When fate and worlds collide

18 | Defiant

Xavier followed my gaze, watching Glen struggle past a knot of people.

“To be honest,” he replied, raising an eyebrow, “when I saw him, I was surprised he was still breathing. From what you’ve told me—and the small snippets on what I’ve seen—he doesn’t deserve to be.”

“As much as I would’ve enjoyed watching him become Feral food…” My voice trailed off.

“Yeah,” Xavier answered quietly to my unspoken worry. “I get it. Can’t imagine what’ll happen when he finds out.” I studied him for a moment, then shook my head.

“Regardless of what I want, he still has the right to know,” I murmured. “And decide for himself.” I turned to leave.

“Aiyanna!” Glen shouted. I stopped. Slowly, I turned halfway back to him, my body tightening with an old instinct I’d thought long dead. “Why do I feel like I know you?” he demanded. “Ever since you rescued us, there’s something… familiar.” My chest rose and fell sharply. My palms began to sweat as memories clawed their way up from the dark. I clenched my fists, forcing myself to breathe, to choose.

“I’d hope so,” I replied evenly after a few beats. “We were married for six years.” The confusion on his face shattered into disbelief. I reached up and pulled my mask down. A name—one I hadn’t heard in years—slipped from his mouth like a curse. My lip twitched. I glanced at Xavier. He wasn’t looking at me. His face was stone as he stared at Glen.

“What…how—why?” Glen stammered. “Why didn’t you tell me sooner?” Everything inside me twisted—want, fury, restraint, duty—colliding all at once. I crushed it down. Without another word, I turned and walked away. His angry shout followed me, but I didn’t slow.

I didn’t have time for him. Or our past. The Tower needed defending—and I wasn’t about to fail it for the sake of old ghosts.

I moved on instinct and routine. Extra ammo clips for my handgun—three, then a fourth, because optimism was a luxury I didn’t indulge in. A dagger strapped snug against my thigh, and I replaced the one from my boot. Two of the homemade grenades, laced with Wolfsbane, tucked into my belt, their weight familiar and comforting. Not explosive enough to be dramatic, but effective enough to keep their wounds from knitting back together. Nothing demoralizes a Feral quite like discovering it can bleed.

Footsteps scraped behind me.

I turned, already knowing who it would be. Jax stood there with a handful of men, faces tight with resolve. Glen was noticeably absent. I didn’t comment. Some problems were better postponed until they could be dealt with properly—or permanently.

“We want to fight,” Jax declared. A smile tugged at my mouth despite myself as I slid the ammo into place.

“I hope these men can aim better than what I saw in that alley,” I jested dryly.

Jax lifted a brow, unfazed. “We’re fast learners.” The answer died as shrill screeches tore through the air beyond the wall. Another warning bell detonated overhead, the sound vibrating straight through bone.

“Positions!” I barked. A soldier rushed in to wrangle Jax’s group as I sprinted for the far wall, boots pounding up the stairs two at a time. For half a second, my breath vanished at the sight before me. Dozens of Ferals thundered through the ruined streets, scrambling over collapsed buildings and each other like a living tide. Concrete rained down as they leapt gaps that should’ve killed them, mouths stretched wide in snarls, drool stringing between gnashing teeth. Hunger rolled off them in waves.

This wasn’t a scouting party.

The light on the horizon was bleeding out fast. Soon, darkness would claim the streets—and when that happened, the Nightmares would crawl out of whatever hell they nested in. And those things didn’t discriminate. Feral, human, Aura—it all tasted the same to them. Xavier appeared at my side, posture stiff as stone.

“I don’t understand,” he said quietly. “Why now?” My gut twisted. This was my fault. It had to be. Saving those two men, using too much power, revealing myself. Rumours had circulated among the newcomers—whispers of Ferals tracking powerful Auras—but no one had ever been able to explain how or why. Maybe they’d just found their answer.

