End of Chapter 20

"Alright," she whispered. The shiver that wracked her body was what had them both alert, concern flooding his body like poison. Then there was a sigh, a fold of her arms. "You know what? Fuck this. Fuck it, I'm done playing nice, listening to orders, obeying, trying to be a good person. I'm done listening to you both and rolling over like a wimp, and being the main entertainment. If I'm going to die, I'm going to die saying my piece."

"I'm not going to kill you—" Rowan's wolf howled at her words. "I don't want that, I just want the truth from you—"

"You know what?" she hissed. "If it's the truth you want, then I will give it to you."

"I know what I felt," Rowan answered, defensive, hackles raised. "You were—"

"They locked me in a room to clean, because you broke the window. In a room with an Omega in Heat. And it was my first time meeting an Omega in Heat. I did nothing, okay?" she hissed. "I stood back, and bowed my head like a dog because God, I worked so hard. I couldn't mess it all up trying to touch you, and why would I? I don't even like you! You'd be the last thing I fuck in this world."

That had his mouth dropping open, a gape and then a twist in his heart.

She growled. "And then you begged, you threatened to cut out my throat. You wanted to drop me out of the fucking window. What was I supposed to do? You had your claws out, and I knew if I got my scent on you, my hands on you I'd be dead. So I used whatever I could find, is that so wrong?" Quinn barked out a laugh and that had them both flinching. "It was a death trap, I knew that. I knew that when they locked me in that fucking room. But you didn't come to kill me, and so I thought I was free. And then Elysian—"

"Elysian?" Rowan whispered, eyes wide then narrowed. "The impudence—"

"He was the one that picked me out from the group," she answered, voice cold. "He was the one that wanted to dig his fangs into me and drink. And then he was surprised that he came in his pants, it's not my fault that he's got a fucked-up kink. What was I supposed to do? Stop him from drinking?" She snorted. "God, this society is fucked up with tyrants for leaders."

"We're not—" Rowan hissed but she continued.

"I was going to die, I was in a fucking bottle that pumped me dry. And you know what? I thought things would be better now that I'm here. But I'm not so sure anymore," she turned, glanced at Zen. "You bought me from the shop, I saw you. I thought it was a dream, but now I know. You tried to fool me, was it fun playing with my heart?" Her eyes glistened. "I liked you. You were my friend."

"I—" Zen stuttered.

"You dropped me on that hill," she snapped. "And you wore that mask to hide the truth from me. You're the ones lying not me. I don't care what you think, I don't care what you do to me. I don't want to be mates with your pack. And I won't be, and it's the last fucking thing I'll do because I'll fight you till my very last breath. I'll die before it happens, mark my fucking words."

Rowan exhaled, watched as she stomped off into the woods. Fuck.

Zen

Her words slammed into his throat, clawed at his lungs, hell fire and molten heat combined. The ache of it was hot and ridiculous in his chest. But he stared wordless, confused by the emotions, by the need of it all. Because his growing infatuation for Quinn was insanity, transformed his body into nothing, made him something he did not recognise.

Zen refused to recognise the fragile warmth that blossomed in his heart.

He stopped Rowan from rushing for her to give her space, to give her privacy. The ache in his throat was odd, the knowledge that another of his pack knew of her existence made his chest burn, and the look in Rowan's eyes felt like guilt—slimy, acrid and cold.

Rowan reminded Zen of the truth, of her destiny, of her heart, warm and bloody in his belly. But it was odd that he didn't like the thought of it. With Quinn, he'd drowned himself in oblivion, of feigned stupor. But now that Rowan was here the knowledge that he had to kill her burned him inside and out. It had his body pinched, his stomach rolling in a strange nauseous churn.

But it didn't matter, it didn't fucking matter because they were here to ruin, to distract, to force her to love. She wouldn't love them if they acted like tyrants, like assaulters, like the Alphas of their past. Only now they'd managed to push her further than ever.

It was chaos.

"You made her cry," he accused Rowan, bitterness dripping from his tongue.

"She shouldn't have listened to me—"

"She couldn't ignore your command," Zen answered. "You're the king."

"I didn't mean to do that," Rowan shook his head. "I just wanted to confirm it—"

"She's our Alpha," he hissed, "and if you want this to go the right way then you can't treat her like that. She's special, and she must know that. She can't think otherwise. We must work together, we must convince her. We'll die if we don't do this properly, with respect."

"Of course," Rowan nodded obediently. "Of course, I will be better, act better."

And Zen's heart began to hurt. "We need a plan, we need our mates."

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