You don't ever really
fall out of love with someone.
You just get used to them
not being around.
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A D E N
Good things don't last long.
Neither does my time with Kiara Evergreen.
After what seems like a few minutes (but is actually an hour) my useless excuse of a Beta comes running out of nowhere, only to come to a screeching stop a few feet away from us. I tilt my head slightly, observing his dishevelled form. He is panting like a dog and I resist the urge to throw a stick at him.
"Dung - at-attack. . .in-intruder, Alpha - didn't know how. . .dead. . blood . . .so-sorry—"
"Elaborate, Evans."
He gulps as his knees give way to the floor. Stuttering. Trembling.
"We've been betrayed, Alpha! Someone entered the dungeons and poisoned the prisoner. Warrior Jayden thought she was just acting, but now her whole body's turning blue and she's vomiting blood. She doesn't have much longer."
The news is a slap to my face. Anger dances in front of my eyes like flames. Evans, probably sees the fury, because he turns ten shades paler. My hands itch to wring his neck.
Claire Connor was our only chance of learning anything about the rebels.
And now that's as good as gone.
"It's not my fault, I swear —I didn't even know. . ." He continues, "I—please don't -"
I cut off the rest of his rambling by grabbing him by his collar. His protests dwindle into a squeak as I lift him off the ground.
"You shit. You had one job." I sneer at him in disgust. "And you couldn't even do that right."
The fool shuts up like he swallowed a mouthful of seawater.
"Don't show me your face until you've proved yourself useful." Dropping him on the ground, I watch as he picks himself up, shoots us a fearful look and scampers away.
I turn towards Kiara who has already heard everything. "You okay?" I ask, shaking her shoulders gently.
Her hands ball into fists. Jaw tightens. A vessel ticks in her temple. It doesn't take a genius to figure she's pissed. "Two deaths in less than a week. Someone's itching for war." She seethes. Reaching out, she grabs my arm. "We're teleporting. It'll save time."
"Okay."
Although hesitant, I weave my fingers through her hand, ignoring the sparks that erupt when my skin touches hers. For a moment, I swear I feel her shiver in response. But when I turn, her face is unperturbed.
I must've imagined it then.
"Ready?"
"Ready."
Breath leaves my lungs in full force as I'm swept up in a whirlwind. I'm vaguely aware of our bodies touching, my hand desperately clinging to hers while we hurtle through space. Everything is fast forwarded. I watch as kaleidoscopic images of trees and buildings flash past before coming to a spinning stop. Head still whirling, I barely manage to hold myself up before I find the nearest wall to lean back on.
Is this how teleportation feels like?
Cool.
Unlike me, Kiara isn't so lucky. She crashes onto the floor, face first. A plethora of curses stream from her mouth as she sits up and rubs her nose.
"This is the horrible part of this talent." She mutters to herself. "I can never arrive in style."
A slight smile tugs at the corners of my mouth, but that's gone as soon as the door pulls open. I step into the hall, only to be attacked by something much smaller in size. Before I know it, I'm being crushed to pulp.
"Aden!" Her voice is muffled because she's hugging me so tightly. "You're safe! God, I was so scared!"
I glance at Kiara, then at my sister who's now sobbing into my shirt. Her cheeks are stained with tears and mascara. She looks frightened to death.
I motion Kiara to go ahead to the dungeons without me and check whatever's left of their traitor. When her footsteps fade, I lead Stella to one of the chairs. She still clings to my hand, hiccupping every few seconds. I stroke her hair and have her drink some water. Patiently, I wait for her to start. And she does, soon enough.
"Oh Aden, I thought I lost you! You need to be punched a hundred times for scaring me like that!"
I stare at her in bewilderment. "What are you talking about? I was here the whole time."
"Then why the hell didn't I see you when the alarm went off?"
My eyebrows shoot up even higher. "The alarm went off? Why am I hearing different stories from everyone?"
She pauses a moment. Blows her nose into her kerchief. "What did you hear?"
"Claire, the ex Blood Hound Gamma, was poisoned?"
She nods.
"Was it just an intruder then or was there an attack? Who else was harmed?"
"We were attacked, well kind of. Later, it was found to be a false alarm. Someone started a fire and within seconds the whole place was in chaos."
The gears in my head are turning once again as she fills me in the details. She tells me the fire was quickly doused but it was enough to cause a ripple of unrest among the other pack members. Like her, Mom was scared to her wits end, and Dad was too furious to actually worry.
Typical Dad. I can't contain the disgust at the thought.
"What are you thinking?" She asks when I'm silent for too long.
"What time exactly did the fire alarm go off?"
She furrows her brows. "Around six? We had just returned from the funeral..."
I begin pacing the floor while Stella watches me warily. "When did Evans inform everyone about it the poisoning?"
"Some time around seven."
I pause mid step.
Just like I thought.
"So the fire was just a diversion." I observe.
"Diversion? Are you telling me that the rebel infiltrated this place not to kill us but just poison a prisoner?"
Oh Stella, you are so so naive. "They didn't infiltrate our place now. The traitor has been staying with us for years."
Color drains from her face. "Are you saying Claire isn't the real traitor here?"
"Exactly." I hiss through my teeth, bending to her eye level. A mixture of curiosity as well something I can't lay a finger on, flashes through her eyes. "We were wrong about the traitor all along."
"But we have proofs! Claire Connor-"
"- was just the unfortunate pawn. The real bishop is much closer than we thought."
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When I finally go down to the dungeons, I find a few members of the Blood Hound at the entrance. One of them has bloodshot eyes and he looks like he hasn't slept for days. They look like they are in a heated argument but all conversation ceases when I enter.
