Chapter 38: Chapter 39: You’re a goner, bro
Elion
Nyx is a fucking gorgeous woman.
She was... dangerously beautiful.
Not the soft, delicate kind of beauty you admire safely from a distance, the kind that feels like pretty wallpaper or a painting you can walk past without your pulse quickening. No... hers was the raw, magnetic kind that hit you low in the gut and made you want to step closer, even when every instinct screamed that getting too near might burn you alive.
And I wanted her.
Badly.
I wasn’t even going to pretend otherwise. Denial had never been my style.
My gaze drifted over her without a shred of shame, tracing the gentle curve of her waist, the way her red hair caught the faint light from the overhead lamps and burned like living fire, the quiet, constant tension in her shoulders like she was always bracing for the next blow life decided to throw at her. Every small movement she made seemed purposefully, guarded, as if the world had taught her long ago that letting her guard down was a luxury she couldn’t afford.
And my wolf?
Completely on board.
The beast inside me practically purred at the sight of her, pressing against my ribs with lazy approval.
Which was funny as hell, considering she wasn’t even our mate. Not by scent, not by bond, not by any of the ancient rules that were supposed to dictate these things.
Then again, I wasn’t exactly in the mood for mates right now.
Now, about mates...
I already had more than enough problems waiting for me outside these academy walls. A forced mate bond I never asked for, a future mapped out by people who didn’t give a damn about what I wanted, and a woman I’d rather avoid for the rest of my miserable life.
So no....
I didn’t need another complication.
What I needed was simple.
Enjoy myself.
Live well while I still could.
Touch what I liked.
Enjoy myself with the pretty lady right here.
Leave before anything had the chance to become serious or messy.
Three years in this academy. That was all I had signed up for.
And if I didn’t make it past that?
Well...
I’ll miss you all, I guess.
I smirked to myself at the thought.
Yeah, I know exactly how that sounds.
Life is brutally short. Death is always lurking around the corner in a place like Altheris Academy, especially in a hellhole like Morvalis.... so why waste what little time I have pretending to be some holy, self-sacrificing saint?
I’m not.
I never have been.
And I sure as hell never plan to be.
I’d rather squeeze every drop of pleasure, every thrill, every reckless heartbeat out of the seconds I have left than spend them living like some pious monk waiting for death to claim me anyway.
Call me reckless.
Call me shameless.
Hell, call me a sinner if it makes you feel morally superior.
And honestly?
I’d rather be stuck in this cursed Altheris Academy, surrounded by volatile monsters and beautiful complications, than be anywhere near her.
That woman. My self acclaimed fiance
Me and my wolf both despised her with every fiber of our being.
And the craziest part?
She still wanted me.
Despite every bad habit, every reckless decision, every attempt I made to push her away, she still wanted me. Still clung to the delusional belief that I would magically transform into the perfect, devoted mate the moment we were married and bonded.
That level of delusion needed to be studied by professionals.
Somebody say sociopath.
Yeah.
She definitely was one.
Probably plotting to steal my organs too while she was at it.
...Okay, fine. Maybe not the organs.
But still.
The point stood.
And the really crazy part?
Nothing, absolutely nothing, had ever made me feel the way Nyx did.
The way I wanted her?
It wasn’t normal.
It wasn’t clean or polite or safe.
It was the kind of raw, destructive want that ruined people and left beautiful wreckage in its wake.
I wanted to shatter that careful composure she wore like armor.
I wanted to hear her say my name... loud, breathless, messy, broken.... until she forgot every reason she had for hating me in the first place.
Yeah.
That kind of want.
We were all packing now, though honestly none of us had the faintest idea why.
Or what the hell we were even supposed to pack for a sudden trip to Morvalis.
But everyone moved anyway, throwing clothes, weapons, whatever random supplies they could grab into bags as if frantic activity could somehow prepare us for whatever fresh madness waited on the other side. The room buzzed with low, tense energy, zippers rasping, fabric rustling, the occasional muttered curse cutting through the air.
And then there was Nyx.
Moving slow.
Too slow.
Like she was dragging time itself, hoping that if she packed slowly enough, the fifteen minutes would stretch into hours and somehow delay the inevitable.
I couldn’t help it... I chuckled low in my throat.
She’s adorable.
And yeah... gorgeous. Don’t forget that.
That small waist... those curves that didn’t even try but still demanded every ounce of attention in the room...
Damn.
