Page 7 of Frost and Fate
Wait…What was his?That was weird. He had just met this girl, and his wolf had never staked such an aggressive claim before.
Grey-green eyes met with his briefly before she blushed and looked away. That was his cue to close his mouth and move along. “We will talk to Laurie about getting you some other clothes. We better get going,” he said. “Gideon won’t want to be kept waiting.”
They walked in silence through the Ulric complex, making their way down the elevators and through the hallways that led to the training room. Darren felt hyperaware of Nova’s presence next to him. When they entered the training area, Gideon, Lance, and Leah were standing together in the middle of the room. Their gazes collectively traveled over the expanse of skin revealed by Nova’s clothing. A growl threatened to tear its way from Darren’s chest. He wanted to throw a coat, or blanket, or anything over her right now. He couldn’t stand other people staring at her exposed body.
Before he could do anything stupid, a shout from the doorway grabbed his attention. “Nova!” Laurie entered the training room behind him. She sprinted over to give Nova a hug.
“Laurie! It’s good to see you again.” The silver-haired woman smiled for the first time.
“Oh dear!” Laurie looked down at Nova’s outfit. “We will definitely have to get you some of your own clothes! No one will be able to focus with all of that going on.” She gestured to Nova’s entire form. Nova laughed along with Laurie.
“If we’re done exchanging pleasantries,” Lance’s gruff voice cut in. “We should get started. Now, it’s important you do exactly as we say today and don’t make any attempts to—”
* * *
“Stop,” Nova spoke up. She had spent all night with a head full of unanswered questions. Turning away from the now-seething Beta and toward the hulking frame of Gideon, she took a deep breath. “I realize as Alpha it’s probably in your nature to demand people do what you want, but I’m not doing anything until you answer some of my questions.”
She stood there, hands planted on her hips, looking Gideon straight in the eye. Her heart was racing. The way Gideon was looking back at her made her want to crawl into a hole somewhere.
There was a stunned silence in the room. Clearly the Alpha wasn’t usually spoken to in such a manner. Darren himself appeared shocked. Gideon took several steps toward Nova, and she slowly cowered. He spoke in a low, calm voice, “You may feel bold now, but whether you like it or not, you do need our help. And our protection.”
Nova scoffed. “That may be so”—she attempted to once again square up to the nearly seven-foot man. Despite her fear, she was determined not to back down—“but I’m not continuing down this crazy rabbit hole until I get some answers.” More silence filled the training room. Gideon’s eyes locked with Nova’s. Tension built around them.
Finally, it was Laurie who spoke. “Alpha,” she tentatively began, “perhaps if we gave her more information regarding why she’s here, and what she is, she would be more inclined to cooperate.”
Gideon turned his sharp gaze on Laurie, but it softened the second their eyes met.
“Fine,” he growled. He looked at Nova. “What are your questions?”
Nova had so many questions it felt like her head was going to explode. She thought for a moment, deciding to prioritize her questions in case Gideon’s patience wore off. She landed on her first thought. “Okay. What are you?”
Gideon sighed. “As we mentioned before, we are lycans. We may also be known as werewolves and shifters. We share a body with our wolf. Though the wolf is always present, we are able to choose when to let it out. When to shift.”
“What about full moons?”
Gideon actually cracked a smile. “It’s nothing like the movies. But our wolves do gain strength during that lunar phase. They are stronger, and also harder to control.”
Okay, Nova could live with that answer. “Are you born this way? Or do you get bitten?”
Gideon’s face regained its stoic composure. “We are born this way.” He paused for a moment, as if deciding whether or not to say more. “It is possible to turn a human. However, the fatality rate is extremely high and therefore it is rarely attempted.” Nova shuddered at the thought. Who would ever want to become a werewolf? Her heartbeat quickened as she prepared to ask her next question.
“So… What am I? And who were those people with the blank eyes? They kept saying something about me being Chosen.”
Gideon’s blue eyes stared down at her. “The people who took you call themselves the Collectors. They are led by a man named Creedin who seems to have acquired an army of fanatical followers. They use some type of dark magic rituals to achieve their abilities. Other than that, we know very little about them.”
Creedin.Nova thought about the hidden man who gave the commands during her violent attack. That must have been him. Gideon paused for a moment but did not take his eyes away from hers. The intensity in his sapphire gaze sent a shudder through her. She couldn’t tell what was going on inside his mind, but eventually she broke their stare and turned away.
After what seemed like an eternity, Gideon spoke again. “You are very unique, Nova. A Chosen is one who holds special abilities. They could be compared to a modern-day natural witch. The Chosen are usually born with innate abilities that are then honed over years of study and practice. Laurie is also a Chosen.” He tilted his head in Laurie’s direction. Nova was completely taken aback. She turned to the beautiful blonde woman, who smiled. The warmth in Laurie’s face seemed to spread to Nova, wrapping her in a soft embrace. Gideon continued, “Though you may not have known it, Laurie has been using her Chosen gifts since the moment you arrived. She has the ability to manipulate energies, auras, and emotions. No doubt you’ve felt a calming energy each time you’ve been with Laurie.”
Nova looked toward Laurie again, confused. The Chosen woman gave her a soft smile. “Apologies for not being forthcoming about my gifts.” Laurie smiled fully. “My only intention is to help.”
Nova wasn’t angry at the woman. Her calming presence had helped keep her sane since she arrived. She was happy to have her around. “So I’m like Laurie?” Nova asked, feeling as if she was finally connecting the dots. “If she’s a Chosen, won’t those Collector guys try to kidnap her too?”
A growl ripped across the room as Lance stepped forward. His toffee eyes began to glow. “They will never touch her.” Nova took a step back, as power radiated off of the Beta. Laurie quickly closed the distance between them and put a calming hand on Lance’s cheek.
“That will not happen, my love. No need to get upset.” She planted a soft kiss on his lips and the Beta’s eyes returned to their normal shade. Obviously Laurie and Lance were a couple, something Nova had neglected to put together despite their shared name of Atwell. This also explained why Lance had gone all crazy wolf on her when she had lashed out at Laurie in the infirmary. Something inside Nova ached when she watched the tenderness the two shared. She longed for someone to look at her the way Lance was staring at Laurie.
“So if I’m just another Chosen, why did they come after me?”
