I sidestepped Tariq and closed the door, cutting off his possible escape route. Not that he would have managed to escape me had I wanted to stop him. He inched toward my bed, his eyes on my Little Mouse. Her eyes shone with fury, while his face betrayed confusion and fear. His reaction told me everything I wanted to know. Still, I wanted to offer him a chance. Depending on what he’d do with it, he might either improve his position or dig his own grave.
My Little Mouse pulled the sheets up to her neck, her eyes firmly locked on Tariq. It seemed like only my presence here stopped her from lunging at my squad leader and tearing his flesh into ribbons.
After a moment of shock, Tariq’s pale face regained some of its coloring. His wolf surfaced in his dark eyes, revealing rage. Finally, he turned to me and cleared his throat. “I believe I should be glad there were no… accidents last night.”
Little Mouse fisted her hands. I knew she was itching to say something, but I only glanced at her and shook my head, telling her to remain silent. Instead, I slowly walked toward the bed and sat on the verge by my Little Mouse’s side. “And by accidents, you meant…?”
Tariq worked his jaw. “I knew you weren’t feeling well yesterday,” he started cautiously. “I’m glad you regained control just in time to-”
“I didn’t,” I said simply, taking my sweet healer’s slender hand and kissing her knuckles. “Miss Orelia’s charm turned out to be stronger than my curse.”
Tariq’s eyes widened for a second before he painted his expression blank. “That’s… good. Good…”
“Is it?” A cold smirk curved my lips. “Because you look almost as if you were hoping she wound
up
dead.”
“Why would I?” A strangled laugh escaped him.
I kissed my Little Mouse’s hand again, and she rewarded me with a faint blush. “It turns out Miss Orelia has special powers, powers we can use. She will help Silas from now on.”
A deep frown creased Tariq’s forehead. “What do you mean, Alpha?”
I glanced at my Little Mouse, then at Tariq. “From now on, she belongs to Dark Fire Pack.”
“What?!” Tariq and my healer shouted in unison.
I turned to her first. “Orelia Solamen is officially dead. You may either become a member of my pack or remain packless, although I wouldn’t suggest the latter.”
She swallowed hard, then nervously nodded. “I… I agree.”
“Agree?!” Tariq snarled. “Alpha, this is insane! Do you even know who she is?!”
“You’re crossing the line, squad leader.” The threat in my voice made him stumble back.
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Chapter 20
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Kissing my Little Mouse’s forehead, I whispered, “Stay here. Someone will bring you breakfast and then lead you back to your room. In the afternoon, you’ll be escorted to Silas.” When she nodded, I rose from the bed and gestured for Tariq to follow me outside.
I cast a final glance at my new pack member before closing the door behind Tariq and me. The squad leader had a hard time handling the display of affection. He was most likely wondering if I had gone fully insane after the previous night’s attack. Good. I would let him wonder. I would let him go mad with assumptions.
We walked down the hallway in silence. I kept my eyes straight, but I knew he kept his on me, trying to read me. Dumb fucker. He followed me to my study. Wordlessly, I opened the door and entered, jerking my chin for him to do the same. “Close the door,” I told him as I walked to sit behind my desk.
I could hear him swallow as he quietly took a seat opposite mine. “Is there… an important matter you wish to discuss with me, Alpha?”
“Yes.” A dark smirk played on my lips as I locked my eyes on him. “Why did you bring Orelia to my chamber?”
He might have choked on air as he heard my question. “I… I didn’t!” he swore, pressing his hand to his chest. “She… She must have found a way herself. She lived in a castle, so maybe she figured out where your chamber was. Bitches like her always aim high. She must have thought that seducing you—”
“So… she did it to herself? She found my chamber because… she wanted to seduce me?” I scratched my chin, pretending to consider the bullshit he’d spat.
“Yes!” He clasped his hands, his eyes gleaming with relief.
“So she locked herself in and waited for me?” My brows rose.
He nodded. “That must have been it.”
I pinched the bridge of my nose. So disappointing. “Tariq, when I appointed you the squad leader, I gave you
a chance to prove yourself and prove your loyalty. You were supposed to follow orders.”
“Yes, Alpha,” he said, giving me a solemn nod.
A cold chuckle escaped me. “What did I tell you about Orelia Solamen?”
