The Next Morning

Nyx

I got up and ready for school. I went downstairs to find my mother was making breakfast. When she finally looked at me, she knew something was wrong. She set down the spatula and came over to me.

"What happened, Nyx?" I felt my eyes start to water again.

"I was too late. I waited too long. The boy I like is engaged." I felt that uncomfortable pain again.

"Oh, sweetheart." She wrapped her arms around me.

I started crying again.

"Why couldn't I have just been strong and told him how I felt? Why?!" Her hands rubbed my back.

"Oh sweetie, I know it's hard. You'll be okay, eventually. Just don't forget, you have your whole life ahead of you. Someone will come along and sweep you off your feet. Just be patient sweetie." I nodded.

My mom was right. I pulled away and wiped my eyes.

"I'll be okay. You're right. I love you, Mom." I hugged her again.

"You're welcome, sweetie," I pulled away grabbing the two burritos she made for me, "thanks for everything Mom. I'll see you after school."

She smiled at me. I walked out to my car. I got in and ate my food. Then I drove to school. When I pulled into the parking lot, I froze. There was Derek standing with his fiancé. She was hanging off of him and he was looking around. His eyes met mine and I bit my lip. His eyes glowed blue. Then she leaned up and kissed his neck. It felt like someone was plunging a knife into my chest. No one was in front of me. I couldn't do this, I couldn't handle seeing them together again today.

Screw school.

I hit the gas. I drove by Derek and his fiancé as tears started rolling down my face. I thought I heard Derek yell my name, but I wasn't sure. I pulled back out of the school parking lot. I drove off as fast as I could without breaking the law. I heard a horn honk behind me. I looked in my rear view mirror and saw Derek's car. I focused on the road in front of me. Then my phone started ringing through the speakers. I hit the end button. I didn't want to talk to him. I heard Derek's horn honk again. My phone rang again. I hit the answer button.

"You better pull over, little girl. Now." I heard the growl in his voice.

It surprised me, but also upset me.

"You don't get to call me that. I'm not your little girl. I'm not your damn princess! I'm not anything to you! Just leave me alone!" I sobbed, pressing the end button.

I heard his car behind me speed up. He tried to call me again. I didn't pick up. His car horn went off again. My phone rang again. I answered it. I definitely shouldn't have.

"Pull the car over, Nyx. Now." He sounded angry.

"No. Just go back to your fiancé." My voice cracked.

He was silent. I sobbed and kept driving.

"Princess, please pull over." I shook my head no.

"I'm not your princess, Derek." I could see his car still in my rear view mirror.

"Yes you are. Now pull over, please." I looked at the road.

"No." I hung up on him.

Then he sped past me. He switched lanes and slammed on his breaks. I did the same. He stepped out of the car. I saw his phone in his hand. It was crushed to pieces. I turned my car off, but kept the doors locked. He walked up to the driver's side.

"Open the door, Nyx." I shook my head.

"N-no. Okay? I've accepted that you're engaged, I accepted it last night. So just please," my voice cracked, "don't make this harder than it is."

He sighed, "Just open the door. So I can talk to you."

I looked down at the unlock button. I shouldn't have, but I hit it anyway. The door opened slowly. I kept my hair as a curtain between me and Derek.

"Princess," I cringed, "d-don't. You're t-taken. D-don't call me princess. It's confusing."

Tears were sliding down my cheeks. I saw his hand and then he was turning my head towards him. I closed my eyes. I didn't want to open them.

"Open your eyes please, Princess." I opened them.

He was angry, but I could see all that anger vanish in an instant.

"I am so sorry, Princess. I didn't even know she was in town," I bit my lip, "in town? You mean you would've touched me, kissed me if she wasn't? I'm not that person, Derek."

I ripped my chin away from his hand.

He sighed, "No. I would've done it because she isn't my fiancé. Not anymore. She just doesn't know how to accept my answer. I don't want her, Princess."

I shook my head, "you could've fooled me. You never pulled away from her. You let her kiss you. I felt so confused. It felt like someone was stabbing me in the chest. It hurt me!"

Then I was enveloped in his arms, "I'm sorry, Princess. I'm so sorry."

I felt calmer in his arms. He tensed and then was ripped away. I was ripped out of my car and thrown to the asphalt. I looked up and saw the woman.

"So it's true. You like my Derek. HE'S MINE! We've been engaged since we were children. I won't let you have what's mine!" She lunged at me.

I scrambled up, then she was thrown against a tree. Derek was in front of me. She growled at him and I saw her eyes turn red.

She was an Alpha, trying to tame him. Trying to bend him to her will. It's why he didn't pull away.

I felt angry. All my tears and pain were gone. In its place was anger. I placed my hand on Derek's shoulder. He looked at me and gasped.

"Signal the pack Derek. We might need them in case this gets messy." I moved in front of him.

That made her angry. I felt power coursing through me and I saw a spark from my fingers.

"He is not yours. Never will be." She looked livid.

"You will never be worthy of him!" I closed my eyes imagining him and I together.

I opened my eyes and stepped forward. I felt the heat in my hands when a phrase came to my mind.

Imagination is more important than knowledge.

I opened my eyes to find my hands coated in flames. Sarah looked surprised. I stepped forward, willing the fire to grow. She looked scared.

"Oh, you poor thing. Are you scared of fire? Where's that big bad Alpha who wants to force themselves on someone. Y'know I'm pretty sure that's rape. I don't think that's right." I saw the fire spreading outwards and that's exactly what it did.

It surrounded us and she looked terrified.

"No," I grinned at her, "the Hale pack doesn't have an emissary. The last one was supposed to be dead. You should've died in the fire."

I slapped her and her hair caught fire. She began to scream. I gripped her chin and made her look at me.

"You're eyes," I gripped her chin harder, "you were one of the few who helped plot the Hale fire weren't you? Tell me or you will die, Alpha."

She decided to glare. I gripped her hair with my other hand. The flames surrounding us and my hands burned blue.

"Did you know that blue fire burns hotter than normal flames do? Some blue flames only grow when water is put on them. Should we test that theory, Sarah?" I heard Derek call my name.

I turned and looked at him. He looked surprised. He stepped towards the flames. I didn't want him hurt. I let the flames around us die down. He walked up to us. I still had a tight grip on Sarah.

"Nyx, let her go. I think she gets it Nyx." I looked back at Sarah.

I saw my eyes in hers. The normal gray color was gone and in its place was a bright purple. I jerked away from her. She collapsed to the ground. I met Derek's gaze. Then I looked down at her. Burns were all over her chin and jawline. Her hair was singed. I backed away.

"Nyx," I didn't look at Derek, "Princess?"

I was ready to kill her. I was ready to take someone's life. Even if she is a monster. I was ready to kill her. I backed away even further. I turned and booked it ignoring Derek as he called my name.

...

I didn't know where I ended up when I collapsed against a tree. I felt exhausted and out of breath. I felt tears start to fall down my face. I had been so close to killing her. So close to taking her life. I let my head fall back against the tree trunk I was leaning on. The fire on my hands had vanished. I felt exhausted all of a sudden. My vision began to blur and I swore I saw the Nemeton right in front of me.