Under The Crescent Veil

9. Aftermath

The silent panting of Nyx echoed between the trees. She ran fast, heading in no particular direction. Her mind went into overdrive, her thoughts not making any sense at all. She didn't know what to make of it all. Silas, Nora, the werewolves, the humans living here, it all was a mystery to her. The wall between her and the others was very visible to her now. They didn't understand Nyx, and Nyx didn't understand them.

And that kiss...

Nyx had been kissed before by soldiers who were driven by their lust, their heartbroken hearts, or the longing for their girlfriend who was denied a visit yet again.

Many of the men present at the headquarters shied away from her, seeing her connections with the Major as a threat when in their clear mind. But once influenced by questionable alcohol or drugs from the black market, suddenly, Nyx was like a power trip to them. She had liked nor disliked their actions toward her. Nyx was indifferent to the lustful behavior of her fellow soldiers. There was no one she could speak to about these things, so she saw it as something that just happens in life.

But Silas was different. He asked for permission and waited, and even though she hadn't agreed she noticed how gentle he was. It was nothing like those other men. The most surprising matter was how the kiss affected her. Her body sprung alive, tingles spread over her arms and back, a warmth spread through her chest, and the background noise faded away.

Unfamiliar emotions arose to the surface. Nyx felt connected to Silas in a way she had never with another person. Silas became so aware of her, almost as if the two submerged into being one. She felt desired, valued, and appreciated by him with only one single gesture.

It felt so incredibly foreign to her that her only reaction was to flee.

After almost half an hour of constant running Nyx fell to the ground, exhausted. She curled up and stayed there on the forest floor. Her body was on fire and cold at the same time. She was both happy and sad, angry and scared.

Nyx didn't feel like herself. A month ago she would have tried to kill the Alpha in any way possible, plotting behind his back, but now she was accepting a kiss from him. From a werewolf. Shame filled her and guilt ate her up. She had let her parents down in many ways and that couldn't happen again.

After two hours Nyx had found her way to Silas' home. The thought of escaping crossed her mind, but without her notebook and any important intel, she couldn't leave yet. So, she encouraged herself to get back there and try to find a way to lead this pack to destruction.

In the meantime, Silas stood pacing outside of his house, not knowing what to do. He knew he made a mistake by kissing Nyx. If he could he wouldn't have done it at all. It was too early and he had gotten too greedy. Like his sister, he was impatient with Nyx, even though they told each other that the human girl needed time and space.

Then, finally, he saw Nyx appearing between the trees. He ran up to her. "Nyx, are you alright?" He tried to stop her so he could check if she was wounded in any way. He noticed her clothes were dirty and ripped. "I am sorry, Nyx. I shouldn't have done that," Silas tried again when Nyx walked around him while ignoring his apology.

Desperately he grabbed her shoulder to stop her, so he could properly apologize. "Don't touch me!" It was the first thing she finally said to him after the kiss. It hurt Silas. He tried to be understanding, gentle, and kind, but the results were frustrating, to say the least.

Silas' shoulders slumped. "I understand, and I am truly sorry Nyx... And thank you for not running away," He whispered.

It almost pained Nyx to hear Silas talk like that. A small part of her was sorry, a part she didn't recognize any longer.

***

The following week both Silas and Nora tried to keep their distance from Nyx. They both noticed she was struggling greatly. The biggest giveaway was the nightmares she was having. Every night they heard her scream and cry only for them to see Nyx completely indifferent the next morning, and her eyes always full of hatred like they had the first day met.

Nyx tried to keep up a front. She refused to show any signs of weakness, afraid they would take advantage of her weakened state. To stay focused she kept strictly to her workout regime. Exercising cleared her mind and away from any doubting and traitorous thoughts. She hadn't gotten much intel in that week, however. She knew she had to talk to the werewolves again, trying to let them slip up to give her any piece of information that was worthy enough to convince The Major she was worthy to stay alive.

At the same time, Silas had started research of his own on Nyx. He saw many signs that Nyx's upbringing during her stay with HPS was – possibly – highly abusive. He wanted to know what happened to her so he could understand her better, so he wouldn't make another mistake.

After a week of barely any communication between Nora and Nyx, the Alpha's sister approached her. "So, tomorrow our youngest brother will be visiting us together with his mate, daughter, and our parents to celebrate his birthday. I just wanted to let you know so you aren't completely blind-sighted by their sudden visit. We would like it if you joined us for just a while, so you can meet everyone."

Nora didn't want to push, knowing that Nyx was in a fragile state right now, even though the human girl didn't even notice it herself. Dark bags settled under Nyx's eyes and she looked pale. The lack of sleep was catching up to her.

"I will come and say hello," Nyx promised. She didn't necessarily want to go because it would be fun. The only reason and motive was for her to get to know this family to use it against themselves. The timing was perfect as Nyx didn't want to stay here for too long.

Nora raised her eyebrows. "Oh, well, great. I will be looking forward to it, and I think Silas will too."