Nyx

The kitchen felt like the inside of a dragon's mouth—hot, smoky, and full of people I'd like to stab. Every burner blazed, every pot hissed, and every scent of perfectly seasoned food rose like I actually enjoyed being their little household slave. I flipped the trout exactly when it needed flipping, spooned the sauce with precision that would make a five‑star chef weep, and plated the vegetables in neat rows.

Naturally, not a soul appreciated any of it.

"Try not to burn it this time," Father hissed over my shoulder.

"Yes, sir," I murmured, stirring the pan like I wasn't fantasizing about hitting him with it.

"And make sure the meat isn't overcooked," Kori's mom added, nose wrinkling like she smelled something foul. "Not that I expect you to understand what that even means. I've seen how useless you can actually be."

I didn't even blink. My act was flawless: blank eyes, meek posture, shoulders slightly hunched—my "incompetent little attic gremlin" persona. The thing about pretending to be stupid is... people get real comfortable. Real loose. Real predictable.

Does that mean their guard's down enough for me to slip out sooner than I thought?

Oh yes. Yes it does.

"Sometimes I wonder if keeping you alive up there isn't just a waste of storage space," Father added, shaking his head. "You have the strength of a proper wolf, yet no sense."

The longer they talked, the more my Wolf itched. One day. One day they'll regret every word. I fed the rage, kept it warm in my gut. I'd need it later.

Then the doorbell rang, and like flipping a switch, they all transformed from Domestic Torture Gremlins to Polite Suburban Angels.

Motherfucker.

And then the universe really decided to piss in my cereal.

It was Dante.

Shit. If he saw me—

Too late. Of course he spotted me. His eyes widened, something flickering there, but Father swooped in fast with the charm, cutting off any chance of Dante talking to me. Kori's mom followed, ushering him toward the dining room like I was a stain they didn't want guests noticing.

***

"You've outdone yourself this time, Beta Jones," Dante said as I brought the fish out one by one.

Oh? He's outdone himself? With what? His sparkling personality? I put the plates down silently before I said something that would get me noticed.

"And the aroma... what was your name?" he asked, suddenly looking at me with too much interest.

Why the hell was he asking now?

"I just love how warm everything looks!" Kori gushed, grabbing Dante's arm before I was forced to answer. "The table really looks perfect for everyone!"

She kissed him on the cheek. My chest tightened—just a small twist—but I shoved it down so deep it hit bedrock. Feelings are luxuries for people with rights. I had neither at the moment.

Everyone ignored me again. Except Kori. She looked right at me with a little smirk—like she wanted me to see how comfortable she was with my mate.

"Why're you still standing there? You're ruining the atmosphere," Kori's mom hissed.

I didn't need to be told twice. I grabbed two bowls and retreated upstairs.

***

The injured guy—my temporary not‑dead guest—perked up as I walked in.

"Do you have a name?" he asked, eyeing the food.

"Yeah. It's Nyx," I said, passing him a bowl. "Yours?"

"I'm Leviathan," he said.

I raised a brow. "Your parents must've loved storybooks."

But he did look like a walking illustration of a lycan king—broad shoulders, strong jaw, hair a mess like he'd wrestled a cat and won.

"Do they always treat you like that?" he asked, voice low.

He'd heard everything. Of course he had—super ears and all.

"Don't worry about it," I said. "Focus on healing."

He inhaled half his bowl in seconds. I sighed, pushing mine toward him. "Here. Eat up."

"Don't you need to eat?" he asked.

"I go hungry all the time. Today won't make a difference."

His brows pulled together. "Why would you go hungry here?"

"Didn't you hear everything downstairs?" I deadpanned. "Why would they feed someone they hate? Use your head."

He winced. "Are you scared of them? I kept hearing someone threaten to kill you. It must be because of your scent... Do you have a mate?"

"He's downstairs," I said flatly. "With someone else."

"That doesn't bother you?"

"Why would I want to be mated to anyone from this pack?" I asked. "And what smell are you talking about?"

He stared at me like I'd asked what a moon was. "Do you seriously not know? It's obviously—"

"GET BACK DOWN HERE NOW!!!!" Kori's mom shrieked from below.

Leviathan flinched. "Don't go. I can—"

"You can't do shit but hinder me right now," I snapped, grabbing the empty bowls. "Hurry up and eat so you can heal faster and leave. I don't want you here any longer than necessary."

I wasn't being cruel—just honest.

He was an added wild card. And wild cards got people killed.

And I had a future to carve out of their bones.

***

The sink water was lukewarm, tinged with grease, and smelled like grass. Perfect setting for my evening encore as the household's resident invisible house elf. I scrubbed plates, meanwhile, the happy-family circus laughed it up in the living room, playing some board game they'd never let me sit in on.

Invisible again.

Perfect... Invisibility is a weapon if you know how to use it.

The door creaked behind me.

Didn't need to look. The arrogance rolled in with a change in air pressure. Dante. His entitlement entered the kitchen three seconds before his body did.

He leaned against the counter and watched me wash dishes like I was dinner theater. Two whole minutes of silent staring—creepy, even by werewolf standards.

"You smell different today," he finally said.

"Do I?" I replied, eyes on the plate I was scrubbing.

"Don't play coy with me. I know exactly what you're doing right now," he said, all smugness and ego.

What the hell was he talking about? I didn't smell bad. I'd washed today. Mostly. "Well, can you inform me? Because I'm just washing dishes."

"Don't waste your pretty mouth on lies. You know what we are, and you know what this is as well as I do."

"This?" I blinked at him. "I've literally only met you one other time. I don't know what this is. This looks like you cornering someone while your girlfriend's in the next room."

He smirked like a villain with brain damage. "I'm offering you a better life. You can be free and out of this house where people treat you like crap. You wouldn't have to be their dirty little rag anymore. Be smart and just take the offer to be my side piece."

I paused mid‑scrub. A smile tugged at my lips—not a nice smile, the "are you out of your rabid ass mind?" kind.

"Your what?"

"It's not an insult," he pushed, eyeing me up and down. "You could have everything you've ever wanted if I say you can have it. I'll grant you free reign. You should be thanking me for such an offer."

"I'm not fucking my way to freedom, idiot."

His smug grin cracked. "Careful. You have no right to speak to me that way."

"I have free will, so I have every right. Fuck you and your offer." I turned back to the dishes. "I'm busy."

That did it.

He grabbed my wrist and yanked me around, breath hot on my face. "Stop pretending. You want this. You're just too proud to admit it."

"Let go of me," I hissed.

He didn't. His fingers slid up, brushing my jaw like he owned me. "I'm your best option whether you like it or not."

And then—because he was truly as dumb as he was arrogant—he actually leaned in to kiss me.

My fist moved before my brain did.

It connected with his jaw in a clean, satisfying crack. Dante went down hard, skidding on the tile and landing on his knees a few feet back.

I almost laughed at the look on his face.

"You hit me?" he gasped, clutching his jaw like it might fall off.

"Next time I won't stop there," I informed him coolly.

"You'll regret this," he spat.

"Whatever. Just kill me." I shrugged and walked out of the kitchen like I hadn't just decked the alpha's golden boy.

My heart was racing so fast it felt like it would claw its way out of my chest. Holy shit. I hit the alpha's son. In the beta's house. While the whole family was ten feet away.

Am I totally fucked?

I rounded the hallway corner—

And smacked right into Kori.

She crossed her arms, eyes narrowed, mask completely gone. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

Fuck!

No—the ghost had seen me.