Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 103548 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 518(@200wpm)___ 414(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103548 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 518(@200wpm)___ 414(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)
Bile rose in my throat. Badr said that. He told me exactly that, and I didn’t listen to him. Of course that part of the story never made sense.
“Oh gods,” I whispered, clutching the crib rail. “Oh my gods. It was you. You killed Nyx’s twin brother.”
“Ugh, he told you about that, did he?” She scrunched up her nose. “It wasn’t my fault. Daddy and I were out in the woods. He was teaching me how to train and control my power when those two came out of nowhere. Daddy told me my power had to stay secret no matter what, so of course, I had to kill them.” She dropped this like she was talking about crushing a daffodil under her boot. “But after I killed the first one, Daddy freaked out and got mad at me. Said I couldn’t use my power on people. Ugh,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Oh, well.”
“What are you?” Suddenly I was shouting. “What’s wrong with you!? You killed an innocent boy! You were going to kick off a war that gets women bred like dogs and omega babies killed!”
“Hey, that wasn’t me!” she shouted, jumping to her feet. “That was the council’s plan, not mine! I didn’t know about any of it until you told me!”
“Bullshit!”
“It’s true,” she insisted, taking a step toward—
“You stay the fuck back!” My claws tore free. “You come near my baby and I’ll strangle you with your own guts!”
“Dammit, Daze, I’m not here to hurt you or Hope!” She took five steps back, holding up her hands in surrender. “I’m here to tell you the truth. Something that no one has ever done, not even Luame!”
“And what the fuck do you think is true, sis? Is it sneaking around, lying to me and pretending to be my friend? You wouldn’t know the truth if it was written on the brick I’m going to beat you with!”
Hope babbled in her crib, not even the least bit bothered by all the shouting.
“This is true.” Nia ripped up her shirt.
Right there plain for me to see... was nothing. No belly button on her smooth, brown stomach. All that was there where it should’ve been was a loopy, black depiction that almost resembled an anvil.
The mark of Ola.
“I am who I say I am, Daze. Luame gave you the gift of creation, but Ola gave me the only power he has—the gift of destruction. To take what is pure and innocent in a person and...” Nia placed one of her clips on her palm. Before my eyes, the clip glowed—shining bright—as a faint scream lit the air. She snapped her hand closed, crushing the clip, and the scream cut off.
“Oh my gods,” I breathed, hands shaking. “Was that...?”
“Yes. Do you like them?” She gestured to her many clips that had suddenly taken on new, terrifying meaning. “My gift is truly incredible, but I promise you, I never would’ve used that gift to aid in alpha domination if I knew their endgame. All I did know was that they were holding my brothers hostage, and I had to do whatever they told me if I wanted them to live.”
Her eyes pierced me. “You saw what they did to Ava and Melisent. You know that wasn’t a bluff.”
I didn’t let any sympathy for her work its way in. “That doesn’t explain why you lied to me, Nia.”
“I’ve lied to everyone,” she hissed. “Not even my brothers know what I am or who I was born to be. It had to be that way because children of Ola are smothered in their cribs the day they’re born.”
I lurched back, eyes huge. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me. They feared us. They feared us and our power just like Luame feared Ola. Luame betrayed her mate, locked him in an eternal prison, and erased his true story. When werewolves formed the first packs and the alphas took over, they decided if getting rid of Ola was good enough for Luame, it was good enough for them.
“A goddess of creation who gives everyone wonderful powers—yay,” she mocked. “But a goddess of destruction who rips your soul out of your chest? No, thanks.
“The secret police searched all the hospitals on the night you were born, but my parents never made it,” she said. “They broke down on the side of the road and Mom gave birth to me in the woods. That saved my life.
“After that, they moved out of that forest community and into another. They lied about the day I was born, and even told people I was their niece to be safe. Anything to get the secret police off their trail. That worked for a long time until some rapey, alpha perv commanded me to strip and give the wolfball team lap dances.” Her lips twisted. “He filmed the whole thing, put it on Loop Garou, and just for a second you can see—”