Chapter 23 Twenty Three
KAZIEL
"You didn't tell her why you couldn't go to her," Kira says, wiping the blood off my chin. I snort, scrolling through my tab as I read the report Aaron sent to me.
"She has enough on her plate already. I can't suddenly tell her that I think I've been poisoned."
Kira sighs, tossing the bloodied towel into the metal basin by my bedside.
"You know, you're taking this too lightly. And that usually means one out of two things. Either you actually do have a plan or..."
I blink at her. "Or what?"
"You have a death wish."
I snort in amusement, switching apps to check for the perfect diner for a reservation.
"Seriously, all we need is for you to give the order. We will capture that sly snake and force her to give us the antidote."
I ignore her again, and she exhales sharply through her nose.
"Come on, Alpha. You're stressing Mama Hawk out," Isaiah, my zeta, says, and I nearly roll my eyes.
I'm the one who's been poisoned by a very young female werewolf who goes by the name 'Eve'.
If anything, I'm the one who should be pissed. She'd kicked my ego in the balls after all.
But all I feel right now is amusement.
I take delight in hide-and-seek games like this. She obviously has an agenda, and she's going to keep playing the role of the 'good girl'.
That sly wench had slipped the poison into my bloodstream when I'd fed her my blood. Which means she’s been harbouring quite the vendetta against me. The question is why?
Isaiah’s still talking, probably cracking another joke at my expense, but for a split second, the room tilts. My vision tunnels, and something warm trickles from my nose, landing on the back of my hand. I smell it before I see it. Blood.
Kira freezes mid-step. “Alpha?”
I swipe it away quickly, pretending it’s nothing, but the metallic taste floods my mouth before I can even speak. My chest tightens. The pain feels like it's from fingers curling around my heart and squeezing once every two seconds.
“I’m fine,” I manage, though my voice sounds like I just swallowed sandpaper.
Kira’s eyes narrow. “You’re not fine. Sit down.”
“I 'am' sitting.”
“Then stop trying to look composed when you’re about to bleed out of your ears next.”
Her tone’s laced with a subtle trace of fear. That’s the thing about Kira. She can scold her Alpha and still keep her head.
I press a hand to my chest, feeling the irregular pulse beneath my ribs. It’s steady one moment, chaotic the next. The poison’s clever. It isn’t killing me fast. It’s savouring the process.
“She wanted me alive,” I murmur. “At least for a while.”
Isaiah stops pacing. “You sure that’s not just wishful thinking?”
“I’m sure,” I rasp, leaning back against the headboard. “She wants me to feel it. To question why.”
Kira presses another towel to my nose, and this time I don’t stop her.
“Alpha,” she whispers, her voice trembling. “If Danika finds out you’re like this—”
“She won’t,” I cut in. “Not before I fix it.”
But as the pain lances through my chest again, harsh enough to steal my breath, Danika’s face flashes behind my eyes.
I squeeze my eyes shut, my jaw tightening. I am willing to bear the pain, but my woman has to be safe no matter what. And I can't trust Eve to not try to hurt her.
Damnit.
I should probably go hunting right away and rip that crazy bitch's heart out of her chest for good measure.
No, that won't do.
She's the vessel, for goodness' sake.
"You know you really don't have to spare Eve for the Pack's sake. We do want the curse to be broken. But your safety and health are more important, Alpha," Isaiah tells me, his pale green eyes filled with worry.
"Thank you, Isaiah," I say, and a gentle smile tugs at his lips.
"We will follow your decision, Alpha. Whatever it is."
...
The water still clings to my skin, warm droplets sliding down my shoulders and chest as I step out of the bathroom. Steam fogs the mirror, and for a moment, I catch my reflection in the mirror, long enough to see the madness that has always lurked in my blue eyes and the severe scars I'd meticulously hidden underneath my tattoos. I couldn't bear to think about it for too long or even stare at it because doing that is practically a mental trap.
