Page 14 of Celestial Alphas

“The handsome Vian prince is your mate?” She pauses. “I really didn’t see that one coming. Can Nexus even have Vian mates? How is that possible?”

Handsome? My Nexus growls slightly at another woman calling him handsome, and if I could whack my Nexus, I would. This is Annie and that is Severi. Our enemy. I literally want to beat her out of my soul at this point. She’s psychotic, makes no fucking sense, and just kissed him. She can’t be trusted or make any rational decisions. “I don’t know. I killed a warehouse full of Vian, and then Finn found me. He saw my Nexus, what it does, and he didn’t run. I was surprised. I passed out, and they gave me up because Onyx’s father and some rangers were at the house. Finn said that they had no choice, and maybe he didn’t have a choice, but I feel like Onyx maybe did.

“They know now, and I don’t know what their opinion of me is. They might hate me, they probably do. Finn probably does now because I just knocked him out to make sure he wouldn’t get killed. I don’t know how to work with people. It was always me and my Nexus. I never really had a friend before you because I thought making friends was pointless. You’d find out and be scared of me. Or worse, my Nexus might lose control again, and then I’d hate myself for ending your life.” I laugh, but it’s hollow. “I’m a monster, an abomination that probably should have been killed at birth. But here I am, still living. Still killing.”

“Gwen!” she shouts to interrupt my spiral, and I blink. “I see you. The real you and you’re not a monster. You’re not a bad person, and I’m still here. Your mates are fucking fools if they walk away, and if they do, they never once deserved you. I may have the shittiest character-judging skills ever thanks to my mate, and you may have been born with a difficult path, but you’re a good person. I know that. You’re my best friend. There’s nothing I wouldn’t do for you.”

I stare at her in confusion. “Really?”

“Yes, really, Gwen.” She sighs. “I wish you’d told me sooner, but I get why you didn’t. I’m on your side.”

“Well, you wouldn’t drag a bear out of our room, so I’m not sure there isn’t a limit to our friendship,” I joke, needing to break the tension, and it works. She grins—even with sadness drowning the light in her eyes, she smiles. It’s enough to make me smile back, despite everything burning to shit around us. “We need to get out of here.”

“I know, but I can’t reach my Nexus, and I can’t get out. Believe me, I’ve tried. The room might look like it’s falling apart, but it’s magically spelled somehow,” she mutters.

I purse my lips. “Does Kosma come to see you?”

Her eyes flash with anger, and she nods. “Once a day. He brings me shitty food and even shittier speeches about the Vian not being all evil.”

“I learnt the last time I was here that we will need a big distraction, and Kosma might be it.” I climb up off the floor, and she stands with me. One of the beds is untouched, the sheets still crisp and smooth. I sit down and lie back, crossing my legs.

Annie paces by the door. “How long were you here before?”

“A long time. Months…” My throat feels like it’s going to close up at the thought of it alone. It wasn’t the worst time of my life, but it’s up there. “It was months of torture, if I’m being honest with you, and it ended with my parents dying.” I gulp. No more lies. “It ended with me killing my parents and being forced to do it. Severi, he’s a monster, and he flips like a switch. Sometimes he’s nice, but not often. Most of the time, he’s evil and psychotic. Recently, he’s been the nice version of himself. I doubt that will last long. It doesn’t matter. My parents are dead because of him, and I won’t ever forget it even if my Nexus has.”

“We will get out, Gwen. We have to,” she whispers. If we get out, I’m making sure she is safely back in Starlight City, and then I’m running for good.

I stare at the ceiling, mostly at the mould growing in the corner. “I hoped I’d never come back here. I promised myself that I never would, and I thought my Nexus was on the same side. But she walked here like it was what she wanted. She’s not listening to me. Not that she ever really was, but at least we were on the same page about some things like our shared dislike of torture. Now I’m just confused.”

“If it helps, my Nexus is confusing too. It still loves the bastard that betrayed us and our race.” She sighs. “I was losing hope… It’s good to see you, Gwen. I needed you.”

“I needed you too,” I admit. Sometimes you just need your friend, and more than anything, I need to have someone alive and good at the end of this. The door slowly opens, and I shoot to my feet at the same time Annie does. Severi strolls in with an air of smugness that is like a second skin, followed by a woman I don’t know. She’s at least about twenty-five, all long natural blonde hair and pouty features. She has stunning yellow eyes that remind me of a cat, and she’s formally dressed in black. She is holding a fabric dress in her arms, the material a sparkling midnight blue.

Severi stands straight by the door. “Get dressed, Gwenieve.”

“I’m not wearing that,” I snap.

“Put it on,” he warns with an icy bite to his voice that echoes from my past. The cold, empty, heartless version of Severi that I’m used to stares at me like I’m nothing. My Nexus whines and hides in my chest. Scared of him now. I don’t get it. One minute she wants him, and now she’s back to the scared thing. “Otherwise, it won’t be you I hurt.” He clicks his finger and points at Annie. His eyes drift to the woman when he knows he has won. “Get her dressed, Maia.”

Maia bows her head and shuts the door behind Severi.

“Give me one reason why I shouldn’t beat the fuck out of you and rip that dress up, Vian,” I challenge her.

She turns, holding her slender head high. “I’m as much a prisoner as you are. Do that, your friend is dead. You will wish you’re dead, too.” She confidently walks up to me. “I made this dress myself. It’s a talent of mine. I can weave fabric, make it tighter or bigger or whatever I want.”

Annie laughs. “Who the fuck did you steal that off? Who did you kill to get that power, or do you not remember their name?” There is a stale bitterness to her voice I’ve never heard from her before. I’m kinda proud.

“You Nexus folk are so tunnel-visioned that most of you judge long before you know anything. For the record, it’s not that simple.” Maia lifts her chin.

“It is simple. Nexus are born with powers, Vian are not, and the only way you get your powers is by death. The power that you’re talking so proudly about belonged to a Nexus, and you stole it along with their life,” I remind her, matching my bestie’s tone.

Maia cocks a perfect eyebrow. “We all know about you. You steal powers too and swim in enough blood to make your own river of it.” She snorts. “Judging me? You have some nerve, Gwenieve. There are stories sung to our children, warning them about you.”

I shiver and look away. Annie steps to my side. “The difference is, she doesn’t kill willingly or enjoy it.” Annie is defending me. She shouldn’t, Maia is right.

“Pretentious assholes,” Maia mutters. “You have no idea what it’s like for us. What it’s like on the other side of the war. You’re all brainwashed idiots.”

Cold fury echoes through my blood, and she holds a hand up in the middle of us. “Don’t hurt me. If you hurt me, Severi will torture her. We both know you’re no stranger to Severi’s skills, so let’s get on with it. Put the dress on, and then I can fit it around your body. It should be a close fit to size, anyway.”

---