LYRIC
For a moment too long, I was frozen, not knowing how else to proceed.
Maybe I should turn around and leave. What if the corpse manages to speak and expose me?
I knew it sounded stupid. But I wasn’t joking when I said I wasn’t thinking straight.
I pushed myself forward. It was better if I knew what their thoughts were. At least, that way I’d know how to proceed with myself.
Getting to the entrance, I found all the people I knew in there, Jaris being at the forefront. The body was still there, a painful reminder of the life I’d taken.
“What are those marks on her wrist?” Luna Isolde asked.
Jaris crouched to touch it. Judging by the look on his face, he had no idea about it.
He turned to some of the guards beside him. “Take care of the body and find out who she was.”
At that moment, I couldn’t express how grateful I was that there were no cameras in this part of the Pack. The guest house was hardly used.
The guards nodded as Jaris walked away, coming toward the door. He paused when he noticed me.
I took a dry gulp, praying I wasn’t looking too nervous.
“Wh–What happened?” I inquired.
He sighed as he glanced back at the body. “We don’t know yet. Somebody came to use the restroom and found her this way. I don’t even know how she got an invite and made it here.”
I couldn’t say anything, not even some pretentiously shocked words. My throat was too heavy.
“It’s a good thing the kids are not here,” I managed to say after a while, my gaze lowering to the floor.
“Yeah.”
He took a step past me.
“I’m sorry.” The words were out before I could catch them.
He stopped, turning back at me. “What for?”
For being responsible for the corpse in front of you. For being a murderer. For ruining the party. For being something you hate.
Instead of saying the true words, I went for something that wasn’t quite far from the truth. “The party. It’s ruined.”
He shrugged. “It’s sad, actually.”
His phone rang in his pocket. When he took it out and saw the caller, his expression warped.
Who was calling? Did it have to do with me?
Gods, I was paranoid.
“Excuse me,” he muttered and left.
Returning to the room, I salt–scrubbed, wanting to rid myself of the invisible blood and guilt.
I felt so dirty. So evil. The Executioner might have been after my life, but never did I think I was going to take someone’s life
so soon.
Jace was right.
No, everyone was right. My kind was dangerous.
***********
JARIS
I was beyond pissed, and it was great work trying to keep my calm considering the guests present.
We’d spent so long planning this party. Only for it to be ruined by a strange death. Who dared to commit a murder on my kids‘ birthday? Right now, I wanted nothing more than to strangle the life out of them, if only I could see them.
I went to a less noisy place to take Elder Luca’s call.
Before I could say a word, his panicked voice reached me.
“Alpha Jaris, you need to come over here. Right now.”
My brows furrowed. It was the first time Luca was sounding this way, like he had just finished fighting for his life.
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“Why? What’s going on?”
“It’s not something I can say on the phone. I need you at the Capital, Jaris. We need to see you right now.”
Damn it. I hated being kept in suspense.
I tried getting some answers out of him but he wouldn’t budge. So, I was forced to arrange for a quick flight to the Capital The Capital was only forty minutes away by air. I’d be there in no time. But the night wasn’t going as expected.
I let my beta and head of security get transportation ready while I went to check on Lyric. She didn’t look fine when I saw her earlier in the restroom.
I knocked on her door and while I waited, my mind helplessly drifted to the time I went into her room without knocking.
Wet hair.
Wet legs.
The shock in her eyes.
But most importantly, the beauty of her flawless body.”
The whole image was still very clear in my head. I smiled at the memory.
I frowned when I noticed she still hadn’t opened up.
I knocked again. “Lyric?”
The door slowly opened.
She looked and smelt fresh, like someone that just had a bath. Her hair was wet to prove that, although she was wearing a pair of jeans and a black top.
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