Chapter 16
Nolie gazes at me, her eyes wide with fear. Rising from her seat, she walks over to the door and locks
it behind her.
“This man you mentioned… can you describe him at all?” she asks, her voice low.
“I never got a good look at his face,” I admit, turning my eyes away. “But somehow, there was something familiar about him. His smile…” I trail off, a small smile tugging at my lips.
“I don’t want to jump to conclusions,” she says, her expression growing more intense than when she found out I had feelings for the Alpha’s son, “but please–just be cautious, alright?”
I scoff lightly, rolling my eyes. “When am I ever not careful?”
She softens a little. “Alright. How’s your mark? Is it still painful?”
Her question catches me off guard. I didn’t realize she knew.
“So you found out about that too?” I say, slightly embarrassed. I’d hidden everything–my mark, the issues with Theron–from her. She never pushed me for answers, probably to shield me in her own
way.
Without a word, she pulls me into a hug.
“Will you be staying for dinner?” she asks gently.
“No, Nolie. I’m actually really tired. Do you mind?”
“Of course not. I made casserole, but honestly, I’m not all that hungry myself.”
She gives me a smile I can tell is forced. The thought of some stranger marking me clearly still haunts her.
“Alright then, I’ll head home. Good night,” I say, embracing her tightly.
“Good night, sweetheart.”
I make my way back to my apartment. Before I can even reach my bedroom, I collapse face–first onto the couch, completely drained. I don’t know why, but I feel far more exhausted than usual.
Joy’s POV
I wake up feeling excited–it’s the second day of trials, or at least that’s how I see it.
Callum and I have plans again today, and the thought makes me blush.
I actually take my time choosing what to wear, which is rare for me. Normally, I just throw on whatever I grab first.
After rummaging through my clothes, I settle on a gray skirt and a cropped top. I want to look perfect when he sees me this morning. I spend what feels like hours trying to style my hair into something presentable, but nothing seems to work.
“Muuuuum!” I call out from the bathroom.
“What is it, Joyce?” she replies, her voice tinged with annoyance.
10.13
I roll my eyes at her tone. Eighteen years, and she still gets irritated when I call her name. You’d think she’d be used to it after seventeen of them.
“Can you please help me with my hair?” I ask, stepping out of the bathroom. She shoots me a look that screams, ‘Are you kidding right now?‘ But honestly, I don’t care.
“Are you going to assist me or not?” I plead, giving her my most dramatic puppy eyes.
She exhales sharply, her face a mix of disbelief. “Your two little siblings are waiting for breakfast–and trust me, they turn into gremlins when they’re hungry. Your brother has a fever, he’s only eleven, and your dad’s not around to lend a hand. Yet, you want me to fix your hair?”
“Alright, I get it. Sorry I even brought it up,” I mutter, turning back to the mirror, fiddling with my hair and imagining how it might look if I styled it differently.
“No, you’re helping out. End of story,” she declares.
I gape at her, stunned. “But Mom! I’m-”
“No excuses, Joy. You’re helping, and that’s final.”
With an exasperated sigh, I drag myself toward the kitchen to start breakfast, grumbling under my breath about how the universe clearly has it out for me. She ignores me completely.
I finish my chores at lightning speed, throw on my clothes, and decide to leave my hair down.
One glance at the clock has me bolting down the stairs, nearly falling in the process–again.
Out on the field, the warriors are just wrapping up their training.
“Callum!” I call out with a grin, heading straight for a hug, despite the fact that he’s drenched in sweat. I breathe in deeply, still smiling–until I realize something’s off.
He doesn’t hug me back. In fact, he’s standing stiffly, frozen where he is.
I pull away a little. “Are you… okay?” I ask, searching his eyes.
I try hard not to let myself focus on how he looks–because if I do, I’ll start feeling things I really shouldn’t, especially around unmated wolves who can scent everything.
“Come with me,” he says, his voice deep, commanding, and irresistibly intense. I subtly cross my legs, trying to hold myself together. He really is a Beta, through and through.
I follow him without thinking, completely absorbed in the way his hand grips mine as he leads me toward a quiet corner of the pack house.
Honestly, at this point, if he told me to lay my head on a chopping block, I’d probably do it without
question.
“Joy,” he says sharply. I meet his eyes. They’ve softened a little compared to earlier, but his tone
remains cold.
“Yeah?”
“I don’t think I can go through with this.”
Somewhere deep down, I already know what he means. But I refuse to believe it until he says it
10 42
7.83%
Chapter
outright. “Go through with what?”
I nervously bite the inside of my cheek.
“The trial,” he says, voice low. “I’m sorry, Joy. But I just… I don’t think I can do it.”
I stand there, frozen, staring at him–feeling like the whole world is crashing down around me.
Aurelia’s POV
I jolt awake, heart racing and completely soaked in sweat, as though I’ve just finished a marathon.
My eyes scan the room. “Shit,” I murmur under my breath. “Only a dream.”
I keep repeating those words to myself. There’s a strange mix of relief and disappointment–part of me wishes it hadn’t been just a dream.
The guy from the infirmary–he’s the exact one I saw in my sleep. I’m certain of it.
Swallowing hard, I recall fragments of the dream. My breath comes out unsteady. I make my way to the bathroom, squeeze some toothpaste onto my brush–then freeze as I catch my reflection.
A fading hickey marks my neck. Right at the curve where it meets my shoulder. It’s disappearing. Not that I was ever thrilled it was there to begin with, but still…
I rack my brain, trying to figure out how it got there. But no matter how hard I try, nothing explains it.
I remember getting home, crashing into bed, and then-
“I had a sex dream,” I say aloud, half–afraid of admitting it.
It felt incredibly real, like something that had actually happened. And with the bruise on my neck, I wouldn’t be shocked if it had.
I shut my eyes–and I’m back in it.
Back in the infirmary, lying on the cot. The man with the scent of citrus and peppermint stands before me. His hood shadows his face, yet somehow I can see the pale glow of his eyes. They’re white.
He doesn’t speak. He leans in, licking the edge of my ear. I don’t resist–something in me doesn’t want
- to.
His tongue trails down my neck, landing directly on my sensitive spot.
I bite my lower lip, a shaky breath escaping me. “Let me hear them–all those sounds,” he murmurs, his warm breath tickling my ear. The sensation makes me arch into him instinctively.
He sucks hard on the spot, drawing a gasp from me as my eyes roll back.
Then he shifts lower, just above my chest. His teeth sink into my skin. The mix of pain and pleasure takes me by surprise.
Torn between moaning and screaming, I’m stunned by what spills from my lips. “I’ll never leave you, I promise.” His voice begins to fade as my eyes open.
I’m back in the bathroom. Toothbrush still in hand, still frozen in the moment before I started brushing.
My dream had just replayed in perfect detail.
10.42
7.999%
“It was a dream, right?” I ask my reflection, half–expecting an answer.
I clean up. There’s no telling what the day will bring, and I’m not about to lose my mind trying to decode what happened.
I take a long, scalding shower in an attempt to clear my thoughts.
Afterward, I stand in front of the mirror once more–lost in thought.
I lower the towel slightly, just enough to reveal the spot where his teeth had sunk in. I’m completely
shocked.
Instead of a typical bite mark, there’s a symbol–some kind of writing. It’s definitely not in English.
My face loses all color. There’s no way this is just a random occurrence.
“I don’t believe that was only a dream,” I mutter.
10.12
