“I’m no longer faculty.”
There’s a rush of emotion around me. From Arlowe, confusion. From Nyx, a spike of fear. And from Erich, surprisingly, dark and smoldering rage.
“What the fuck?” he seethes through gritted teeth.
“They don’t want to work with Cursed any longer.”
“Because of…?” Nyx doesn’t finish her question, and she doesn’t have to.
“The escape is just one reason.”
“The rebellion.” Arlowe offers this, even quieter than the rest of us, surely understanding the danger of uttering such a phrase.
I nod in affirmation.
None of us speaks for a long while, but then Nyx breathes out, “What else?”
I stifle a humorless laugh. She knows me better than I had given her credit for.
“I’ll be gone after this quarter.”
A small gasp from Nyx, and a bubbling growl from Erich, while Arlowe’s head drops.
“It’s going to be all right,” I breathe, despite my disbelief. I have to remain strong. For her.
“This is unfair.” Arlowe surprises me with her venomous tone, and I look up at her. Those purple eyes are filled with rage, her jaw tight to match.
And that’s when I remember her turmoil, her torment. Finding her fated Alpha, just to have him torn away.
Kiyoshi Sato, sold years ago to the East Asian Empire as a frontline soldier.
The violence swarming her brain is like nothing I’ve ever felt from her. She is willing to do something that will put herself at risk for the sake of Nyx, her best friend.
I can’t allow it.
Beneath the table, I press one fingertip to her knee.You mustn’t,I say in her mind.Nyx will need you. Don’t throw your life away.
Her eyes narrow on me, but she calms a bit, takes in a deep breath, and lets it out slow with a nod of her head.
I take my hand back with a deep breath of my own, a sigh of relief.
Turning to Nyx, I force a small smile, but her brown eyes are swimming.
All I want is to wrap her in my arms, hold her tight, comfort her. But here, surrounded by the GBE and their weapons, I can do nothing to ease my Omega’s pain.
And my heart is shredded for it.
Sleep will not come. Still.
It’s been days since the escape, and despite my exhaustion, I am unable to stay asleep for more than a few minutes at a time, always waiting for something to happen.
My bed, once comfortable and soft, feels like lying on a steel girder.
I roll onto my side with a sigh and think of Nyx.
Now that Mira is gone, like me, she’s all alone in her room.
When I imagine her here with me, taking her into my arms and holding her close, I’m met with an overwhelming sense of sadness. But this emotion isn’t mine.
