A/N- Trigger warning assault, if you are sensitive, please skip this chapter.
I look around the table nervously as time slows down. It feels like an eternity since Massimo and Silas left to go to Dimitri’s room.
"What's the matter, bunny? You look a little nervous," Wayne says with a sinister smile.
I stiffen at his words, mentally scolding myself for letting my nerves show. With a slow deep breath I push it all aside and focus on the long game.
"Nothing to say, bunny?" Wayne sneers, nudging my shoulder.
"Don't touch me!" I growl, shaking off his contact. I narrow my gaze at him but the excitement dancing in his dark eyes is unsettling, like a wolf stalking a rabbit.
"Aww, it's cute when you get riled up," he growls with delight.
"Back off Wayne," Peter warns. His brown eyes lock on Wayne's in a dangerous challenge.
"What's that Beta boy, don't forget who you are talking to," Wayne snaps, instantly on his feet. Already his temper flares at the perceived slight, leaving his energy shifting dangerously.
Peter slowly stands up, as though he hasn't got a care in the world and takes a sip of his drink before setting it down. With measured movements, he turns his attention back to Wayne, letting his boredom and irritation shine clearly through his normally stony facade.
"How can I possibly forget who I'm talking to," Peter replies with an air of disgust.
My breath hitches as the tension in the air thickens to unbearable levels. Every muscle in my body is drawn tight, holding me in my seat between the two angry, escalating males.
"Watch you're fucking mouth mutt," Wayne growls, towering above me as he moves towards to Peter.
My heart hammers as the men crowd me, inching closer to blows. Everything in me screams to get away from them but the smallest voice in the chaos warns that if I move I could set everything off.
"Or what?" Peter asks, his voice is even, not challenging, but letting Wayne know he's drawing the line. Slowly Peter's stoic aura saturates the area, pushing back Wayne's chaotic, unpredictable energy.
"Move Jess." His eyes never leave Wayne as he steps back for me to slip out.
Thank god!
Slowly, I slip out of my chair and back away to a safe distance. No sooner am I out of my chair, Wayne whips it out of the way, moving closer to Peter. He doesn't flinch or back down, just keeps his gaze trained on him.
"You think your Alpha will protect you? Get back to licking his boots like a good little dog," Wayne snaps. He's shaking in anger as his rage mounts with every moment that Peter doesn't react or stand down.
"What you and Silas do behind closed doors is none of my business," Peter replies, not missing a beat. There's a glint in his eyes that screams satisfaction as he watches Wayne melt down.
"Fucking mutt," Wayne snarls. My eyes are wide and glued to the scene in front of me as his sanity and resolve break. Faster than I can fathom, Wayne launches himself at Peter.
His first punch is sloppy with rage and Peter easily blocks it before delivering a powerful punch to his chest, forcing him to stagger back. Wayne snarls in outrage and launches another attack, but before it lands the doors crash open.
"Enough," Silas snarls, derailing Wayne’s attack. "Do I have to supervise you all the fucking time?!"
I have yet to see Silas in a good mood but whatever he went upstairs for clearly set him back. His energy is boiling and thankfully his current ire is focused on Wayne.
"Let me settle this shit and no one would need-"
"Are you questioning me?" Silas snaps, locking eyes with Wayne and releasing his aura. Both Wayne and Peter flinch at the unwelcome energy but it accomplishes it's goal and forces Wayne to back down.
"I will not repeat this again. Peter handles half of the smaller packs, if you feel the need to pick a fight with someone then try one of your rouges. After the war you guys can settle this all you want but for now, leave it!" Silas is trembling in anger as he rips into Wayne, though his dark gaze shifts between both men.
Wayne for his part looks ready to explode whereas Peter regained his stony facade the moment Silas entered.
"As for you, Luna," Silas sneers in my direction. My heart starts to hammer and instinctively I inch towards Peter. "Dimitri may have a point, there is no evidence you were involved, but you and I both know the truth. You're playing with fire and you're going to get burned."
The promise in his dark eyes sends a chill down my spine with his words hanging heavy in the air. I can't control my emotions as fear digs it's dirty claws into me. Things are coming to a head way faster than I expected and I can't see my exit strategy. That terrifies me.
