by Leia Stone
I still couldn’t fathom how an alpha could flee a fight; my father never would.
That night, as soon as our boat had hit the shore, Justice shifted into an all-black wolf and ran for the castle at full speed, the healing serum between his teeth.
I hoped it saved his mom.
The next day, classes were canceled for a day of mourning our dead. I laid around all day, resting and going from my dorm to Harvest’s to check on Kaja.
Today, things were back to somewhat normal. After a restless night of PTSD, I showered off the crust of cold sweat from my skin and the sleeplessness from my eyes then dried off. Looking semi-zombie-ish, I pulled on my borrowed uniform and piled my silver locks up into a messy bun, only to yank it down again with a snarl as my new mark reflected in the mirror behind me. The three clustered swirls, the symbol for air, branded the back of my neck. I didn’t even have power over air…
What were these marks? I’d never seen them on any creature. Only the moon symbol on our foreheads to mark us as alpha heirs.
One more reason I needed therapy.
As I shuffled down the stairs, I heard Nolan in the kitchen, probably rifling through the latest box of groceries from my mate. The Midnight boys had obsessed over my eating after that party on the beach, and then the boxes rolled in. It all made sense now. The temptation to scream obscenities at my cousin simmered just below my throat, but I ground my teeth and beelined toward the door. I needed to get my mate-marks covered before class.
Twenty-two Academy guards, one teacher, all the healers, and one student, Mallory’s oldest sister, had died in the coordinated attack the day before yesterday. Not to mention the other shifters, which no one bothered to count, and where was my cousin? The whole frickin’ time, he’d been cozy as a cockroach, hiding in our dorm.
Some alpha he’d make.
When I got to fire class, Rage wasn’t there. Hopefully, he was with his mother, and she was healed, happy, and whole. If anyone in this hellhole deserved happiness, it was her. How had she put up with King Alpha-Ass for nearly twenty years?
Even though today was midweek, Honor slipped me a note at lunch, saying we had a training session tonight. Dude had no mercy. Granted, my wolf wasn’t exactly cooperating, but couldn’t I have one night off? Apparently not.
After dinner, I watched a movie at Kaja’s and then dragged myself home. Opening the back door to meet Honor, I sighed with relief at his absence from the glen. Maybe he’d forgotten and I could go catch up on some much-needed sleep. Stepping down onto the crumbling patio, I felt the chill of the concrete soak into my bare feet as I stared out at the forest. I’d give him a courtesy five-minute grace period. Because it was Honor.
The weeks of failure, on top of the “you’re not like normal wolves” vibe from my first lesson, were all adding up to a big fat no bueno for these private lessons, at least as far as I was concerned.
I glanced at my watch and smiled. At least, tonight was a wash.
‘Mate.’
The low rumble of my mate’s voice caused a shiver of pleasure to stroke through me, and I grinned with anticipation.
He was one thing both me and my wolf one hundred percent agreed upon.
While the human version of my mate might or might not be a total douche, most of which hinged on whether he was Rage or Justice, he was responsible for the weekly grocery box of fresh fruits, veggies, bread, pasta, and raw meats. It was SO male wolf to make sure a female was fed, but the timing and consistency of his gifts made it seem less a play for power and more a play for my heart. Either way, I couldn’t totally hate him.
‘Mate. Come.’
Desire to be with my mate brought my wolf to the surface. I stepped off the patio and pulled my shirt off, scanning the darkness. The cooler night temperatures made my skin prickle, but I didn’t want to ruin my favorite t-shirt. I unbuttoned my jeans, the eagerness of my wolf driving me to hurry.
‘Run? Mate?’
A low growl of a foreign wolf was followed by a yip, and I froze.
No way those two sounds came from the same animal.
‘Mate?’ I sent the question out into the night and waited.
And waited.
Unease unfurled in my chest, and both my wolf and I hesitated as I stood there in my bra and underwear in human form.
Another low growl sounded, and then two black wolves stepped out from between the trees.
