87: Nik's POV (NSFW - Trigger Warnings: rough, consent issues)

Phoenix would be fine.

That was what I kept repeating to myself as I stalked through the passageways that led from my room to Ada’s. My brother was awake again, healing again, and would be fine. My mate? That was a different story altogether.

I knew she was keeping secrets for the last few weeks. She’s started sneaking around, spending more time with Adrian. Darius had waved it off, which was shocking considering his intense paranoia about the prophecy. I would have thought he’d want to be more careful. Then, when he’d set up the rules about her constantly being with one of us after Phoenix went missing, I’d thought whatever had been going on would stop.

As I continued on my way to her room, I found myself thinking about how much simpler this would be if she had been having a simple affair with Adrian. I was pretty sure it was something we would all get past, though the Beta’s life would have been forfeited. This plan of hers complicated things, though. I wanted an explanation before I brought it to my brothers. Maybe, if the explanation was good enough, the lives of those involved could be spared.

I’d gotten my timing down to the second. I knew exactly when she was supposed to leave, so when I stepped through the painting and into her room, she had her back to me. She was stuffing things into a rucksack haphazardly. Ada had donned the black leathers we’d given her when we’d done our tour of the Midnight Pack, and had her hair in the braid-crown she’d been wearing since she started combat training. Her clunky combat boots were on her feet. She had two daggers— one sheathed on each thigh.

Her hand paused over a clothing item. I leaned against the wall and crossed my arms over my chest. This woman— my mate— was running away with a man she didn’t really care about, and she was hesitating over a pair of my sweatpants and one of my t-shirts. I shook my head as she gripped them and stuffed them into the bag she was holding.

I let out a little whistle and had to hold back my laugh when she nearly jumped out of her skin. She dropped the bag on the floor, spinning to face me. Both of her palms rested on the hilts of her daggers, and her body was tense. She relaxed when she saw me, but only for a moment. The tension returned as her eyes darted down to the bag. It was as if I could see her thinking: I’ve been caught.

Pushing myself off the wall, I walked toward her. She was breathing heavily as I neared. Ada was smart enough to remove her palms from her daggers as I neared, but she still eyed me wearily. I took a seat on her couch and leaned back. If there was one thing I was hyper-aware of, it was that I was not entirely in control of myself. My wolf’s temper was flaring, out of both anger that she was planning to leave and hurt over her betrayal. If either she or I weren’t careful, this could get ugly.

Some small part of me said I should let it. We’d see if I let that part win.

Ada reached up and tucked a loose strand of her brown-gold hair behind her ear. Her hazel eyes searched mine. She tried to keep her tone light, but I could see her pulse jumping in her throat, and I could feel her nerves radiating down our bond, “What are you doing here, Nik?”

I grinned at her, my voice cold, “I figured we could talk about your plans with Adrian.” She froze, a slight tremor running through her hand. I cocked my head to the side and kept my gaze locked on her face, “Those are supposed to happen tonight, right?” I glanced at the clock on the wall, “In about forty-five minutes.”

She had paled after my first sentence. Her face contorted through several emotions. She took a step away from me slowly. Ada spoke slowly, “I don’t know what you think you know, but—”

Her hand returned to the hilt of her dagger when I stood from the couch. I furrowed my eyebrows and shot my shadows out. Before she could blink, they’d removed her daggers from their sheaths. She yelped and then growled in frustration as the daggers flew into the wall across from her. Her eyes darted between me and her daggers.

I smirked and simply said, “I dare you, Ada.” She stayed completely still, and I gave a nod of approval, “Smart girl. Now I want you to tell me why.”

“Why?” she tossed her head back and sighed. “I’m assuming you know everything. Time, place, plan. Hell, Adrian’s probably already dead.”

“He’s not,” I tugged off my suit jacket and tossed it onto the couch behind me, “What I know doesn’t matter anymore. Tell me why.”

“That’s none of your bus—”

“It is entirely my business, Ada,” my voice boomed through her room, thunderous and deafening. She flinched and averted her eyes. I shot my shadows out once more, forcing her to look at me. “Tell. My. Why.” Ada shook her head, mouth shut tight. I sighed, “It will be better for you if you do.”

Her lips parted. A tear appeared at the corner of her eye, and she tried to blink it back. It won the battle and trailed down her cheek. She whispered, “I can’t stand the thought that I might hurt any of you.”

Did she really not realize that her leaving us this way would put us all in agony? Anger was white hot as it whipped through me. Every cell in my body screamed to claim her so that she couldn’t leave. I had every intention of listening to my instincts on this one.

She let out a sharp scream as I rushed forward, my shadows ripping through her leathers. I tore off my own clothes quickly, wrapping my hand around her neck as I approached. I walked her backwards until her back was against the wall. My shadows wound around her wrists, binding them together above her head. She whimpered as I squeezed my hand around her throat.

Within seconds, I buried myself in her. She arched her back, yelping. I pumped into her roughly, our flesh smacking together. Her face reddened, and I loosened my grip on her throat. My handprint stayed behind, her skin bruised. She writhed against my shadows. I smacked her breasts before leaning down and biting at them.

I felt her begin to tighten against my cock, a feeling I usually loved. Right then, I despised it. She had been planning to leave us. It wouldn’t be easily forgiven. I brought my teeth up to the marking spot on her neck. Ada bucked harder, trying to scream at me. My shadows covered her mouth. I sank my cock deep in her once more.

Just as I sank my fangs into her marking spot, claiming her, I heard my brothers step through the painting behind me.