"Take her back to her room, I can't stand the sight of her," he orders.
"Of course," Peter agrees, not needing to be told twice. He pulls the chair out for Nikita and guides her ahead with a hand on the small of her back.
The sight sets me on edge again but I swallow my temper and follow them out, only too eager to get some space between me and Silas.
No words are spoken as we head upstairs. We make a slight detour and drop Nikita off at what I assume is Peter's room. Once she locks the door, he turns away and heads off to Dimitri’s room. Thankfully we walk in silence, because my thoughts are all over the place.
Peter has been the closest thing to a rock around here for me, but to see her wearing his collar makes me sick.
Yet seeing how he is with her, how he makes sure she’s taken care of, I can't help but wonder if he's not doing it to protect her in some fucked up way. When he drops me off, he waits long enough to make sure Dimitri is there before leaving.
"Take a seat," Dimitri orders as soon as the door closes behind me. His icy blue gaze locks on me as I take a seat on a chair across from him on the couch. "It took some doing but they can see it wasn't you, no matter how much Silas wants to blame you."
"Thanks," I whisper, keeping my gaze low. The smell of booze is strong on his breath, leaving my stomach unsettled. He swirls a glass of amber liquor before tossing it back and getting up.
"Drink?" He asks, walking behind me to refill his glass.
"No thanks," I say, trying to be polite. Warning bells are sounding in my brain as I take in his inebriated state.
He's far from falling down drunk but well into the uninhibited stage and that's not where I want to be with him.
I hear him pour his drink and shuffle back behind me. My heart stops when he steps up to me. Every muscle I have tenses painfully as he leans over the chair and puts a heavy hand on my shoulder.
"You need to relax Jess, loosen up some," he mumbles, giving my shoulder a squeeze. The contact has the opposite effect, making me go as stiff as a board. My heart hammers as he drops his face to the crook of my neck and nuzzles my hair, taking in my scent.
"Dimitri," I warn, inwardly cursing how weak my voice sounds.
"Jess," he whispers, brushing my hair back from my neck and grazing his lips against it. “My scent on you is driving me insane.”
I try to pull away but his fingers knot in my hair, holding me firmly in place. His lips are back on my neck in an instant, trailing open mouth, sloppy kisses. The unwelcome contact makes my skin crawl, it takes everything in me not to outwardly react like he wants.
"Dimitri stop!" I yell out, managing to muster a commanding tone.
"My patience is limited," he growls, lightly nipping my ear lobe. "A man has needs… Luna."
"Nikoli said-"
"Fuck Nikoli," he growls, cutting me off. He throws back half a glass of booze and tosses the empty glass on the table. In an instant he pulls his jacket off of me, sending my panic into overdrive at how exposed I feel.
"Relax, you could enjoy my company." His suggestion makes my stomach churn.
"Dimitri, please stop," I say again, desperate to put an end to this before it escalates any further.
"Tell me what you want. I can be gentle," he says, lifting my chin. My skin crawls at the contact as I fight to keep all of my emotions in check. "You like it a little rough maybe? Mmm, I can do that too, just tell me what you want." His eyes lock on mine, waiting for a reply. The lust and madness swirling in them chills me to my core.
"I want you to stop," I say firmly.
He snarls and throws the glass across the room before he stalks off to the other side of the coffee table and flops down on the sofa. He stares at me for a moment before a dark grin takes over his face. A knock on the door nearly makes me jump out of my skin.
"Come in," he calls, never taking his eyes off me before speaking quietly. "If you won't take care of me, I will take care of myself."
"I was beginning to think you had forgotten about me Alpha," a strangely familiar woman’s voice says as she walks over. My teeth grit once the voice registers in my head.
"I could never forget about you my dear," Dimitri replies in a sickeningly sweet tone as he opens his arm for her. She lets out a soft laugh and happily beelines for him and takes a seat on his lap. With her arms wrapped affectionately around his neck, she turns and looks over her shoulder at me, revealing the one woman I hate and fear it is.