The pitch-black animals looked exactly like my mate, but the panicked fluttering of my heart told me that neither of the animals stalking forward was him.
I’d learned that all four Midnight brothers had jet black wolves, nearly identical.
“Honor. Noble. We tried this already, and it didn’t work.” I stepped back, and my heels bumped against the concrete step of the patio. They were constantly trying to scare my wolf out, to simulate an attack. I was in my bra and underwear, for mage’s sake! Quickly crossing my arms over my marks, I glared at them.
“Knock it off!” I yelled at the black wolves.
‘Mate,’ he called for me from the woods, behind Honor and Noble or whoever the other wolf was. ‘Come.’
That voice was definitely my mate. My gaze went to the right where I’d heard him, and my mouth dried.
Another wolf, his coat just as black as the first, prowled toward me, staring at me with gleaming yellow eyes. His lips pulled back, and he snarled. Freaking Midnight brothers!
“Not cool, guys!” My heart slammed against my ribs, pumping adrenaline through me.
‘Mate. Shift.’
Did he put them up to this?
‘Where are you?’ I shouted at him, staring at the three black wolves before me.
My breaths grew shallow, and my wolf retreated until I couldn’t feel her—only the strange panic emanating from her presence.
Oh, come on!
These creatures were her kind. Why did she tuck tail and retreat?
What was wrong with her?—with me?
I straightened, glaring at one wolf and then the other. “What do you want?” Waving my hands at them to shoo, I yelled, “Get out of here. This is my territory.”
A fourth and final wolf approached from my left.
‘Mate. Shift. Now.’
I froze. All four Midnight wolves were here, including my mate.
Holy Mother of Mages, this was confirmation that my mate was a Midnight prince.
I could feel his presence, his yearning to be with me. But … which one was he?
The four black wolves advanced until they surrounded me.
“What are you doing?” I asked, my gaze darting from one to the next, but the question was for my mate. “What is this?”
Instead of an answer, they snarled at me. All of them, in unison.
My heart jumped from panic to full-blown freak-out. Would they attack me to force me to shift?
‘Shift.’ His word was a call to action, and I battled with the desire—almost a desperate need—to force my wolf out. But I couldn’t.
‘I can’t.’
One of them lunged forward, jaws snapping, and I spun away, bumping into another one of the wolves.
“Sorry,” I stammered, reaching out to pet the one I’d run into.
‘Mate,’ he growled, and the sound wound around my core. ‘Shift.’
Panting, I shook my head and begged, “Please. I can’t. Don’t do this to me.”
Why couldn’t he just understand—
One of the black wolves launched forward, teeth bared, and I stared, filled with disbelief.
No way would my mate ask his brothers to attack me. No way—
I yanked my arm back with a gasp.
“What the hell?” I screamed at them. He’d barely missed me. “Honor, I’m going to kick your ass!”
My mate snarled, and I jerked toward the sound. But instead of attacking me, he charged the animal who’d just lunged my way.
The two wolves snapped at one another, back and forth, and my adrenaline spiked. Crap. Crappity.
Crap. Crap. Crap.
These two were brothers. They wouldn’t hurt each other.
But I knew better.
Even the loyalty to clan or family would be overruled by the animal’s instincts. I’d seen members of my pack, even siblings within our pack, fight. Even if my mate had asked his brothers, and they’d agreed … all human promises could be forgotten by the wolf.
The snarl of the wolves tore through my entire being.
Could I do something with my magic to break up the fight? Maybe. But which one of them was which? And how much was too much. And—
Two of the wolves turned and then advanced on one.
‘Mate. Help.’
His plea shot through me, and I clenched my fists.
Oh, hell no.
No sooner had the thought crossed my mind than my wolf snarled. Seeming to appear out of nowhere, she surged forward. Desperate to save our mate from a fight with his own brother, her instinct overwhelmed me. My body seized, and I pitched forward with a snarl, my bones crunching and rearranging as fur exploded from my skin.
