I hear the tracker's news and I feel Jos's hand squeezing my own. I discreetly glance her way and she's smirking at me; I look to my right and Lucas has a hand on my shoulder, and he's also smirking.
I know what they're saying with their gazes 'we're getting closer' and we are.
Closer to my mischief, closer to my people's revenge.
I turn my head to look at Nick and he looks pale, paler than ever, even more than yesterday.
"Are you sure?" he asks the tracker.
Oh, trust me, he's sure.
Aidan must have done his best to make it as obvious as possible without raising suspicions from the Red River and the Silver Dagger.
"I-I'm sure, Alpha. We saw him with our own eyes" the tracker, Ross, answers with a trembling voice.
Nick stays quiet for a moment and then looks at Dylan.
"Get every single warrior on the training grounds, I don't care what they're doing, get them here and get them ready. If the rogue king is helping them, we're in trouble. We have to be ready for the worse".
I nod at his instructions, this is a good response to the situation, I'm glad Nick is a good leader, he may be an asshole and a hopeless fool, but he's a good leader.
I want him to do everything in his power to survive, to get stronger only to be crushed by the situation. It wouldn't be satisfactory any other way.
He finally notices me, and I see a flash of fear in his eyes. Anisha told me what they were talking about in his office, but it's not like I have to care about their change of heart. It's too late for that.
"Alice, follow me" Nick says in an authoritative voice.
I sigh while shaking my head.
"Alice, enough of this. I know you don't understand but the rogue king is bad news, he's a dangerous wicked man, insane like no other! He's a bloodthirsty killer and I'm not going to put you in danger!"
"You already did" I reply calmly, and he flinches.
"You didn't even give us a chance!!" I hear Apollo's howl-like shout.
"I did, more than once actually" I reply to the stupid wolf.
"We don't have time for this" Nick walks towards me and tries to pick me up but Lucas raises from his seat and places himself in between us.
"I will not allow him to hurt you, Allie. My mate will not allow it either. You're our alpha" I hear Freya's voice.
Yeah... after Jos and I went out of her room we met Lucas... I told him everything as well and he decided to help me, to stay with me just like Jos. They became my partners in crime. I sneer at the memory.
'If Jos follows you so do I. It's that simple, Alice'
'Are you sure Lucas? Trust me when I tell you it's a weird and rather messed up situation. Deciding to stay by my side is saying goodbye to common sense, to a normal life'
'HA! I'm a werewolf, Alice. It's not like my life is normal'
'fufufu... yeah, I think so too...'
'Your laugh is weirdly disturbing, Alice'
'Allie, call me Allie. If you already made up your mind then, Lucas... Do you believe in ghosts?'
"Lucas, get out of my way" Nick's voice takes me back from memory land.
"Make me" he sneers.
"Lucas, calm down" I say tiredly.
Why are these people so explosive? I'm so tired of de-escalating situations like this.
"But...!!!" Lucas tries but I just look at him.
This two are bad at dissimulating.
Nick is supposed to still be their superior... uuuuugh, just thinking about the fact that now I'm the superior makes my head spin, so annoying.
"What do you need, Nick? Say it from that distance, if you need me to go somewhere tell me from there, and I'll follow but I don't want you near me" I explain calmly.
"Grrrrrr" I hear Nick groan annoyed "That's it! why!? Why is it so hard to believe I want what's best for you!?"
Should I list the reasons why? It would be annoying to do it but if it would finally make him understand it might actually be worth it.
"Stop ignoring me!" he snaps at me "You think I don't understand why you do this? It's because you're scared, Alice! You're scared that someone is finally trying to break your defenses! That someone finally wants you by their side! Trying to get past that whole numb bullshit you always pull up!" he keeps shouting and I glare at him.
I don't like this, the way he's talking about me, as if he knows me when he obviously does not.
The reason I'm like this runs deeper than what some narcissist idiot thinks, it's not a way to get people away from me, I just grew up like this.
I still remember the first time I felt someone's death.
It was a stray cat, a car ran over it and I was close by, playing in the park. The pain felt so real, the way my rib cage and limbs got crushed by the weight, the way my lungs collapse, the blood in my mouth, life leaving my body... I was 4 years old.
Who knows, maybe I felt that pain before, but I didn't remember, after all, I was too young.
My thoughts are interrupted by a loud bang sound. I turn my head and I see Lucas's body on the ground on the other side of the kitchen.
Well fuck, He pushed Lucas away and his body smacked the wall.
Jos takes a step to run to his side but the moment she notices Nick is still walking towards me she places herself in between us, my heart squeezes a little at this gesture, she's choosing my security over her mate's.
Lucas tries to get up, but I raise my hand to stop both of them.
"Go to Lucas" I instruct Jos and she looks at me worriedly, hesitating to step away "Go" I say again.
I don't like to repeat myself... but they're an exception.
She runs and hugs Lucas once she reaches him.
Lucas rubs her cheek lovingly and then looks my way. He's glaring at Nick and looking at me waiting for instructions.
'Stay still' I tell him with my eyes, and he nods. I'm glad he understood.
Nick finally reaches me and grabs my jaw with one hand, squeezing my cheeks.
"We both know this whole apathy is because you're afraid of being close to others" he says with gritted teeth but then he smiles sweetly "but don't worry Alice, I will have you showing so much emotion, I will have you begging for me, being near me. I know I can make you show emotions, you just have to stop pushing me away and grow up" his voice sounds tender, but why does it sound vicious to me?
I sigh once he stops talking.
This is pointless, after the talk he had with Theo, and Dylan I thought he finally decided to change his ways, but he only got worse.
"Stop sighing at me! Why do every time I talk to you, you act as if you pity me!? Why!? I'm trying to do what's best for us!!" he gets his face closer to mine.
"Get the fuck away from my sister, you little piece of shit".
Oh fuck, I know I called him but why did he arrive at the worse moment possible?
The whole place starts shaking and I start to fear for the worse.
He can't do this, not this much, it will crush him.
A violent gust of wind fills the room and Nick gets thrown to the other side of the kitchen.
Nick starts floating up the ceiling and then being dropped over, and over again.
An intense sound fills the place every time his body hits the floor.
I see the anger on my brother's face once he looks at me.
I know he can't keep this much longer; this is him already giving far more than his best.
The furniture in the room starts shaking and throws itself toward Nick's body. Once it hits him the wooden furniture breaks into pieces.
Dylan and Theo try to get inside the kitchen, but a gust of wind stops them and keeps them flat on the floor.
They're looking at the situation unfolding in front of them with a mixture of confusion, amazement, and fear.
"I can't... keep it... I... I can't" Sean says in pain.
I see cracks appearing in his skin. It's happening, he's breaking his soul.
Breaking one's soul is painful and dangerous... he's not going to be able to pass if he continues... he's going to turn into nothingness.
"Sean, stop. I'm alright. I can handle this on my own, remember I'm a thunderstorm" I try to make him stop. I don't want to lose my brother again.
"He was trying to hurt you again!" he shouts and keeps maintaining the wind.
"You don't know what he was trying to do, you didn't let him finish. I'll be fine. I swear I will be" I try again "Trust me".