ZEDKIEL.
I look at her sharply, glancing back at the door before I crouch before her on the ground. There is no way someone like Evangeline can kill anyone, let alone the Oracle. The woman was one of the most powerful beings.
âLook, you didnât kill her.â I say quietly, rubbing her arms comfortingly. I take a second to relish in those sparks as my hands rub her arms.
I donât know how they came back but Iâm glad they did⦠Sheâs mine..
âI did⦠I did it Zedkiel! I-I went to see her â to ask my question! Then- Then I killed her!â Her voice is panicky, and sheâs beginning to tremble too. Her heart thundering like a galloping horse.
I can see the fear and regret in her eyes.
She didnât kill her; I know that for certain, but she sure thought she did.
I donât know how to convince her otherwise, and so I simply pull her close and wrap my arms around her tightly. I press my lips to the top of her head.
âListen to me, you didnât kill her. I know that and I donât know why you think you did. But you arenâta killer Little Mouse, alright?â
âZedâ¦â She whimpers and I car3ss her hair.
âLook I need you to do to me a favour? Can you do that?â
She tilts her head up and nods but itâs doing nothing to calm her anxiousness. I know what the Shadow Wolf had said, but I donât believe it. She does not have darkness within her.
âI need you to not repeat this to anyone. Let me handle it.â
âNo, theyâll know! Theyâll realise I did it, and I did! I have to pay for my crimes. I have toâ¦â Her eyes are filled with tears as she clutches my arms. âI didnât mean to! I promise I didnât!â She sobs.
For a split second, I feel a slight aura around her, but it vanishes as fast as it appears, and Iâm reminded of the way I found her in the water..
Thereâs something about her, but neither of us knows what that is. This was why I wanted her to ask the Oracle about who she is.
âYou said you went to ask your question; did you get an answer?âI ask her.
She nods, when thereâs a knock on the door again, making my eyes flash in irritation.
âComing!â I growl. âTell me later,â I add to her in a much calmer voice, helping her to her feet.
âWait, Zed I need to tell you-â She stops abruptly opening her mouth, but no sound comes out, she tries again, her mouth is open but once again she says nothing. Sheâs beginning to panic, and I canhear her heart thundering violently.
What is going on?
âEvangeline, itâs ok, weâll talk later. You donât need to work yourself up. Letâs see what Dad wants and then weâll talk.â I promise her quietly.
âI-â She stops, and sheâs shaking as she looks down, breaking into a fresh wave of tears. âGoddess âWeâll talk later. We need to go.â I say, walking over to the closet. I pull out a tank top and slip it on. I pause when I feel her delicate hands pull it down for me. Even though sheâs terrified and having what looks like a damn panic attack, sheâs still worrying about me.
âIâm healed.â The paste she made worked magic, and I was pretty impressed. I had seen the concern in her eyes, the fear and the worry, as she tended to me⦠She cares. She really f*****g does. I turn to look at her, cupping her face. âItâs going to be alright.â
She nods, and I brush my thumbs over her cheeks, wiping away a few of her tears, before I bend down and k!ss her softly, and f**k did this k!ss feel good⦠She wraps her arms around my neck, and I hold her tight. Sheâs shaken, and Iâm not sure if sheâs ok to go out there, but at the same time I canât leave her alone, nor do I want to.
âIâm here.â I tell her quietly, before taking her hand and leading her from the room. I lock the door behind us, not trusting anyone. Even if these are guards I trust, with the Oracle dead it just shows thereâs something powerful at work here.
Fifteen minutes later, all of my brothers are here in the grand hall with their Lunas. Danciana is also here, standing beside Dad, her face as ashen as most of the women here. Dadâs Beta, Jason, is talking to Dad about something.
âAny answers?â Dad asks him, tight-lipped.
He shakes his head and mutters something to Dad.
I donât catch it as heâs close to Dad and had practically just mouthed it, but Dad nods and looks around. Jason gives us a nod before he takes his leave. The door shuts behind him with a thud that resonates through the room.
âAs everyone knows, the Oracle is no more.â Dadâs voice is strained, and even Danciana is visibly shaken.
âWe heard. How did this even happen?â Ragnar growls. âThis is what happens when you let other packs into our midst. Them staying at this castle was a f*****g mistake.â
âIt was for safety measures.â Jeremiah says quietly.
âYeah, so we can keep an eye on them, right? Yet somehow the Oracle is dead.â Drystan says.
âExactly, we canât trust any of them.â Ragnar sneers.
âThe same can be said for your new wife.â Alcazer snaps. âThis isnât the time for arguing.â
âI agree. We need to find out who did this and then have them punished for their crimes.â Chasyn says, tight-lipped. Maryka looks to be in a similar state to Evangeline, and Iâm relieved that sheâs not the only one visibly shaken. I keep my arm around her firmly as I remain quiet, trying to figure out why she thinks she killed the Oracle.
Can it somehow be linked to my B***d Ritual or her dreams? I didnât want to think that.
âIâm going to go take a look down there, see if I can find anything.â I say coldly.
âNoâ Dad says, making me look at him sharply.
I donât like to be told what to do.