I wrap a towel around my waist and rake a hand through my damp hair.
The faint murmur of a TV filters through the hallway. At first, I think it’s one of the sentinels on night duty, but when I step into the living room, I stop.
Kira’s curled up on the smaller couch, head resting on her arm, the remote still in her hand. Isaiah’s sprawled across the other, one leg hanging off the side, snoring softly. Two warriors who are loyal to a fault, asleep at their post.
For the first time in a long while, peace tugs at my heart.
They stayed. Even after I told them I was fine.
Idiots. Loyal, stubborn idiots.
I pull the grey throw blanket off the armrest and drape it gently over Kira. She stirs slightly but doesn’t wake up. Then another for Isaiah as he grumbles something about “mama hawk” in his sleep and turns over. I can’t help the quiet laugh that slips past my throat.
“Goodnight,” I murmur under my breath.
The TV hums on with muted laughter from some late-night sitcom. I switch it off, and the silence that follows feels thick but comforting.
Taking a deep breath, I make my way to my room. The moonlight spills through the open curtains, coating the marble with silver. I rest my hands against the window frame and look out. The night is calm. There's no movement or threat.
Somewhere out there, she’s sleeping.
Danika.
I wonder if she has any cute sleeping habits.
My phone buzzes on the nightstand, and I reach for it.
My pulse races in excitement when I see the message from my mate.
'Are you awake?'
My lips curve before I realize it.
I sit on the edge of the bed, the towel still around my waist as I type back:
'Couldn’t sleep. You?'
The typing bubble appears almost immediately, and I find myself watching it like it’s the most important thing in the world.
'Me neither. I just wish you were here. I feel safer with you.'
She's probably wary about having both a werewolf and a vampire in the same room with her. Bellamy had mentioned the female vampire who fought for her, and when Aaron’s background check came out clean, I’d been relieved.
'Will you be okay with sleeping over in my house whenever you want to?' I type and send it to her.
'Always. Little heads-up though. I'm known to raid freezers and refrigerators.'
I let out a laugh, running a hand over my face. "Silly girl," I murmur, already picturing her walking down the hallway in her nightdress with her hair in a messy bun.
Her next message has me blinking twice in surprise.
'Kaziel, you don't have a wife or a girlfriend, do you?'
'I only have a mate whom I intend to make both my girlfriend and wife.'
'Do you do one-night stands?'
Puzzled, I dial her number. She picks up on the first ring.
"So, is it a yes or a no?" She asks, and I frown.
"Of course not, dove. What's going on with you?"
There’s a shaky breath on the other end. “How did your ex-girlfriend die?”
I freeze, suddenly forgetting how to breathe.
How did she—
I bring a hand to my chest willing myself to breathe as Vanya's bloodied face fills my mind.
"Never mind. I can't let her plant seeds of doubts in my head. I should go to sleep now. See you tomorrow."
The line goes dead, and all I do is stare at the wall, an invisible boulder on my chest.
No...
What if I end up losing Danika the same way?
Wait... Aren't I worried about the wrong thing? I wonder. But for the life of me, I can't think of anything else.
I have to go to her. I have to—
In the blink of an eye, I'm no longer in my room.
The smell of vanilla and rosewater floods my senses as I stand in an unfamiliar room. I realize right then that I've done it again. Teleporting. I still don't know how to control it, as it only happens when my emotions are running wild.
Still, the view before me makes this worthwhile. My dove stares at me wide-eyed, her gaze roving over me as she sits up, her tits pushing against the thin material of her t-shirt, her tiny red shorts exposing her thick thighs.
"K-Kaziel? W-what are you doing here?" She breathes, and I wince, rubbing the back of my neck.
"First of all, I can assure you that I'm not a pervert," I tell her, and she blinks, clearly confused.
"Then, why are you standing here in my bedroom with nothing but a towel?"
I glance down.
Well, shit.