Primerose Club

I had passed out on the floor after the three natures tried to tear me apart.

When I woke up, I was back on the bed. My heart was beating too fast, a rapid, frantic rhythm that felt entirely wrong, as if I had an extra heart fighting for space inside my ribs. The sunlight was already streaming through the massive windows, and my clothes had been changed.

Panic, cold and sharp, hit me first. I lifted the edge of the thick white duvet to check myself, making sure Brecken had not taken advantage of my unconsciousness. Once I realized everything was intact, I pulled the sheet to my chest, breathing slowly in through my nose and out through my mouth to steady my racing pulse.

The striped black-and-white t-shirt I was wearing smelled of him, a clean scent of pine and ozone.

Brecken had checked on me. He had taken care of me, even though my very existence was a threat to his territory. Nobody had ever done that for me. For twenty-two years, I had been the invisible, submissive omega who kept her head down and never made a sound.

Suddenly, the world tilted.

My body froze, locked in place as another entity seemed to seize control of my muscles. A faint, electric blue light began to pulse around my wrist, heavy with a power that felt more like a physical weight than a gift.

Then came the flash.

I saw myself standing in the center of a ruined street, surrounded by dead bodies. An old woman was backing away from me, her face pale with horror, looking at me as if I were a plague.

"Aria. Aria, wake up."

The voice broke the spell. I snapped back to reality, gasping for air, fully in control but completely exhausted. I still had no idea how to manage the power sleeping inside me.

My head sank against Brecken's chest. He was sitting on the edge of the mattress, his arms steadying me.

"You have to learn to control your gift," he said quietly. "It is draining you."

"Alpha," I whispered, my voice dry and barely audible. "How can you call this a gift? It is a curse. I do not belong anywhere."

He ran a thumb down my chin, his hand warm against my cold skin. "Marcus is hosting a banquet tonight. I need to let him know his place. A beta has no right to demand your execution." He paused, his gold-rimmed eyes locking onto mine. "Not to you. Your scent is driving my wolf crazy."

The biological pull was there, a low, demanding heat that made my inner wolf howl for his proximity.

Brecken stood and picked up a purple silk gown and a dark fur jacket from the chair, handing them to us. "We leave in an hour. I had Gareth pick these up for you."

The Primrose Club was loud, a sea of flashing lights and heavy bass. We arrived with Gareth standing like a wall behind us, our path clearing as we walked toward the main bar.

I spotted Marcus before he saw us.

He was average height, slightly thin, wearing a tailored suit that probably cost more than a year of my old wages at the Frost pack. At the sight of him, my chest tightened. My wolf, vampire, and witch natures all surged at once in a wave of raw fury. I felt the sharp ache of my fangs beginning to drop.

"Control the bloodline, Aria," Brecken murmured, his hand resting flat on my shoulder. His weight was a steady, grounding anchor. "We are not here to start a war, at least not tonight."

Marcus stepped forward, his eyes narrowing as he recognized me. Gareth moved to block him, his posture defensive, but Brecken raised a hand to wave him off.

"I have this," Brecken said.

I stared at Gareth's back, surprised. He had made it clear he detested my presence, yet he was standing between me and threat.

"Well, well," Marcus said, shoving his hands into his pockets. The heavy scent of his cedar-and-citrus cologne hit me, making my stomach turn. "If it isn't the rejected tribrid, seeking asylum with an enemy Alpha."

"Desperate," a voice sneered from the shadows of the lounge.

Lira, Marcus's new mate, stepped into the light. Her eyes scanned me from my silk dress down to my heavy leather boots. "You won't survive long, Aria. The Frost pack will hunt you down the moment Marcus gives the word."

Her voice was sweet, but the threat behind it was entirely real. She slid closer to Marcus, resting her hand on his shoulder.

Marcus glanced down at his watch, then looked back up at Brecken. "I am announcing Lira tonight as my true mate, and finalizing the banishment of the tribrid."

"This tribrid has my protection," Brecken said, his voice dropping to a low, commanding rumble that cut through the background music. "I also know the political games you are playing to usurp your Alpha's position. You are a beta, Marcus. You have no authority to execute anyone. Stay away from Aria, or I will bring the entire Ironveil pack to your borders."

A tight knot of pride and fear wound itself in my chest.

I looked at Marcus, forcing my voice to remain steady. "You rejected me, Marcus. I did everything you asked of me for years, and you thought you broke me. But I am stronger now. I will learn to control what I am, and I will take back everything you stole from my family."

The words felt like a physical release. Several nearby wolves quieted down, turning to stare.

Marcus's jaw clenched, but he quickly masked it with a cold, mocking smile.

Brecken took my hand, his grip tight and warm, sending a sudden rush of heat straight to my core.

"Gather around," Marcus's voice suddenly boomed through the club's microphone as he stepped onto the low stage, pulling Lira up beside him. "As you all know, a few days ago I rejected a dangerous, forbidden anomaly. Tonight, I am proud to introduce the true Luna of the Frost Circle."

Lira stepped in and kissed his cheek, leaving a smear of red lipstick against his skin as the crowd erupted into cheers and raised their glasses.

I gripped my purse, swallowing down the bitter taste of betrayal. Watching him claim someone else should have hurt, but instead, I felt a dangerous, cold detachment. Marcus was no longer my biggest problem.

The real danger was inside me.

As the crowd cheered, my vampire side roared to life, overwhelmed by the sudden, suffocating sound of a hundred racing heartbeats in the enclosed space. The smell of their blood seemed to fill the air, thick and sweet.

Brecken saw the sudden, crimson shift in my eyes. Before I could lose control, he grabbed my arm and pulled me quickly toward the exit.

Outside, the cool night air hit my face, but my fangs were already fully extended. I didn't care about the rejection anymore.

I only wanted blood.