SERAPHINA'S POV
I follow the two guys down a path leading to the outskirts of the school and deeper into the woods.
A part of me screams to turn back, to return to the party or maybe even go home where it's safe.
But the thought of going home means facing Artemis, and right now, that's not something I can bear. Just thinking about him brings back those awful images of him kissing some girl in an alley.
It's infuriating, confusing even, because I can't quite fathom why I'm so angry in the first place.
After all, it's none of my business what he does.
He has a mate, and last I checked, we're not even friends. What he does in his free time, or whoever he's grinding against, shouldn't be my concern.
My actual business here is to ensure Olivia gets the revenge she deserves after what these people did to her.
I have no idea what I'm going to do, but a subtle feeling tells me I might gather some evidence for the school board if I follow them. We walk for a while until we spot what looks like an abandoned building up ahead, its lights on.
Just as I suspected, they walk right into it.
I quietly follow, taking cover behind an assortment of boxes and barrels stacked against the wall-a perfect hiding spot for someone my size.
Peering through gaps in the wall, I see seven other boys gathered around a large fire at the center of the room. The two I followed join them.
Just before they can initiate their conversation, I pull out my phone and hit the record button.
"Where is he?" The first one asks, pulling off his hoodie.
Beneath it lies a face angelic enough to pass as soft and gentle: drooping light-brown eyes, puckered pink lips, and chestnut hair abundant with soft, bouncy curls.
His voice, too, is tender and gentle, a striking contrast to the venomous scowl etched on his face.
"Trevor."
At the mention of his name, Trevor turns his head toward a shadowy corner of the room.
Answering the call, another figure steps into the light, giving an aura so daunting that it silences the room.
When he steps into full view, I immediately recognize the wicked grin that once haunted me-the reason Olivia is in the clinic.
"Morgan," Trevor utters, his eyes locking onto the newly revealed face.
The ice in Trevor's expression cracks. Tears well up in his eyes before he rushes toward Morgan, and they share an emotionally charged embrace and a lingering kiss.
Feeling like an intruder upon their intimacy, I force my eyes away.
Still, the loud smack of their lips fills the room. Oddly enough, no one tells them to get a room.
Taking a deep breath, I force myself to look again just as they part from the kiss.
Morgan, slightly taller, wipes the tears from Trevor's eyes with his thumb, frowning down at his mate.
"I told you not to go to the party. What if you got caught by that fucking bastard? Do you really want to put our mission in jeopardy because you can't control your emotions?" He says, clearly referring to Artemis.
"How could I not? That party is to mock you, mock all of us, after everything they've done. They've stolen your position, and now they've put you under surveillance like some criminal," Trevor argues, unable to hold back his tears.
His words strike me as hilarious. He acts like the victim when he's not the one who was chased down a cliff or ended up in a coma. He sounds almost as crazy and as fucked up as his mate.
Morgan sighs, seeming unsure of what to do with Trevor, who clearly doesn't want to stay out of trouble.
So, this is what a real mate bond looks like-nothing like Artemis and Kamila, who can't seem to get on the same page, as twisted as they are.
Maybe in a different situation, I'd be fascinated by their closeness and mutual protective instincts, rather than plotting to catch them both.
"And there's that human bitch," he yells, clearly referring to me. I instantly feel offended.
"I don't want to repeat myself, Trevor. You're not to step outside without someone by your side, or interfere with what we're doing. Do you understand me?" He warns him.
Instead of responding, Trevor huffs in anger, feeling underappreciated, and storms off in the opposite direction.
Another guy starts to follow him, but Morgan stops him with a hand.
"Leave him. Once he's done sulking, he'll realize everything I'm doing is for his safety."
The man nods, casting one last glance toward the door Trevor exited through.
"Any report so far?" Morgan asks, shifting gears.
"The Alpha prince can't seem to stay far enough away from the human for us to move in, but we're still closely monitoring for slip-ups. We have at least three boys ready to act at the right moment," one of the boys reports.
"Excellent. Notify me the second he leaves her alone. Straying too far from her guard dog will be the last mistake she makes before I eliminate her and her friends," Morgan muses, mostly to himself, while pacing in deep thought.
"Once this is all over, my father will cover our tracks. The school won't trace anything back to us, and the position on the Black Wolf Council will be mine again!"
A cheer erupts from the boys around him, hyping him up for his plan to get rid of me.
"Common, weak, pathetic omegas-they think they can claim a seat of power? What could they possibly understand about authority? The Moon Goddess set up a system for a reason, placing them at the bottom. The crumbs. If they were so vital, why are they not born as Alphas or Betas? No, they're bottom-feeders, and they should stay that way. They're a disgrace to what our kind should be. Some of these maggots can't even shift. What do they think gaining power will accomplish? Fools. They don't even realize how much they need me. When all this is over, those wretched omegas will live to regret ever standing against us." He adds, eliciting another round of cheers.
