Splintered Nights

by Veronica Del Rosa

  “I’m sorry. I’ll get some immediately, Lex.”

  My head snapped around, searching for Jacy. I’d missed her entering the room. She’d avoided me since this afternoon and I had a few choice words to share.

  My brows furrowed when I spotted her wearing a simple white dress and carrying a tray. Why was she carrying a tray? Jacy tilted her head, exposing her neck to the other werewolf, then scurried off, disappearing through a side door. One of Cole’s servants? With a house this size, I’d expected him to have a full staff, though Jacy as one of them hadn’t crossed my mind.

  Jacy re-entered the room a moment later. She had a glass of water with ice cubes on her tray and approached Lex with eyes downcast. I wanted to hug her and whisk her away. She hated crowds, and a party this size would strain her nerves.

  Lex grabbed the glass without a word of thanks or acknowledgment. He didn’t even spare her a glance. I held back my snarl as a slow-burning fury ignited in my belly. Jacy wasn’t a piece of furniture to be used and ignored. The rest of the staff wasn’t dismissed so thoroughly. Several guests chatted pleasantly with the other servers, friendly smiles all around.

  Jacy didn’t complain; she accepted it as her due, which angered me more.

  Maybe it was a one-off. Maybe Lex was a douche who had no manners.

  The evening slowly proved me wrong. Jacy spent her time refilling wine glasses and serving hors d’oeuvres to ungrateful people. Not a one acknowledged her. What the hell was wrong with these werewolves? What gave them the right to treat her like garbage? I wanted to smack each and every single pompous ass who looked down their noses at Jacy.

  I’d had enough.

  I marched over to Cole, who was deep in conversation with Michelle.

  “Can I please speak to you?” I asked, although I didn’t give him a choice when I grabbed his arm and yanked. I tossed a cold smile at the other woman.

  Cole let me move him. I couldn’t have budged him any other way, since his body had more strength than I could ever hope for.

  With an absent grin for Michelle, he walked away with me, his grin growing into a flirtatious one. I’d seen it too many times to count and I braced myself for his next words. He didn’t disappoint.

  “We’ll go to my bedroom, ma petite chérie. It’s soundproof there.”

  The urge to smack him made my palms tingle. He wanted the others to assume we were sneaking off for a tryst, reinforcing the image of us becoming mates. He damn well knew I’d never agree to the ceremony with him.

  I held my tongue, since my tirade wasn’t meant for his guests. Not yet, anyway.

  Upstairs, Cole led me to his room, the one right next to mine. His smug grin faded away as he ushered me inside and closed the door. He knew my demand for his attention had nothing to do with sexy times.

  Pacing the room, fury whipping my insides, I still noted the exits: main door, bathroom with a small window, and glass doors on the opposite wall, which gave me an unobstructed view of the backyard. Trees as far as the eye could see.

  A large bed dominated the space, the left side still crumpled and unmade. The circular ceiling with its wooden slats made me realize this was the turret. A roaring fireplace faced the bed and a bench pressed against the footboard.

  “Well?” Cole asked as he sauntered to the bed. He kept one foot on the floor while he leaned against the headboard, his fingers laced on his stomach. Every inch of him screamed casual and unconcerned, which angered me more. He didn’t see it.

  “How could you?” I ground out, still pacing and glaring. “The way they treat her. It’s fucking bullshit. How could you let them?”

  I kicked the lounge chair next to the doors, needing to release some of my anger before I exploded.

  Cole tilted his head, his tousled hair fitting in perfectly with the rumpled bed. I wanted to smother him with a pillow. “Who? You’re not making sense.”

  I screeched, too furious for words, and kicked the lounge chair again.

  Dragging in a deep breath, I focused on calming myself before I did something stupid, like attack a werewolf who’d already proven he could best me in a fight.

  “Jacy. They treat her like she’s beneath notice.” I sliced him a glare, daring him to disagree with me. Instead, understanding lit his eyes and he nodded.

  “Ah yes, it’s because she’s an omega.” Cole didn’t explain further, as if his words should’ve made perfect sense.

