dared to speak out of tum, Jeremy, Foolish, naive, and stupid enough to think he could get away with it.
My eyes slid lazily to him, my voice calm, almost soft as I asked, “What is wrong with being just a werewolf?”
Jeremy flinched, even though I’d purposely kept my tone devoid of threat. Slowly, he raised his head to meet my gaze. To his credit, he didn’t Eater, answering with an honesty that bordered an idiocy
“They’re lesser…and weaker creatures,” he said, his voice trembling but steady enough to draw a ripple of agreement from some corners of the hall.
I didn’t look at Adeline, but I felt her bristle beside me, saw the way her jaw tightened from the corner of my eye. Her pride was wounded. Good.
“And yet,” I continued, my voice as sharp as a blade, “the only reason you’re not already on your knees, begging for mercy, is because of her. The same werewolf you just insulted. Do you know what that makes you?”
Jeremy’s fists clenched at his sides, his head dipping slightly. He knew. He didn’t need me to say it. But I said it anyway.
“It makes you weaker,” I said, the words dripping with disdain, “Saved by a lesser creature. How pathetic.”
The boy’s body trembled, his face pale, but he kept his head bowed. Lycans despised being demeaned, and Jeremy was no exception.
I sighed, the sound heavy with feigned disappointment. “Count yourself lucky. You are black listed from every social event for the rest of year and make sure I do not set my eyes on you again after this,” I said, flicking my gare dismissively toward him. “Go back to your mother.”
The boy didn’t need to be told twice. He stumbled back to his seat, his mother pulling him close, her face tight with barely concealed terror
I turned back to the crowd, my voice rising to fill the hall. “Let this be a lesson to all of you. Disrespect my Luna, and you disrespect me. Anyone foolish enough to test this will face consequences far worse than Jeremy’s”
The silence that followed was deafening. Slowly, the pack began to disperse, wolves casting furtive glances at Adeline before exiting the hall. She didn’t move. Neither did I.
We stood there, locked in a battle of wills, until Derek cleared his throat and muttered, “Everyone’s gone, Your Highness.”
Adeline took a step back, as if to retreat, but I wasn’t done.
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Chapter 15
“I didn’t dismiss you,” I said, my voice low but firm.
Her shoulders stiffened, her back straightening as she turned to face me again. Her eyes met mine, filed with defiance she couldn’t quite mask. “He was Just a child,” she said softly, “I had to do something.”
A slow, mocking smile spread across my face. “Even after everything I did to you last night, you’re still playing the savior.” I reached out, brushing a loose strand of hair from her face. She flinched at the contact, and I let my fingers linger, reveling in the way her body stiffened.
“You don’t look like you slept well,” i murmured, my tone mockingly gentle. “Rough night?”
Her reaction was instantaneous. She slapped my hand away, her eyes widening as she realized what she’d done. I could feel the anger radiating off her, but there was fear too–fear she tried to hide but couldn’t.
“Stop touching me.”
The room seemed to grow colder. For a moment, neither of us moved. Then, I grabbed her wrist, pulling her roughly toward me. She gasped, her body colliding with mine, rigid and unyielding
My beast stirred, reacting to her overpowering scent, a mix of defiance and fear that both infuriated and intrigued me. I leaned down, my lips brushing against her ear as I whispered, “Haven’t you heard? You and I are getting married. That gives me every right to touch you as I please.”
1 bit down on her earlobe, eliciting a sharp gasp from her. But I didn’t stop. My Gps trailed down her neck, grazing her skin, until I reached her collarbone. I bit down harder this time, enough to leave a mark.
Her gasp turned into a sound that was part mean, part cry, and it brought a cruel smile to my lips.
Then, just as suddenly, I pushed her away. She stumbled, losing her footing and falling to the ground.
I stared down at her, my expression blank. “You can do whatever you wish with your day,” I said coldly. “But I expect you at dinner. Eight o’clock sharp. And this time… don’t be late.”
Without waiting for a response, I turned and walked away, the sound of her ragged breathing following me. Just as I reached the doors, I heard her whisper, low and venomous:
“You’re a fucking bastard.”
The smile that broke across my
my face then was full and unrestrained.
She wouldn’t be the first to call me that
And she certainly wouldn’t be the last.
I headed down the hallway, my shoes echoing off the cold stone floors. At the end of the corridor was the room where the man who had kidnapped Adeline was being kept. I hadn’t rushed to see him; I’d let him sit here since last night, stewing in the silence, waiting for me,
Anticipation is a powerful weapon, one most people underestimate.
When I stepped inside, the metallic scent of blood and sweat Engered in the air, but to his credit, the man didn’t finch. He sat chained to a chair, legs twisted unnaturally from where I’d broken them. Even immobilized and restrained, his defiance was palpable.
I closed the door behind me with a deliberate slowness, the heavy click of the lack filling the room. Still, he didn’t move. Not like he could.
Finally, he broke the silence. “Don’t waste your time. Whatever anticipation you’re trying to build up? It won’t work. So, let’s skip the theatrics, Kill me I’m not going to talk.”
I stepped closer, studying him. His face was battered, his lip split, but his eyes those damn eyes–held a determination that most would mistake for
courage.
71 asked, my tone casual, almost conversational
“Is that so?” asked, my
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Chapter 15
He didn’t reply. Just stared at me, unblinking, like he’d already resigned himself to his fate. I had to hand it to him–he wasn’t afraid. Men like him were rare, the kind who didn’t crack under physical pain. You couldn’t break them by force; you had to find another way
Thad met his type before,
So I smiled, the kind of smile that wasn’t meant to confort. “I’m not going to threaten you,” I said, leaning down slightly so we were eye level. “And I’m
not going to force) you to talk-
His brow furrowed, just slightly, a crack in his otherwise impenetrable demeanor
“No, that’s not how I treat my guests,” I continued, my tone as smooth as silk. “Just like it’s not how I treated Jasmine when my men picked her up from
school.”
The shit was immediate. His body went rigid, his jaw tightening. For the first time since I entered the room, he broke eye contact
There it is. The weak link.
“Jasmine,” I repeated, drawing the name out like it was a delicate piece of art. “She’s what–thirteen Fourteen?”
“Leave her out of this,” he growled, his voice low and dangerous.
Istraightened, my hands clasped casually behind my back. “That’s entirely up to you.
He glared up at me now.
sank in.
at me now, hatred blazing in his eyes, but I didn’t flinch. I let the silence stretch between us, watching as the realization of what i was sayi
I saying
“You have two options,” I said finally, my voice colder now, devoid of the false warmth I’d been using. “Option one: you tell me who sent you to kidnap my Luna. You tell me everything names, plans, motives.
“And option two?” the spat, his voice filled with venom.
Fleaned in close, my face mere inches from his. “Option two,” I whispered, “I bring Jasmine in here. And I scar her for the rest of her life when I make her watch me tear you apart Limb by limb.”
He inhaled sharply, the first real sign of fear flickering across his face.
Istraightened again, taking a step back, “What’s it going to be?”
