Chapter 006

NOVA

He looks angry, and I have a feeling that with every second that ticks by, I am pissing him off even more with my awkward silence. Earlier I'd been too out of it to process his words. But now, I remember. He'd been so sure that Leo was dead. If that isn't more evidence that he's my brother's killer, I don't know what it is. I am officially trapped. There's no one to save me from this monster. No one but myself. If I insist that I'm Leo, he will see through my lies because he's truly Leo's killer. But if he's only bluffing, I have to be smart about it. First of all, I need to distract him.

Licking my lower lip, I meet his gaze dead on.

"What? Does it get on your nerves that you're so attracted to me? You're the one who kissed me," I hiss.

He blink.

"You didn't pull away. It's either you've been baiting me or you wanted it too," he says.

I cock my head. "So, you're gay."

The corner of his mouth quirks upwards, his grey eyes taking on an unhinged sparkle. Then he leans in so close, I can see the silver flecks in his eyes.

"Of course I swing both ways. But I don't see why that matters to you. Is this your pathetic attempt to deflect my question, Creed?"

Fuck. That didn't go so well. Now, I can't tell him the truth. I can't. I don't know what he'll do to me then.

"Earlier, you were so sure that I'm dead," I tell him, and unease flashes in his eyes.

Bingo.

I lean even closer, ignoring the wild stuttering of my heart. "Maybe you're just afraid that I'm going to expose your rotten ass to make sure everyone knows that you're a murderer."

His Adam's apple bobs, and I can already feel the shift in our power dynamics.

That confirms it. He is a murderer. Why else would he react like that?

I reach up and pat his chest where his heart is pounding hard.

"Just kidding," I flash him a dead smile, and he narrows his eyes at me.

"So, you are Leo."

He sounds unsure.

"Yep."

I can see the confusion in his eyes. I can tell that victory is close.

"But you're different. Your scent is different! You're wearing scent blockers—"

"That's because I died!" I snap, and he freezes.

"I died," I say, my voice becoming softer. "But a witch saved me. A huge part of my memory is missing, but I'm certain I died."

Rhydar releases me slowly, a slight frown creasing his brows. I win.

Rhydar: 0, Nova: 1.

Just then, we hear approaching footsteps. My eyes widen, and Rhydar bites his lower lip and presses further against me, pushing me into the cramped space. He's much taller than I am, it's obvious that he's struggling.

My stomach churns as my heart pounds harder. I'm not sure if it's because of our proximity or the fact that the room below is about to be searched. Rhydar's piercing gaze meets mine, and my stomach curls and knots.

Suddenly, I can't breathe properly. Summer whines in my head, desperate to be touched by our mate. It's taking me so much effort to shut her demands out.

Goddess, I am losing it. Rhydar is my enemy. He's the target of my revenge. I can't think clearly if the bond doesn't stop screaming in my head. Therefore, I need to reject him.

But it's rather strange that he hasn't mentioned it either. Why hasn't he? Is he toying with me? Or is something seriously wrong with him and his wolf?

The door to the storage room jerks open, and a sound nearly escapes my lips, but Rhydar covers my mouth before it can escape. I gulp, frozen in place with my eyes bulging in their sockets.

"There's no one in here," a raspy voice speaks from the room, and sweat starts to form on my forehead.

"How about the vent? Do you think she would go up there?" Someone else asks, and I swear I'm about to have a heart attack.

"I don't think so. She'll need help getting up there. Let's go."

I wait until the footsteps fade completely before I finally let myself breathe.

We stay there for a few minutes longer, and finally, Rhydar leaves first. Once he's on the floor, he waits to help me then. My skin heats up when he takes my hand and brings me to my feet.

"I don't know what kind of trouble you're in or what that man wants from you, but..."

He grips my jaw before I can pull away from him. And that crazed spark is back in his eyes.

"Something tells me that this twisted fate of ours is far from over. I'll be watching you closely. Who knows? I just might murder you again for extra measure. So, watch out, Creed," he drawls and walks away, leaving me pale-faced and terrified.

Goddess help me, I think he means it.

...

Rhydar has been watching me since I stepped out for dinner. I could've avoided dinner, but my stomach has been grumbling ceaselessly. Surprisingly enough, the headmaster had stopped the search, but I am still not convinced that Alpha Roan has given up. It's strange how I wasn't even summoned to the Alpha Master's office for being missing during the search.

"Did you offend Rhydar in any way? His aura is terrifying tonight," Theo whispers to me, and I gulp.

I have a feeling that Rhydar knows that I'm aware of his crime. Is he thinking of all the ways he can torture me before he buries me? A shiver runs down my spine.

Goddess, I hope not.

"I really thought you wouldn't want to sit with us again," the quiet one whose name is Uriel says, slowly digging into his pasta.

"Why is that?" I ask, and Theo's eyes go wide.

"What do you mean? Don't you remember the fight you had with Rhydar? It was brutal. Everyone remembers it. That's why they're staring." Theo tells me, and I look around. To my horror, there are dozens of eyes looking at me.

I return my gaze to my food, a lump lodging itself in my throat.

"I don't remember." I mumble, and Uriel's eyes go wide. He's actually very good-looking. Uriel's black wolf-cut hair is tied in a messy half-bun that shouldn't work, but does. A single silver ring gleams from his lower lip, matching the gleam in his intelligent amber eyes.

"You don't remember? How is that possible?" He frowns at me.

"Tell me, why did we fight?" I ask.

They both exchange bewildered glances.

"I'm not really sure. All we know is that it had a lot to do with the Red Moon Tournament. I remember you were heading to the library a lot, and you met Rhydar there frequently," Theo explains.

I frown.

Now that is weird. The last time I saw my brother was five months ago. That is two months before his disappearance. And by that time, he told me he had ended his friendship with Rhydar.

"Wait, did you hit your head or something? Is that why you're so different?" Theo goes on to say.

I nod. They both stare at me, wide-eyed. But I don't say anything else. Because now, I'm thinking of heading to the library for leads.

A few hours later, I truly succeed in sneaking out of my dorm room since Rhydar is fast asleep in his bed. I'm not sure if he's just playing games. But his eyes were closed and his breathing was even by the time I left.

Now I'm steadily using Leo's map to navigate my way through the academy. It shouldn't be hard to locate the library, right?

"And where exactly are you sneaking off to, Sunshine?" A deep voice says from the shadow behind me. And I know he's definitely not Rhydar.

So I slowly turn around, feeling sick to my stomach because the gaze searing my skin is maxed with Alpha aura. And that's when I see him. He's tall. Easily well over six feet. But it is the sight of his face that stops me cold. It's disfigured beyond repair, marred with the worst kind of burns I've seen. And as if that isn't terrifying enough, his eyes are bottomless holes of darkness.