Chapter 7
1108 Words
The black SUV arrived right after the final bell.
Two large men in dark suits stepped out and approached me without a word. One of them handed me a sealed black envelope with my name written in elegant silver ink.
You are expected at Blackthorn Manor immediately.
My stomach tightened. I knew this wasn’t an invitation I could refuse.
The drive up the mountain was silent and tense. Tall pine trees blurred past the windows as we climbed higher. When the SUV finally stopped, I looked up at Blackthorn Manor for the first time.
It was massive. Gothic. Intimidating. Dark stone walls, towering windows, and iron gates that looked like they could keep out an army. The kind of place built to remind people who held the power.
The twins were waiting on the wide stone steps.
Damien stood with his arms crossed, jaw tight. Darius leaned against a pillar, trying to look casual but failing. Their eyes locked onto me the second I stepped out of the car.
“You okay?” Damien asked quietly as I approached.
I didn’t answer. I wasn’t sure anymore.
They led me inside without another word.
The interior was even more overwhelming — high ceilings, dark wood, and the faint scent of incense and power. We walked down a long hallway until we reached a set of heavy double doors.
Victor Blackthorn waited inside.
He sat behind a massive oak desk like a king on his throne. He was an older, sharper version of his sons — salt-and-pepper hair, cold silver eyes, and an aura that made the air feel heavier. Two guards stood behind him.
“Leave us,” Victor commanded.
The twins hesitated.
“Now,” he growled.
Damien and Darius stepped back reluctantly, but they didn’t leave the room. They stayed by the door, watching.
Victor studied me for a long moment, his gaze dissecting.
“Nova Kane,” he said finally. His voice was calm but carried unmistakable authority. “You’ve caused quite a stir in my territory.”
I lifted my chin. “I didn’t ask to come here.”
“No. But you’re here now.” He leaned forward. “And your presence is becoming… problematic.”
He slid a thick envelope across the desk.
“Inside is fifty thousand dollars and documents for a new identity. Take it. Leave Blackridge tonight. I will personally ensure the Silverfang Pack doesn’t follow you. You’ll be free.”
I stared at the envelope.
Freedom. Safety. A chance to escape all of this.
“Why?” I asked. “Why do you suddenly want me gone when your sons have been hunting me since day one?”
Victor’s expression didn’t change. “Because I know what you are. And I know what will happen if you stay. The full moon is coming. Once you shift, there will be no going back. For any of us.”
The room fell silent.
I looked over at the twins. Damien’s hands were clenched into fists. Darius looked ready to explode.
I turned back to Victor.
“No.”
The word hung in the air.
Victor’s eyes narrowed. “Excuse me?”
“I said no.” My voice grew stronger. “I’m done running. I’m done hiding. Whatever this is — whatever I am — I’m facing it here.”
A dangerous silence filled the room.
Then Darius stepped forward, voice low but firm. “She’s not going anywhere, Father.”
Damien moved to stand beside his brother. “We won’t let her leave.”
Victor rose slowly from his chair, power radiating off him. “You dare defy me? For this girl?”
“She’s not just a girl,” Damien said, his voice steady. “She’s our mate.”
For the first time, the twins openly defied their father in front of me. The air crackled with tension. Victor looked stunned, then furious.
Before anyone could speak again, the door burst open.
Jax walked in, breathing hard like he’d run the entire way up the mountain. His amber eyes found mine immediately.
“Nova,” he said urgently. “Don’t listen to them. Come with me. The Silverfang Pack will protect you. Elias has allies there. You don’t have to choose the Blackthorns.”
Victor laughed coldly. “The Silverfang whelp dares enter my home?”
Jax ignored him, focusing only on me. “They’ll destroy you. Just like they destroy everything they touch. Come with me. Please.”
I looked between all of them — Victor’s cold calculation, Jax’s desperate sincerity, and the twins standing protectively in front of me.
My heart pounded.
I took a deep breath and spoke clearly.
“I’m not choosing any of you. I’m choosing myself. I won’t run. I won’t hide. And I won’t let any of you decide my fate.”
The silence that followed was deafening.
Victor stared at me like I was a new species. The twins looked proud. Jax looked heartbroken.
I turned and walked out of the room before anyone could stop me.
My legs shook as I made my way down the long driveway toward the waiting SUV. The mountain wind whipped through my hair. I felt powerful. Terrified. Alive.
I didn’t make it far.
A blur of movement came from the side.
Sienna slammed into me with brutal force, knocking me to the ground. Gravel bit into my palms.
“You stupid b***h,” she snarled, straddling me. Her eyes were wild with rage. “You think you can just walk in here and take them from me?”
I tried to push her off, but she was stronger than she looked.
“I’ve been promised to them since birth!” she screamed, grabbing my hair. “Damien was supposed to be mine! You’re nothing but Kane filth!”
Her fist connected with my cheek.
Pain exploded across my face.
Before she could hit me again, a roar shook the air.
Darius appeared like a storm, ripping Sienna off me with terrifying strength. Damien was right behind him, pulling me up and shielding me with his body.
“Sienna,” Damien growled, voice lethal. “Touch her again and I’ll end you myself.”
Sienna stumbled back, eyes wide with shock and betrayal. “But… you promised. Your father promised—”
“Promises change,” Darius said coldly, standing protectively in front of me. “Nova is ours.”
As blood trickled down my split lip and the twins stood between me and the rest of their world, one thing became painfully clear.
The lines had been drawn.
And there was no going back.
- Writer
