Chapter 005

NOVA

The tray slips from my hands before I can stop it. The clatter echoes through the hallway, and several heads turn towards me. But I can’t breathe. I’m going to be sick. No. No, no, no—

He's here.

He's not supposed to be here.

My legs forget how to move. My vision tunnels. All I see is him. That suit. That smile. That voice. That monster in human skin.

Alpha Roan. The man who’d told me I'd look beautiful in chains.

I force myself to take a step back, but my knees nearly buckle. I’d been on the verge of stepping out into the hallway when I’d seen him. If he’d looked my way, he could’ve seen me. He could’ve—

Fuck, I’m going to throw up. Why the hell is he here? Does he know I’m here? Does my father know too?

The air is thick with his scent. I can’t help but gag as disgust churns my stomach.

“Run if you want. But you'll always be mine in the end,” he’d told me.

No. Not anymore.

I am Leo Creed now. Not Nova. Not the girl in the white dress about to be sold off into slavery disguised as marriage. I swallow the scream clawing up my throat. I turn just when I feel someone else watching me. Of course, it's Rhydar. My heart sinks when I see the curiosity on his face. No, this is not good. In this moment, it feels like I’m trapped between the devil and the deep blue sea. And God help me, I’m about to lose it.

But then, Rhydar turns away with some girl, and suddenly, I can breathe again. But it’s only temporary.

…

The canteen clears out slowly, students filing out into the hallway. I dart left and duck into the nearest storage closet, slamming the door behind me.

It's dark and stale. The scent of disinfectant and old linen hangs heavy in the air as well. I press my back to the wall and slide down to the floor. My hands are shaking.

‘Get it together. Get it together.’

I dig my nails into my palms, trying to breathe through the fear.

I can survive this. I must. But then, I freeze when I hear it. It’s Roan’s voice. It’s coming through the vent just above me.

“The girl's in this academy. I know it. You'll bring her to me. Or I'll burn the place down."

My stomach twists.

“She belongs to me. By law. By bond. I bought her fair and square."

Bought? He bought me? Bile rises up the back of my throat. My father had told me I was supposed to marry the alpha because of our debt. I didn’t know he’d sold me like a fucking possession. Angry tears prickle my eyes, rage detonating in my chest. How could he do this to his own fucking child? Did he really have no conscience?

I'm on my feet before I know it. My heart is a war drum, and my hands are curled into tight fists.

If he sees me, it's over. I'll be dragged out in chains. I'll be stripped of my name, my voice, and my freedom.

Never. Over my dead body.

I don't know how I end up back at the dorm. I'm not even sure my legs moved.

But I shut the door, throw the bolt, and stagger into the room.

And he's there.

Rhydar.

He’s lounging on my bed as if it's his throne. His gaze lands on mine. And I’m sure he sees it. The panic, the fury, and the fear.

But he says nothing.

He just leans back slowly, one arm draped behind his head, and studies me like he's waiting for me to finally crack.

“Rough day, Creed?" His voice is lazy. But his eyes are cold and terrifying.

I don't answer.

I can't. Not without breaking.

So I turn away and rip off the hoodie, leaving only my large T-shirt on.

He speaks again, tilting his head. “You're shaking. You look haunted.”

That's it.

I whirl around, fire blazing in my chest.

“You don't know a damn thing about me."

“Not yet," he says, rising to his feet. He moves closer, his movements predatory.

“But, your scent is going out of control, and it’s…” His eyes flash a bright red.

I stiffen, shuffling backwards as he approaches. “Stop,” I croak.

He cocks his head, the madness in his eyes flaring brighter. He lets out a primal growl, and in the blink of an eye, I’m trapped between his body and the wall. His body is shaking so hard, and I realize right then that he’s losing control. Shit!

I try to push him away, but he doesn’t budge. He buries his face against the crook of my neck, a groan rumbling deep from his chest.

“Fuck,” he breathes, cupping my face in a large hand. My body is heating up, my wolf yearning for his touch.

And I know that if I don’t escape now, we’re going to do something terribly irrevocable.

A shudder runs through me as his nose brushes my skin. He forces my face up, our gazes locking. His eyes are no longer switching between red and gray. They are a blazing red now.

He growls low in his throat, and before I realize what’s going on, he leans in and crashes his lips against mine. I gasp, and he takes the opportunity to deepen the kiss, his tongue delving past the seams of my lips. I let out a breathy moan before I can stop it. It’s my first kiss, and it makes my toes curl, my stomach turning to mush. And suddenly, I… I can’t think. He kisses me like he’s starving, his free hand wrapping around my waist to pull me flush against his rock-hard muscles. Fuck, is this supposed to feel this good?

He moans, nipping at my bottom lip. My eyes are closed, and all I can smell, feel, and sense is him. My mate.

No, this isn’t right. I’m going to be discovered soon if I don’t hide now. My wolf protests in my mind, but I fight the bond warping my mind.

With a grunt, I slam my boot into Rhydar’s feet. He stumbles from me with a shocked look on his face, his eyes reverting to their usual grey. I don’t wait for him to react, I fling the door open and sprint out into the hallway.

I don't think. I don't plan. I just move.

My boots slap against the marble. My lungs burn, my heart still hammering from the aftershock of Rhydar’s kiss. I tremble as I round the corner towards the left dorm wing. I need to hide somewhere deeper, somewhere they won't think to look. Maybe the old training pit or the reserve bunkers. Somewhere with a back exit.

“All male dormitories are to be checked immediately. Proceed with the search."

The announcement hits me like a bullet.

My heart thumps harder as I register how dire the situation is. They're looking for me. A chill races down my spine as I pivot, my body slamming into someone solid. I stumble back, my breath catching in my throat when a hand closes around my wrist.

Shit.

My scream never makes it past my lips because I see him.

Rhydar.

His face is unreadable. “Don't make a sound,” he says.

I want to pull away and ask him how the hell he found me. But there's no time. He jerks me down a side hall and then another, until we're at the edge of the eastern wing. No one ever comes here.

He pulls open a rusted door and shoves me inside. It slams shut behind us, sealing us in darkness.

I turn to look at him, my chest heaving. "What are you—"

He doesn't answer. He just gestures upward. That's when I see the vent shaft. He drags over an old table, braces it with one boot, and nods. "Climb."

I hesitate. "What?"

"I said climb, Creed. Unless you want them to find you down here with me. I'm sure that'll go over well with the Alpha Masters."

My hands shake as I grab the ledge and pull myself up. The metal groans, and I barely make it in, my heart still threatening to explode.

Then I hear the scrape of boots, and suddenly Rhydar is behind me, hauling himself into the same cramped vent.

"W-What the hell are you doing?" I hiss, twisting to face him.

But he's already too close, pressed in. His body heat is blazing, his presence stirring up a firestorm.

There's nowhere to move. His thigh brushes mine, his breath fanning over my cheek.

And then, suddenly, his hand wraps around my throat. My blood freezes in my veins. His face is inches from mine when he rasps.

“Tell me the truth. You're not Leo Creed."

I still instantly.

His thumb brushes the skin beneath my jaw.

“So who the fuck are you?"