I inhaled, a low guttural growl of warning, and then, leaping forward on all fours, I sank my teeth into the nearest wolf’s flank, not deep enough to cause serious injury but hard enough to be a warning.
The creature yipped in pain, trying to spin toward me, and created the perfect gap.
I released him and pushed through the space toward my mate.
His wolf crossed the space between us and nuzzled me.
‘Mate. Strong.’
I inhaled, letting his scent fill me with comfort. He was safe.
He continued to nuzzle me, and suspicion trickled through me. I glanced behind me, and sure enough, the other three wolves were gone.
‘You set me up.’ I’d meant it to sound accusing, but honestly, I felt nothing but relief that he was okay.
‘Mate. Learn. Shift. Safe.’
I knew what he was saying, and I nuzzled him back. While I might not shift in self-preservation, my wolf had no reservations when it came to protecting my mate. ‘But I don’t know if I can do it on my own.’
‘Practice.’
I snorted, the sound odd coming from a wolf, and then barked with laughter. ‘Fine. I’ll practice.’
‘Run?’ he asked, his yellow eyes alight with enthusiasm.
How could I say no to that?
‘One thing first. Thank you for the food.’ Even if I didn’t know if it was Rage or Justice, I still appreciated the kindness. I leaned forward and sniffed his once-injured shoulder, but it smelled totally healed.
I didn’t want to talk about the attack on the academy, how his mom was doing, why he wouldn’t tell me who he was, or anything else. I’d save all that for Samhain in a few days when I could confront his human side. Right now, I wanted one last night with his wolf.
‘Mate.’ He nuzzled me again and then nipped at me playfully. ‘Run.’
He darted into the darkness, and I chased after him.
The next morning, I woke and ran through my usual routine. Hair in a messy low bun to cover my neck mark, ignore Nolan and hide my mate marks from him as I grabbed breakfast, and then time to head over to Nell.
After crossing the foyer of our dorm, I wrenched the door open and gasped, stumbling to a stop, face-to-back with Rage. Even before he turned, I knew who he was. How exactly? No clue.
More importantly, why was he here?
His black shirt hugged his broad shoulders, dipped around his biceps, and tapered at his waist, accentuating not only his physique but also his wealth. No way those shirts were standard issue.
Out of habit, I snaked my left hand behind my back to hide my mate mark and then rolled my eyes. How ironic would that be? That I could be hiding my marks in front of my actual mate.
He pivoted and stared down at me, saying nothing.
I stared right back.
My breathing grew more shallow the longer we stood there, him exuding rugged sexiness like spilling a bottle of pheromones. I licked my lips, and his gaze dropped.
I needed out of here pronto or I’d forget how much I hated him. I did still hate him, right?
Yes! I hated all of them. A little. Every Midnight prince held the secret that could set me free. After last night’s “training session,” it was clear they all knew which one of them was my mate, and like a loyal band of siblings, they told me nothing. Which pissed me off.
“Can I help you with something, Rage?” I snarled.
He cocked his head to the side and narrowed his eyes. “Why are you mad?”
Glaring at him, I snapped, “I didn’t say I was mad. I asked you if you needed something.”
“But you’re angry.” He continued to stare down at me, and his expression shifted from scrutiny to pride as his chin jutted and nostrils flared. Crossing his arms over his chest, he filled the small portico, blocking my path. “Why won’t you tell me why you’re angry?” he asked.
“You already know.” My gaze dropped to his fingers, bare of any marks. Of course.
When he said nothing, only swallowed hard, I pressed on. “It’s just…”
I pursed my lips, stopping my pathetic plea. I wouldn’t chase a mate who didn’t want me. Either him or Justice, I wasn’t going to beg. I was done and changing course. I wanted nothing more than to get away from here, away from his impenetrable gaze. “Why are you here, Rage?”
He shifted his body weight as if anticipating an attack. “I came to tell you thanks.”
I was 71.5% sure what he meant, but that 28.5% wanted confirmation.
“Thanks for what?”