“Whatever the reason,” I replied, drawing my gun and sighting down the barrel, “we kill as many as we can before nightfall.”

I fired. Because the last thing we needed was fighting Ferals and Nightmares at the same time.

~*~

Doc cleaned the fresh gash on my arm with practiced efficiency. I could feel the Feral toxin trying to sink its claws into my system, spreading fast and ugly—but my recently replenished power was chewing through it quicker than it could settle. Still, not quick enough to go unnoticed. My guard had slipped. Just once. Long enough for Xavier to see how close to the edge I really was.

He’d transferred energy before I could stop him, the traitor. I cataloged the damage while Doc worked: two dead, five wounded. A win by any reasonable standard. Unfortunately, reasonable and Liam rarely existed in the same universe. I could already hear the lectures forming on my idiotic decisions. Rowan’s reaction wouldn’t be much gentler.

I sighed.

“You’ll heal at a human rate for a few hours, my dear,” Doc explained, brows drawn tight as he stitched. “The cuts themselves are minor, but the amount of toxin in your system—even with the extra power Xavier gave you—your body is struggling to fight it off and keep you upright.”

“Thanks, Doc,” I murmured.

His eyes flicked to my face. “It is I who should be thanking you, Aiyanna. What you did today saved five lives.”

I scoffed. “Liam won’t see it that way.”

“If he did half the job he so desperately wants,” Doc snapped, irritation flashing, “you wouldn’t have to keep throwing yourself between us and those demons.” Coming from anyone else, I might’ve bristled. But Doc had been here since nearly the beginning. One of the few people whose opinion I actually cared about. A father figure I trusted—even when he was scolding me.

“It still won’t stop him from making an example out of me,” I replied quietly.

Doc huffed. “You’ve given enough examples already. This building being the most prominent.” We lapsed into silence as he finished his work. His disapproval of Alpha Liam wasn’t new—it was practically tradition. When he was done, I rolled my shoulder carefully, testing the limits. He shot me a look.

“Don’t ruin my perfectly good work. It’s not every day I get to patch you up, my dear.”

I smiled. “One less patient to worry about, Doc.” I leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to his forehead before slipping off the bed. “I’ll be careful,” I added, already halfway to the door.

He chuckled behind me. “And I’m a monkey’s uncle.” The smile stayed with me as I left the infirmary. I headed toward my quarters. I’d spotted Rowan briefly after the fight and promised to come straight there once Doc cleared me. Halfway down the corridor, a familiar wall of muscle stepped into my path.

Braydon.

Stocky. Square-jawed. Thick brows, thicker beard, shoulders like he’d been built to block doors for a living. Even though he was younger than me by at least six years, you wouldn’t guess he was only twenty-two with the way he towered over everyone.

“He wants to see you, Aiyanna,” Braydon grumbled. I folded my arms and didn’t move.

“I’m going to see my son first.” He didn’t budge.

“He insisted. Said it was urgent.”

I rolled my eyes. “It’s urgent when he’s taking a s**t, Braydon.” I tried to step past. He placed a hand on my shoulder. My stomach flipped. My body went rigid on instinct, old reflexes snapping into place.

“Remove your hand,” I spoke coldly. “I’m really not in the mood. Not after today.” He dropped his arm immediately.

“And I really don’t want my ass handed to me either,” he muttered, “but I have my orders. If I don’t follow them, I get the ass kicking.” My gaze lifted to his. Braydon looked intimidating enough—height, bulk, scowl—but anyone who actually knew him understood the truth. A walking teddy bear, trapped in an enforcer’s body.

I sighed. “Fine. But you’re going to tell Rowan why I’m late.” I brushed past him, starting for the top floor.

“Lucky me, I get one of the cookies he and Amelia baked.” I flipped him off over my shoulder, his chuckle following. That was a low blow. With my power drained and Feral toxin still being burned out of my system, transporting myself wasn’t an option. Stairs it was.

Too bad for Liam. The prick could wait.