  “Still clueless. How about explaining what an omega is before I smack the shit out of some werewolves?” Although that action wasn’t off the table yet. Unless Cole told me she bathed in the blood of the innocent or enjoyed cannibalism, I doubted I’d find any satisfaction in his explanation.

  He sighed and ran his fingers though his hair. “An omega is someone who’s extremely submissive, a werewolf who is considered weak because they aren’t as aggressive as the rest of the pack. If anyone else was alpha, they would’ve forced her from the pack, made her into a lone wolf, which is essentially a death sentence. We need others to keep us sane and grounded.”

  “So because Jacy doesn’t like confrontation and has social anxiety, she’s a pariah and treated like garbage? Is that what you’re telling me?” Breathe, remember to breathe, and don’t attack.

  “I don’t make the rules,” Cole said, though he had the decency to look ashamed. “I protect her as much as I can.”

  “Uh, yeah, you’re the damn alpha. Of course you make the rules and break them whenever you please. Or else what’s the point of being alpha?” I conveniently ignored the anarchy such actions would cause, too upset on Jacy’s behalf.

  “Maybe if it was just my pack, then I could change the attitude towards her, but I’m the head alpha of five other packs and their alphas would fight me. Omegas are a liability.”

  I breathed out slow, reining in the urge to scream like a banshee. “And what does that mean? How is she a liability? Because she isn’t aggressive?”

  Cole closed his eyes for a moment and weariness—or perhaps annoyance—etched fine lines around his mouth. “Omegas have no way to protect themselves. If they’re attacked, they submit and die because they don’t fight back. They can’t be left alone, in case a rival pack wants to make a play for dominance. Killing a member on another’s territory, even an omega, strengthens that pack.”

  “So having Jacy around puts a weakness in your defences.” The werewolves weren’t endearing themselves to me. Attacking someone who couldn’t fight back? They might as well savage a child. The marks on my back tingled, reminding me the wolves weren’t above such a horrific act.

  “Yes, exactly. Wait, how do you know Jacy?” His crinkled brows would’ve been adorable except I still wanted to smother him with the damn pillow.

  I tucked away the tidbits of information he’d given me and sneered at him. “Looks like Jacy ain’t such a pushover. We’ve been friends for four years now. Yeah, that’s right, your omega’s been sneaking out to meet me. And I’ve met Michelle before too. Bet the alpha didn’t tell you that.”

  Cole shot off the bed and grabbed my arms, surprise, not anger fuelling his actions. “What? That’s not right. She doesn’t leave the house unless I force her to.”

  “Ha! Did you know she spent the night with me on Wednesday?” Pettiness felt so good. Rubbing Jacy’s nocturnal habits in his face made up for some of her mistreatment. She wasn’t as weak as the werewolves thought. And he either ignored my jab about Michelle or didn’t register my words, his focus solely on Jacy.

  “No, she didn’t. She was here all night.” Cole dropped his hands as he stepped back, his brows furrowing deeper. “Wasn’t she? Jacy wouldn’t sneak out.”

  “Just like she hasn’t been meeting me for lunch every Friday, huh?” Ah shit, taunting Cole wasn’t a good idea. Not that I feared he’d do something to me, but if what he said was true, he could make Jacy’s life hell. “Nah, you’re right, I’m fucking with you. I’m just mad at how they treat her, so I’m trying to make you mad. Just forget i
t, okay?”

  “You think I’d punish her?” Disgust thickened his voice. “I would never hurt Jacy.”

  “Then why make her act as a servant to those assholes out there?” I waved my hand in the general direction of the ballroom. “You think that doesn’t hurt her? You have enough staff who don’t get treated like shit, so why’s she out there?”

  “I don’t want her out there!” he roared and I blinked, stunned at his outburst. “She asks me and I don’t have the heart to deny her. Jacy wants to increase her social interactions and she thinks this will help her. I want to tear their fucking heads off every time one of them degrades her. I hate these fucking feasts because I know how much they drain her, but we need them to solidify the bonds between packs, and between me and the alphas below me.”

  I dropped onto the lounge chair, utterly shocked. The careless, flirtatious man I thought I’d known had depths and surprising warmth for the woman everyone else dismissed as useless. The hard knot around my heart loosened a little. I understood how difficult it was to say no to Jacy. She asked for so little, preferring to forgo her own personal satisfaction in order to make others happy. I would’ve done the same in his place.