“For saving my mom.” His voice grew softer as he continued. “The potion you got saved her life. She … she’s totally fine.”
Relief washed through me. “Good. Your mom is cool. She’s kind, and it’s clear she cares about the students. All of us.”
Rage tightened his jaw and swallowed hard. “What does that mean?”
“It means I didn’t do it just for you, Rage.” I leaned closer, and my voice grew sharp. “I did it for Honor and Noble and all of us at the school—but mostly … I did it for her. Since your despicable, lame-ass uncle won’t even fight to protect his own wife.”
How could the king slink away in fear and leave his wife to be kidnapped and assaulted? I would never bow to that asshole. Ever.
His pulse feathered in his neck, and even if he didn’t understand the insinuation, he knew I meant the dig to sting. Crouching to meet me at eye level, he snarled. “You have no idea—”
“Well, if I don’t know something,” I hissed. “It’s only because no one bothered to clue me in. You treat me like a pariah—”
“Yeah. That’s only because Crescent Clan doesn’t have the best record for loyalty.”
What. The. Hell? This again? My jaw dropped, and I sucked in a breath, trying to rein in my fury. He did not just say that.
“I am so over your ignorance. Stay right there!” I whirled back through the doorway and raced to my room, hands shaking. Grabbing the top yearbook, I flipped through the pages until I found one of the pictures of my uncle with his arm around Rage’s dad. Then, I stormed back down the stairs, still incensed, through the foyer and out the door. Rage stood there, eyes glowing yellow. I reached out, slamming the thin volume of class pictures to Rage’s chest, and growled. “You’re the one who’s been lied to. You’re wrong about Crescent Clan, and as far as I see it, you’ve been wrong about me.”
I shoved past him and stormed across the quad toward Harvest’s dorm, hoping Nell would still be there to hide my mate marks.
If Rage was my mate, fate must seriously hate me.
Chapter 20
I was shocked at how quickly school settled back into its normal, fun-filled routine … with only one tiny exception. Well, maybe two.
First, the entire student body, save the Midnight princes, buzzed with excitement surrounding the upcoming Samhain ball. Apparently, it was printed on the school schedule and everything.
Second, the headmistress disappeared. Her office, once open to students, now remained closed—with guards outside. Guards with guns, tactical knives, and a few extra clips on their vests just in case. Apparently, the king was finally protecting her like a mate should.
I’d heard whisperings of retaliation, that the king had gone into the magic lands and slain some shifter packs in retribution for the island attack.
I still received packages from my mate, but after my fight with Rage, those lost their appeal. While Noble and Honor still said hi when our paths crossed, I kept things brief and ignored their appeals to hang out. I informed Honor our Saturday classes were over. Knowing the brothers had banded together to keep my mate a secret from me made me not want to deal with them anymore. Rage probably still thought my clan was traitorous and shady. Whatever.
It only took a day of stony-faced ignoring for the jokes in the cafeteria line to disappear. As well as the teasing. As for Justice, any time I caught him looking, his expression furrowed before he turned away.
And Rage … he lived up to his nickname. Whatever angst I’d hoped the picture would clear up, apparently it had done the opposite.
Well, fine. Screw them all! I was done.
Even my time with Kaja and the Harvest Clan sisters waned. Not that I blamed them. They probably needed time to heal after such a horrific trauma, almost losing their sister. I respected that, but I suddenly felt so alone. I worked, went to class, worked, and then went home to draw the covers over my head until morning.
I also focused on what I could do. Besides, far more important than a moody, distrustful werewolf, or four, was the mid-year exam that determined my future, the day after the Samhain ball. One way or another, I’d win the respect of my teachers and the other students—for me and my clan. My studies took on renewed purpose. I buried myself in my books. Every. Single. Day.
“Are you excited for Samhain tomorrow?” Kaja said, sliding onto the bench across from me in the cafeteria. Dinner was officially over, and I’d loaded my plate to the top, so hungry I couldn’t wait to dig in.