✧

I didn't expect to be gone for so long. But I couldn't change the fate of our kind.

After becoming rogues I decided this wasn't the outcome I wanted for my life, so we decided to make a change collectively. Now we're a band of exiled wolves trying to find their feet again to survive. The North won't have us back–we have to fight with what we have.

And I'll do anything not to be back in the control of my psychopathic brother.

It's been three long months without seeing the sweet innocent face of my mate.

Viola. Viola.

My lips curl as I watch her from afar. She doesn't know I'm here but she can sense me. Especially when a hand slaps over her neck in shock and scans the market for my gleaming eyes, but today they're baby blue. I stand out in a crowd and with the use of my dark magic, I can conceal my identity.

Viola shakes herself off and sips on her drink but I can spot the weariness in her eyes. I've been following her for a few days but this is the first time I allowed myself to get close enough for her to sense me.

I'm done with playing games with her brother. I'm not going to play nice. I'm going to take what I want and I don't feel an ounce of remorse for wanting it.

The Moon Goddess made her mine, so she's going to be mine. I don't care how it happens.

Viola stands with her friend and makes their way home. I smile to myself at the memory of being in her pretty pink bedroom earlier whilst she was gone. I didn't do anything creepy but I had a good look around.

My wolf wanted to get to know her better, but all I found out is that she's an innocent soul ready to be corrupted into my darkest nightmare. I don't do gentle. I don't do kind. I'm a man filled with vengeance and obsession. Nothing more.

Of course I had to leave something behind. I wished I could see her reaction but it was dangerous enough being on their territory when I shouldn't. I'm playing a risky game but I'm more than ready to get burnt.

When I walk through our new pack house later that evening, Maddox, my second in command, strolls through the hall. Our eyes collide and he tuts at my entrance. "Let me guess," he drawls, crossing his golden brown arms over his chest. "You were out, stalking little Miss perfect."

"What I do in my free time is none of your business," I remark without sparing him another glance. I continue on into the kitchen to find it empty. "So fuck off."

Maddox snorts but he's not impressed. "Not when you put us in danger by getting us caught. I know what you're like, Haze. You're reckless. You don't care about getting found out but we do. We've only managed to settle, we can't risk getting forced away again."

"Aw," I say sarcastically. "And here I was thinking you were worried about me getting my heart broken."

"You can't get your heart broken, Haze," he murmurs and shakes his head disapprovingly. "You don't even own a fucking heart. There is nothing to break. I pray for that girl."

I glance at him over my shoulder, my core tightening at his words. "You pray for her?" I repeat with heaviness in my throat. "You think I'd hurt her?"

Maddox's brows raise to his hairline. He's got worse on his mind.

"You think I'd kill her."

"Like I said, you're heartless. I wouldn't put anything past you. Even if she is your mate."

My eye twitches at his insinuation. A pulse runs through my fingers as an image of my hands wrapped around Viola's delicate throat flashes in my mind–and not the kinky choking kind–the death kind.

I grimace internally at the thought. I don't want her blood on my hands. Not like that anyway.

"You have an obsessive personality," he leans on the doorframe casually. "You can't love. We all know you can't love, Haze. By stalking her you're feeding into your obsession and you're going to break that girl into pieces until there is nothing left."

My shoulder raises. "Maybe that's what I want."

"You sick fuck," he tuts at me. "We've got bigger things at hand here than you going off to creepily watch your mate from afar. We still need to make sure that we're hidden from Malakai's wolves. He finds us and we are not going to last."

There is a bitter taste in my mouth at the mention of my brother. The man I despise more than anything on this fucking planet. A growl rips through my teeth. "He won't find us," I shake my head with determination. "I'll make sure of it."

"And if he does?"

"It won't come to that," I grumble.

Maddox pins me with a stare. None of us want to be found by Malakai. Not until we're in a better position to win against him. He won't let us come back to the North, but he also won't let us get on with our lives either. We don't want to be under his control anymore and we are ready to lose everything to stand with our opinions. I would tear my brother limb from limb if I could—but I cannot risk the pack being exposed to his evil ways.

Some people say that we're similar, but we couldn't be more different.

A figure appears behind Maddox and I glance at Aurelia, with long bleach blonde hair and bottle green eyes. "Haze," she calls out to me. "We need you to see something."

I curse under my breath and follow her through the hall, Maddox close behind me. Our pack doesn't work like normal wolf packs. Because we're all band as exiles, I knew a hierarchy wouldn't work. None of us are above each other, we're equal. I might be in charge, but only to get across important messages. I'm not an Alpha. I don't have Alpha qualities, but we all agreed on making it through these next few months, whatever it takes.

At first I never thought this layout would work, but I surprised myself. It's only been three months, there is room for disaster.

Aurelia presses a hand to the office door and I step inside to find Noah on a laptop, glasses sitting on his face. He glances up with his icy blue eyes and offers me an unconvincing smile.

"What now?"

Maddox stands back as I inch closer to the desk. "Malakai, he's getting closer."

"Fuck," I curse.

"I told you," Maddox grumbles.

My head twists towards him and I shoot and death flare. "I don't need your fucking input right now."

Noah flicks his eyes between us before lingering on Maddox for a second too long. I clear my throat and he snaps his eyes to mine. "Do you have a plan?"

"Misdirect him," I shrug. "It'll buy us some time before we are prepared to fight. We could do it now but I know we're not as strong as his pack, we've only been together for a few months. He's had years to train his pack."

Aurelia presses a hand to the desk and sighs. "He's not going to give up."

"And neither are we," I snap, my jaw crunching.

"I've got an idea," Noah nods and leans back in his chair. "It might be a little messy but I think it'll work."

