Page 30 of Celestial Alphas

Hollis walks out, slamming the door shut behind him, and I flinch. “We’re kind of all being hunted right now. He shouldn’t walk out there without my power hiding him.”

“He can look after himself.” Rhodes strokes my arm. “Just stay. I want you here.”

“Is that true, what you said? Hollis wasn’t always like this?” I question after a long pause of silence.

“Yeah. Hollis, he was kind,” Rhodes gently explains.

“I find that hard to believe,” I mutter. “People don’t change that much.”

“Some do,” he quietly whispers back to me. “Now tell me everything, Gwen. I need to be caught up.”

Where the fuck do I even begin? “You said once that I could tell you anything and you would not hate me, you would…you’d still be here for me. What if I told you my Nexus is a monster, and it just kills? Even hunts for sport? What if I told you that I’m swimming in the blood of innocent lives that I’ve taken? What if I told you I am out of control and a danger to society, to everybody, but I don’t want to be that way? When I was at the academy…I wantthat…I want normality.”

I clear my throat before continuing. “My parents hated Nexus. They taught me to and told me not to trust anyone from here and to never get caught. I’ve broken all the rules that they dedicated years to teaching me, and I keep doing it. They taught me that everyone here deserves everything they get, and they…” I pause. “I don’t know whether their beliefs and mine are different now, but I do know that I felt at home in the academy and safe. I found Annie and you guys. I’m really not very good with feelings, emotional things, or discussing feelings at all, but nearly losing you and everything that’s been going on recently…I want to try before I can’t. That’s enough for now, right?”

“It’s more than enough.” He looks happy. Like he has been waiting for me to say this. “It’s really more than enough. I must be dreaming. Or I’m literally in some version of heaven with you opening up to me. I don’t fucking care if your Nexus wants to kill everyone and everything. I care about you.” I grin at him. “Now, if you kissed me, I know I’m dead and very happy.” I laugh, I can’t help myself, shaking my head at him. Rhodes still knowshow to make me feel better. He’s woken up from a coma, and he’s making me feel better. I lean down, just ready to kiss him, when the door opens with a bang.

Happiness and hope die in my throat when I see three guns pointed straight at us, not at me though, at Rhodes’s chest. The glowing green laser light lingers on his chest before Beta Guili steps through the rangers with the guns, his hands in the air. “We know there’s no point shooting them at you, because you could kill all of us and walk out of it quite easily. But Rhodes will be shot if you don’t come with us willingly back to the trials and you put these handcuffs on to control your Nexus.”

“Get the fuck out of here and take those guns off him!” I shout, trying to climb off Rhodes, but he links his arm around my waist.

Rhodes’s gentle voice is a breeze against my ear. “Leave, now. Kill them if you must, but just get out of here.”

“Rhodes, I’m disappointed.” Beta Guili sighs. “Gwenieve knows that she won’t be able to stop the bullets. She’s not that quick, and she also knows I do not want to hurt anyone.”

“Fine, I’ll come with you, but don’t you dare touch Rhodes,” I warn, and Beta Guili nods once. “How did you know I was here?”

“Hollis came straight to us once his brother was awake.” Beta Guili picks up handcuffs from one of the rangers.

Rhodes is shaking his head as I climb off the bed. “Hollis wouldn’t do that?—”

“He did,” I say, stopping him. “Hollis hates me, and I’m not surprised. He just wanted you awake, and he got what he wanted. I’ll be okay.”

“You will and I’m coming with you,” Rhodes begins, pulling wires out, but there are so many attached to him. Beta Guili snaps the handcuffs on my wrists, effectively silencing my Nexus and making me feel like I’m swimming in a fog in my own mind. Beta Guili grabs my upper arm, leading me to the door, and I’mtired. I’m so tired of fighting this that I don’t say goodbye to Rhodes. I just do nothing but let Beta Guili take me out of his room. “I’ll get you out, Gwen! I’ll be there!”

Hollis is standing with Rochelle, her slender arm hooked through his. He smirks when I walk past, and that look cuts through my heart, severing the piece that connected us forever. I’m done with him. Rhodes is wrong. There is nothing good about Hollis, and he is dead to me. Rochelle is too smug for her pretty face, which would look better with my fist planted right in the centre of it. I snap my teeth at her, making her jump back a little. I’m pretty satisfied by that and smile as Beta Guili shakes his head at me in disappointment. Rochelle laughs. “Have fun, monster bitch!”

“Rot in hell, the both of you!” I calmly respond, keeping my tone empty and cold.

“You’ll get there first, I bet,” Hollis’s taunt echoes to me, and I close my eyes for a second, letting myself feel all the pain that my mate wants me dead. My stomach’s turning when we get into the elevator and go down to the first floor, through the entrance hall where every Nexus and human here stops to stare and whisper. Three black cars wait out front, and Beta Guili drags me into the middle car. The second he climbs in next to me and shuts the door, it speeds off. “You shouldn’t have run, Gwen. What happened? And be honest, I am here to help you.”

Only an idiot would think that. He is a powerful man, and there is no way he is on my side. I don’t think he is evil and a shithead like Onyx’s dad, but he isn’t good either. He likely walks the line of the grey, tipping from side to side, not caring as long as he is in his position of power and wealth. “Wouldn’t you like to know?” He sighs at my answer. “You do realise that your Supreme Alpha is an utter fucking dickhead? And that while he’s ruling you, well, the whole of Starlight City will burn quickerthan it would if you let my Nexus free. You’re judging me when you should be looking at him.”

“I don’t disagree, but there isn’t anything I can do,” he admits. “I’m on your side, and it would help if you gave me all the information you can.”

I look away before I can say anything else, likefuck off, lying prick. I’m done trusting anyone but myself.

“Answer me.Do you know why you’re here?” Paavo’s friend, who I can’t remember the name of, asks again. Paavo isn’t at the trial, apparently, but he will be here soon, and until then, his second is standing in. He keeps repeating the same question, and I’m not answering. They dragged me here the second we got to the building, and told me they aren’t risking leaving me in a cell because I’m a flight risk and clearly the Vian have an interest in me. “You’re here to be tried for the murders of—” He starts listing them all and I yawn. It’s been a long day. “These Nexus are dead, and you have been deemed to stand trial and be judged for their deaths. Do you understand, Miss Autumn?”

“No, repeat it again?” I deadpan, the lie feeling like razors clipping down my throat thanks to the spells in this room.

One of the betas shouts. “She’s a killer and a monster! I order for her to?—”

“Careful, Beta. One more word about my mate that isn’t singing her fucking praises for surviving a horrible childhood, a Nexus being that is out of control, and the rejection of her mates to save them…well, you won’t have a tongue to speak with anymore.” My head shoots to Onyx, who just walked into the trial like he owns the place.

The beta who shouted coughs on thin air and blurts out, “You are not allowed in here! Your father’s position does?—”

“My father has decided to show her mercy and have us train her. She will be a defence to the Nexus, a protector of Starlight, and a hero by the time her years at the academy are over. We have a solution and a plan…none of which you can overturn or prevent. I was sent here by him, and he signed these as proof. She is free of her crimes.” He walks towards me, confidence dripping off him. He stops in front of the block, snapping the lock and letting the door swing open. He offers me his hand, and my heart races. “Trust me. One more time, trust me, please. I won’t ever let you down again.”

---