Chapter 3
ADELINE
What the hell just happened?
That was the first thought that flashed through my mind when I snapped out of the hare as I shoved him off me. “Why would you do that?” I asked, my voice trembling with a mixture of disbelief and anger.
One of Nicholas’s perfect eyebrows arched upward, his cold, calculating eyes piercing through me. My hand instinctively flow to the spot where he had grazed me with his teeth. My fingers traced the skin, and that’s when it hit me he hadn’t actually marked me.
It was just for show.
One that had worked because Devon reached at that moment, his face twisted in fury. His fist clenched, and before I could react, he swung at Nicholas.
“How dare you?!”
Without even flinching, Nicholas caught Devon’s fist mid–air, twisting his arm effortlessly and sending him stumbling back like he weighed nothingMy heart jumped in my throat.
“I see you have a knack for stupidity,” Nicholas said coldly, his voice calm, almost bored.
Devon’s face went pale as the realization dawned on him. His lips trembled as he spoke, stuttering in a way I’d never seen before. “Y–Your Highness. H didn’t realize it was you… I didn’t think you would grace my invitation…”
Nicholas ignored him, turning his cold gaze toward me. “We’re leaving Adeline.”
He didn’t need to prove his strength; it radiated from him in waves, an overwhelming presence that made everyone else seem insignificant and a part of me wanted to do something. Anything to take control of the situation.
But I just stood there. Frozen
People from the gathering hall had started to circle around us, their whispers growing louder. And there, in the center of it all, was my sister, Rose, her arms crossed, a sly smile playing on her lips as she watched the chaos unfold.
I took a deep breath then willed myself to move and I hadn’t made it more than two steps before Devon’s voice rang out again. “Addy, please, let’s talk about this. I don’t know what’s happening with him but we can fix it.”
Fix it? Was he serious? My stomach twisted, bile rising in my
throat.
How could he think this could be fixed?
I kept walking. The tension in the air crackled like a live wire, and that’s when Devon made his second mistake–he reached out to grab my arm.
In an instant, Nicholas was there. His hand shot out, twisting Devon’s wrist with such force that the sickening sound of bone cracking echoed in the air “Touch my mate again,” Nicholas’s voice was deadly calm, “and I will remove your hand from the rest of your body.”
Devon’s Alpha aura flared to Ble, trying to match Nicholas’s raw power. His eyes burned with defiance. “What do you mean your mate? he growled.” know you are all powerful but you have no right to claim what is mine.”
I finally snapped, stepping between them, my voice raw and broken. “What is yours?” I spat, the words tasting bitter on my tongue.
Devon’s face softened, his eyes pleading. “Addy, please. I don’t know what he has told you for you to let him mark you but we can still make things work. Rose means nothing to me.”
His words felt like knives, each one digging deeper into the wounds he just opened. Tears blurred my vision as slapped his hand away. “You lost your chance when you fed my sister! And worse, you played me for a fool for four months.
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Chapter 3
“Addy” He reached for me again, but I recelled, the pain too raw
“Stop saying my name!” I screamed, my voice cracking under sweight of my heartbreak. “You know how hard it was for me to trust people, and let you in, Devon, L. Let. You, In.”
The tears I had tried so hard to hold back finally spilled over thated how vulnerable i fett, how broken I had become in front of everyone. I turned my gaze toward Rose, my chest heaving with fury. “And you I pointed at her, my voice shaking, “I don’t know why you hate me so much, but I hope this was worth it. I hope you’re finally satisfied.”
She just stood there, a smug smile playing on her lips, enjoying the spectacle she had created. Her silence only fueled the fire inside me. I turned back, my decision final
“I’m done. With all of you
I brushed past Nicholas, who watched the entire scene with an expression that bordered on boredom and yet, despite his cold exterior, I could feel the intensity of his gaze on me, a spark that made my pulse quicken even as everything around me crumbled
“You don’t trust people but you are going to let a stranger mark you and you are going to go with him?” Devon’s voice was desperate behind me, but
didn’t tum around.
I knew Devon was right. I hadn’t thought this through. Nicholas was a stranger, one that could completely ruin me.
Well, maybe i was already ruined.
My foot on instinct took me to the car that I felt would belong to him when Devon’s voice rang out once more, his Alpha aura flaring “I don’t care how
war, and I’ll come for you.” powerful you are, I don’t care if you are the Lycan King,” he growled. “If you take her, you’re declaring
Nicholas’s voice was like ice as he responded, “Then I’ll
ni’ll count the hours to your death.”
I opened the door and before I could react, the sound of a ticking filled the air. My body fraze, dread sinking into my bones just moments before the car exploded.
The force of the blast threw me backward, pain ripping through every inch of my body. “Addy!” someone screamed, but I couldn’t tell who. All I could hear was the ringing in my ears, the crackle of fire, and the distant sound of more cars exploding around me.
The world was spinning, my vision blurry, but I felt a hand grab mine, pulling me up. “Blood will flow for this,” the voice said, cold and deadly.
Through the haze, I saw Nicholas–his eyes glowing with fury as he shifted into his wolf form, bones cracking, his body contorting into the most terrifying creature I had ever seen. His massive, dark form loomed over me, and before I could comprehend what was happening, he wrapped his body around mine, shielding me from the debris flying through the air.
And then everything went black.
I think I might have blacked out after that because the next time I opened my eyes, I was lying on the ground. My body ached, my mind barely functioning, but I was alive.
The world around me was in chaos–smoke, fire, the stench of burning metal. Everywhere I looked, there were bodies, motionless and broken
“Addy, you’re alright,” I heard my mother’s voice, her arms wrapping around me but I pushed her away, trying to find the one person that had actually protected me while my gesd tried to process what had just happened.
Nicholas was nowhere in sight but as I kept scanning I saw something that made my world actually stop.
Rose was kneeling over Devon’s body, screaming, “Devon, please wake up!”
Without thinking, I ran toward them, my heart pounding in my chest. I showed Base aside, dropping to my knees beside him. “Devon, no, no, no… please wake up.”
His eyes were open, but lifeless. Blood trickled down the corners of his mouth, and no matter how hard I shook him, slapped him, he didn’t move.
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Chapter 3
“Devon, please. I forgive you. I’m not mad anymore. Just wake up.” Tears streamed down my face as I pushed at him, desperate for any sign of illa.
1 turned my head to a stunned looking Rose and my mother who was crying, “He is not moving. Why isn’t he moving?” I screamed.
“Addy, honey… My mother’s broken voice trailed off.
“He can’t be, plesse.” I pushed him
I him again, “We can talk iLout, I’ll forgive you. Just please!”
He didn’t move and then I was pulled off him, my wolf immediately recognizing Nicholas‘ power, his cold voice uttering the words I did not want to acknowledge.
“He’s dead, Adeline. Devon is dead.”