My brows raise. "Are you sure?"

"I need some time to plan it out but then I'll run it by you."

Maddox steps beside me, his large arms folding over his chest as he stares down at Noah. "Run it by me first," his voice echoes around the room. "Otherwise we're wasting time."

Noah rolls his eyes at him and adjusts his glasses. "Whatever."

I leave the office with Aurelia trailing behind me. "We need to get the pack training," she says. "More than we already are. We need to be prepared. He could massacre us."

"Not before I slit his goddamn throat first."

"What happened between you guys to make you hate each other so much?"

I shake my head, trying to forget all the vicious memories I have of my brother. "He's not even worth my energy."

Her eyes bore into the side of my head but I'm not willing to share more. My personal life is private, even to people I've grown to trust over the last few months. It chips away at a part of my soul and I can't bring myself to talk about him–not when it makes my fury burn deep.

Dark wispy shadows begin to emit from the palms of my hands. I clench my fists but it doesn't make them disappear, it intensifies them. "Fuck sake," I growl. This is why I don't talk about him.

Aurelia studies the black smoke around me. "You can't control it?"

"Not all the time. I can only use it for certain things but I'll never fully grasp my powers unless I have the other half of–"

I cut myself off. No. No. Why the fuck am I talking about this?

She nods once and turns away from me. "I'll call training early tomorrow and create a schedule."

My eyes hood over as she parts from me. I walk to my room with the feeling of a thousand tonnes on my back. A small growl rips from my throat, my wolf itches to detach himself from my body.

There is only one thing on his mind. Our mate.

✧

My shadow powers are good for one thing–being able to conceal my scent. It gives me the perfect opportunity to creep into Viola's house and make myself comfortable in her dainty room. I snoop around again, even though I've already committed everything to memory.

Maybe this time I'll take a souvenir. That will keep my wolf at bay.

I wait patiently, although it's not one of my best assets. But I'll wait for her.

A few moments later Viola's bedroom door creaks open. She steps inside with a pair of dusty pink headphones sitting over her ears. I stand back in the corner of the room but she hasn't sensed me yet, she's too distracted by her music.

Her mouth moves as she sings the lyrics quietly. I don't recognise the song but her attempt at singing makes me smile. Oh, sweet innocent thing. I purr to myself. You have no idea what I've got in store for you.

Goddess, she's breathtaking and she's all mine.

She walks to her desk and pauses, raising her head in the air to sniff. Her fingers brace over the edges of the table and she tenses. I smirk to myself as I inch closer and I'm standing directly behind her.

I slip a hand around her waist and she squeals, I slap a hand over her mouth and nudge off her headphones. "Don't scream, sweetness," I whisper in her ear.

Viola manages to twist in my hold. I'm practically double the side of her but she fights regardless. That shouldn't turn me on in the way it does. Her hands waft around me, she pulls back and my arms fall to my sides–missing her warmth already.

She stares at me with her big brown eyes. Fear. That's the first thing I recognise and I live off that shit. Especially from her.

"What are you doing here?" Viola gasps.

My arms cup my elbows to stop myself from touching her, I enjoyed having her in my arms for all of three seconds. But she won't let me anywhere near her before screaming at the top of her lungs so I have to play it safe.

"I came to see you. Isn't that obvious?"

Viola's eyes flare with hatred and frustration but she's visibly trembling. "Go. I don't want you here."

"Go?" I raise my brows. "You want me to go?"

"Yes," she hisses through her teeth.

A strand of brown hair falls over her shoulder and I frown at the new shade. I have vivid memories of her sandy blonde hair and now it's chocolate brown. It's not her. "Why did you dye your hair? It doesn't suit you."

She recoils as if she's been slapped. "I couldn't give a shit what you think."

"Come on, sweetness," I flash her a lazy grin. "Didn't you even miss me a little?"

Her arms fold over her chest and she tilts her head to meet my eyes. "After you left for months and didn't come back? I'm over it. Please leave."

"Were you waiting for me?"

"No."

"Yeah, you were."

"Leave. Me. Alone. Haze."

My heart thumps at the way she says my name. I shouldn't enjoy it but I do. "Or what?"

"My brother is here," she spits. "He's not going to be pleased knowing you've trespassed."

"Aren't you pleased to see me?"

Her entire expression morphs into disgust. "I'd rather face plant a cactus."

"Now, now," I tut. "We wouldn't want anything bad happening to your pretty little face, would we?"

Viola's eyes grow darker with fury and I know I'm pressing all the wrong buttons. "I don't want to see you again."

"Oh, we're going to be seeing a lot of each other."

She releases the cutest frustrated groan. "I'm not doing this with you. I'm not going to wait around like an idiot. You don't get to pick and choose when you want me. I deserve more than that."

"You think whilst I was gone I didn't think about you?"

Her throat tenses as I speak but she doesn't answer.

"Sweetness, I thought about you every fucking day. I'm not picking and choosing when I want you. I will always want you. Don't be fooled. So stop fighting this. You're mine and you're never going to be able to escape me. No matter how hard you try."

Viola's eyes wobble for a second before she looks away, as if my gaze is too intense for her.

"Leave, Haze."

I huff out a breath. "Fine. Have it your way. You have to make this difficult."

"You're the one making it difficult! I don't want you here. Go. Leave me alone."

A small laugh falls from my lips which makes invisible steam pop out of the top of her head. I stroll towards her window before nabbing a picture from her cork board. I spied it earlier but now it's mine.

"I'll see you soon, Viola. This time I'll be back."

Then I jump from her window and head home without looking back.

✧

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Author's Note

We get Haze's POV🤭

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