Chapter 392 Clean escape

By the time the sun rose and the night faded away, Nick was already far away from the Grim pack. The moment he had achieved one of his biggest goals, one piece of his plan to have the woman he loved, the woman he knew would learn to love him someday once she realized the man she was married to was neither loveable nor a saint, when he abandon her.

He hadn’t bothered with his car or any other ride. He had shifted into his wolf form and made a clean escape through the night. He had tried not to make himself a suspect, but it seemed his efforts had come to nothing, they were searching for him now. He knew because his allies in Silver had already told him.

“When are you going to take the seat from him?” Elder Halvrek asked through the link, his anxiety bleeding through clearly. The men turning Silver upside down looking for Nick were making his aging heart more restless by the day, because if Nick got caught it would be about time they figured him out as well. Nick was taking longer than planned to make himself the Supreme Alpha. Every day that passed was another day that ruthless Sebastian would come after all those who had sided with Nick behind his back in silver.

Nick was standing on the mountain that separated the Grim pack territory from the next, a mountain that looked out over the dense forest of their world, the wind beating fiercely against his fur. He replied through the link without moving.

“Soon. Not yet.” He hadn’t gotten everything he wanted yet, not enough to make his move for the seat. Nick wasn’t looking for power only the way Javier had been. He wanted love. From Vee, from Zoe, from anyone willing to give it. He wasn’t going to rush now that he could feel things shifting in his direction.

Nick wasn’t a fool. He knew Sebastian had given her a temporary mark designed to create the illusion that she was fully claimed, but he carried enough Supreme Alpha blood in his own veins to see through that lie.

She was unmarked. And Sebastian would never truly mark her, not while the fear of killing her hung over him like a curse, which was exactly what had given Nick the confidence to do what he did, and to leave her where Sebastian would find her. Not only to destroy him, but to crack that relationship open from the inside.

Nick’s wolf threw his head back and howled into the night, the sound rolling out across the dark and echoing into the silence below. Another wolf answered from somewhere deep in the distance.

’Very soon you will be mine, Vee. Because I will be the only one who can truly protect you in this world. My fucking cousin won’t want you now, he won’t be able to overlook the fact that another wolf laid his hands on you and had his way with you.’

“What about the mermaid in his custody?” Elder Halvrek asked. “Won’t you move to take her?”

Nick replied without concern, “I don’t need that one. I already have my own mermaid. She will give me what I want.”

•••

The next day, Viola was pulled out of bed before she was fully awake, omegas moving to help her pack their belongings as Sebastian had made arrangements for them to leave first thing this morning.

As much as she wanted to stay for Tess’s sake and be around for the after-marking-ceremony gathering, she no longer had the energy for any of that, nor the emotional strength to put up a happy front for everyone when she had so much running through her mind.

In just the space of yesterday and today, a lot of things had happened that would forever change the way she thought and who she was. She had been a moment away from being humiliated by Hailey, and then she’d sung a song that had drained up her entire joy and left her emotionally wrecked, which led to her going outside and…

She didn’t want to think about what had happened after she went outside, and if she could turn back the hands of the clock, she would have stayed within the hall. Viola felt physically violated, and that feeling came with a feeling of shame and anger she couldn’t fathom, for what had happened to her last night.

Sebastian had assured her that nothing would change in their relationship, but she couldn’t help the uncertainty, which she hated having. Last night was supposed to be good for her because she had made a lot of connections that important people were extending invitations to her to visit their pack, but just one wrong moment had ruined it for her.

How could she have fallen unconscious last night and allowed what happened happen?

Recalling the description of how she had been left in the maze made her sick with resentment and anger. But rather than carry that heavy feeling, she let her mind wander instead to Sebastian’s confession afterward.

Now that she knew Alex was alive and in hiding, it made her understand so much about Sebastian’s past with his late wives; however, it was saddening that the two of them were not on good terms, given what Sebastian had done, in his own way, to protect his brother, but that had instead made things worse.

Would Alex ever accept her as a sister-in-law after what his twin brother had done? Probably not, unless he was told the complete truth, but with his current heart sickness, it would be a great risk to tell him the truth. Hence, a cure must be found first, and Viola couldn’t help but wonder where Sebastian planned to find that cure, for she hadn’t heard of one yet, unless Alex let himself fall in love and fix his broken heart.

Viola stepped out of the shower and into the bedroom, where the omegas were already waiting for her.

“Has the Supreme Alpha taken his shower yet?” she asked one of the girls.

“Supreme Luna, the Supreme Alpha went ahead of you last night with his beta. He ordered your traveling arrangements with Miss Zoe and Doctor Gilbert, and the car is waiting,” reported one of the omegas who were carrying their suitcases out of the closet and dragging them toward the door.

“Oh…” Viola muttered, disappointment laced in her voice even though she didn’t try to show it. She had expected to see him this morning, expected to feel the happiness of being held and kissed good morning, not only for the feeling itself, but to be reassured again after last night.

She checked her phone and didn’t see any calls or texts from him, and felt even more sad that he had left the message through an omega rather than texting her or leaving a note.

She was in a deeply low-spirited mood, and now that Sebastian had left ahead of her, everything felt flat and dull, and her emotions were starting to sprawl in a direction she didn’t want them to go. But she kept her mind locked tightly to herself, refusing to let herself spiral, and decided to hold onto hope that what had happened wouldn’t build a wall between them.

When she finished dressing for the journey in denim jeans and a t-shirt, Viola was led to the limo. If anyone saw her walking the way she did outwardly, without looking deeply into her, they would think nothing had happened to her last night and that she was perfectly fine, but deep inside, Viola was fighting a silent battle of will.