"Focus Ellion... Go help her," my wolf Zyn nudged lazily inside my head, voice rough with amusement.
Yeah... I was already on it.
I pushed off the wall and walked over to her, my steps casual, unhurried, watching the way her fingers trembled slightly as she stuffed random items into that small, worn-out bag of hers. The bag looked as tired as she did... faded fabric, frayed straps, clearly carried through too many hard days.
Cute, Pathetic but interesting.
Nyx is a coward.
But not the usual kind.
She’s the kind with just enough courage to get herself into serious trouble... and not quite enough strength or ruthlessness to get herself out of it cleanly.
And honestly?
I hadn’t expected her to throw Thorne under the bus like that.
The guy had literally gotten into a full-blown fight because of her... and she had just—
Snitched.
But then again...
Who was I to judge?
If it ever came down to a choice between him and my Miss Gorgeous?
Yeah, I was choosing her. Every single time. Without hesitation.
"Can you stop looking like you’re about to collapse?" I said casually, keeping my tone light and teasing as I stopped beside her.
No response.
She didn’t even look at me.
Just kept packing like I didn’t exist, her movements mechanical and distant.
I clicked my tongue in mild annoyance.
"Look at me."
This time, she did.
Reluctantly.
Her eyes lifted, guarded and tired, meeting mine for the briefest moment.
"I’ll protect you," I said, even flexing my arm slightly, showing off just enough muscle to make the statement land with the usual effect.
Usually, that worked.
Actually... no.
That always worked.
Those women melted. They blushed. They leaned in, and even touched my forearm to feel my muscle.
But Nyx just looked at me.
Blank, completely unimpressed.
Then went right back to packing without a single word.
Well.
That was new.
A small, unexpected sting of embarrassment pricked at me, but I shoved it aside quickly.
I never chase women... women do the chasing with me.
But Nyx?
She didn’t even seem interested in looking twice.
She was the first one, aside from my grandmother, who looked at me like I was completely irrelevant.
Annoying interesting.
And somehow...
That only made me want her more.
"When I told you guys Nyx shouldn’t be the leader, you all thought I was being unfair," Kaden’s voice cut through the room suddenly, sharp and self-righteous. "But now look at this. What kind of leader throws her own team under the bus like that?"
Yeah...
This guy definitely had a personal problem with Nyx.
Or maybe he actually liked her?
If that was the case... he was going to be bitterly disappointed.
Because there was already a line forming.
And I was in it.
Second, technically.
And Thorne?
Yeah... he was clearly first in line.
Even if the two of them were currently acting like sworn enemies.
Lover fights.
None of my business.
But still...
Kaden could only have her after me.
"She’s right," Lyra added, her voice quieter but steady. "Even if it sounded wrong, it was just the two of you fighting. Why should we all get punished and still be sent to Morvalis earlier than everyone else?"
Nyx didn’t even react.
Didn’t look grateful.
Didn’t say a single word in her own defense.
She just sat there on the edge of the bed, staring blankly into space like her soul had already checked out and left her body behind to deal with the fallout.
She must be really scared of going to Morvalis.
And honestly?
Who wouldn’t be?
Even I wasn’t exactly thrilled about it.
I just hid it better.
"Okay fine," Kaden said again, doubling down. "She might be right, but we’re supposed to be a team. We’re supposed to have each other’s backs. And what she just did.... That makes her nothing but a snitch... A bitch."
I was just about to step in.
You know...
Save the day.
Be Miss Gorgeous’s shining knight in slightly-scuffed armor.
But before I could open my mouth...
Thorne’s voice exploded across the room like thunder.
"How dare you call her that?"
Oh.... Yeah....
Never mind.
Looks like someone beat me to it.
I turned to look at him, watching the way his entire posture shifted in an instant... shoulders tense, muscles coiled, eyes burning with dangerous intensity, ready to snap.
For a girl who had just thrown him under the bus without hesitation...
He still reacted like that?
Damn.
I couldn’t help the slow smirk that spread across my face.
I leaned back slightly against the nearest bunk, crossing my arms over my chest.
"You’re a goner, bro," I muttered under my breath, too low for most to hear.
Because at this point?
It was painfully obvious.
That man was finished.
Gone.
Completely done for.
Nyx could probably stab him in the chest, and he’d still find a way to defend her while bleeding out.
And honestly?
That’s just tragic.
Or maybe
Very, very entertaining for the rest of us in this dorm.
