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)
Badr snatched up the microphone. “What the fuck is wrong with all of you!? You’re dancing and partying like nothing happened. Like our school wasn’t just taken over by a twisted, psychopathic murderer that’s blackmailing you!
“How am I the only one who remembers what she’s done to you, to our people, to my brother!” he roared, eyes bugging. “Wake up, people! Volana is no queen. She’s nothing at all! What she is is one person”—he fixed on me—“and she can’t take us all.”
I tensed, lips peeling back from my teeth.
“Fight with me,” he called, raising his fist high. “Let’s take back our academy. Let’s take back our lives! Alphas! Betas! Wolves! Fight with me!”
No one moved. No one breathed.
“Come on,” Badr cried, desperation leaking into his voice. “Come on!”
Nothing.
“This isn’t who you are. You’re wolves, not sheep! Wolf up and fight!” Badr flicked to my left. “Nyx, you’ve got her. Hold her down!”
Nyx dropped my arm instantly, backing away. Looking from me to Badr, he met his friend’s eyes, and shook his head.
“Sorry, Daze,” Nyx murmured, and walked away.
“Nyx? Nyx!”
The door swung shut on him, echoing through the silent ballroom. Badr’s chest heaved, eyes wild. He clutched his head like it was going to explode. “She killed my brother in cold blood, don’t you get that? Why does no one care!”
Turning on my throne, Badr ripped it off and flung it at the wall, showering a bellowing group of beta guys in wood splinters.
“Whoa, calm down, Badr.” Edric appeared at the side of the stage, slowly approaching his friend. “Listen, I understand what you’re going through—”
“The fuck you do, traitor! You’re with her now. You’ve made your choice.”
“I know it looks that way,” Edric said, reaching into his pocket. “But this is all more complicated than you think. It might not look like it but I am on your side. You, Paxton, Nyx, and Orion.”
Badr’s eyes flashed. “Don’t talk to me about Orion. You just stood there while she framed him! Everyone thinks he’s a psychopathic murderer now, and you don’t even care.”
“That’s not true! I can prove it to you.” Edric took out his phone. “I have—”
Badr pounced.
There wasn’t time to shout, blink, or move. One moment he was snarling in Edric’s face, and the next Badr was punching it in—blasting Edric off his feet.
“Nice try,” Badr growled, “but if your girlfriend wants more material for Loop-Garou, she’ll have to get it herself.” Lifting his feet, Badr stomped Edric’s cell to bits.
“All right, that’s enough.” I snapped my fingers. “Ava, love, would you please?”
She, Melisent, and the girls were already moving. They charged the stage, coming at him from all sides.
“Back off!” Badr spun left to right, looking more like a cornered animal than a man. “Don’t fucking touch me!”
Ava was first to grab him, tearing at his sleeve hauling him away.
Badr howled—claws sprouting and blue eyes burning gold. I knew in that second what he was going to do.
“Cover your eyes!”
Blinding sunlight ripped through the ballroom and the cracks of my fingers, stabbing my eyes with white-hot brilliance.
Shouts and screams went up across the room. I opened my mouth to tell everyone to remain calm and stay still, when a rough hand clamped down on it.
“Hphmf!”
“You and I are finishing this—tonight.”
Pain exploded in my head. I fell forward, tipping over a hard shoulder, and sinking into darkness as I was lifted off my feet.
SOMETHING STRUCK MY face, fluttering my eyes open.
Squinting, my watery eyes landed on something pink and wiggling. It came closer to me, as if sensing the blinding pain behind my eyes and wanting to comfort me.
My vision cleared and I came face to face with the writhing pile of worms.
“Ahh!” Shooting up, I flew back and screamed—clutching my aching head.
I felt awful. Between blowing up the bond and taking another blow to the head, everything from my chin up was soaked in agony. Dizziness made my world spin. The pounding in my skull echoed in my ears. Pitching forward, I vomited.
“Wha... What’s going on?”
“—had no choice.” A voice reached my sensitive ears. “Everyone’s gone mad. They’re under her spell. I had to stop her. I had to save Wolf Nation. This is the only way. The only way.”
Something struck me again. Blinking, I saw it was dirt.
Everything dirt. Everywhere dirt! Tipping my head back, back, back, I swept up the hard, earthen walls and locked eyes with Badr... and his shovel.
“My gods, Badr,” I breathed, horror leadening my voice. “What are you doing?”
“I’m stopping you!” His eyes were crazy. “You gave me no choice.”
“No choice?” I whipped around, taking in the eight-foot hole I was dropped in. High above me and Badr was nothing but a roof of trees and sky, and I meant nothing. I couldn’t hear the academy anymore. I couldn’t hear the bustle, whisper, and romp of hundreds of students partying in a ballroom.