A COURT OF SHIFTERS AND SECRETS

F O U R T Y - T H R E E

Kassian 

After a few parting words to Nova, I promptly left the safe room and those two arguing idiots behind. 

I just couldn't...I needed some space. 

My Wolf needed some space...

I rubbed at my chest as unfamiliar emotions coursed through my chest, hurrying down the winding paths and twists of the underground safe rooms as I contemplated these warring emotions in my heart.

In all of my twenty years of life, I've never felt like this before. 

Anger and Envy. 

They were my best friends...my brothers...and the only people in the world, besides my parents, that I've considered family. 

I've never been jealous of them before...not for anything and definitely not over anyone.

So the strong urge to head back into that room and strangle Atlas until he turned purple and lost consciousness was definitely a new and very interesting development. 

 

'But Nova's not just anyone you idiot' My subconscious snarked at me. 

Shit...I paused at the realization of what this meant. 

Nova...

These new feelings stemmed all because of my stunning Mate. 

I mean, it had to be considering that I've never been an envious man or shifter, my emotions never causing me any issues like they've had for others of my kind. 

I contributed my demeanor to my Wolf's natural confidence in himself, dominant enough to not feel threatened by those with bigger barks than bites but still level headed enough to deal with highly stressful situations. 

Or so I thought because after what I just witnessed, I was ten seconds away from losing my shit. 

Something that has never, in the history of my life, ever happened before. 

A growl tumbled from my chest as stalked towards the exit, immediately shifting as the warm late afternoon air kissed my fur. 

And without a second thought, I ran. 

And ran...

And ran. 

~~~~~~~~~~~

It was around two in the morning when I finally stopped running, exhaustion seeping into my bones as I sat on the edge of my favorite cliff that overlooked the Academy's grounds.