"Where's your Luna?"
The man with the bloodshot eyes who answers my question. "The Luna is with the prisoner, Alpha."
"And Taylor?"
"Alpha Ashton's with her."
I look at him closely, as well as the men standing beside him. He appears to be older than me, but then, many people in here already are.
"You may leave now."
"It's Beta Lawson." He supplies helpfully. "Sorry to disobey you Alpha, but we have been ordered to stand guard."
"By whom?"
"Alpha Ashton."
I open my mouth to reply, but then decide against it. After all, he wasn't at fault here. I would talk to Taylor about this later.
"Then I expect you are better at the job than the ones before you, Beta Lawson."
He doesn't smile. "I suppose so, Alpha."
I give a curt nod of dismissal and leave. The traces of Kiara's scent still linger in the air, despite the sour smell of blood and guts. I follow the stench until I reach the empty cell that previously held the ex-Gamma and traitor.
The light here is the dimmest. Blood covers every inch of the floor. Silver chains and whips lie abandoned. It is a gory sight to see.
Hearing faint voices ahead, I head towards the cell that holds the dying ex-Gamma. Before I can push the wooden door, it's pulled open.
"Carter." Taylor's cold acknowledgement is what I receive upon entering.
My gaze sweeps past him, past the dimly lit room and lands on the person on the floor. In a few long strides, I'm there. "How is she?" I ask Kiara, sitting beside her. "Still breathing?"
She shakes her head. "Barely. She's semi conscious and delirious. Her pulse is erratic. I doubt she'll even last an hour."
"Did you check the food?"
She nods. "We found arsenic in the leftovers, but no fingerprints on the plate. The killer made a clean exit. I did try using my powers to heal her, but the arsenic had spread to all parts of her body already. She will hardly last another hour."
I crouch down beside Kiara. Most of the prisoner's face has been covered by her tangled hair. Clothes in shreds, long scars and bruises tracing her body. I should feel sympathetic, instead I feel nauseated. How Kiara is able to tolerate the sight, is something I'll never understand. Probably, she's blest with some kind shitty tolerance power from the moon goddess.
Just like I was given courage.
I force the thoughts about Kiara to the back of my mind and focus on the situation at hand.
"Has she said anything yet?" I inquire.
She brushes the strands of hair away to reveal the girl's bruised face. I recoil when I see her foaming mouth. Kiara, though is indifferent. "Not much." She replies. "But I think her brain is affected. At least, I hope it is. If her mind is no longer in control, we'll have a better chance of what was going on in her head."
"Can you heal her back?"
"I can't undo brain damage, Aden. Had she been stabbed, I could've stitched back the tissues. But this isn't a wound, this is poison. Once it enters the bloodstream and reaches the brain, there's no reversing it. She's too far gone. I numb her pain... but that's about it."
The girl groans again. More foam bubbles out of her mouth as she attempts to say something. Kiara wipes the corner of her mouth with a cloth and leans in closer.
I can make out nothing, but it seems like she can. A frown climbs up her face as she listens. "She said 'Brutus'. Do we know anyone in the pack called Brutus?" She looks at Taylor for help, but he only shrugs.
"Maybe, she's talking about betrayal. That would make sense. Perhaps she had an accomplice inside the territory whom she relied on to escape. The person instead of helping her, backstabbed her to save his own skin."
Another groan. Looking down, we find her struggling to breathe. Every intake of breath more prolonged and painful than the last.
"She's dying." For someone whose gift is selflessness, Kiara's eyes are hard and cold.
"I suppose she's outlived her purpose then." I turn towards Taylor who is watching us closely. "Finish her off?"
He nods. "She doesn't look like she has anything to tell us anyway. Get this over with and then we'll go to the Guardians. I don't think it's a good idea to delay our plans any longer. We'll convince the guardians and set out right away."
We both turn to Kiara.
She's staring at the traitor. "You knew they were coming to kill Nora, yet you never spoke a word." There's no pity on her face. No forgiveness. "You deserve to die, Claire Connor."
Without a backward glance, they leave.
The traitor's eyes widen as I approach. "Go on, Alpha Carter. Kill me." Her mouth twists into a sneer. "Why so hesitant?"
I am not hesitant. Not in the slightest.
"Liar. You still think I have something to say." Her smile widens. "You're not wrong. I do."
I pause in my tracks.
"Brutus." The name rolls of her tongue, leaving a sour taste behind."Brutus will betray you, Alpha."
"What are you talking about? If you can't talk sense, shut the hell up."
But she doesn't. Throwing her head back, she laughs maniacally.
"Is the big bad Alpha scared?" She leers. Leaning forward, she pats a bloody hand against my cheek. I recoil at her cold touch and shove her off. She lands on the floor with a thud.
"Stop talking." I seethe. "Just stop talking."
But she laughs it off. "I'm dying anyway. Might as well offer some free advice before I go. You look like you need it: If you want to find the culprit, look around you. The ones you love will be the ones who hurt you."
Anger flares in the pit of my stomach. Yanking her up by her chains, I practically lift her off the ground and slam her into the walls.
"Burn in hell." I hiss in fury. "Even if I wasn't supposed to end you, I would anyway. People like you are parasites who feed on fear."
But she just laughs. "You can try. But it won't change the truth."
So I punch her.
Punch until she starts coughing up blood. A wave of nausea hit me when I hear the crack of her bones and see the light in her eyes go out.
A last cry, and she crumples. Truly dead.
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