LYRIC
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My heart hurt all over from having her in front of me. She looked at me with so much hurt in her eyes, like I was nothing short of a stranger.
“Maddy,” I called softly, holding onto the bars.
She wouldn’t even come close to the cell but kept a safe distance, as though it was possible for me to touch her through the bars.
Seconds passed. She didn’t utter a word to me.
“Maddy… I didn’t do it. Please, you have to believe me.”
Her expression remained vacant, as though she was staring at a blank wall.
I was starting to get worried when she finally scoffed. “Remember that day at the kids‘ birthday party? In the restroom where you killed that
Executioner?”
She stopped for a fleeting moment. “You heard footsteps. Someone had been watching you.”
She paused again, and this time, it ticked in my brain. My lips parted in shock.
“I was shocked, you know? For a moment, I’d contemplated talking to someone about it. But then, I thought to myself–it’s Lyric. She’s not that dangerous. I mean, she’s one of the sweetest people I know.”
Her eyes darkened. “How wrong and foolish I was. My mother had been right when she said your kind should never exist among us.”
I lowered my head, trying to digest her story. So, it had been her? It explained why the person never confronted or exposed me.
“I know my mother’s not a saint. I mean, I’ve had much fair share and know she could be sick in the head sometimes. But did you really have to kill her, Lyric? How could you use your powers on one of us?”
“I didn’t kill her,” I sniffled.
“Then, who did?! She was killed by a siphon! Has there been any Siphon aside you?”
“I–I don’t know! But I’m telling you, I didn’t kill her. I don’t know who did”
She chuckled, wiping a tear from her face. Gods, they didn’t believe me. Why won’t they believe me?
“It hurts to see you behind bars, you know?” She sniffled. “You’d been such a good friend. But know what hurts even more? The fact that I’m never going to see my mother again.”
She turned around, walking away.
“You aren’t the only who lost someone, you know? I lost my child as well!” I shouted after her, bringing her to a stop. “Everyone keeps talking about the death of the Luna, but what about my baby? She killed my innocent child simply because she didn’t like me. Is that fair?”
She gave me a long stare. “Is that why you killed her?”
“No. But I can’t say I feel sorry she died.”
Shock glinted in her eyes, but I couldn’t bring myself to care anymore. They couldn’t keep blaming me for something I didn’t do without acknowledging
the fact that the Luna had committed murder as well.
Maddy opened her mouth to say something, but for some reason, she just shook her head and walked away.
Chapter 213
*****
JARIS
i stood with my arms crossed, watching with the rest of the people as the offenders were brought forward, I’d rather be in my pack, enjoying the confines of my room like I’d been doing for the past one week. How unfortunate they had to drag me out to this place.
The three offenders were dropped to their knees in front of me, their hands chained to their backs.
They all looked at me like I had their lives in my hands, and that I did.
“I’m sure you’re all aware of the reason you’ve been brought here?” I began, my voice was bored as a monotonous drone echoing in a silent room. “You’ve been committing wrecking havoc on the people, something you’ve all been explicitly warned not to. Perhaps,” I soaked around them. “my words are suddenly considered a joke.”
“Never, my King!” One of them said with his head bowed. “What happened was a misunderstanding. They stepped on our toes; it’s only right that we fight back.”
“They think that as wolves from a higher rank, they’re allowed to mess with us and get away with it.”
I was seriously tired of hearing the same story. The lower ranks feeling intimidated by the higher ranks and using it as an excuse to attack them. It was
dumb.
“So, that’s enough reason to start a fatal fight?” I cocked my brow. “You’re aware that four innocent people died from the fire, right?”
They lowered their heads in obvious shame. I stopped walking behind them.
“You’ll have to face the penalty; my judgement.”
Without hesitation, I plunged my hand into the chest of one from behind. A horrified scream filled the air as I wrenched his heart free and his body dropped to the ground.
I continued, pulling out the heart of the second one. His body dropped to the ground as well. The third offender tried to run, but it was useless since he was in chains. I pulled his heart free as well.
“No!!! Banas!!!” Someone dropped to her knees, crying for one of the corpses.
Shocked gasps rippled through the space, some of the women even stepping away.
Holding out my hand to Kael, he placed a napkin in it with which I wiped the blood off. Then, I proceeded to the car.
Nerion was already in the driver’s seat, and Kael joined me in the backseat. I already expected his words based on the judgy look he gave me.
“You shouldn’t have done that, you know? That was a little too far.”
I pulled a magazine from my seat and pretended to be interested in the pages.
“Do you have a better judgement, Kael? Maybe you should talk to the people to make you King,” I said without even looking at him or feeling the slightest bit of guilt for not filtering my words.
He shook his head before staring out the window. honestly didn’t know what his problem was. A lot of people have been getting on my nerves lately. It was time someone paid.
Nerion started the car and we began our journey to the airport.
“I think you need to talk to her,” Kael suddenly said a while later. “Maybe you’ll think more rationally when you do.”
My hands froze on the page I’d been reading, My blood feeling like it had thickened to molasses
08:06 Wed, 25 Jun
Chapter 213
My jaw clenched, but I forced my eyes to stay down on the magazine even if I couldn’t decipher a single word on it.
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Kael had the guts to press on. “You’ve been avoiding her for a week. Don’t you think this is the reason you’ve been acting out? You don’t seem to care about anything or anyone.”
“Maybe I don’t want to. Have you thought about that?” I snapped, my eyes glowering as I looked at him.
“Well, it’s unlike you not to care even about the people closest to you. I don’t think it’s cool.”
The more he spoke, the harder it was to control my rage.
“I can’t remember making you my chief advisor, Kael. So, why don’t you just stop talking?”
He looked at me with annoyance but didn’t say anything else. Infact, he avoided talking to me all through the journey home.
We arrived the Central Pack in a couple of hours, and despite my desire to go to my room, I was met with serious business.
The Elders were already assembled and waiting for me in the conference room. They organized a meeting for me, and in this case, I wouldn’t be able to leave them hanging.
I made my way to the conference room, already feeling pissed that my rest was disturbed.
“We called you here for a serious issue, King Jaris; one we seem to be avoiding for a week,” One of the Elders said after the formalities.
I already knew where this was headed, and my hands were beginning to form knuckles.
“Your mate. Lyric. You haven’t made a decision about her yet,” Lucas said.
