I fly out of the room slamming the door behind me. Every sentence slammed against my chest. To understand that even from our very first encounter she has deceived me. She has been taking food from right under everyone's nose to feed a stowaway, some random thief! If I pass anybody in the corridor on my way I don’t notice, there is nothing but heat and anger, blurring the edges of my vision. I’ve been made a complete and utter fool.I stand outside the door and stare at it. It isn’t even locked! The door is unlatched, so she has been giving this guy free rein to wander the corridors at night or something? Have they been meeting up secretly? Without even realising I’m sniffing the air, as if I could tell when Lyra was last here. There is nothing. Four and a half months!I pace back and forth, trying to calm down, trying to think about how to handle this like an Alpha and not as a man who just had his world shit upon. My wolf winces in pain, nudging consoling thoughts towards the front
I jumped out of my skin at a bang somewhere outside. The silken sheets still slippery and peculiar to the touch. Had fighting broken out again, was that the sound of Declan killing Viktor? I sat Corinas silken bed with my legs curled up around me. Even if I wanted to go outside and find him, I was locked in here. Surrounded by nothing but memories. i started calculating the accumulated months of my life I had spent cleaning this velvet, fur, and silk-trimmed den for Corina. I knew every inch of this room. Running a hand through my hair, I tried to pull myself together. I could still smell Declan’s heady sandalwood on my purple dress and skin. My body still ached from being consumed by him. I should shower but then I'd lose that dark sandalwood that was so unique to him.. “Shit I’m in such a mess,” I whispered to nobody. The tears had stopped, but I was utterly exhausted. I flopped back onto the silken sheets and stared upwards. No wonder Corina slept soundly every single night. Thi
I hid in Corina’s room for over a week. Every morning I wake up and a huge feast of food is laid just inside the doorway. I assume Reu is trying to help, the latch not slid across, enabling me to leave if I wanted. Instead I was devouring thick slabs of bread smeared in sweet sugary jams. Huge chunks of pork and rice waited for me in overflowing bowls. It is the first time in my entire life I have had time to myself to think. To not be slaving away at manual labour, cowering in fear of someone’s whiplash, healing from my own beating. I could just be alone and think. I ate every scrap of food. My cheeks quickly started to refill with health after only a few days of devouring thousands of epically fatty calories. Every so often from the other side of the metal door I heard the sounds of chatter. With all the Rogues but Howen back out the Black Hall was in use as a gym again. Spirits were clearly high and bouncing, I hoped Declan was feeling better. I tried not to torture myself with h
I should have been smarter. Played the game differently. I’d give anything for a time machine, I can see all the errors I’ve made and how I’d tweak the result to just swing it the other way. If I had kept my own head, not carried on fucking the life out of that idiot male servant like my wolf wanted and got my ass to the weapons room for the machine gun rounds I’d be the queen right now. If I had told Howen to take that machine gun and pepper Declan’s room with it before he fucked me in the Black Hall life would be a peach. But no, my goddamn wolf wanted its kicks and we were weak. Almost as bad as the lack of food is the smell. Then the lack of any information. The only news I do have is the fact Declan is my half-brother. I tried to seduce my half-brother and he knew it. He knew the whole time how disgusting I was behaving, how low I crawled. Did Declan kill the others who joined the uprising? Are they walking about free? How much food is left, have the safes been opened? The gu
Leaving the room with Elvie and Mara, it almost felt normal. Walking down through the constant grey with my companions to see yet another wounded person. Same as every other Freeze. Except as we approached Nine, it was clear this was no regular injury. Elvie clutched the medical bag, the master key rattling around with a sick sense of deja vu. Reu and Fabian were waiting for me, their faces pale and shaken. This had to be bad, considering the things these Rogues have seen.“Lyra, we have told Ronan if he even says a thing we’ll let him starve to death,” Reu said firmly. Fabian nodded, running a hand through his blonde curls. “We can open the door and bring her out to you if you want?” I shook my head, “let me take a look at her. It might be that we have to move Ronan if she can’t be carried.” “Okay, just…brace yourself.” “What is that smell?” Mara asked, but I knew. It was the same smell that had followed me into the void of fear that claimed me weeks ago. Burning, charred flesh. T
My head is utterly fucked. Howen is practically mute. I murdered Ronan and froze when Lyra poured her heart out. I pound the bags in the gym like a madman. I knew she was hiding in Corina’s room. Reu told me, perhaps hoping I might try to talk to her. I cannot lie, almost every night when the nightmares got the better of me, I rest my head against the cool metal door and tried to catch any hint of soothing vanilla. Was there anything she or I could say that would erase the fact she had lied for so long? I had told her I wanted to love all of her, not just the segments she dared to offer. She had gone and shown me everything only for me to turn away. After leaving Viktor to perform his tricks I had spoken to Mara at length. She said the same as Viktor, their stories tied up. She was completely swept up in the blonde-haired hero. Every time Viktor wandered nonchalantly into the gym space, strippng down to show off his blemish-free back and chest I tore into the boxing bag with venom.
Whilst Corina slept, I was called to check Viktor. I heard about Howen losing it and how Arlen, Sol, and the others had to spend half an hour picking up the huge vat of cutlery that scattered across the concrete floor. I walked quickly, businesslike. As if it was any other person. When I unlocked his dorm, the sign for lockdown hanging over the handle with Fabian posted at the door on guard. I stood tall. He sat waiting on a grey-stained bunk, his perfectly chiselled face swollen and puffy. There was no blood, his golden eyes glittering with interest as I walked in.. “Hey there, Chick.” I turned back around and shut the door. “He’ll be fine. If he really bitches about the pain he could have a towel soaked in cold water to help the swelling.” Then I returned back to the sleeping Corina. We are running out of painkillers fast. I am having to lessen the dose to try and make them stretch which means we are entering a horrible phase of crying and whimpering. She pleads to die, regretti
In the dark, touching her face it almost seemed like we could make it. My wolf pushed a million different begging, adoring, forgiving things I should tell her. All the stresses that had been building up on me since she confessed. Knowing about Howen and Viktor’s twisted connection, worrying about Reu being so odd lately. The fact that in a few weeks I’d be facing my rigid superiors. Justifying the chaos that took place, plus the treasure safe still not being open. However, the swirling carnage of my mind started to simmer down. The longer I inhaled that vanilla and held her gentle little face in my hand, it all seemed mangeable. Then my pulse quickened as I felt her cheek leaning into my palm, then her own slender fingers wrapped around mine, keeping me planted to her. I close my eyes. There is a strange thudding sound, and then I feel her hand on my chest. Whatever food she had picked up scattered to the ground. It felt like a dream, the kind where you’re almost certain you’re awa