The Glass Wall

The silver lightning from my hand didn't just push Jax back. It melted the concrete floor where he stood. The giant grey wolf scrambled away, his fur smoking. He made a sound like a kicked dog, a sound I had never heard from the "mighty" Alpha heir before.

Beyond the energy wall, the police froze. Lila’s megaphone fell from her hand, hitting the pavement with a loud crack. Her mouth was open so wide I thought her jaw might snap. She wasn't crying anymore. She looked terrified.

"What... what is she?" Lila’s voice was thin and weak through the open garage door.

I looked at my hand. The skin was glowing like a lightbulb. I didn't feel tired. I felt like I had just drunk ten cups of coffee and a lightning bolt.

"She’s mine," Silas stated. He stepped forward, putting his hand on my shoulder.

The moment his fingers touched me, the energy wall didn't disappear. It turned from a wild white light into a steady, calm blue. It was like we were two halves of a battery finally clicking together. Silas looked down at the police and the pack with eyes that were cold and sharp.

"Marcus, tell the officers to check their phones," Silas said.

Marcus tapped his tablet. A few seconds later, every cop in the street was looking at their screens.

"The charges are being dropped," Marcus announced. "Mr. Vane just bought the news station that aired your sister's lies, Aria. And he just donated ten million dollars to the city's police pension fund. They aren't here to arrest us anymore."

As if on cue, the lead police officer waved his hand. The sirens cut off. The red and blue lights stopped spinning.

"Pack up!" the officer shouted. "This is a private matter. Move out!"

Lila ran toward the officer, grabbing his arm. "You can't leave! Look at what she did! She almost killed Jax!"

The officer pushed her hand away. "Miss, your sister just told the whole world she’s here by choice. And your 'Alpha' looks like he’s trespassing on private property. If you don't leave, I'll arrest you for filing a false report."

Jax shifted back into his human form. He was naked and covered in soot, looking small and pathetic in the middle of the street. He looked at me, and I saw a flash of the old Jax, the one who thought he owned me.

"Aria, stop this," Jax pleaded. "That man is using you. He’s a freak who plays with machines. Come home. We can talk about the rejection. Maybe I can make you a secondary mate."

A secondary mate. A mistress. A servant.

I felt a surge of heat so strong that the ring on my finger began to vibrate. I stepped toward the edge of the energy wall.

"I'd rather live in a dumpster than be your second choice, Jax," I said. My voice didn't sound like mine anymore. It was deeper, like the rumble of a storm. "You threw me away because you thought I was nothing. Now, look at me. I’m the woman who can bring you to your knees without even shifting."

Silas leaned in close to my ear. "Do you want me to finish them?" he asked.

I looked at Lila, who was trying to hide behind a trash can. I looked at Jax, who was shivering in the rain.

"No," I said. "Death is too easy for them. I want them to watch us. I want them to see every gala, every news report, and every cent we spend. I want them to know that the girl they hated is the reason their pack is going to go broke."

Silas smiled. It wasn't a nice smile. It was the smile of a shark.

"You heard her," Silas said to the pack. "The Silver-Moon pack is officially banned from Vane Tech territory. If I see a single one of your wolves in this city again, I won't call the police. I'll let my wife handle it."

He pulled me back from the door, and Marcus hit the button to close the heavy steel shutters. As the metal wall blocked out the world, the energy in my hands finally began to fade.

The silence in the garage was heavy. My legs felt like jelly, and I started to tilt sideways. Silas caught me before I hit the floor. He lifted me into his arms like I weighed nothing.

"You're okay," he said. His voice was softer now, almost kind.

"I did it," I whispered. "I actually fought back."

"You did more than fight back," Silas said. He looked at the ring on my finger, which was still glowing silver. "That ring is made of a metal that only reacts to alpha blood. But you don't have a wolf, Aria. Which means whatever is inside you... It's something the world hasn't seen in a thousand years."

He carried me back toward the elevator.

"What does that mean?" I asked.

"It means our thirty-day deal just changed," Silas said. He stepped into the elevator and looked me right in the eyes. "Your pack isn't going to stop. They know you have power now. They’ll be back with reinforcements. And I think I know exactly who they’re going to call."

The elevator started to rise.

"Who?"

"The High Council," Silas said. "The ones who write the laws for all werewolves. They’re coming to test you, Aria. And if you fail their test, they won't exile you. They’ll put you in a cage for the rest of your life."

I gripped his shirt. "Then we have to get stronger."

"We will," Silas said. He leaned down, his forehead touching mine. "But first, we have a wedding to plan. The Council is arriving in forty-eight hours, and we need to be legally married before they set foot in this city."

My heart jumped. "Forty-eight hours? But I don't even have a dress!"

"You'll have a hundred dresses," Silas said.

As the elevator doors opened to the penthouse, I saw Marcus standing there with a look of pure panic on his face. He was holding a phone that was ringing nonstop.

"Boss, it’s not the Council," Marcus panted. "It’s the hospital. Your sister... she just woke up. And she’s asking for Aria."

Silas froze. I felt his heart skip a beat against my chest.

"I don't have a sister," Silas said, his voice turning back to ice.

"She says she isn't your sister," Marcus said, his voice trembling. "She says she’s Aria’s mother. The mother everyone said died the day she was born."