Chapter 4: Isolation and Shadows
1315 Words
Nyx did not let go of my hand until we were far from the courtyard.
Even then, she still looked back twice.
“Do not look behind you,
” she said.
“I am not looking,
” I answered.
But I still felt it.
That pull.
That presence.
Zevran Veyr.
Even when I could not see him anymore, I could still feel him like a pressure in the air.
Nyx pulled me through the hallway fast.
People were still inside.
Still talking.
Still watching.
“She is the rejected one.
”
“Did you see the enemy Alpha calling her name?”
“She is dangerous.
”
I kept my head down.
Nyx whispered,
“Do not listen.
”“I am not listening,
” I said again.
But my voice did not sound sure.
We reached a quieter corridor.
Nyx finally stopped walking.
She turned to me.
“Nymeria, you need to stay away from all of this.
”
I frowned.
“I did not ask for any of it.
”
“I know,
” she said quickly.
“But something is wrong.
”
I pressed my hand to my chest.
It still felt strange.
Not pain.
Not emptiness.
Something alive inside me.
“I feel it too,
” I whispered.
Nyx shook her head.
I swallowed.
“Connected to what?”
“No. This is not normal after rejection. Something is connected to you.
”
Nyx hesitated.
Then she said quietly,
“Zevran Veyr.
”
I looked at her sharply.
“That is impossible.
”
Nyx did not answer.
Footsteps suddenly echoed down the hall.Slow.
Confident.
Nyx stiffened.
I turned slightly.
A group of people entered the corridor.
Not Valmora guards.
Not pack members.
Strangers.
Dark uniforms.
Silver marks on their arms.
Nyx whispered,
“That is his side.
”
I frowned.
“His side?”
Nyx nodded slightly.
“Zevran’s people.
”
They stopped when they saw us.
One of them stepped forward first.
A tall boy with sharp eyes.
“Which one is her?” he asked.
Nyx immediately moved in front of me.
“Do not speak like that,
” she said.
The boy smiled slightly.
“So it is true then. The rejected mate is still alive.
”
My fingers tightened.
Another boy stepped beside him.This one had messy dark hair and a lazy expression.
He looked at me like I was interesting.
“So this is the girl,
” he said.
Nyx narrowed her eyes.
“Move.
”
The first boy ignored her.
He looked directly at me.
“I am Darius,
” he said.
“Commander under Zevran Veyr.
”
Another voice came from behind him.
“Do not scare her too fast.
”
A third boy walked forward.
Calmer.
Stronger presence.
“You will make her run before Zevran even gets a chance to speak to her again.
”
He smiled slightly.
“I am Kael.
”
Nyx whispered,
“There are more of them.
”
I looked past them.
More boys were standing behind.
Five more.
All watching me.
All different.
All dangerous in their own way.One of them crossed his arms.
“I do not see why he is so interested,
” he said.
Nyx stepped forward again.
“She is not an object.
”
The boy shrugged.
“Did I say she was?”
Another boy laughed.
“She is smaller than I expected.
”
That one looked amused.
Nyx glared at him.
“Say that again.
”
He smiled.
“Relax.
”
Another stepped forward slowly.
This one did not smile.
Just stared.
“You are shaking,
” he said to me.
I realized I was.
I did not answer.
He tilted his head slightly.
“Interesting.
”
Nyx whispered,
“Do not answer them.
”
The first boy, Darius, stepped closer.
“Zevran will want to see her,
” he said.
Nyx immediately said,
“She is not going anywhere.
”
Kael laughed softly.
“That is not how this works.
”
I finally spoke.“What does he want from me?”
Silence.
All of them looked at me now.
Darius answered first.
“We do not ask questions like that.
”
Nyx frowned.
“Then why are you here?”
Kael shrugged.
“We were told to wait.
”
“For what?” Nyx asked.
The boy who had been quiet until now spoke.
“We wait for Zevran.
”
Nyx’s grip tightened on my arm.
“And after that?” she asked.
No one answered.
Because they did not need to.
A door at the end of the corridor opened.
The air changed instantly.
All of them straightened.
Even the ones who were joking before.
Darius stepped back slightly.
“He is here,
” he said.
My chest tightened again without warning.
Footsteps came.Slow.
Controlled.
Then Zevran appeared.
Everything else felt smaller the moment he entered.
Even his own people went quiet.
He looked at them first.
“You are loud,
” he said.
Darius lowered his head slightly.
Zevran did not respond.
His eyes moved.
And landed on me.
“We were waiting.
”
Instantly.
Nyx stepped in front of me again.
Zevran stopped walking.
“Move,
” he said calmly.
Nyx did not move.
“I said no,
” she replied.
The corridor went silent.
Even his men looked tense now.
Kael whispered,
“She is brave or stupid.
”
Zevran took one step forward.
“I am not here for you,
” he said to Nyx.Nyx answered quickly.
“Then you will not get to her.
”
Zevran’s gaze stayed on me.
“I already did,
” he said quietly.
My breath caught.
Nyx looked back at me quickly.
“Do not listen.
”
But I was already looking at him.
And that pull was back again.
Stronger here.
Closer.
Zevran finally spoke again.
“Leave us.
”
Darius frowned.
“Alpha, we should escort you back first.
”
Zevran’s eyes shifted slightly.
“Now.
”
Silence.
One by one, they started moving away.
Even the loud ones did not argue.
Kael glanced at me before leaving.
“Good luck,
” he said quietly.
Then they were gone.
Nyx did not move.
Zevran looked at her.“You too,
” he said.
Nyx hesitated.
Then she grabbed my hand tighter.
“I am not leaving her.
”
Zevran stepped closer.
For the first time, his voice lowered.
“She is not in danger from me.
”
Nyx laughed once.
“That is what dangerous people always say.
”
Zevran did not respond.
Instead, he looked at me.
And I felt it again.
That strange pull.
Like my body already knew him.
Nyx whispered,
“Nymeria, do not go near him.
”
But I took a small step forward without meaning to.
Nyx noticed immediately.
“Stop,
” she said.
But I did not.
Zevran’s eyes followed me.
Very carefully.
Like I was something he had been waiting a long time to see again.
And then he said it.Softly.
Only for me.
“You feel it too.
”
My lips parted slightly.
I should have said no.
I should have stepped back.
But I whispered instead.
“I do not understand it.
”
Zevran’s expression softened just a little.
“That is because it is waking up,
” he said.
Nyx stepped in quickly.
“Enough. Whatever this is, she is leaving.
”
Zevran did not look away from me.
“She is not going anywhere,
” he said.
Nyx stiffened.
“You do not decide that.
”
Zevran finally turned his head slightly toward her.
“I already did,
” he said.
And my chest reacted again.
Harder this time.
Like something inside me was answering him completely now.
Nyx noticed.
Her voice dropped.
“Nymeria…
”
I could not speak.Because for the first time…
I was afraid of what I was starting to feel.
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