Cindy!
She looks like a high end call girl, her black hair is flawless as is her makeup, and she's wearing a skin tight black mini dress that leaves nothing to the imagination. Her eyes light up and a cruel smile spreads across her lips as she notices me. She wraps her arms around his neck and kisses him, willingly. Moreso, he returns her kiss and instantly deepens it while sliding a hand up her thigh.
"Oh Alpha, I've missed you too," she says breathlessly as he moves his attention to her neck.
I look away, not wanting to see them getting up close and personal. I'm unsure what to do.
Lord knows I don't want to witness anything and I'm sure they don't want an audience.
Slowly, I slide to the edge of my seat as I get ready to bolt to at least the bathroom.
"Sit," he snaps before I can get up.
"Running away again, Jess?" Cindy chides. She fakes a pout at me that makes me want to punch it off. "Can't stand to see me happy and winning?"
"That collar doesn't look like a win to me," I snap back dumbfounded by her ignorance.
"It's temporary. When the war's done I'll be his Luna and stand by his side, who knows I could even be the Luna Queen. Really you should try to get on my good side, after stealing Chris from me-"
"He was never yours, he's my mate!" I snap, cutting her off. I feel my skin ripple as Ember tries to take over. It takes all of my energy to shove her back down and keep her hidden.
"Was your mate," Dimitri growls as he continues to caress her thighs. As his hands explore her body, his eyes stay trained on mine. A sickening feeling takes over when I see they are full of lust and intent.
What starts as light petting quickly degrades to heavy groping, leaving me completely uncomfortable. Cindy on the other hand is a willing participant. She enjoys his contact and doesn’t seem to notice his eyes keep fixating to mine, instead gloating like she's won.
She gasps as he rips the front of her dress, exposing her bare breasts. She laughs seductively and presses them against his chest. In movement that makes my stomach quiver, she reaches up and starts kissing along his neck.
"Maybe it is time for a little privacy," she says, looking over her shoulder at me, disapprovingly. I'm more than happy to agree and jump straight up and out of my chair.
"Sit your ass back down!" He snaps, never taking his eyes off of me.
"Dimitri?" Cindy asks, pulling back. The dumb woman is just now catching on that something is off.
"I didn't say stop," he growls.
She looks hesitantly between me and him as she tries to figure out what's off with Dimitri’s focus. "But-"
"Do I need to call for someone else?" He threatens, making her eyes go wide.
"N-no Alpha," she stammers before going back to kissing his neck. He takes one of her hands and puts it on his crotch, bucking his hips. By now, Cindy has lost her confidence or something and isn't as eager as before, frustrating him.
"Bend over," he orders.
"What?" She asks stunned, her eyes automatically shift to me. "You can't be serious."
He growls and she gets up, then lets him guide her over the coffee table. Both of their eyes lock on me and I want to be anywhere else but here. My body jolts upright before my mind has a chance to catch up.
"Sit down," he growls quietly. His icy blue eyes are trained on me, freezing me in place. "I won't tell you again. Next time you get up you're trading places with her!"
I drop instantly back to my seat, not doubting he'll make good on his threat.
"But Dimitri-" Cindy starts.
"Shut up!" He snaps. Her protest dies on the spot as she resigns to me being here. Realization flashes in her eyes as they lock on my collar, particularly the bold letters of Luna. Bitter anger contorts her face, but she’s in no position to do anything but take what Dimitri’s giving her.
Dimitri rips the back of her dress before he undoes his pants and frees himself. The entire time his eyes focus on me, intensely blue with lust and thoughts I’m relieved I can’t hear. The entire exchange is like a trainwreck in front of me, my eyes keep looking desperately around the room to focus on anything but them.
She cries out as he takes her roughly from behind, drawing my attention back to them for a moment. She glares at me with such murderous intent that I think she'd kill me on the spot if she could. Dimitri, on the other hand, looks at me with hazy eyes and dilated pupils.
He digs his fingers into her hips and starts his punishing pace, making the coffee table shake with his force. Cindy takes it without a single complaint or sound and before long the sound of his grunts and skin smacking skin fill the room. I stare at the glass on the ground and try my best to block them out.
