KIERAN’S REAL FIANCÉE

CHAPTER 8

Nova Sterling Point Of View

In A Flash Back —

I am still inside the vision, surrounded by darkness. The smell of bleach and blood filled my nose as a machine beeps. 

Footsteps were trekking near me. And a voice whispered through the void. “Subject 36 shows marked aggression when exposed to band-mate's DNA…”

Then agony slammed into me, stealing my breath. My eyes won't open. My lungs won't breathe. The steady beep of a heart monitor counted my heartbeats. 

The movement of rubber shoes grew louder and closer until they stopped beside me. 

A cold hand gripped my chin. “Let’s see how much her bond mark can take before it breaks.” 

Then the pain came. A very sharp light entered my eyelids like white-hot knives. I struggled against the chains binding my hands; the metal cuffs dug into my flesh and tore my skin. 

The necklace pendant burned against my bare chest. It fuses to my skin and melts into my flesh like some monstrous tattoo. 

A shadow fell across my face, mercifully injecting me with a substance that eased the pain. Then my eyes opened.

“Welcome back, Nova.” Dr. Mercer's voice spread into my ears as he tapped a syringe. 

The liquid inside glowed violet—the same unnatural colour I'd seen in the Mercer's gunmen’ eyes during the forest ambush. 

Behind him stood someone who made my heart stop. Kieran’s stood hidden behind the scene. He was younger, slimmer, and dressed in a Mercer lab coat. He held a scalpel and stared at me like I meant nothing to him.

“Phase two begins now.” Dr. Mercer presses a syringe to my bond mark. “Let's see how much tension your connection can take before breaking.”

In The Present Moment—

The vision clears, and my senses return to the present. We are standing in the war room—the place reeks of iron and burnt leaves from the aftermath of battles. Dry blood still lies on the tactical maps. 

I stare at my hands, but they’re not mine. These fingers are too long, and the nails are sharpened to claws. They are Mirror-Me’s hands. 

This fake version of me has possessed me and is now controlling my movements. Daddy Mercer had to create my clone to capture me. But I will fight it. 

In my confused state, I see Gideon drop to his knees, his claws retracting. Blood drips from his chin as he slams his palms against the floor. “Kieran,” he cries, “find Nova! I've got Jace.”

My heart raced fast. Jace!

Mirror-Me, still living inside my body, uses me to grab Jace by his jacket. His broken arm dangles uselessly as she drags him up. “Let's remove that pretty smile,” she whispers through my voice. 

Kieran's knife sinks into her Mirror Me’s stomach. Gideon attacks her, knocking Jace out of her arms.

Something inside me breaks. It feels like my bones are cracking. Light spread inside my ribs. 

Mirror-Me is beginning to separate from me; she stumbles backwards and screams, “No! You can't chase me out.” Her voice hurts my ears. 

I bite my tongue hard in pain till I taste blood. The pain makes me stronger and more focused. 

The last thing I see before the darkness pulls out of me is Gideon's scars blazing silver as he protects Jace's lifeless body. 

In the next few minutes, I can control my body again. So I reach for the neck chain and grab it with both hands. Mirror-me is now out of my body and standing on its own.

Kieran crashes through the window as he dives in. Glass flies everywhere. He hits Mirror-Me hard. They fall to the floor and roll. Kieran looks at me. His eyes are gold and full of fury. “Do It Now!” he shouts. 

I pull the chain as hard as I can. It snaps and breaks to pieces. Bright gold light flashes everywhere. It's so bright I have to close my eyes.

Then I hear Mirror-Me scream, “No, you can’t win this fight.” before she disappears and everything becomes dark again. 

The necklace is destroyed, and Mirror-Me is gone. 

And Now I know the truth—Mr. Mercer is the source of all my problems. To worsen the situation, he is bringing Kieran's real fiance tomorrow to fight me.

Should I marry Kieran as a perfect revenge, or will it be the worst mistake of my life? I think I'll wait till tomorrow to make this decision.

…

“You're late, darling.” The heavy wooden doors crash open with a bang that shakes my ribs. Audra steps in like a thunderstorm; her diamond necklace paints the wall in dancing rainbow colours.

Six guards march behind her in perfect steps, their metal boots pounding on the ground. Her perfume smells like flowers left too long in water—sweet but rotten underneath.

“Kieran, darling,” Audra says with her slippery voice. She then unfolds a fancy piece of paper sealed with red wax. “Did you forget about our wedding dress appointment today?” She taps the paper with a fingernail sharp enough to scratch a stone.

I feel Kieran's muscles tighten in shock while sitting next to me. Then he stands up so fast his chair screeches across the floor. His hands grip the table so hard his knuckles turn white. “We said we'd talk about this after the Blood Moon.”

Audra's laugh is fragile but edged with a threat. “No, sweetheart. You talked. I decided.” She flicks her wrist, and a guard throws a velvet bag at my feet. Gold coins spill out, rolling everywhere like tiny fallen stars.

“For the stray dog,” Audra says, curling her lip like she smells a sour aroma. “Enough money to run far away from here.”

The dagger in my hand became damp with sweat and almost slipped off. I couldn't contain the insult. 

I have survived Sloane's anger. I guess it's time to face Kieran's real fiancee. “Keep your dirty money,” I shouted.

Kieran moves to block me from Audra, his shoulder pressing warm against mine. I understand without words — he's telling me to stay back.

“How cute,” Audra frowns, admiring her engagement ring. “The brat thinks she's part of the pack.” She snaps her fingers, and two guards grab Kieran's arms, their metal gloves digging into his skin. 

“The marriage hall is already designed with white roses. The Marriage papers are already signed.” Her eyes crawl over Kieran. “But My husband-to-be is missing.”

Kieran struggles against them. “Let me go.”

A guard presses a knife against his throat, drawing a tiny drop of blood. I jump forward to defend him.

“Ah—ah!” Audra pulls a glass bottle from her dress filled with glowing green poison. My stomach drops at the sight of the wolfsbane.

“Take one more step, Nova,” she whispers, tilting the bottle toward me. “And I'll poison you with this.”

Kieran freezes completely. Too still. Too calm.

Audra strokes his cheek, leaving a red lipstick smear. "That's my good alpha."

But I see what she doesn't - the muscle twitching in Kieran's jaw, the vein pounding at his neck. He's not giving up - he's planning his escape.

“Last chance, brat.” Audra throws another money bag. It hits my chest and bursts open; coins fly like golden raindrops. “Take your payment and disappear.”

My fingers twitch. That money could buy me a new life—a name, a home, safety. 

But Kieran struggles with the guards across the penthouse, trying to break free. His golden eyes locked on mine, issuing a silent plea like a warning. 

The coins tempt like promises, and the bond mark on my wrist burns like a red-hot iron. 

Do I grab the money and prove I'm exactly what they call me—a brat, or should I kick the coins back in Audra's face and start a war that even Kieran can't stop? 

I bend down. Audra's smile widens. 

Then I hear a sharp gun click, not from the guards but from the shadows behind Audra.