His Little Human Mate

Chapter 17

Noella

I stare at my father, my brain mulling over the words so many times that the letters no longer line up.

"What?" I ask, my brows scrunching.

He chuckles. "Little Flower," he tisks, shaking his head. "You always did trust too easily, you know that? You would talk to anyone and everyone wherever we went, uncaring that they were strangers. You started conversations with whoever would listen." A light smile blooms as he dawns a faraway look, but then his eyes are back on me, sharp and precise. "I suppose old habits really do die hard."

I rub my temple, irritated with him, frustrated with myself, angry at the situation, terrified at what my life has fallen apart to. Too many riddles, too many puzzle pieces to too many different puzzles and too many shapes that don't fit in their molds. It's just too much of everything.

"Would you stop speaking in riddles?" I almost beg. "What are you saying?"

I know what he's saying, but somehow I've convinced myself that maybe if I hear the words again, they'll be different. Maybe if he utters the letters in a different pattern, then I don't have to believe that Nixx lied to me.

Quint coughs again from his spot on the floor, and my father throws a disdainful look down at him before turning back to me and saying, "Nolixx is a werewolf, just like me. He can shift, just like I can, and he can turn into a wolf, just as I do."

Right, so I did hear correctly.

"You're lying."

I mean for the words to sound confidant, strong willed and sure, but they wilt, coming out on a whisper that breaks in the air.

He smiles sadly at me, the first show of affection he's given since coming down here.

"For your sake, Noella, I really wish I was," he says sympathetically.

Another thought occurs, words leaving my mouth before the thought even has time to process.

"You didn't tell her either," I mutter, staring up at him in shock. "You didn't tell mother what you were, and that's why she left, isn't it?"

His jaw works, eyes fading to midnight before rushing back to brown.

"That is a very brave assumption," he says on a clenched jaw.

I stand, walking up to the bars and gripping them with every ounce of anger I can muster.

"It's not an assumption, it's a fact! You lied to her! Just like you lied to me! All you've done is-"

"I was only trying to protect her!" He explodes. "This life is not made for the weak minded. It was not created with human sensitivity in mind! It is dangerous, and I was only trying to keep her safe! Trying to keep you safe!"

I glare, my eyes so hard I'm sure they could cut through glass.

"You were only protecting yourself! You fear rejection so much that you would rather watch the people around you fall into your traps of lies!"

His eyes turn black, this time staying that colour, and Quint mutters a soft swear from his spot on the floor.

"You are so selfish that you would rather make someone love a mirage than explain to them what lays behind the illusion!"

His nails grow, sharpening and shining with a knife-like pierce.

"Noella," Quint murmurs. "I think you should stop."

"I can't believe how many times I ate the bullshit that came out of your mouth about business trips and work vacations! how many times mom ate it too before she got so fed up she left!"

"Noella," Quint snaps. "Stop it."

"Well guess what! I'm fed up too, and if I wasn't trapped behind these damn bars I would be walking out that door, getting as far away from you as I could! Just like her!"

A tornado of pitch black fills the space between us, and then it's no longer my father standing there, but a snarling black wolf.

I scream, adrenaline rushing back up from the surface, barely gone from the last time.

"Shit," Quint curses, standing up slowly.

The black wolf snaps its teeth, fang's dripping with saliva, starving for human flesh.

For me.

"You just had to provoke him, didn't you?" Quint mutters, shaking his head as he creeps closer.

The wolf's mouth latches onto a bar, and I watch in horror as he rips it from the wall in one swift motion.

I gulp audibly, my feet scrambling to carry my body as far back as I can get, as far away from the monster as possible.

He rips another, then another, peeling away my protection until his body is prowling towards me, low growls permeating the air with warnings.

His body, now close enough to feel the rough fur of his coat, is massive. His head touches at least five feet above my own, and his knees are level with my stomach.

"Please," I whimper. "Please don't eat me."

His head reaches down, nudging my leg as wet, sticky spit drips onto my boots as I try to hold back a sob.

His fangs graze my clothes, and a squeak escapes my mouth before I slam my hands up over it.

His jaw opens, a gut wrenching snarl filling the silence before his head lowers to my neck, teeth glinting, ready to destroy.

I close my eyes, resignation blooming in my chest as I wait for the sharp pain.

And wait.

And wait-

A giant thump sounds.

I snap my eyes open, only to see Quint standing over an unconscious black wolf, a tranquilizer gun in his hand.

A massive exhale leaves my chest, air finally travelling through my lungs again as I ask, "Why would you do that?"

He sighs, rugged blond hair falling into his eyes before he brushes it back.

"I don't like owing favours," he says. "You saved my life, and I saved yours. We're even." He gestures at the torn cage. "I didn't do that part, but I will look the other way if you decide you wanna use the opportunity to escape. There's a door in the back that leads to a tunnel, it shoots out right into the middle of the forest. I don't know how long you'll survive out there, but it will definitely be longer than if you stay in here."

He turns around, doing good on his word, but I don't move, instead asking, "Why do you stay with him? Why not find a different pack?"

He laughs quietly, but it's sad.

"Once you're rogue, life is not a pick and choose kind of situation. Rogue packs aren't sympathetic, and they really don't like newcomers, especially from other outside packs." He shrugs, adding, "Plus, Foxley isn't such a terrible ruler when he wants to be one. It's his wolf that has no control."

"Won't he kill you when he wakes up?"

Quint twirls the gun in his hand a little before saying, "He gave each of his closest in command one of these, knowing that when his wolf comes out, unlike other werewolves, Foxley isn't aware nor in control of what he does in his altered form. Once I explain, I'm hoping his anger will abate to relief."

"And if it doesn't?" I ask in a whisper.

He smiles sadly at me. "You don't have to worry about that. Get out of here, Noella, and pray you never come back."

He walks out of the cell, waiting until I'm all the way out before smiling one last time at me and walking up the stairs.

I cast a last glance at my once father, asleep in the pose of a bloodthirsty creature. Black as midnight and terrifying as death, but still as the walls that surround him.

He looks peaceful, and that's the image I choose to keep instead of his fangs as they lunged for my neck. I choose to let the sleeping wolf stay in my head as I walk through the basement to find the tunnel door, and then I walk towards my freedom.

A/N
Thank you so much for reading!💜
Who's ready for some romance between Nixx and Noella?