Chapter 282 282
Lucas POV
The cells were now under the watch of Bloodnight pack warriors. The Darkvale warriors hadn’t hidden their surprise at the change, but they followed my orders without question.
I returned under the cover of darkness, careful not to cross paths with Aurélie, Florence, or even Théo. Théo, especially, had been keeping a close eye on Damien’s movements and mine ever since we took over responsibility for the cell block.
“Beta,” one of my men greets me with a nod as I enter the building in the early hours of the morning.
“Any movement?” I ask quietly.
“Nothing since evening. Been silent all night, boss.”
“Good.” I exhale slowly. “I want the vehicles prepped at the rear. The bodies are to be taken out. They can’t stay on or anywhere near Darkvale land.”
“Understood, Beta,” the second guard confirms as he moves to unlock the cell door the same one we’d exited the previous afternoon.
My stomach is usually ironclad. Very little rattles me.
But the moment the door opens, the stench hits thick, metallic, stale. Blood. It rolls through me, sharp enough to trigger a wave of nausea.
Fuck.
Blood is everywhere.
Walls. Floor. Body parts scattered like refuse. The sight alone tells me the cleanup will take far longer than anticipated. Hell we might even have to repaint. That won’t go unnoticed the way a simple scrub-down would.
I step inside, the door closing behind me as my warriors follow. They’d been ordered to stop him if necessary but I don’t intend to let it get that far.
Someone is watching me.
I can feel it.
One of them survived. Someone won.
My gaze sweeps the room until I finally spot him lying casually on the floor beside a decapitated body.
“Beta,” he greets, voice calm, almost cheerful.
It’s like stepping into a horror film. Even the soles of my boots are slick with blood now, each step leaving dark prints behind me.
Definitely not someone you’d want as an enemy.
I wonder if Geneviève ever realised the kind of diamond she’d left buried among her filth.
Aside from the blood splattered across him, he doesn’t have a single mark. No wounds. No signs of struggle. It doesn’t even look like anyone fought back.
He must have moved with terrifying precision. Too precise. My mind spins trying to imagine where someone like him would have trained.
The Bloodnight pack holds the highest training standards. Unmatched.
And yet… I get the uneasy feeling he could teach me a few things.
“You could’ve been a little tidier,” I say dryly, lifting a brow and masking my intrigue. “These aren’t our usual surroundings. There’s only so much I can conceal.”
“My apologies, Beta,” he replies smoothly. “Things… escalated. I was hoping the Alpha King might grace me with his presence again.”
His black hair isn’t even out of place. His olive skin is untouched not a speck of blood on it. It’s as though he moved faster than gravity itself.
“He’s otherwise engaged,” I reply, studying him more closely. What exactly are you?
“I bet he is,” the rogue smirks as he rises fluidly to his feet.
His eyes catch mine then and I freeze.
There’s power there. A strange blend of reddish hues swirling through deep brown. Mesmerising. Dangerous.
I don’t realise how long I’m staring until my wolf growls a warning.
“Careful, Beta,” he murmurs. “I wouldn’t stare too long.”
I still can’t look away.
Not until he closes his eyes.
The spell breaks instantly, and I suck in a breath, grounding myself.
“I’m waiting on confirmation of the meeting location,” I say, forcing my voice steady. “We’ll contact you via mobile.”
I hand him a thick envelope. Inside a phone, a wad of cash to keep him afloat until we call him in, and detailed instructions on what information we need.
He weighs it in his hand, then looks back at me.
“Anywhere I shouldn’t stay?”