Page 72 of Wings of Ashes
Persius blinked again and dropped her hand. He chuckled and focused back on Elle as he said, “Your friend smells like strawberry milk.” He wiped his hand—the one that had touched Nix’s—onto his blazer.
Nix’s jaw dropped.
He…didn’t recognize her as his mate.
She was so stunned; she did not even feel the sadness yet. Her heart only had room for shock. Later, the disappointment and gut-wrenching heartache would claim her.
“Oh, Nix, while I have you here,” Adar started as Nix felt her brain breaking. “I wanted to ask you to join me at the dance.”
“How are you doing today, angel?” Persius asked Elle in an adoring voice and stole Nix’s seat at the lunch table. His broad shoulders grazed Elle as he settled in beside her. She would feel the warmth of his touch?
“Nix?” Adar poked Nix’s arm. “You okay? The pink hair dye didn’t seep into your brain, did it?”
Nix ground her teeth and fought back nausea and tears as Persius placed his hand on Elle’s lower back. “I…need to go.”
And she ran.
“Ah,Miss Oadess, perfectly on time for—my dear, are you okay?” Professor Bowen asked her when he noticed the wet tears streaming down her face.
“I’m fine,” Nix growled. Intermixed with the sadness was a new spiraling rage.
Persius andElle?That had never happened in the previous timeline. What the hell was happening to cause these changes? And if she could no longer rely on her knowledge of the future, who knew how long she had to become strong enough to avoid capture at graduation?
Persius and Elle.
MY mate.
I want to burn the school down.
“Are you sure you would like to take the reversal potion now? We could wait until—”
“Professor, I want to annihilate any traces of what they have given me these years.” Nix’s fingers clenched into fists at her sides. “I want to shift. I want to know what I am.”
She told him, “I want to be so strong, no one would dare fuck with me. If I am even partially blonde when I wake up tomorrow morning, I might shave my damn head. I don’t want to lookanything like them.”
Professor Bowen pursed his lips at Nix’s wrathful voice. Still, he turned toward his bookshelf and pulled out a purple vial.
“There is no guarantee as to what or how much lingering traces could survive this reversal potion,” he said. “But I made it strong, so I want you to take small sips over the span of a few minutes—”
Nix grabbed the vial, tipped her head back, and swallowed the entire contents.
“Miss Oadess,” Professor Bowen scolded in shock.
“He didn’t recognize me.” She slammed a hand onto his desk and winced at the pain.
Alphas didn’t experience pain when they slapped and cracked chalkboards.Fuck alphas. Fuck those born with strength they abused or didn’t deserve.
I’m so damn pissed. A fire burned inside her, each minute being fed more and more oxygen. Growing. Raging.
“I want to beme,” she exclaimed and balanced her weight on the desk when dizziness threatened her.I want to be me. Whoever that was.
“I realize this all must be frustrating to you, but you need to control your impulses,” Professor Bowen warned. “I haveworked with potions for many years, and I will help you—safely. When I tell you to slowly sip, I need you to follow my guidance.”
“I…” Nix blinked away the rising tears and said, “I’m sorry. I just had a very, uh, rough lunch break.”
Professor Bowen nodded, surely thinking to himself that a young woman cannot have that many serious problems. “Is the reason you smell faintly of strawberry milk the culprit?”
Picking up a strand of her sticky pink hair, Nix grumbled, “I need to shower before my next class.”