âWhy not? We all know Iâm the best at handling stuff like this. Whilst the rest of you wonât get your hands dirty and will wait for your men to handle it andâ probably miss vital information, Iâll go there myself.âI say coldly.
Heâs quiet, and he looks at Chasyn for a moment.
He nods at him before turning to me.
âZedkiel..â
âWhat is it?â I snarl.
âLetâs have a word in private.â Dad says, âDanciana, you and the Luna Princesses may leave.â
âSheâs staying with me.â I snarl, my arm tightening around Evangelineâs wa!st.
Dad sighs but nods as the rest of the women leave.
Most of them seem to be relieved to be able to get out of here. My brothers remain behind until Dad speaks again.
âDrystan, Draven, you two leave, too.â They frown in annoyance before they leave, unable to refuse his command. The moment they have gone, Dad sighs as he looks at me. âI need you to stay calm.â
âIâm f*****g calm. What is going on?â I snarl.
âWhere were you this afternoon, Zedkiel?â Alcazer asks, and a tense silence fills the room, making my eyes flash when I realise what they are insinuating.
âWatch it and find f*****g proof before accusing me!â I thunder about to grab him when I stop.
No⦠I need to think this out.
I rather they blame me before their attention turns elsewhere.. if Evangeline had visited her⦠thereâs a chance her name could get dragged into this. I canât let them even know that we have visited her.
âZedkiel didnât do it!â Evangeline says defensively.
I can see the fear in her eyes.
âStay out of this.â I say firmly. Our eyes meet, and I give her a warning look.
Her chest is heaving, and I can sense her irritation, which sheâs directing at herself. Sheâs blaming herself and itâs obvious.
âZedkiel, if you had anything to do with it, I think you should tell me now.
âI have nothing to prove.â I say. âI think you need to let me go down there and find out exactly what happened.â
I really donât think Evangeline is capable of this.
There is no way she could put up a fight with the Oracle herself.
There must be clues down there, or something that will give me answers.
âIâm going down there, and Iâd like to see who stops me.â I snarl coldly.
âZedâ¦â I ignore her, as I grab her wrist and pull her from the room.
âFor once, listen!â Ragnar shouts.
âF**k off.â I snap back.
âZedkiel, itâs a horror scene.â Dad says.
I stop in my tracks and look back at him. âI think you forget Iâm the only f*****g nightmare around here.â
âZedkiel..â She clutches my arm, and I can feel her fear.
âZedkielâ I look up and I almost smile when I come face to face with someone I have been waiting for, to return. Someone I consider a friend.
âKash.â I say looking at the tanned man in front of me. He has several tattoos, dark hair, and green eyes. Even though heâs in a suit, you can still see he isnât someone to mess with. He is the son of Jason Lane, Dadâs Beta.
He smirks, closing the gap between us and hugs me. I slap his back and he steps back, his gaze falling to Evangeline.
âIâm gone for what? A couple of months and youâve married.. Hey, Iâm Kash.â
âNice to meet you.â Evangeline says, leaning into me. Sheâs still worried.
This is probably the one person Iâll trust her with more than anyone, even my most trusted men.
âI know you just got back and as much as I want to catch up on all youâve found out.. Keep an eye on her, I need to check something.â I say quietly. I was the one who had sent him awayâ¦
He frowns but nods, running his fingers through his black hair. Something that told me he doesnât bring good news.
I give Evangeline a squeeze before I walk off, heading down towards the Oracleâs quarters.
The place is teeming with Dadâs strongest warriors Jason is here, too.
âAlpha Zedkiel, I would recommend you to stay back.â
âI donât take orders from you.â I growl, pushing past him.
I make my way down the hall. The smell of b***d reaches my nose and I falter. Itâs the same scent that I caught off her⦠itâs so much more potent but itâs the same.. Itâs not something that anyone could pick up⦠but b***dâ¦itâs a part of who I am, part of what I crave.. I can smell someone by their b***d alone if need be.
The atmosphere down here is dark and thereâs an odd aura lingering in the air. The unease and fear that seeps off everyone only seem to add to it.
They all move back as I make my way to the Oracleâs room.
But what I see is not what I was expecting.
Itâs far from it.
I hear my own heart thud as I stare at the scene before me. Not one inch of the floor is not coated with b***d. Yet mixed with the b***d, there are charred rivets of black marks along the walls and floor. There are burn marks and symbols marring certain parts of the walls and most of the furniture is destroyed. Signs of a strong struggle. Powerful magic was used here. Dark magic, too.
âAlpha donât go inside.â Someone mutters, but I ignore them, stepping inside and thatâs when I see it. On the far wall near the hearth is the most disturbing thing of all.
There, against the wall, is the body of the Oracle, hanging naked on the stone wall. The thing that is keeping her pinned to the wall are the large dark iron nails hammered into her wrists and up her arms, spreading them apart. Her eyes are open as her head is strangely upright despite her being obviously dead, the look of pure horror etched forever into her face.
âWhat theâ¦â
I donât know how the f**k she got there, or what is powerful enough to defeat a woman of her calibre, but one thing I am one hundred percent sure of, is that there is no way on earth that Evangeline did this.
Itâs just not possible.
This is the work of something far darker than even me.