He sucked in a sharp breath. “You said she’s a slave-”
“I told you she’s mine. I also told you to take care of her and make sure she arrived here safely.”
He tugged the collar of his shirt, loosening it. “Well… um… She did arrive safely.”
Foolish bastard. Couldn’t he see I was giving him his final chance? “And what happened next?”
He swallowed. “It was… like I said before.”
I leaned back in my seat. “You expect me to believe that she left her room all by herself, somehow sneaked through seven different corridors, miraculously found my chamber, and did all of that just to try to seduce
me?”
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Chapter 20
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Slowly, I rose to my feet while connecting with the castle guards through the mind link. I gave a quick order before shifting my attention to Tariq. “She told me she was brought to my chamber. She told me you did it.”
His lips peeled back. “She’s lying!”
“Is she?” I stepped in front of him, darkness softly humming in my veins. “Do you know how terrified she was when she saw me?”
He worked his jaw. “Well, obviously. She didn’t know what she was getting herself into.”
“But you knew it all too well.” Lethal calm satiated my voice. “You wanted to get rid of her, and you wanted to use me to do it.”
“No, Alpha. I wouldn’t dare.” He vehemently shook his head.
A grim smile stretched my lips. “And yet you did.”
His claws come out, his wolf showing. “That bitch is lying! She’s a fucking noble! All they do is lie!”
The darkness within me whispered, urging me to let the tendrils loose. This was the only part of my power I could control, not that using it came without consequences. An icy smile twisted my lips, the dark aura rising from my arms and shoulders. “You are lying, Tariq. And I really hate liars.”
He noticed the first dark tendrils sliding to my palms, and he dropped to his knees. “Please, Alpha! I’m… I’m telling the truth!”
I leaned over him, the dark smoke wrapping around his throat. “So tell me this… How did Orelia lock the door?”
His face turned pale, his eyes frantically glancing at the smoke surrounding him. “She must have… found a key,” he choked out.
I exhaled sharply and shook my head. “Such a shame. You’ve just wasted your final chance.”
More smoke flew from my arms, circling his neck, adding pressure to his throat. He began to choke, his hands ineptly trying to grasp the tendrils. “Please…”
“Do you know what I hate more than liars, Tariq?” I watched as his eyes began to bulge, his body trembling. “The answer is dumb liars. And do you know why you qualify in this category?”
He didn’t answer. He was too busy gasping for air, clawing at the skin of his neck, trying to cut through my power.
“I’ll tell you why.” I fixed my eyes on him, my rage making the darkness tighten around him. “The door was locked on the outside. Which means you locked her there. You nearly killed her. You nearly made ME kill perhaps the only person who can cure me,” I hissed.
“Forgive… me,” he croaked.
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Chapter 20
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My head was already spinning, and the exhaustion from using my power this way made me stumble back. Inhaling sharply, I withdrew my tendrils, releasing Tariq from their grip. He fell face–first to the floor just as I signaled the guards through the link.
“Alpha.” Two sentinels entered the study and bowed before grabbing Tariq’s arms and dragging him out.
They barely managed to leave my study when I heard familiar steps echoing through the hallway. A few heartbeats passed, and my Beta knocked on the door. “Come in, Lanira,” I muttered, rubbing my aching temples.
“You used your powers,” she noted dryly as she entered. “You shouldn’t have.”
I raised my gaze to my second in command and smirked. As always, she looked impeccable, dressed in tight leathers, emphasizing her slender figure. Her long black hair was coiled in a thick braid, swaying like a whip as she walked. A perfect combination of a deadly predator and a stunning beauty.
“Tariq deserved it,” I muttered, trying to ignore the pounding in my head. “He disobeyed me and lied to me.”
“Is this because of the new slave girl?” Her dark brows rose.
A wry smile curved my lips. “It turns out she’s a powerful healer. She might help me control-”
“Don’t do it.” Lanira shook her head. “Don’t use her powers.”
I frowned. “Why?”
She sighed. “You know I’m intuitive. Have I ever been wrong about anyone before?”
“No,” I admitted.
She stepped closer, her lips curving into a faint smile. “Then stay away from her, please. I cannot explain it, but I just feel it.”
I fixed my eyes on hers. “Feel what exactly?”
She drew a shaky breath. “If you keep her by your side, she will lead to your death.”
AD
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