I don’t have to look up to know his eyes are on me the entire time. The way he's looking at me makes it clear it’s me he’s with inside his mind, but his pleasure is dark and ugly. Just the lustful and satisfied energy I feel rolling off of him is sickening.
With a loud grunt, he finally finishes. A moment later he moves away, does his pants back up, and leaves her bent over the table. He doesn't spare her a glance as he walks to the door.
"Clean up and be gone before I get back," he growls as he storms out.
I'm frozen in place, not knowing what to do at this point. Slowly I turn my attention back to Cindy, fearing the worst. Instead, the angry shewolf is replaced by a broken woman who’s now sober from reality of her own existence. Tears well in her eyes as she sits back, wincing and coming to terms with her new pack position.
I rush over to the dresser and pull out two hoodies, quickly giving her one and then slip one on myself. Cindy sits there, clutching the hoodie to her chest as she looks a million miles away.
"Cindy?" I call tentatively. Slowly her eyes move to meet mine, full of unshed tears. "Is there something I can do-"
"You've done plenty, don't you think?!" She snaps bitterly.
"Cindy, there was nothing I could do to stop him-"
"That's what you think I'm mad about?! That he fucked me?" She yells, glaring at me. "We've been fucking for weeks, ‘till you came and ruined it for me! Why Jess? Isn't it enough that you have Chris, you have to ruin this too?"
Ruin this?! How can you ruin a dumpster fire!?
Tears are spilling down her cheeks in rivers, smearing her impeccable makeup. Her energy hits me in waves, so much anger and bitterness.
"I don't know what you think I did-"
"You took him from me!" She snarls.
"Chris is my mate," I snap back.
"Not Chris, Dimitri! Even when I try and move on, you show up and ruin everything for me!" She screams.
I'm stunned by her delusions.
Not only is she mad I'm Chris's mate but she willingly went after Dimitri and is mad because she thinks I stole him!
She's batshit crazy like the rest of them!
"Keep him!" I snap, eyes locked on her. "I never wanted this, still don’t want any of this! Who the fuck choses to be here willingly? Why the hell are you here?"
"When Chris chose you over me, I came here to make a new life for myself! Dimitri told me he needed a strong Luna like me. He promised if I helped him take down Chris he would claim me and if he is king then I'll be a queen," she trails off. Even she has lost her own spell of grandeur and complete disillusion.
"What did you do?" I whisper as a sense of dread consumes me.
"I told him what he needed to hurt Chris," she whispers, staring at the ground. “To get you taken away from him.”
"It was you!" I growl. Once more my skin ripples but in my enraged state I can't control Ember’s thirst for her blood spilled all over the floor.
"He's a child! Why?!" I snap.
"To hurt you!" She growls back. "I wanted you to suffer and feel what I feel!" She has sailed right past ugly crying and looks flat out deranged and next morning after trash level.
'She did this to our pup! She needs to pay!' Ember snarls, scratching to get out.
My fingers dig into the armrest painfully, keeping me planted in place. Once again I feel my skin ripple as Ember crashes against my barriers to take over.
"You hateful, delusional bitch!" I snap. "You never had Chris, so I can't steal what you didn't possess. You wouldn't know love and loss if I beat you over the head with it."
At some point, I get on my feet and am inching closer to her. She's so close I can get her if I try. Ember’s rage is hard to ignore as it mixes with my own and she urges me to end Cindy's pathetic existence.
"Your soul is black and bitter, you came here to sell us out and got Karma's reward," I growl, disgusted. "Get out of here, now!"
"No. You want me out, end this. I'm tired of this game!" She hisses. Her skin ripples as her wolf surfaces.
'With pleasure!' Ember growls as she fights for control again.
"Don't be an idiot. You're collared, get your wolf under control," I snap.
The door bursts open in time to see her lunge at me, shifting midair. My heart stops as my eyes lock on her outstretched claws beelining for my chest. I stand there frozen, fixated on the grotesque half-shifted beast lunging at me. In a blink, I'm tackled and searing pain takes over.