  “I need some air.” I bounced up, unable to remain still. I bolted from the room before Cole could say a word. My world kept shifting without giving me time to catch my breath and soon I’d shatter from the pressure.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Disgusted and annoyed, I wandered outside. I kicked a stray rock, taking a measure of satisfaction when it smacked against the rim of the elegant water fountain. With a little sniff, I eyed the beautiful structure, unsure why Cole needed a water fountain in his backyard as well as the front. Did werewolves worry about lack of water, or did they find the sound soothing?

  Cole’s words rolled through my mind, making my blood pressure jump. The rest of the pack treated Jacy like crap because she was meek?

  She was the sweetest, kindest person I’d ever met. The first time we’d met, a man had pulled her into an alleyway, berating her for leaving the house without permission. She’d cowered, fear exuding from every step she took, and I hadn’t been able to walk away. My self-imposed exile from others hadn’t extended to an obviously terrified woman.

  He’d been easy to dispatch. Like most men who preyed on weaker women, he couldn’t handle one who fought back. Jacy had claimed I was her hero and insisted on buying me lunch. Meeting for lunch on Fridays had soon become a tradition.

  No one else cared to spend time with me. Truth be told, I didn’t make it easy either. In my younger years, I’d worried someone would find out about my homelessness and I’d end up in foster care again. And then it had become habit to keep people at arm’s length.

  Jacy didn’t care about my prickliness. After spending time with the packs, I could see why it didn’t faze her. My wary attitude must’ve been a soothing balm compared to the jerks she dealt with on a daily basis.

  I almost marched back into the ballroom to smack some sense into a few werewolves, except I had no idea how it’d affect Jacy’s standing. Hurt as I was by her lying to me, I couldn’t make her life worse. And the only way the wolves would respect her was if she ripped some heads off herself.

  Which was something I never wanted to see for her. She was too kind and loving. The blood I’d spilled, even the undead lives I’d taken, had marred me, corrupted a part of my soul that could never be fixed.

  I sank down onto the lawn, unconcerned with the dampness, and plucked a blade of grass from the ground, running my fingers over its smooth surface. The moon streamed through the trees, fighting to shine through the wispy clouds.

  With a small sigh, I glanced around, aware I shouldn’t be outside at this hour. My skin remained skittish free, so I wasn’t worried. If a vampire came too close, I’d know. They couldn’t sneak up on me. I patted the small of my back, reassured by the stake pressing into my flesh. Going to a fancy ball while packing a weapon was rude and not for a minute did I feel regret. I didn’t trust the werewolves to protect me.

  I leaned back on my hands, lifting my face to the sky, enjoying the light breeze, and for a moment, I could pretend the monsters didn’t exist. It was just me and the peaceful beauty of the night.

  Except my best friend was one of the monsters and she’d never told me. Since this afternoon, she’d avoided me and I’d avoided thinking about her betrayal. Pain knifed my gut and I hunched forward, keenly aware no one in my life was as they appeared.

  Jacy would’ve smelled the sire’s mark. She knew and had never told me. Why? Why lie to me? At least Cole wasn’t the reason behind her friendship with me. Up until thirty minutes ago, he’d been unaware she’d snuck out to meet with me.

  A noise to my left made me tense. While it wasn’t a vampire, it didn’t mean I was safe from the werewolves. They had no love for me. Michelle seemed particularly aggravated by my existence.

  Jacy stepped out of the shadows, her gaze on the ground and shoulders hunched, a familiar and maddening sight—her default stance when she expected another person to rip into her. Did she think so little of me? Yes, I was hurt and angry, but I’d never do anything to upset Jacy. She was the only one who treated me like a real person, like I mattered.

  My emotions were twisted into a jumbled mess. I was happy to see her and sad. Angry and disappointed. I wanted to scream, I wanted to laugh, I wanted to hug her.

  I did none of those things. Instead, I hugged my knees to my chest and rested my chin on them. “How could you? How could you lie to me?”

  She hunched further, like she wanted to become as small as possible, and my heart broke.

