Chapter 3

[Xanthea]

The engine gave out a majestic roar as an unknown car drifted right between me and Nikolai’s car. An ugly screech of the tires against the asphalt, left behind bold tire marks on the road. Then the car raced right at Nikolai’s car.

I gasped as my heart pounded horrifyingly at the sight.

Two other cars zoomed in, flanking Nikolai’s car from the rear.

The three cars trapping Nikolai’s car decelerated until all the four cars came to a stop. The rev of their engines rattled me to my bones.

The loud thunder cracked in the dark cloudy sky, snapping me out of my paralysis. I scrambled to my shaking legs. Limping, I tried to get away from all of them as far away as I could get.

Nathalia glared at me, but the crowd rushed towards the four cars. Using the other as a facade, I tore through the crowd.

I hadn’t even covered halfway to the graveyard when it started pouring down.

By the time I was in the graveyard, my body was struggling to breathe. The numbness made the pain stand out even more.

The cold of the rain caressed the pain throbbing in every inch of my body. As if through the rain, my mother was telling me to pull myself together and keep moving forward.

‘It is in times like this the conviction of one’s dreams is tested and it is the turning point in one’s life. What you decide at that moment either makes you or breaks you.’

My mother’s words came to me and I don’t know how, but I pulled myself to the hospital. For the first time in my life, I used the money Alpha had been sending to get myself treated as best as the hospital could offer.

The x-rays showed my ulna was broken and there was a hairline fracture in my wrist. It would take at least a week to heal with the best medication available. Alpha’s healed faster, but omegas had weaker healing abilities.

There was no miracle I could perform to heal my hand, so while I stayed in the hospital that night, I practised bubbling the circles with my left hand. During the exams we gave our answers by bubbling the one of four option bubbles which we believe to be the correct answer to the question.

After the night’s practice, I was able to bubble the circles.

The next morning, I left the hospital and took a taxi back home with my plastered hand. The doctors said I should stay in bed for at least a week for proper healing. But I convinced them to prescribe me some best painkillers to get me through the day.

I was working completely on painkillers. I just had to go through this day and the exam. After that, I could finally rest a little after four years of working tirelessly.

The exams would start in the afternoon. I reached the centre an hour before. The organisers of the exams asked about my hand and all I told them was I met with an accident.

It was a three-hour exam with all objective type questions. One out of the four options was right. One hour into the exams and I was struggling with my broken hand and left hand. Two hours and I was halfway through the questions. The effect of the painkiller was fading away. I solved questions through the pain.

The organiser entered my room and strolled to me. She leaned in and whispered.

“Please come with me outside,” she said.

“Out? But I still have one hour—”

“Please, just come out. You are not eligible to give this exam anymore.”

I froze at her words. At that moment, it felt like my entire world had come crashing down.

“W-what? But why? I filled everything—”

“Please, just come out with me. Don’t disturb the other candidates.”

I bit back my tears.

“I will. Please, just let me complete this exam. This really means everything to me. Please?”

“I am sorry, but we have direct orders from luna. His highness, the crown prince, is here to take you. We are extremely sorry, but there’s nothing we can do.”

My heart dropped as soon as I heard Nikolai was there.

“P-please…” I begged, gulping down the tightness building in my throat. “Just half an hour. I am begging you. Please…”

My heart thundered in my chest as if it would break all my ribs.

She gave me an apologetic look.

“What’s taking so long?” Nikolai stormed into the room.

Paralyzed, I widened my eyes. Tears welled up in my eyes and my mouth dried up. My stomach twisted and dropped with every step he took.

He stopped near my table and winced at the question paper and answer sheet. He smirked as he leaned on the table and whispered, “were you preparing to run away from the pack again, sis? You found a legal way this time, didn’t you?”

“Please. Please don’t take this away from me,” I gasped, as tears trailed down my frozen eyes. “Please. I’ll do everything you say, just let me… ah!”

He grabbed my upper arm and, with brute strength, pulled me to my feet.

“I am extremely sorry for disturbing you guys. As you can see, my sister is hurt and we are extremely worried about her wellbeing. That is why my mother asked me to get her back to the palace. My naïve sister doesn’t know what’s good for her and what’s not. I apologise for the disturbance she caused.”

I struggled to free myself from him when he yanked me closer, whispering against my ear, “stop! Or I will break every bone in your body.”

“Please. I am sorry. I promise I will do better.” Even though I knew it was useless, I tried to talk to him as he dragged me through the empty hallways of the college and threw me in his car.

I pressed my hand against the glass as he slammed the door on my face.

“Please, Nikolai! Please, just half an hour. Just give me half an hour. I promise I will come with you wherever you want.”

I wasn’t begging; I was desperate.

He got in the driver’s seat and I clutched his hand before he could start the car, “please Nikolai. Please, just once! I have never asked for anything. Just once, give me a little time. Let me complete my exams. Please.” I bowed in front of him.

“Breaking your hand wasn’t enough. Should have broken your legs as well. Ugh! But mother said not to hurt you today!” He hit the steering wheel.

Gritting his teeth, he grabbed my cheeks.

“Don’t you understand, sis? You are not even allowed to breathe if we don’t approve of it. You thought you could give this exam without us noticing?”

I yelped as he grabbed my hair. Pain throbbed through my head.

“Don’t you remember your promise? You said you would be my obedient doll. What’s with this defiance? I am already fucking frustrated. Don’t get on my nerves anymore. I came all the way here to pick you. You don’t appreciate it even a bit, do you?”

He left my hair with a jerk. I clenched my jaws, trying to remain as silent as I could.

Pinning me against my seat, he put the seatbelt across my chest and hands.

Nikolai started the car and drove it out of the college. I watched the college go farther and farther away from me and so did everything I was living for.

“I am warning you, if you tell anything about this broken hand to father, I will make it worse!”

“AHH!” I muffled my cry as he clenched my plastered hand.

“Now, sit like a good girl and no more crying. Although I love the way you look when you cry, you need to look the best tonight. A family dinner and there will be very important guests. So mother wants me to make sure you are in your best behaviour.”