Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 114617 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 573(@200wpm)___ 458(@250wpm)___ 382(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114617 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 573(@200wpm)___ 458(@250wpm)___ 382(@300wpm)
“She’s right. It doesn’t make sense,” Andrew cried. “Why wouldn’t you give her up? Why would you put her on trial for Hall and the lunch lady, and conveniently leave out what she did to our friend?”
“He did it.”
“He’s a psycho!”
“Just like his father.”
“No,” Orion shouted as Costas hauled him away. “NO!”
Badr grabbed his father, shaking him. “Father, do something. Do something!”
Cygnus didn’t move. He didn’t react.
Giving up on him, Badr turned on Edric. “You can stop this. Tell them it wasn’t like that. Say something!”
I flicked to Edric, eyes narrowing. “You see into my thoughts, lover, so you know what else I had in mind for him. Think hard about if you want to let this play out, or force me to go with Plan B.”
Edric looked from Orion to me, then back to Orion. “Orion was doing a good thing for a good person that night,” Edric began, “but yeah, he burned the body so that no one would ever find it.”
“Edric!” Orion and Badr bellowed. Betrayal coated the cries like acid.
Stepping to my side, Edric took my hand and laced our fingers through.
Badr looked like someone punched through his stomach and ripped everything out.
“I don’t want there to be any doubt or any accusations of a frame-job,” I continued, “so I’m going to open the school to the secret police. Miss Costas, come back with however many people you want to photograph, print, test, and question everything. Don’t stop until you’re sure you have the right person.”
“You can be sure of that,” she gritted, straining to get Orion through the gates. “I’ll have the entire team here within the hour.”
I inclined my head. “I, your headmistress, will allow this because Cygnus and I have worked everything out. I will stay on as headmistress and all my changes to the school will stand—with the full approval of the alpha council. Right, Cygnus?”
Sweat beading on his brow, Castor’s father looked out over the anxious, bug-eyed, and angry faces... and nodded.
“What?!” Badr exploded. “What the fuck is going on?! What are you saying!?”
“In fact.” I raised my voice over his noise. “Mr. Tahan is returning to the capital right now to begin the process of turning my will into law.” I beamed at the red-faced councilman. “Right, Cygnus?”
Clearing his throat, he straightened to his full height, tried for a smile, and nodded.
“No! This doesn’t make any sense. You wouldn’t do this!” Badr grabbed his father and shook him—hard. “She killed Castor! Did everyone forget that but me? You should be arresting her and throwing her in a hole, not handing her a castle! Wake the fuck up, man! She’s crazy. She—”
Cygnus punched Badr in the face, blowing him off his feet.
I gasped—smile wiping off my face as I clapped my hand over my mouth, gaping at Cygnus in shock. I didn’t expect that. Not in a million did I expect, or want, that.
“Gods, you’re a bastard,” I hissed, knowing Cygnus would hear me loud and clear.
I didn’t need words to translate the look he gave me in return.
Badr shoved up, roughly wiping blood across his chin. He growled—wolf eyes glowing burnished gold.
Stepping over him, Cygnus left through the gates—not even bothering with a glance back.
Thick, awkward silence hung heavy in the air. No one knew what to do or say now, least of all me.
“That was unpleasant,” I forced out, sucking in a deep breath. “Actually, every day has been unpleasant since term began. How about this? Let’s start over. Fresh start.”
“What does that mean?” Tracy asked slowly.
“A party. Tonight.” Enthusiasm crept into my voice as the idea took me. “A party for everyone. Omega, beta, alpha, and epsilon. No fighting, no feuds, no drama. We’ll just get drunk, dance, hook up, and have a good time. Consider that mandatory.” I fluttered my hand at someone in the crowd. “My second-in-command will handle all the details. I’m thinking a royal theme.”
Nia stepped out of the crowd and fell in at my side. “Oooh, royals, I love it, Daze.” Her smile passed over the astonished crowd. “I’ll take care of everything.”
“Excellent. Now, back to class, everyone.”
Confused murmurings and resigned whispers filtered past my ears as my new subjects slowly but surely returned inside. Edric went last, his hands slipping through my fingers.
“Go easy.”
It didn’t occur to me to do anything else as I watched Badr slowly peel himself off the ground. Sitting up, he draped his arms across his knees, hanging his head.
My lips parted. “Badr—”
“Fuck off.”
“You lost this fight,” I said, not unkindly. “As bad as that feels right now, one day... you’ll be glad you did.”
I had my foot over the threshold when I heard—
“I can’t lose a fight that’s not over.”
Chapter Ten
After my short chat with Badr, I skipped class, trudged up to my new room, and passed out on the bed. My head ached something fierce after blowing up the bond with Paxton. The only thing I wanted to do was hide from the pain in dreamland.