My Alpha Biker Mate

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 7

Nova's POV

Cassian doesn’t return after he followed the guy that came to call him. I ended up sleeping off in the cold room.

By the time I wake up again, I’m hyper-aware. There’s something humming under my skin. It feels like… power.

My eyes are wide as I look around the room.

“Cassian?” I call out, but there’s no response.

I can feel heartbeats through the walls. I can feel the emotions of different people—the laughter of the elders, the crying of the children, the still air between the bikers who had an argument yesterday. It’s almost static.

My throat is parched. As I swing my feet off the bed and get dressed, I head to the main house, even if Cassian ordered that I shouldn’t leave the room.

That’s when I get the chance to look around the house. The marble tiles and the mahogany furniture. I make my way to the living room, where a butter-colored cushion is placed. There are expensive paintings on the walls, ashtrays, and layers upon layers of trophies. I can only guess that he has won them from his various competitions.

Little wonder he has so much pride.

I head to the kitchen next, fetching a glass of water from the tap and finishing it in three gulps.

I pick up the camera on the counter before walking back to the living room. My feet pad softly against the floor. I position the camera in front of the trophies, then look right through the lens and take the perfect shot.

I grin to myself. It doesn’t matter if I have some kind of new powers—I still have my skills somehow.

There’s a voice in my head that suddenly urges me to go through the pictures from the past. I scroll back, checking the pictures I’ve taken over the past week.

The self-portraits, and the ones of nature. I squint, seeing something that wasn’t there in the frame when I took the pictures.

A kind of golden ray of light, coming from behind the camera. Coming from me.

I find myself collapsing against the cushion beside me as I continue scrolling. I quickly check the self-portraits, and the golden strings of energy are all over me.

I swallow hard. How didn’t I notice that before?

My mind immediately goes back to the house—how I used to look at the portraits hanging along the staircase. The golden strings of energy that used to be all over the place.

I remember asking my mom about them, and she said they were just camera filters. After a while, she told me that I was going to find out about them later on.

Is this the time she was talking about?

The feeling of hate that I have been suppressing this whole time rises up.

I hate my parents for leaving my brother and me—for abandoning us when we were barely even mature.

I run my hand through my hair before standing up. My fingers gently curl around the cold doorknob, and I pull it toward myself. The brightness of the world outside the house makes me squint.

This isn’t the time to give up. I don’t know where I’m going, but I have to find Cassian. He has to see what’s happening with those pictures.

“You,” a voice calls out, making me stop in my tracks. I turn to the side, taking in the sight of a man with his hair tied in a bun.

The pack members who are making their way past suddenly turn, their eyes on me. I shoot them all glances, and they move along with their heads bowed.

The man notices, and he smirks. I know that I wasn't exactly close to the people in the pack, but they are making things harder for me. Their stares, and the way they attempt to dare me. This man is a very good example.

It's almost like they want to see me react. Like they are actively looking for a flaw.

“You’re just going to scare them all?” he asks, and I narrow my eyes at him.

“Maybe you should start by telling me who you are.”

“Jason,” he says. “Cassian’s best friend and Beta.”

That does nothing to faze me.

“Good for you,” I say. “Where is Cassian?”

“You’re not as strong as you’re trying to be, are you?” he asks, and I tighten my grip on the camera.

He flings a sword in my direction, and I catch it midair. That earns a raised eyebrow from him.

“Drop the camera and fight like Cassian’s mate.”

My fingers curl tighter around the handle of the sword, and I gently drop the camera to the ground before getting into position.

“Jason, leave her alone,” one of the women says. She barely looks at me. “Cassian said she shouldn’t be seen around others.”

My jaw tightens. Cassian is trying to keep me away from everyone—but why? It’s becoming irritating by the second.

“Why?” Jason asks, laughing. His laughter is almost mocking. “Cassian will surely allow me to play.”

I immediately swing the sword in his direction, and he dodges, laughing. That only makes me angrier.

“Trying to play smart?” he asks before attacking me even harder. I dodge the first two swings.

Then I turn to dodge the third—and that’s when his sword makes contact with my thigh, slicing clean through my jeans and skin.

For a moment, there’s nothing—

Until the blood starts gushing.

I collapse to the ground immediately, hissing in pain. Everything goes silent.

The onlookers bring their hands to their mouths, and I feel tears prick my eyes.

Jason offers me his hand, trying to help me up. I ignore him, forcing myself to my feet, grabbing my camera, and rushing back to the house.

“Be careful about how strong you try to act, Nova,” he calls out, and I’m about to ask how he even knows my name. “Your weakness will be the easiest to find out.”

A part of me is immediately scared that he’s right.