Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 114617 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 573(@200wpm)___ 458(@250wpm)___ 382(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114617 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 573(@200wpm)___ 458(@250wpm)___ 382(@300wpm)
I stood back a few feet from the dais, watching Melisent work her earth magic. Stepping back, she swept out her hands, presenting me with my throne.
“Gorgeous.”
The throne was a masterpiece. Intricate, carved creations transformed the simple wood. Butterflies flew up the high back. Flames consumed the legs. Waves crashed over my head. The moon shone on my seat. The sun beamed on the back, and the swords crowned the head. All in all, they were the elements of the wolves, and I their queen.
I was reclining on my throne, sipping oolong tea and nibbling on a croissant when the first wave of students shuffled in. They looked like they didn’t know where to go or what to do, but almost all of them sat down. Which they didn’t have to do, because I told them anyone who didn’t want to watch or participate in the trials could get their meals to go.
They wanted to see this.
“—the fuck off me, Ava!” Nyx was hauled inside by Ava and Melisent. His chains were covered in vines, moss, splinters, and forest debris from his useless attempts to break free. Carried in behind him were a still gagged Paxton, Edric, Orion, and Badr. “What is wrong with you? We were friends. You can’t actually be on that psycho’s side.”
Ava’s response was to dump him on the accuser’s chair, and stroll off without a word. My other fates were seated in the back.
Nyx glared at me fit to set my hair on fire. Even with the hatred glowing in his eyes, the man was five-alarm hot. The chains wrapped around his bulging muscles. My metal wolf ally strategically molded and bent the metal around his naughty bits to give him some privacy—way more decency that Nyx and his allies ever showed me—but the result was the guy looked like the chain gang pinup poster boy. I was fairly sure that Nyx could dye his hair orange and pop on a red clown nose, and he’d still be the sexiest man alive.
“You must be feeling pretty proud of yourself.”
I shrugged. “Gotta say, I’m not feeling too bad.”
“What do you think you’re going to accomplish with this bullshit? I get it. We hurt your narcissistic psychopath feelings when we tried to hold you accountable for murder, but I didn’t do anything wrong, and you’re not a fucking victim. So why don’t we skip the show, and we get to you doing whatever it is you’re going to do to me.”
I arched a brow. “You mean like you guys did to me.”
“You lied to the community and promised the judges world domination! The trial was stacked in your favor before we carried you through the door!”
“But this won’t be,” I remarked, taking another delicate sip. “You’re right, Nyx. If I wanted to punish you, I don’t need a sham trial to do it. Right now, everyone is looking to me to see what kind of queen I’m going to be—”
“Queen of my ass!”
“Maybe one day, sweetie, if you behave.”
Nyx growled, but downstairs where only a wolf’s hearing could pick up, his rising cock thudded against its metal prison.
My gods, he still wants me? His wolf is a persistent bugger, isn’t he.
“As I was saying,” I went on, raising my voice over the slight stirrings of interest in my core. Cut that out!
I swear my wolf laughed at me.
“No one trusts a tyrant who delivers their own justice as it suits them. No one follows them,” I said. “That’s not me.”
Nyx’s eyes narrowed to slits. “What the fuck does that mean?”
“It means I’ll be providing the evidence, but otherwise, I’m staying out of this trial because I can’t be impartial. Your fellow alphas, your friends, are going to sit in judgement on you. Not the epsilons,” I announced, setting off murmurs. “If they find you guilty, the community will decide your punishment, not me. And unlike you, asshole, whatever they decide, I respect.”
Nyx was beaming wide before I put a dot at the end of my sentence. “This is truly one of your stupider decisions, and last night you took over the school and admitted to treason.”
“What school would that be, Mr. Harmon, because it most certainly wasn’t mine.” Dagem blew into the mess hall with Raza trailing hot on her heels.
“Ahh, you must be a moon wolf too,” I said to Raza, “because I distinctly remember having you chained to a bedpost.”
“That is enough!” Dagem roared. “Come down from there now! You’re expelled, Miss Volana. Get out of my school. You can pick up your things from the trash heap where you belong.”
Everyone watching flicked from me to her—Nyx with the biggest shit-eating grin on his face.
My grin was no less wide. “I won’t be going anywhere, Miss Dagem... because I know.”
“Excuse me?” she sputtered. “What on earth are you talking about?”