VEUX

Forty One

March 22

Although Saoirse had ample cheeks, her jaw was square. When she had no expression on her face, with a lifelessness in her eyes, her jaw hollowed into its skeletal structure. No amount of chubbiness in her cheeks could take away from that cold, heartless look on her.

Around quarter to seven, Saoirse had been distastefully lead by Osric into the dining hall. No words were exchanged between them, but as Saoirse was forced to take a seat at a table beside Emaline, Osric whispered something short and curt to Novak.

The busy rumble of the dining hall told Saoirse that nobody else in the pack knew yet, except for Obsidian and his remaining brothers. Orders had begun being barked the instant Obsidian rushed to Oak's fallen side. His mouth would have foamed up, gurgling out as he choked. A little bit of strychnine was lethal to humans. A whole bottle to an Alpha took him out in minutes. In that empty living room, the empty kitchen except for a dead man's body, Saoirse didn't feel the remorse like she thought she should. She had been nervous to kill Oak, but there was no going back now. As Obsidian cried out for his brother. As Oak's death would hurt his pack. As her actions ruined their order of the werewolf world, she was relieved finally. Oak had taken someone from her once, she would not let that happen to Gabby.

Saoirse's presence in the dining hall went unnoticed by the rest of the pack. Osric had lead her to a table including Novak, Odeya, Emaline, Ethan holding his daughter, and Fallon. Fallon turned out to be Odeya's father with matching green eyes, normally hidden behind the sunglasses that were now tucked into the neckline of his shirt. Mama was yet to be seen, Saoirse noticed.

When Osric left the dining hall, Odeya was quick to begin prodding Novak for what they had been whispering about. Yet it appeared Novak knew Odeya gossiped as much as Saoirse knew she did. For instead of whispering to Odeya what had been said, he turned to Ethan, Emaline's chosen mate, and whispered it to him. Saoirse watched as the telephone unfolded. As her crime was whispered into Emaline's ear, and the squeeze of her hand under the table as Emaline grabbed it.

The look in Emaline's blue eyes told Saoirse all she needed to be told. There was no use regretting her murder of Oak, for the world was a better place without him in it. Apparently Saoirse was not the only one who wanted him gone.

Saoirse squeezed ever so lightly back, just for a moment, before pulling her hand away.

It wasn't over yet, Saoirse knew. The plan had only begun, and Phase 2 was unknown territory. Her goal was to be on her own again, but if the wolves had any say in it, she could be put to death.

"Mama!" Odeya screeched as the older woman began approaching the table. "Novak is being rude!"

Despite her joking little banter, to which Novak expected some remark with no power behind it, there was no response. Saoirse turned to see the silenced woman approaching the table from behind her, and found gleaming golden eyes to have glazed over, turning milky. Their table fell short of banter as everyone seemed to acknowledge a normal moment except for Saoirse. She had seen her eyes shine like this once.

The plate of gourmet food in Mama's hands that she had just returned from getting fell to the floor before anyone could grab it with their reflexes.

As the plate shattered, the dining hall loudened instead of quieted. "Oompa!" The dining hall cheered, as it appeared they always did whenever someone broke a plate or glass. "Always Mama!" One lone voice cheered, before the rest of them turned back to their meals.

"What's going on?" Saoirse asked, using her voice for the first time since sitting down.

Fallon rushed up and eased Mama onto the bench next to Saoirse.