Chapter 177: Scars Beneath the Skin
Josie
I didn’t wait for Ruby to finish her sentence before my voice cracked through the room.
"What did you just say to me?" I demanded, anger curling inside my chest like smoke trapped beneath glass.
Ruby didn’t even flinch. She just stood there, her arms folded, her face strangely calm—as if she had rehearsed this confrontation. "I said what I needed to say, Josie," she replied, her voice clipped but firm. "I never wanted to be the one to tell you this, but you’re a bag of trouble. Everywhere you go, chaos follows."
Her words struck like a slap. "You should learn to watch your mouth," I said sharply, my voice trembling not from fear but from fury. "You forget who you’re talking to."
Ruby’s lip curled. "Oh, I remember exactly who I’m talking to. The woman who claims she’ll be Luna someday, yet can’t even control herself—or her powers. You don’t even know how to handle the three Alphas, Josie. How do you expect to lead anyone?"
That did it. Heat surged through me, red and wild. Before I could think, I shoved her—hard.
Ruby stumbled back, her hand catching on the edge of the dresser before her head hit the wall with a sickening thud.
The sound froze me.
She slid down slowly, her hand pressing to her scalp. When I saw the blood trickling through her fingers, my stomach dropped. "Ruby," I whispered, my voice breaking, "I didn’t mean—"
Before I could move, a sharp knock echoed from the door, and my breath caught in my throat.
Thorne.
Of course it was him. His presence filled the room even before he stepped inside—dark, commanding, and furious. His eyes darted from Ruby on the floor to me, then to the blood staining the wall. And the look he gave me was the one I feared most—disbelief, disappointment, accusation.
"What the hell happened here?" he demanded, his voice a dangerous growl that made the air feel tight.
I opened my mouth, desperate to explain, but Ruby’s trembling voice cut through mine. "I—I don’t remember," she said weakly, pressing her palm harder to her wound. "I think she pushed me... but maybe it was an accident."
I stared at her, stunned. "You think?" I cried, taking a step forward. "You were the one who—"
Thorne raised a hand sharply, his voice slicing through mine. "Enough!" He turned toward the door. "Guard!"
Within seconds, one of the pack guards appeared. I frowned, realizing for the first time that I hadn’t seen a single one of them around all day. They were supposed to keep an eye on me—protect me—but where had they been?
"Take Ruby to the infirmary," Thorne ordered coldly. "Now."
The guard nodded, helping Ruby to her feet. She avoided my gaze entirely as she walked past me, her silence thick and purposeful.
When the door closed behind them, Thorne turned on me, his eyes burning. "Explain. Now."
I clenched my fists. "If you would just listen—"
He cut me off, stepping closer. "Why did you disobey me, Josie? I told you not to abuse your powers again."
My heart twisted painfully. "You think I used my powers on her?" I snapped, disbelief giving way to outrage. "Are you even hearing yourself? I didn’t—"
"I don’t want to hear your excuses," he interrupted again, his voice rising. "All day I’ve been told about your outbursts, and now this? You’ve made a mess of everything."
"Excuses?" I spat, tears burning behind my eyes. "You’re unbelievable, Thorne. You don’t talk—you just accuse. You want to believe everyone but me!"
His jaw tightened. "Maybe because lately, everyone else makes more sense than you do."
That hurt more than it should have. I bit down hard on the inside of my cheek, tasting blood. "You don’t know what’s going on," I said, quieter now, though my voice shook. "You never ask. You just decide who’s guilty and who’s not."
"I decide based on what I see," he said.
"Then open your damn eyes!" I snapped. "You’re so blinded by your own pride that you can’t see when someone’s trying to twist things around us!"
He laughed—a short, bitter sound that scraped against my chest. "You mean you, Josie. You’ve been twisting everything since this morning."
I turned away, unable to look at him. My nails dug into my palms until it hurt. "You know what? I’m done explaining myself to you. You can keep pretending you’re right. I’ll talk to Kiel. At least he listens. He actually does something about problems instead of throwing accusations like a sword."
"Don’t you dare walk away from me," Thorne growled.
I turned back slowly, meeting his eyes. "Then talk to me with some respect. Because I’m not some omega you can bark at, Thorne. I’m me. And if that’s too much for you, maybe you should figure out who you really want."
That flicker in his eyes—hurt, anger, something deeper—was gone before I could read it.
"One thing you’ve always done well," he said darkly, stepping closer, "is turning every mistake around on someone else."
"And one thing you’ve always done," I whispered, my voice shaking, "is hurt me, then act like it’s my fault."
The space between us shrank until I could feel his breath on my skin, heavy and uneven. His hand shot forward, gripping my arm before I could move. "You really don’t get it, do you?" he said, voice low. "You keep testing me... pushing me."
"Because you treat me like I’m the enemy!" I shouted, struggling against his hold. "You think you can just order me around and I’ll fall in line? You can’t control me anymore, Thorne. You can’t scare me into silence."
He didn’t let go. His eyes darkened, flickering with something dangerous—something torn. "You need to be punished differently," he murmured.
A bitter laugh escaped me. "What’s that supposed to mean? You think your hot-and-cold act is going to work on me again?"
His grip on my arm tightened. "You think this is a game?"
"No," I said sharply, shoving at his chest. "But apparently, I’m the only one who knows when to stop playing it. According to Ruby, I’m not even good enough for you. So maybe you should go find someone else to order around, Alpha."
His breath hitched. "Don’t say that."
"Why not?" I said coldly. "It’s true, isn’t it? You’ve already made up your mind about me."
Thorne’s jaw clenched. "You have no idea what you do to me, Josie."
I stared at him, my pulse hammering. "Then maybe you should tell me. Because right now, it just feels like pain."
He growled, low and raw. "You think Kiel and Varen can handle you better? You think they can understand you the way I do?"
"They already do," I said, voice barely above a whisper. "They’re mine, Thorne. Forever. And it’s too late for you to act like you still get a say."
Something in his expression snapped—like a storm breaking open. He grabbed my chin, his thumb pressing against my jaw. His voice was a rough whisper. "You really shouldn’t have said that."
"And what are you going to do?" I challenged, my breath unsteady. "Prove me wrong?"
His eyes met mine, fire meeting defiance. "You asked for it," he muttered, and before I could breathe, his lips crashed against mine.
The world tilted.
Every ounce of anger I had boiled over—into the heat of his mouth, into the way his hand fisted in my hair, into the way I wanted to hate him but couldn’t stop responding. It was a kiss full of fury and pain and need—a collision of everything we hadn’t said.