Chapter 3

Nova’s POV

Treason. The word was just swimming around and around in my head. I could hear nothing but a roaring in my ears, the sound of my blood rushing through my head and my heart pounding in my chest.

“I… I don’t understand” I managed to stutter. What was he talking about treason? I kept to myself I did nothing wrong to anyone.

“Nova, I think you do” said Alpha Jeremy. Cryptically. He steepled his fingers in front of him and gave me a stern look that made me feel like he was trying to read my mind.

“No Alpha” I replied shaking my head “I really don’t” tears were welling in my eyes now. Even in my worst dreams it was never like this. I felt panic threatening to smother me.

“You have been telling people you have a relationship with Leo and that he is going to mark you on your 18^th birthday. That he is your fated mate” He responded. I reeled in shock. I have never said such a thing, and everyone knew lying about the Alpha family was treason. Lying about fated mates even worse. To combine the two? It could be a death sentence.

Not only had I never said any such a thing but I literally only ever spoke to my family so I don’t even know who could be claiming I told them such things.

“I never said anything like it” I said. I tried to control my anger as it wouldn’t help me to get emotional. “I don’t have any friends so who do you think I told this to?”

The Alpha raised his eyebrows and looked taken aback at this response.

“Several of the kitchen women have reported to me that you talk about it in the kitchen. I didn’t know by Leo visiting you out of kindness that you would twist it in such a way and use it like this” he said, his eyes full of hurt and disappointment

“I didn’t Alpha, I swear I didn’t” I said pleadingly

That’s when my mother decided to get her two cents in. “Alpha we have been telling you for years, she is disturbed” she said in a fake, sickly sweet concerned voice “she is delusional and needs to be banished for everyone’s safety”

I spun around so fast in my chair I almost got whiplash. Fast enough to see my mother hide the smug, satisfied smile on her face before the Alpha looked at her and she went back to the hard done by face she was pulling when I came in the room.

“Now Daria, I don’t think banishment is the way to deal with this if this is the result of a mental illness” he interjected

“Alpha” my mother cried out in fake distress. “She is a disruption and a problem in the pack, surely banishment or execution is the only way to deal with her? I mean… I know she is my daughter but a wrong needs to be rightened.” She said trying to pretend she was saddened at the thought.

Yeah right, I thought, she’s probably already planning on what to do with my room.

“Alpha, please I beg you to listen to me” I said “None of this is true. I have always thought Leo visits me because you asked him to be friendly nothing more” Leo shifted next to me and I looked at him again. For a moment I thought he looked disappointed at me saying this.

“I would believe you” said the Alpha as he held up a book “but your diary confirms it,”

I look at the brown leather book in front of me on the desk.

“I have never seen this before in my life” I state as I open it. But then the bigger shock comes. It’s in my writing, IT IS IN MY WRITING but I didn’t write it.

“How is this possible?” I ask as fear and panic threaten to take over, I start to sweat and start to see dark spots.

Leo puts his hand on my arm. “It’s okay Nova” he says reassuringly “Take deep breaths. It’s okay”.

I look into his eyes and it steadies me. He has warm chocolate brown eyes and they have always comforted me. When I fell as a child or just struggled with maths in my early teens his steady, warm gaze always centred me.

I’m also very aware of a new sensation where he is touching my bare arm. It is not just the warmth of his strong, soft bare palm and fingers wrapped around my arm but there is a tingling sensation that is making my hair stand on end. Like a pleasant static sensation that make me feel warm inside. Before I can figure out this sensation I am pulled out of his grasp by a guard I didn’t see enter the room.

The Alpha must have mindlinked him and called him inside.

“I am sorry Nova this is for your own good” he stated. Turning to the guards he instructed her “Take her to Thornback asylum for assessment”

A second guard came over and they unnecessarily hauled me out of my seat and started dragging me out of the packhouse. Everyone who had been in the dining room or in the games rooms doing various activities all came and stood watching me be pulled through the corridors until I was dragged outside and shoved into the back of a car.

The last thing I see before the car pulls away is my mother and sister stood on the packhouse steps smiling like they won a prize and Ella even did a little jump up and down with excitement. What was it about me that they went to such lengths to hide me away. Why would getting rid of me make them this excited? I had so many questions and my head was spinning.

How could my own family hate me this much? And the diary, what the hell was that? I had so many questions and no way to answer them and now I was going to an asylum. It was in the next pack as well so it was away from everything I knew.

Then again, my family and my ignorant pack wouldn’t be there and I would not be in my house facing the daily abuse so surely it may actually be better? Also, I was pretty sure somewhere called an Asylum in 2025 didn’t scream safe sanctuary to me either. So now I am just staring out of the window. I have never left my pack before or even been in a car, so I am determined to just take it minute by minute and try and enjoy this novelty.

Then we reached Thornback and I was helped out the back into the grand entrance. The building was a converted Edwardian mansion on a sprawling estate. The first thing I heard upon entering was screams.

Screams of terror and desperation. Then a creepy, thin voice spoke into my ear “Welcome Nova, we are going to have so much fun” before I can turn my head to see who said this I feel a pinch in my neck and everything goes black.