Chapter 4: Trapped In The Flames

We found out when I turned eighteen. Every wolf’s most awaited year. The year I would find out who the Moon Goddess fated me to. And I still remember the horrible mixture of excitement and confusion I’d felt when his scent hit me for the first time. Momo, my wolf, immediately recognized him, and for a few minutes, I’d stupidly believed that maybe having a mate would finally give me something that belonged only to me.

Marlon destroyed that hope before the day was over.

He rejected me privately because he didn’t want anyone finding out that the Moon Goddess supposedly cursed him with me instead of Marcus. He made it very clear that he wanted nothing to do with me, and I respected his decision even though it had hurt like a mother fucker.

Unfortunately, that didn’t mean he wouldn’t laugh at me.

He stops when he sees me and immediately wrinkles his nose. “Damn, Billie.”

I lower my eyes and try to walk past him, but he moves into my path.

“What happened to you?” he asks, already smiling. “You smell horrible. Is that fish?”

I don’t bother answering.

“Definitely fish,” he says, laughing horribly. “I don’t know what they did to you, but whatever it was, they did you a favor. Maybe now nobody will have to smell that weird perfume you always wear.”

I look at him. “That perfume was my mother’s.”

His expression doesn’t change. “Still smells weird.”

I feel another tear roll down my cheek and quickly wipe it away.

Marlon notices. “Are you crying?”

I finally summon up enough courage to step on his foot, hard. He wails in pain, his hands going to his foot. I use that opportunity to run, tears still rolling involuntarily. Maybe I am just as weak as my wolf. I can’t even stand up for myself to a boy shorter than me.

I slip through the gap in the fence and continue toward the old building. I reach the old science building, walk in, and squeeze into my usual spot, pulling my knees against my chest as I finally allow myself to cry out loud.

I stay there for a long time, crying until my head starts to ache. Eventually, I get tired of crying and lean against the wall, staring at the small patch of sunlight coming through the gap above me.

I know I can’t stay there forever. Classes will end in a few hours and I can go home. Back to Alpha Trojan’s house. Back to Marcus.

I check the time on my phone.

There is still a while to go. I bet Professor Whitmore isn’t even wondering whether I am coming back to class. He is one of Marcus’s clowns. A grown-ass man afraid of an omega half his age. How laughable. Or maybe not. Marcus is after all the son of one of the strongest alphas in the city.

I pull my knees closer and close my eyes, telling myself I will only rest for a few minutes.

The next thing I know, I am waking up coughing. At first, I think it is because I’ve fallen asleep with my face against my uniform. Then I smell it the moke.

My eyes snap open. The building is filled with a thick gray haze, and my eyes immediately start burning.

I scramble to my feet. “What’s happening?”

I cough and cover my mouth with my sleeve but it smells horrible. The smoke is coming from the metal door, and I can see flames licking along the bottom of it. My heart stops.

The building is on fire. I rush toward the door and grab the handle, but the moment my fingers touch it, I yank my hand away.

It is burning hot.

“No.” I cry and try again with my sleeve wrapped around my hand, but the heat is unbearable. I stumble backward, coughing harder as smoke fills my lungs.

That’s when I hear laughter coming from outside and people screaming, “Smoke her out.”

I rush back to the door and start banging on it with both hands. “Open the door!”

Nobody answers.

“Open the door!” I scream, coughing between the words. “Please!”

The smoke is getting thicker, making it harder to see and breathe. I drop to my knees.

“Please open the door!” I beg. “I’m inside!”

Then a boy shouts, “Hey! She can’t get out!”

The laughter stops.

“What?”

“She can’t get out! Get her out!”

I hear several people rushing toward the building.

“Move!”

“Open the door!”

Someone starts kicking it from the outside.

I press myself against the floor, coughing violently as the smoke burns my throat. I hear several people scrambling away, followed by a strange hissing sound beneath me.

That is when I remember the gas line under the building, right before something explodes in my ear. I don’t even feel any pain before everything goes dark.