Nevaeh could not believe what she was hearing. The words felt like a fever dream, or perhaps a cruel trick her dying mind was playing to offer a moment of false comfort. For years, she had watched Axel from afar, convinced he viewed her with the same disgust and hatred as the rest of the pack. The way he had called her a harbinger of death tonight had sealed that belief.
So what the hell did he mean by saying he was happy she was his mate? He had just rejected her. He had shredded the bond in front of the entire pack, and now he was standing here talking about her safety. The sheer whiplash of it made her head spin.
She stood completely speechless, her mind whirling in the damp silence of the cell. She had heard of Omnia, of course—the legendary neutral territory, the only place in Aethelgard that accepted all beings regardless of rank or species. She had once considered running away there, but that thought was not the one dominating her mind now.
All she could focus on was the man behind the bars and the impossible truth he was trying to claim. She simply could not wrap her mind around the reality of it.
"You're happy I was your mate?" she asked, her voice a hollow rasp that scraped against her throat.
Axel nodded, a slow, solemn movement that lacked even a hint of his usual coldness.
Nevaeh took a step closer to the bars, her hand trembling as she reached out but stopped just short of the iron. Her eyes searched his, looking for the mockery she expected.
"And you want me to believe that?" she whispered, her voice hitching on a jagged sob. "If you were happy, then why did you say those things? You called me a curse. You called me a harbinger of death in front of everyone. You looked me in the eye and told me I was worthless."
Axel winced, his jaw tightening as if her words were physical blows.
"You always stood by and watched the twins wreck my life. You did nothing," she continued, her voice rising with a bitter, fragile strength. "Where is all this sudden protectiveness coming from, Axel?"
The sound of his name felt heavy on her tongue.
"Nevaeh, please," Axel whispered, his voice thick with aching sincerity. "I need you to believe me. I never meant to hurt you. Everything I did... everything I said tonight... I had to. I had to make my father believe I felt exactly the way he did, or he would have killed you on that stone."
"I don't know what to believe," she said, shaking her head as tears finally spilled over. "The Axel who stood by while I was bullied, the one who rejected me, or the man standing in this hallway right now talking about my—"
"Nevaeh, I am sorry, okay?" Axel cut her off, his voice thick with desperate urgency. "I am deeply, deeply sorry. But we do not have time for this right now. You need to believe me and leave the pack."
He pulled a ring of keys from his pocket, fumbling with the lock until it clicked.
"My father is angry. Deeply angry right now," Axel muttered.
The lock gave way with a sharp metallic sound. Nevaeh frowned in confusion. Should the Alpha not be celebrating? The Awakening ceremony was supposed to be a time of triumph for the Vicious Fangs, and the thorn in the pack's flesh had already been sentenced to death. Her execution was set, so why would he still be enraged?
Axel caught the look of utter confusion clouding her eyes. He pulled the barred door open, the hinges letting out a long, piercing groan.
"You must be wondering what happened after they dragged you out," he said, his voice dropping to a low rasp.
"I assumed the ceremony just continued," she murmured, clutching her arms against the chill. "That things went back to normal once the mistake was gone."
Axel let out a dry, mirthless breath. "It continued, alright. But something changed." He leaned in, his gaze intense. "Every single wolf who stepped up after you, regardless of their family or how pure their bloodline was, turned. Every last one of them awakened as an Ashen wolf."
Nevaeh gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. Such a thing had never been heard of in the history of the pack. The Vicious Fangs were known for producing a dominant lineage of Umbra and Earthen wolves. For that many Dormants in a row to awaken as the lowest class was a statistical impossibility.
Her head suddenly felt dizzy. "That is impossible."
Axel stepped into the cramped cell and reached for her, but Nevaeh flinched back.
"You have to go now, please," Axel pleaded. "My father is blaming you for the misfortune. He thinks your presence tainted the ritual. From the look of things, he might not even wait until after the ceremony. He wants blood to appease the angry pack."
Nevaeh stared at him, her heart hammering. She already knew they would blame her. Maybe they were right—maybe she truly was cursed.
"You need to leave now," Axel urged, stepping closer until she could feel the heat radiating from him.
"I do not have a wolf, Axel," she said, her voice shaking. "I will be hunted down before I even clear the border."
"I have a bike waiting by the eastern fence," he countered quickly. "There are supplies in the bag and a map to Omnia. You have to move, Nevaeh. Please."
Nevaeh's frown was instant. How did Axel know she could ride a bike? Maya had been the one who dragged her out to learn, and they had practiced in secret.
He reached out and brushed his hand against her cheek, catching a stray tear. The touch was electric, a cruel reminder of the bond that should have been their future. For a moment, she allowed herself to lean into his palm, closing her eyes.
"I never hated you, Nevaeh," he said quietly. "I stayed away because I had to. You were safer thinking I despised you."
Nevaeh's eyes slowly opened, searching his face as if trying to find the truth hidden between his words.
"Nevaeh, listen to me," Axel said urgently. "I know you have every reason not to trust me. But right now, you have to. Please. If you stay here, they will kill you before sunrise."
Nevaeh looked from the open door back to Axel. "Why? Why are you doing this for me?"
Axel dragged a hand through his hair, frustration flashing across his face.
"That is not what you should be worried about right now!" he snapped, exasperation bleeding into his voice. "You need to get out of here. I will come back for you once I become Alpha and take charge of the pack."
Axel took her hand, and the moment their skin met, an electric jolt surged through her. Her fingers tightened instinctively around his. If Axel felt the same spark, he did not let it show.
"Come on. Let's get you out of here," Axel said, pulling her toward the exit.
Nevaeh let him lead her through the dim hall. Her pulse hammered frantically in her throat as they moved past the other holding cells.
Faces appeared at the barred doors. Other detainees snarled as they passed, the sound of low growls filling the hallway.
"Look at the Alpha's pup playing savior," one prisoner hissed, his voice echoing off the walls. "Saving the curse so she can kill us all."
Another let out a mocking, jagged laugh.
"There's no place to run to, girl. No pack will accept a curse."
Axel did not spare them a single glance. He pulled Nevaeh along, his focus entirely on the heavy security door at the end of the passage.
Nevaeh, on the other hand, felt every insult like a stone thrown at her back.
"I'm quite disappointed in you, son."
A voice made them both freeze.