Nevaeh couldn't wrap her head around how fast the night was spiraling. Her brain felt like it was glitching, trying to process the last few minutes. Axel—the guy who'd spent years standing by while his friends made her life a misery—was suddenly taking a risk for a cursed outcast, one that might cost him his future if he were found out.
It didn't make sense. None of it did. Not Axel, and definitely not the news of the Dormants after her awakening as Ashen wolves. The Vicious Fangs had never seen more than two in a single ceremony; yet tonight, every Dormant who had followed her had strangely turned out to be an Ashen wolf.
She stared at the back of Axel's head as he pulled her through the back exit, a wave of genuine self-loathing hitting her. She was really cursed. If her presence had tainted the ritual, then perhaps the Alpha had been right to order her death. She was a plague on the only home she had ever known. Nevaeh didn't understand why Axel was even doing this. Why was he taking such a risk for a girl who brought nothing but ruin?
Just as they stepped out into the night, the air felt strangely chilling—cold enough to bite through her sweater. Axel stopped abruptly, his body turning alert. He pulled Nevaeh slightly behind him, his eyes scanning every dark corner.
"I'm quite disappointed in you, son."
The sound of the Alpha's voice made them freeze. Axel stopped so abruptly that Nevaeh nearly collided with his back.
"So this is what you've stooped to," Vexton asked, his voice a low vibration that Nevaeh could feel in the soles of her shoes. "Sneaking through the night with that… thing, thinking you can escape from me… pathetic." The disappointment in his tone cut deeper than any anger, making her spine tighten.
Nevaeh felt a sudden, hollow acceptance. She was never going to run away from her fate. A part of her didn't even want to get away anymore. If she really was a curse to everyone around her, maybe the world was better off if she just stopped existing. It would stop the pain she caused others.
Alpha Vexton stepped forward, flanked by two high-ranking guards. His presence was heavy and suffocating, a physical pressure that made it hard to draw a full breath. A cold, predatory glint flared in his eyes as he stared at their joined hands, a look that promised violence.
Axel's grip on Nevaeh's hand instinctively tightened. His fingers pressed hard into her skin, his hold rigid, betraying his nerves.
"Shouldn't you be resting?" Vexton asked, his voice dropping to a dangerous level. "Breaking a mate bond is supposed to be exhausting. And here you are, sneaking around like a common thief."
Nevaeh tried to yank her hand back. She couldn't watch Axel throw away his status or get hurt because of her. But Axel wouldn't let go. His grip only tightened, even as the Alpha stepped closer.
His boots thudded heavy on the polished concrete. The air grew dense with his Alpha presence, an invisible force that compelled submission. It was so strong that Axel and Nevaeh were forced to step back in unison.
"I hope you have a better explanation for this," Vexton said, his eyes narrowing.
It was clear the Alpha was offering his son a final bridge back to safety. He was giving Axel an opening to lie, to provide any excuse that would allow Vexton to spare his heir. He wanted a reason that didn't involve treason.
The pressure from Axel's hold was now painful. Nevaeh looked up at him; his jaw was clenched so tight the bone looked ready to snap. She wondered what was going through his mind, hoping he wouldn't break her hand from the way he was squeezing.
"Axel?" Vexton prompted, his voice like a ticking clock.
Suddenly, Axel's face went blank. The heat and intensity Nevaeh had felt from him just moments ago vanished, replaced by an eerie, hollow mask. A wave of unease settled in her stomach. Her pulse quickened with a new kind of fear.
Axel let go. He didn't just release her; he shoved her with sudden, brutal force. Nevaeh stumbled back, her balance vanishing. She scrambled to stay upright but hit the ground hard.
What the hell was that for? she thought, her mind reeling.
A flicker of surprise crossed the faces of the Alpha and his guards. They watched as Axel began to chuckle. The sound started low in his throat before erupting into a full-blown laugh.
Nevaeh groaned, her breath catching as she pushed herself up from the floor. She winced, rubbing her palm where it had scraped the ground, a cold dread settling in the pit of her stomach. The laughter sounded wrong, devoid of any joy. The guards glanced at each other, their expressions suggesting they thought the future Alpha had finally lost his mind.
"Why do you have to spoil my fun, Father?" Axel abruptly stopped laughing. His voice was smooth and empty, completely stripped of the warmth it had held in the cell.
Nevaeh's heart hammered against her ribs as she stared at him. What is actually going on here? Was that all an act?
Vexton raised his eyebrows, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly. "Your fun? Care to explain?"
Axel exhaled a long, weary breath, looking as though he were bored with the entire situation. "I can't believe you actually thought I wanted to set her free." He let out a sharp, mocking laugh that cut through Nevaeh deeper than any blade. He straightened his posture, his eyes turning cold. He looked like a predator now, more than a protector. "Is that how little you think of me? Did you really believe I was helping her?"
Nevaeh's stomach sank. The tenderness she had seen in the cell, the apology, and the promise of safety, it was all an act. She felt like a complete fool. How could she have allowed him to deceive her so easily? I can't believe I actually thought he cared, she told herself. Was she that desperate for a connection that she fell for the first kind word from the man who rejected her? She hated how much she had needed to believe in him.
"Look at her face, Father," Axel sneered, gesturing toward Nevaeh with a flick of his wrist. "She actually believed I was about to set her free. Did you really think I would ever take such a risk for a wolfless freak like her? Dream on." He scoffed, turning his back to her. "I was only toying with her. I wanted to see how much hope she would cling to before I snatched it away."
Nevaeh's breath hitched, a sob catching in her throat, though she refused to let it out. She felt smaller than she ever had before. The realization stung more than the failed awakening or the rejection. She couldn't believe she had actually let herself feel safe for a few minutes.
"I didn't want blood on your hands, Father," Axel continued, his voice dripping with a bored, casual cruelty. "At least, not cursed blood. It's messy. So I decided to handle it my way."