  I’d become just another asshole in her life, taking my anger out on her. I’d wanted to be calm and open-minded, but pain had taken hold of my tongue. Rationally, I knew Jacy had a hard time with difficult situations—and outing herself as a werewolf would’ve been hard—but the pain choked out my logical thoughts.

  “I couldn’t tell you,” she said softly. Her gaze remained trained on the ground as she kicked at a clump of dirt. “I wanted to. I really wanted to. But I couldn’t. The words wouldn’t come out. I didn’t want you to hate me, like you do now.”

  I bounced up, stunned by her confession. Hate her? That wasn’t possible. Stepping closer, I raised my hand to stroke her cheek and she flinched. Anger knotted my gut at her reaction. Who’d made her fear touch? Who’d conditioned her? It wasn’t Cole. I’d pushed all his buttons and not once had he physically lashed out at me.

  The desire to find and punish that person rode me. Violence begot violence and it rarely solved anything in the long run, but it’d make me feel so fucking good after seeing Jacy flinch.

  Instead, I wrapped my arms around her and held her shivering body tight.

  “I don’t hate you. I’m disappointed and hurt, yes, but I don’t hate you. I would never hurt you. Never.” I stroked her hair. “You know that, right?”

  Her trembling subsided, though I felt wetness against my cheek.

  Lifting my head, I wiped the tears from her face and she gave me a faint smile, worry shadowing her eyes.

  “I know you wouldn’t. I feel safe with you. Always have. And I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.” She shrugged, her gaze flitting to the side. “You made me feel normal, like I wasn’t a freak of nature. I could be myself around you.”

  I snort-laughed, unable to contain the noise. “Seriously? You’re a werewolf and never told me. Not sure how you can call that being yourself.”

  As soon as the words left my mouth, I felt horrible. When she stepped back, knocking my hands away, I wanted to smack myself for my inadvertent cruelty.

  “I didn’t need to be strong,” she mumbled, shame flickering across her face. “I didn’t need to pretend with you. Let’s go for a drive. I need some space. We’ll take one of Cole’s cars. He won’t mind.”

  Her change of conversation made me pause. I wasn’t the only one in pain. And while I wasn’t too sure about her last statement, I fig
ured what the hell. According to the arrogant werewolf, I’d soon be his mate and that meant I owned half his stuff, right?

  But the thought of Jacy out after dark didn’t sit right with me.

  “We shouldn’t be out so late.” She couldn’t fight back and while I could protect us, I’d be distracted by her presence. “Not with the vampires—”

  “They can’t find us in a car. No scent for them to follow,” she interrupted, a shy, hopeful smile lighting up her face and I didn’t have it in me to say no.

  “Okay, lead the way, then.”

  Jacy brought me to the garage and opened it with a fob on her keychain. The door smoothly lifted, giving me a glimpse of Cole’s incredible collection. Admittedly, I knew next to nothing about vehicles except that they got me from point A to point B, but even I was impressed. A shame I couldn’t drive.

  I closed my mouth with a light click.

  “I know, right?” she said, nudging me. A huge grin lit up her face and a light flush ran along her cheekbones. Jacy was about to do something naughty—take one of Cole’s cars out without his permission. Nervousness and anticipation radiated from her. “So which car do you want to take? We can take the Corvette Z06, the Ferrari 458 Italia, or—oh! The Lexus ISF. It’s an automatic.”

  With a shrug, I replied, “Don’t know. I don’t drive.”

  Unable to help myself, I ran my fingers along the sleek lines of the Lexus, the gleaming orange paint enticing me. I was always a sucker for orange. And it was such a pretty car.

  Jacy stared at me for a moment, liked I’d just confessed my desire to run naked through a crowded street, confusion mingled with amazement. “You don’t drive? Why not?”

  “Never had the chance. I’ve been on my own since I was a kid, so paying for the testing and license wasn’t an option.” Survival had always been my top priority. I spent my money on food, shelter, and clothes. A vehicle was frivolous in my world. “Walking, biking, and mass transit are excellent ways to get around.”

  And only once had I stolen a bike. Not my proudest moment, and the guilt made sure I never did it again.