Chapter 73

Chapter 73
Jack’s POV

When Becky excused herself from the dinner table the look she exchanged with Scarlett was suspicious, If I weren’t seated at the head of the table I would have followed her. I could hear her footsteps down the hallway then I didn’t hear them anymore.

I must have gotten distracted by my little argument with Scarlett that I forgot to look out for Becky, I was deep in my thoughts and when I felt a presence in the pack house, again I wanted to get up and and check for whatever it was yet I couldn’t move an inch because I didn’t want to let Scarlett out of my sight.

But after dinner, she was the one who escaped from my sight. I knew she wasn’t exactly running away from me but I felt it was part of her reasons. I followed her until I got to the maid’s quarters, then I saw her and Warren in Marie’s room, To my surprise Warren was already there, As I observed them from afar, I noticed them searching the room for a while before they started calling out her name. At that moment I knew that Becky was in trouble. To make things worse, I could still feel the presence in the pack house so I waited for them to leave the room then I went inside to inspect it myself.

I can smell flame and blood, someone must have sprinkled a scent mask in the room to mask the smell but as an Alpha who is still growing, my senses are getting sharper and stronger than they used to be, so I could smell everything. At that moment I just knew that Becky was injured or probably dead, that was the only reasonable explanation for the blood. I knew Scarlett would be upset if she found out that her friend was gone so I got her locked up and then hurried back to the room to inspect it.

The first thing I saw when I walked into the room was the droplets of blood splattered on the door, they were tiny drops that could go unnoticed if you were in a hurry. I kept circling the room for more evidence, I dragged the drawer open and noticed that everything in the drawer was scattered.

I took gentle steps to the window and noticed that there was another tiny dot of blood on the windowsill. I looked out the window, and I could see someone dash into the dark backyard.

I jumped out of the window and shifted into a wolf before landing on the ground, I trotted after the figure but it must’ve disappeared into thin air, I kept sniffing around till I was out of the pack house walking down the paths between the groves then I perceived Becky’s scent again, I let my nose lead me as I trotted through the groves, I hadn’t gone deep enough when I stumbled the lifeless body of Becky lying supine in a pool of blood. Who could have done this to her?

My stomach turned anytime I thought about how Scarlett would react to this, what about Warren? What was he going to do? I felt miserable but I couldn’t leave her lying there so I howled loudly to draw the attention of the guards, they came trooping onto the scene, shock had filled everyone, who could have done this? How did it even happen? I know that was the question on everyone’s mind. They called for police and investigators too, who took pictures of the site for further investigations. The place packs in a matter of minutes but all along I was only hoping that Scarlett or Warren wouldn’t walk onto this scene.

“Take her back to the pack house and clean her up, leave her on the examining table in the cold room, after she’s clean, I will examine her wound myself and before anyone else steps in to see her.  Make sure Warren doesn’t see her in this state, please!”

After sounding my caution and warnings, I excused the team and went back into the groves hoping to find the figure I had seen lurking in the shadows. They must have disappeared into thin air after leading me to find Becky’s body.

I felt like I had failed, first I couldn’t protect Marie, then now Becky, who was behind this? Did Marie suffer the same fate as Becky? If so, where was her body?
I have to do better as a king, I can’t let my subjects down like this, I have to get justice for Becky and Marie.

I did one last circling around the groves before leaving the place. I still have a lingering feeling that the perpetrator was hovering around, but not in a place I could see them though I had great night vision.

I went back to the pack house and the first person II met at the entrance was Warren, he was looking desolate and greatly distressed.

“Tell me the truth, Becky has passed on, right?”
I couldn’t respond, I only whimpered sadly and that was enough to get him on his knees, 

“What happened to her? Where did you find her?” I didn’t want to answer any of those questions. I wanted to go to my room, shift back into human form and put on fresh clothes, then go back to the control room and watch the CCTV cameras. Maybe I could find out what happened. Warren held tightly to my fur and I purred trying to soothe him but he was losing his mind.

“Answer me, just answer me.” He demanded.
“I’m sorry Warren, I am so sorry,”

He froze when he heard me apologize, I could hear his wolf whimpering sorrowfully while Warren himself couldn’t move or talk. The guards ran to his side and tried to help him to his feet but he was like butter on a hot knife, melting into the ground and unable to stand on his own. I trotted up the stairs to put my clothes on and rush to the control room.

I wasn’t fully dressed when I heard Scarlett crying in my doorway, her voice was so loud I couldn’t ignore her, I signalled the guards to allow her in.

She ran into my room and fell at my feet, I held her up in my arms and tried to console but she was weeping beyond control.
“She killed her! She killed her!” She shrieked hysterically.

“What? Who?”
“Marie! She killed her!”