Chapter 0090
His gaze sharpens on me. “Sebastian is verifying. Who exactly are you referring to?”
“Nyx.” The name slips out in a whisper. “Inside my mind. A Lycan.” It was difficult to form coherent sentences. Her voice in my head, dictating my words, clashed with my own frantic thoughts. Everything was turning into a jumbled mess.
His hands grip my shoulders firmly. His eyes dart down to my bare feet, and a low groan escapes him. “How long have you been up here?”
“Since midnight.” I murmur softly. I had checked the time just moments before Caleb forced his way into my room.
I cling to Alpha Alexander desperately as he lowers us both back through his bedroom window. Inside, he immediately wraps a thick blanket around my trembling form and secures the window shut.
“Explain what occurred. Leave nothing out.” He settles into the large armchair, his crimson eyes fixed intently on me.
My words come out fragmented and hesitant. I struggle to relay the entire sequence of events. He remains silent, simply nodding, allowing me to pour everything out.
“And then… claws emerged.” I mutter, the memory vivid and unsettling. “I… I tore pieces of his heart out.” A wave of nausea hits me as I recall the sensation of tissue clinging to the tips of those claws. It still felt like a horrific dream.
“You achieved a partial shift?” He questions when I fall silent.
I close my eyes and give a slow nod. The disbelief was clear in his tone. He thought I was fabricating this.
“And you claim a Lycan is communicating with you? Similar to how Titan speaks with me?”
I nod again. It contradicted everything I understood about myself. Dominic never mentioned a Lycan spirit. Caleb insisted it was impossible. Yet, Nyx’s whispers were undeniably real.
“Is she speaking to you at this moment?”
I exhale slowly and bob my head in affirmation.
“What is she saying?”
“That you doubt my account. But… you can read my thoughts, Alpha Alexander. You must know I’m telling the truth.”
“Correct?”
“It’s not merely disbelief, though. You find it impossible that I could eliminate someone like Caleb. Even with your ability to verify my thoughts.”
His crimson eyes scrutinize me deeply. “Partial shifting is not a documented phenomenon. Then again, nothing seems predictable anymore.”
I had hoped to avoid this, but he gave me no alternative.
‘Do it?’ I whisper internally to Nyx. ‘Exactly like before.’
I feel her exasperation, an odd sensation rolling through my mind. I withdraw my hand from the blanket’s warmth and extend it. A sharp, searing pain instantly shoots through my entire body. My hand begins its transformation, enlarging, as thick, dark claws slowly protrude from my fingertips.
The shift itself wasn’t painful; the moment preceding it was the strange part.
“Describe the sensation.”
I turn my clawed hand over, examining it. Patches of dark fur spread up my wrist but dissipated upon meeting my human skin.
“I’m uncertain.” I murmur quietly. I had always dreaded the idea of shifting. Loathed the concept of becoming something else entirely. Resented this secret kept from me since childhood. Yet, this partial shift… it saved me.
‘See,’ Nyx comments dryly. ‘It’s not entirely terrible.’
“Uncertain?” Alpha Alexander repeats.
I shake my head, and my claws retract as my hand returns to its normal size.
“I’m sorry about your warriors.” I whisper, still staring at my now-human hand. “I trusted him. When he claimed Dominic was attacking, I believed him.”
“You had no reason for suspicion. You fear Dominic. If someone warns you of his approach, believing them is logical. I would expect no different.”
I frown, feeling foolish.
“He deceived us all. We fell for his lies.”
“The blame is also mine. I should have recognized the risk of taking too many on a pack run was a strategic error. I placed my trust in the wrong individual. That error in judgment will not be repeated.”