Bottles of booze and vodka materialize as they begin celebrating a victory that hasn't even been won yet.
The revelation sickens me, but his loud declarations have been caught on my phone. That's more than enough evidence.
Time for my exit.
Slowly, I start crawling from my hiding spot, navigating the narrow space between the stacked wooden boxes and the wall.
I inch toward the unguarded door. Just when I think I'm home free, my phone begins to vibrate loudly in my pocket.
Frantically, I reach for it, cursing myself for forgetting to put it on "Do Not Disturb" before venturing into this snake pit.
Fumbling through my pockets, I finally fish out the phone and see that Juliet is calling.
Just as I pull the phone out, the call ends, and a loud notification sound blares as her urgent text pops up: 'Where are you?'
I quickly switch the phone to silent and slide it back into my pocket, praying that they were too absorbed in their celebrations to hear the noise.
All seems quiet, so I take it as my cue to keep moving and inch forward.
Out of nowhere, a muscular hand bursts through one of the boxes shielding me.
In one swift motion, it latches onto my arm, yanking me out of my hiding place and tossing me onto the floor like a sack of potatoes.
The thud of my body hitting the ground echoes as I wince in pain.
Opening my eyes, I look up in terror to see the group closing in around me, each face wearing a wicked grin.
And there, standing right in front of me, is Morgan.
"Well, well, well. Look what the cat dragged in," he says, his smile matching the wickedness in his voice. He chuckles to himself as he leans in closer.
I meet his gaze, channeling all the hate and disdain I can muster into a single look. It only makes him laugh even harder.
"I didn't realize it was my birthday, to find such a wonderful present hiding within my walls."
Desperate, my eyes dart around, searching for an escape route, any small crevice I could squeeze through. Seizing the next available moment, I bolt, thinking I can outrun them all.
But almost immediately, someone snags me, hurling me back against the wall with even more force than before.
Groaning, I lift my gaze to meet Morgan's.
He's laughing so hard, he has to wipe away tears from his eyes.
"Sorry, sweetheart, can't let you leave just yet. Considering everything you've done to make my life difficult lately, I'd say you owe me," he taunts.
"Let me go, you damn bastard!" I scream, my hand clutching my aching arm, my eyes flashing with indignation.
"Let you go?" He leans in close, his whisper laced with sinister delight. "Why would I do that when you've so conveniently come here, making everything easier for us? No, I intend to savor every moment of your agony."
I summon every ounce of strength within me and drive my knee with brutal force into his groin.
As anticipated, a guttural howl of pain escapes his lips, and in that fleeting moment, I see my chance to break free.
But alas, I've once again underestimated the strength of a wolf.
Morgan seizes my hair, his fingers coiling around the strands with cruel intention, and he drags me closer.
Excruciating pain surges through my scalp, a wave of sharp stings that forces tears from my eyes. It's as if he's intent on ripping my hair from its roots.
He violently kicks me downward, and before I can even register the impact of my knee striking the unforgiving ground, the fury of his fist descends upon me, threatening to dislodge my head from my neck.
The blow is so severe that it forces blood to spray from my mouth, and while I reel in shock, he delivers another punishing punch to the opposite side.
The agony is unbearable, my head aching in ways I never thought possible. I bite my lips to hold back from crying out - I bite down hard enough to draw blood.
With an iron grip, he forces my chin upward, forcing me to meet his vile and loathsome gaze.
His very presence serves as a chilling reminder of the hell he had inflicted upon all of us, the countless occasions when he had targeted my friends and me, and the omegas he had subjected to assault, abuse, and shattered spirits.
A single tear escapes my eye, fueled by a seething mix of rage, pain, and an unwavering resolve to repay him with double the suffering.
"Dear, dear - don't shed tears for me just yet. We've only just begun. Save that pitiful expression for later." He spits in my face, literally, punctuating his cruelty with another bone-chilling laugh.
My blood boils, and for a moment, all I want, all I feel is an overwhelming need to drive a stake through his heart and paint this school red with his blood.
'He deserves to burn, die, just like the rest of them.' A voice chants within my head, a sweet seductive whisper.
With a wave of his hand, one of his goons steps forward and hauls me to my feet with a jarring pull.
Under the guise of a "search," hands skitter across every inch of my body. I choke back the bile rising in my throat, revolted by their touch.
Eventually, one of them finds my phone and passes it to Morgan.
"Perfect," he murmurs, just as another message from Juliet flashes across the screen. "Take her upstairs; I have some matters to attend to."
At his command, I'm dragged toward a stairwell tucked in the corner of the room, each step taking me further from freedom and deeper into the unknown.
"Don't miss me while I'm gone." He calls out to me just as soon as I'm pulled away, and I can't see him anymore.