THE GUARDS ARREST

THE GUARDS ARREST

CHAPTER 3

Nova Sterling Point Of View

“Your Father ordered us to capture you.” A broad-shouldered man with a scar splitting his eyebrow echoes as guards drag Kieran’s hands behind his back.

Kieran fights against their grip, his muscles pressed against his jacket. He fixes his gold eyes on mine, fierce and unyielding. “Stay here.” 

The guards push him backwards, their hands firm like iron clamps. Snow coils in the air and swallows his scent of cedar. 

Sloane steps out of nowhere, and her heels sink into the frost. She brushed her lips against my ears, and her breath felt like the wind, shill and sharp. “BloodMoon’s coming.”

Then she turns, following the guards, her laughter trailing behind her like a threat. The wind blew a whistle, and a door slammed shut. 

I was left alone, and the empty courtyard felt like a trap. Should I run and hide? My legs refused to move; they were frozen by fear. My Breath froze in the air.

Snow stings my cheeks, sharp as needles. The bond mark pulses angrily. I press a hand to the burn. Blisters form. Blood smears my fingers.

Then, slow and deliberate footsteps approach me as a shadow shifts near the broken window. Moonlight spills over the figure's platinum hair and diamond cufflinks.

It is Vaughn, his mint cologne clashing with the lingering trace of Kieran’s scent. “Lost, little wolf?” he smiles.

I step back, and my body stiffens. “Stay away.” 

He tilts his head and looks over my torn jacket. “You look underdressed.” 

“What do you want?” I grip the collar of my jacket. 

“To watch the show.” He nods at the shattered glass. “Kieran’s real fiancée arrives soon. Are you prepared for her?.” 

A cold chill flows down my spine. “Fiancée?” 

Vaughn’s phone glows, and a photo flashes displaying Kieran beside a girl in a white gown; her smile is polished and cold. “The Gold Mine Heir. “Actual Mercer heir material.” 

My necklace pendant burns hotter, agreeing with my rage. “I don’t care.” I hissed.

“Liar.” He steps closer, snow crunching under his polished shoes. “Run now. Or become their pawn.” 

Then the wind blew whistles, and the snow poured heavier, covering my sight. When it clears, Vaughn’s gone. 

A deep sound echoes like Kieran’s voice. I ran toward the noise, with my lungs burning. And found him outside the gates; guards pin Kieran to the ground. Blood drips from his lips. 

“Let him go!” My voice shakes. 

One guard mocks my cry. “Or what?”

Kieran’s head jerks up. “Nova, run!” 

Then, the necklace's pendant erupts with heat. Sharp and suffocating red light floods the courtyard—very heavy. Guards shield their eyes, cursing at the intensity of the rays. 

Kieran breaks free, grabbing my hand. “Move!” he ordered.

We run past the frozen fountains and ice falls. Footsteps chase us behind. “Let's turn Left!” Kieran pulls me into an alley with brick walls and a tiny space. His chest heaves against mine, and our breath is everywhere. 

“Why help me?” I whisper. 

His golden eyes darken. “You’re mine.” 

Torchlight dances on the walls, searching for us. He pushes me behind a waste bin. “Stay here.” 

Then a familiar voice echoes, “Where are you guys?” 

Keiran steps into the light. “Over here!”

The Guards also saw him and stumbled in his direction.

So Kieran runs towards the opposite direction, leaving me behind. 

Silence swallows me. Snow muffles around me. The pendant cools, my wrist is numb, and Tears cover my cheeks. 

Sloane appears and leans against the alley entrance. “You look Pathetic; Kieran will choose his mother's choice over you. Always.” 

“And you?” I spit at her. “Are you his mother's choice or his ex-lover? I huff a mocking laugh. “ A rejected lover.”

Her smile dies. “You’ll be dead by midnight.” She throws a bottle of poison at me. It shatters and releases purple smoke coiling like a serpent. I cough as my vision blur. When it clears, she’s gone. 

Suddenly, the waste bin shakes violently, and a hand grabs my ankle. Callan’s amber eyes glow in the dark. “Stay Quiet.” He drags me into a drain cover, and the metal slams shut above us.

“Look for her!” a guard roars. 

Callan’s grip tightens. “Move fast.” We crawl through filth with rats running around us. The tunnel ends at a rusted door. He kicks it open, revealing a garden of frozen roses. “Safe here,” he smiles. 

“Why save me?” I whisper.

He twisted his face, changing his expression. “Not all Sterlings are monsters.” And then he vanishes. 

I was left alone, but to my surprise, Kieran stumbled into the garden, blood soaking his shirt. “You’re alive.” He slumps against a tree. 

I rush to him. “You’re hurt.” 

“Worth it.” His hand caresses my cheek. My bond mark flares, reacting to his touch. His lips move close to mine. “Nova, I want you to know that..”

Then, a sound interrupts the cold night. Kieran turned pale. “They’re here.” 

Sloane’s laugh echoes through the air. “Ready to die, traitor?” 

Kieran pushes me behind him. “Run. Now.” 

But The necklace glows, displaying a red light that radiates around the garden.—very harsh and piercing.

So Sloane freezes at the attack from the necklace pendant. 

“What are you doing?” Kieran stares at me, his eyes filled with fear and awe. 

The light then fades after making Sloane freeze. 

Suddenly, Footsteps sounded from the frozen garden, slow and deliberate, crunching the snow, which was already strong as bones. 

Four figures emerge from the dark; their shadows appear sharp against the moonlight. 

Jace steps forward first. His leather gloves make noise as he flips a silver coin. It catches the light, spinning once or twice before he snatches it mid-air. “Miss us?” He laughs. The sound is laced with mischief and menace.

Gideon steps forward next, and a blade flips open in his palm. The knife sparkles and its edge is stained with old blood. He doesn’t speak. He doesn’t need to. The scars across his knuckles speak louder than words. 

Vaughn adjusts his diamond cufflinks smoothly and slowly as if it is just another board meeting. “Someone forgot to invite the remaining guest to the show,” he stammers, as his angry eyes stay on Sloane. 

Callan stood partly in the shadow, amber eyes burning through the dark. His silence weighs heavier than the other’s threats. 

And Kieran; he stands tall despite the blood soaking his shirt, his gold eyes blazing. Wounded. Unbroken. A king refusing to bow.

The five Alphas step forward, boots striking the frost in unison. And for this moment, they’re allies. They’re Mine.

Sloane staggers back; her perfect hair is wild now, and lipstick stained her face like a wound. “This isn’t over,” she shouts, her voice cracking. 

Then the five Alphas circle Sloane as Kieran’s gold eyes look at me. His lips spoke two silent words: “Trust me?”

They laugh and surround her. Then Gideon raised his blade and held her hands. “Too late to run, little wolf. It's our turn to deal with you.”