1639

~Amolet

I roll over in bed, feeling the warmth of a sleeping Cian beside me.

It's a miracle I convinced him to sleep earlier, since immortals don't need it, and after kissing every inch of my face and neck, he didn't seem so excited to settle beneath the covers for sleep. But I'm so overwhelmed, my body on the verge of complete collapse, that I knew if we went any further I doubt I would have been able to handle it.

And now, something has roused me from my comfortable slumber, and it's not Cian's still body, sending a chill through me.

The sound of a fist battering against the door downstairs has me sitting up.

That can't be good.

Pulling my legs from the sheets, I pad out the room. It's not too late, but it's not as though I have any friends beyond Lev, who is sound asleep in the next room. A chill settles over me as I stalk uneasily down the short steps and to the front door, knowing it's not likely Sinful or Hale, since they would have just appeared in the centre of my apartment. I just silently pray it's anyone other than Stace.

And I get my wish. Kind of.

Opening the door just a crack, I peer out to see Noah standing outside, tilting his head to look into my apartment.

I flinch, gripping the brass door handle. "Noah?"

"Can I come in?" he questions.

"Ah..." he ignores my apprehension, pushing the door open to shoulder past me. Ignoring the horror bubbling up inside me, I turn, pressing the door closed. He looks so casual, like he's an invited guest who I am not terrified of, looking up the stairs curiously.

"Such a lovely little apartment you have," he notes, turning around to look at me, his emerald gaze pinning me in my spot. "I'm surprised Cian hasn't located you to one of his many estates in the immortal realm for safe keeping."

He's testing me.

I should be panicking that he's in here right now, likely with less than honourable intentions, but I'm not. He is an imposing man with unspoken powers that knows I now side with Cian, meaning my use to him has severely diminished. And despite knowing I'm disposable to him, I don't bother calling out for Cian. I'll handle this.

"I don't need safe keeping," I mutter, leaning my back against the front door. I don't want him upstairs. Not when Lev is there, an even more disposable person to Noah. And he's someone who is capable of killing his mate, which means he can't be trusted not to make sudden, deadly decisions.

"Right..." he draws off, not believing me at all. "And where is your immortal body guard?"

It dawns on me very suddenly that not only did Stace not bring me back to Noah that night, but he also hasn't told him that Cian and I are mates. Hope blossoms throughout me, but I smother it down, knowing better. I can use that, his lack of knowledge, against him. I'm even feeling brave enough to test him.

I shrug. "Not here."

"And why is that?" he questions, quirking a dark brow. He seems genuinely curious, even a bit surprised. He thought he was coming here to face off with Cian, and now his shoulders seem to have deflated a little.

"Get out of my home," I insist, stepping back to open the door, motioning for him to walk out.

He shakes his head, pressing his palm against it door, making it close with a decent bang. "I'm just curious."

"Difference of opinion," I bite back. Maybe if he thinks I'm here alone he will make a move. As long as he doesn't make a jump for me and transport me far away, I should be fine, with Cian only just in the other room. I want Noah to prove to me that he is evil, so I can have an excuse to use my powers on him.

"About me?" he tilts his head, smiling smugly.

"If you think I'm willing to trust you after you locked me up in your manor, you're wrong," I snap.

"Look, I understand this must be hard on you. You didn't need to be dragged into this, and yet here you are, convinced Cian isn't actually the bad guy," Noah exclaims, his smirk making my fingers roll up into fists. It doesn't matter what he has to say to me, I know the truth, whether I'm willing to divulge that to him or not. "See, he killed his mate."

I step forward, suddenly not afraid of him, even if he does tower of me, looking down at me like I'm nothing more than a mild hinderance.

"You're wrong," I seethe, tired of hearing him talk about Cian like that. "You can lie to Stace, even to Abella, but you can't lie to me. I see straight through you."

Noah rolls his eyes, like I'm nothing more than a passing annoyance to him. How can anyone be charmed by him? I mustn't be worth his best lies if he isn't even trying to fool me any longer. I can only imagine how hurt his ego is that I ultimately sided with Cian, since the two have been fuelling ever since they found out they were both mated to Abella, apparently.

"I figured you would say that. So here I am to tie up some loose ends," he comments with a shrug, his smirk vanishing as his intentions become painfully clear.

Sensing his desire to kill me before he even has to say the words, I dodge to the side, but before I can lift my hand to use whatever magic is going on within me, he grabs my arm, yanking me toward him. Yelping, I push him, grappling his limbs as I try to avoid him getting a hold of my neck.

My push manages to force him back towards the stairs, but I don't get much leverage against the tall Alpha, who pushes me right back, sending me sprawling, my feet kicking up from under me as I land down on my back.

For a moment the breath is knocked from my lungs, leaving me coughing, clutching my stomach. Noah is on top of me in seconds, rearing back to strike me in the face with my fist, which I quickly avoid. Kicking my legs out, I hit stomach with my knee, and using my other leg to knock his balance off kilter.

He hisses through his teeth. Before I can slide across the wooden floor and out of his clutches, he manages to back hand me across the face, pain intense enough to make me wince, giving him a chance to wrap his hand around my neck.

I gasp, but my ability to breathe is quickly blocked as he applies pressure against my throat.

I know what I have to do.

Raising my hand, I don't bother grappling at his arm, instead concentrating on what it would feel like to wrap my hands around his neck, to cease his breathing. I let the feeling consume me until it becomes so real it is, through the power of magic, and suddenly Noah is letting go of me, hands coming up to his own neck, confused at his inability to breathe out of seemingly nowhere.

Pushing myself back, I hold the thought, even as terror accompanies it, watching Noah claw at his neck, looking at me with wide eyes.

"Wait...Amolet wait," he gasps out, as I get to my feet, approaching him.

Strangely, the guilt vanishes as I see him leaning against the wall, wondering how he killed Abella. Did she suffer? Was she scared? Just thinking about it, even if I've never met her, digs out a new sense of fury within me, and suddenly, I want to kill Noah, regardless of the consequences.

"This is for Abella," I growl, grabbing the side of his head, slamming it against the wall. I'm not sure if I'm capable of hurting an Alpha very much, but he winces regardless.

Tempted to do it again, I reach to grab his head, but he holds his hands up defensively, gasping in the small amount of air I'm allowing him. "Stop, she isn't dead."

"Liar," I snap.

"No...No I'm not lying. I'm hiding her," he exclaims wildly, looking up at me with no hint of a lie. Hesitating, I frown, unsure of whether this is a trap he is luring me into out of desperation, or if he is giving up real information in order to save himself.

"Where?"

"In another Realm," he admits, coughing violently, although I don't let up on my hold on him, even though I don't have to move a single limb. "She was too dangerous."

I open my mouth to reply, but all of a sudden, Noah is on his feet, but not on his own volition, before he's slammed against the wall so hard I can hear a sickening crack before his body falls limp onto the floor, no longer controlled by whatever strange force that had taken a hold of his body. Stumbling back, I stare down at my hands, wondering if I did that, despite not having a thought about it.

Footsteps sound down the stairs before Cian comes to stand beside me, looking grim. I realise coldly that he did this to Noah.

Cian nudges Noah with his foot, before he turns to look at me. "He's dead."

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Sophie_Midika

Midikacrane

~Midika 💜🐼