Chapter 0140
Athena
“What do you mean, Isabella?” I mumble as she pulls me inside.
She shakes her head, avoiding my eyes. “It’s not her scent. It’s on her. Someone she’s been close to.”
“Another Lycan?”
“I can’t tell. There’s no way to know for sure. When you first arrived, you smelled like a wolf too. But you had that strange scent from the binding. She mentioned Rogues? What if it’s one of them?”
I just shrug. I have no idea what a Rogue even is.
“I never thought… not after Gabriel.” Her eyes hold a trace of sadness.
“You loved him.”
“Part of me still does.” She lets out a soft sigh. “He was everything to me. And he threw it all away because of my brother. Because of my pack.”
“Are you worried this new mate won’t measure up?” I’m grateful for the change of subject, even if it’s brief.
“I don’t know. All I know is he’ll have to be pretty incredible for me to even think about accepting him.”
“I’d trade problems with you.” I offer a weak smile.
“Your problems are mine.” She nudges my shoulder gently. “And one of them is coming right now.”
Through the open door, we see Brianna walking toward us. Her hands are stuffed in her jeans pockets. A deep frown marks her face.
Who does she think she is, being angry? She’s lucky we let her live.
She stops just outside. Her eyes lock on me. “Can we talk?”
The nerve! Nyx snarls inwardly.
“I have nothing to say to you.” My tone leaves no room for discussion.
She nods, a faint smile touching her lips. “You don’t stutter anymore.”
I narrow my eyes. “Why are you here? Why did my brother bring you?”
“He was asked to.”
“By who?” Isabella demands.
“My best friend. Look, I didn’t want to come. I wanted to stay in my town. But the Rogues are getting out of hand. Zachary says they’re turning feral. Impossible to control.”
Isabella’s dark gaze flicks to me before returning to Brianna. “And where is this Zachary?”
“He stayed behind. He’s trying to eliminate the Rogues. He said if he succeeds, he’ll meet me here.”
“This mate of yours… is he Lycan too?”
“He’s not my mate. But yes, he was bitten like the rest of us.” She shows us the mark on her skin. “Well, almost like all of us.” Her brown eyes settle on me, and she takes a step closer. “I think you might be the only purebred left.”
“That’s close enough.” Isabella holds up a hand, stepping between us.
“I still can’t believe you’re alive.” Brianna shakes her blonde hair loose. “You should be dead. I thought I killed you.”
“Is that why you came? To finish what you started?” Isabella snaps.
“No. Of course not.”
“Then why didn’t you lead with an apology?” Isabella’s voice is sharp.
“Can anyone even apologize for something like that?” Brianna frowns. “It’s unforgivable. Words wouldn’t mean anything. I know if our roles were reversed, Athena wouldn’t be apologizing to me.”
No, Nyx murmurs. We would’ve made sure the job was done.
“You need to leave!” Isabella orders.
“I haven’t killed anyone since that day.” Brianna mumbles, ignoring Isabella. “I couldn’t. I only shift to scare people. To make them back off. I make threats, but I rarely follow through. That day changed me.”
“And that’s supposed to make me feel sorry for you?” I snap.
“No, that’s not what I’m saying. They used me too. Victoria did. She fed me lies about you. Lies I believed because I thought she was amazing. I wanted to make her happy. I wanted her to think I was worthy.”
“By hurting someone defenseless? What the hell is wrong with you?” Isabella growls.
She shrugs. “Everything.”
Brianna’s eyes shift between us. “I helped him find Sophia.”
“I can’t listen to this.” I whisper to Isabella.
She nods and tells me to go rest.
I leave them talking and head upstairs. Dominic and Victoria are dead. I thought I was done with people from my past.
I was drifting in and out of sleep when Alexander appeared. He carried the stench of blood.
“Is Ethan dead?” I murmur drowsily.
“Not yet.” He leans over and presses his lips to mine. “We’re having some fun first.”
He pulls away, and moments later the shower starts. I wait until he’s inside before sitting up. “Why did you bring her here?”
He pauses, looking at me through the glass door. “I was asked to bring her.”