SEVENTY THREE

SEVENTY THREE
CAMILLE'S POV

"What the fuck?!" The guard mouthed, clocking his gun even closer to Amity's face. "Did you just admit to being an accomplice of murder?"

Amity's eyes were fixated on mine, not the man who had a gun in her face. "Call your man to order."

"He is not my man," I replied, a chuckle almost leaving my lips.

The guard felt offended by her statement. His gun grazed her neck, the silver-plated machine searing her skin from mere touch. "I am a first guard sentinel of the fourth division. Loyal only to my king and my superiors."

That confidence, that cockiness disappeared, and I watched her stumble back. "You tricked me..."

"Did I?" I asked.

I didn't wait for an answer. I simply continued. "I gave you the choice to stand by me or against me. You chose your own stand. You chose yourself. Not me or Eva. I didn't ask you to ramble about aligning yourself with the genocidal maniac. That wasn't me. That was all you. Your cockiness was your downfall. You have freed Hector of the charges against him, implicated Eva in the process, and now I have a reputable eyewitness. A Lycan that would have to be listened to and a streamlined answer to what was used to kill Milana."

I saw tears form at the corner of Amity's eyes as she realized how fast she had fallen from grace. She couldn't keep up with how fast her reality was becoming harsh.

The guard still had his gun at Amity's throat, and it did not stop digging at her flesh.

I leaned and whispered. "This is what happens when you bootlick to be necessary. You had the cards, but you didn't know how to play right."

When I pulled away, the guard's hand trembled slightly as he kept his gun trained on Amity's neck, his eyes darting nervously as he assessed for any sign of retaliation or aggression.

There was none of that. Amity looked so defeated. She was shell-shocked even.

The sentinel took a deep breath to steady his nerves, then he reached for the radio clipped to his belt, his fingers fumbling slightly as he pressed a big bright red button in the middle.

"Fourth division, this is your first sentinel," he began speaking into the receiver of the radio. "I need backup at cell 15. The cell of Hector Menard. Suspect in custody, possible accomplice to murder."

The receiver crackled. "On our way."

With backup on the way, the guard's focus shifted to securing Amity

I stepped away from the situation and let the guard do his job.

With a swift motion, he reached for the handcuffs strapped to his belt, his movements precise and practiced as he got to work.

"Hands behind your back," he commanded, his voice firm as he stepped closer to the criminal. "You're under arrest for suspicion of accessory to murder. Don't make this any harder than it needs to be."

Amity's eyes widened in alarm as the bitter truth settled in.

A flicker of defiance flashed across her face before she reluctantly complied, raising her hands in surrender.

With practiced ease, the guard snapped the handcuffs around her wrists, the metallic click echoing in the damp room.

Amity's chuckle rang hollow, bitterness dripping from every word. "You think you're a better person for this? You're a horrible person! A liar and a deceiver! You're worse than Eva. I hope you die! I hope your kids die! What do you think Eva will do when she realizes I've been imprisoned? She's not the kind of person you want to back into a corner!"

I approached her slowly, each step deliberate. I tuned out her manic ramblings, my focus sharpening as she wished death upon my children.

I stopped in front of Amity, meeting her furious gaze with a calm demeanor. Her threats washed over me like waves against a sturdy cliff, their force unable to sway my resolve. But that didn't mean I was going to let it slide.

In one swift move, I raised my hand and delivered a resounding slap across Amity's face. The force of it rocked her head to the side, and for a moment, there was stunned silence in the room.

"You're entitled to your opinions," I retorted, my voice dripping with anger and disgust. "But don't you dare wish harm upon my children. You made your fucking choice. Aligned yourself with horrible people and did horrible things yourself, all while you convinced yourself that you are better than them. You had to do what you had to do to survive. News flash, you are not. You have blood on your hands, too. So if there is any semblance of decency left in you, deal with the repercussions of your sins like a fucking adult."

Amity's cheek stung from the impact, but there was still defiance in her eyes as she spat out, "You're just like her. Just as ruthless, just as heartless."

"I have to be," I noted as backup arrived at the scene.

The guard wasted no time in handing her over to his men. "This is the criminal. Take her to an empty cell."

His men nodded solemnly and got to work immediately. Amity was taken by force and led out of the room. She wouldn't stop screaming and cursing on her way out.

Hector, who had been watching the situation from his cage, chuckled in the background, causing me to turn in his direction.

"When did you become so ruthless?" He asked.

I ignored him, but it didn't stop him from continuing.

"Eva is going to flip when she finds out that she is compromised. There is no telling what she would do to stay out of doing time. You should be careful. I do need you if I am going to leave the cage finally."

"Are you?" I chuckled dryly in response. "You are an accomplice too, you know. You stopped justice from taking its due course. You are a factor in why Milana is dead now. Maybe you should stay in the cage."

I didn't wait for his response. My job here was done. I stepped out of there with the guard following me.

In a move I hadn't even calculated, I had crippled Eva. I expected a fight back. I needed her to bare her fangs so I could expose her to everyone.

"Can we keep her arrest under wraps for now? At least until we have a clearer picture of what's going on?" I asked, knowing it was a lie, and I just didn't want to throw more burdens on Dimitri.

He was going through enough already. If I could, he wouldn't know a thing about the horrible truth and the fate that had befallen Milana. But that was not fair. For him or Milana. So, the best I could do was give him time to process this kind of grief before he was hit with another.

I hoped for something positive, but that hope died when the guard hesitated, his brow furrowing in thought. I knew what the answer would be.

"Luna Camille, I'm afraid that won't be possible," he replied with a regretful tone. "Protocol dictates that all arrests must be reported to the first division. The first division will handle the rest, and given the gravity of the situation, it's unlikely that her arrest will remain confidential."

I sighed, knowing that secrecy was not an option in this case. "Understood," I muttered, resigning myself to the inevitable consequences of my actions.

Just then, I saw Neal approach us, his presence commanding attention.

"You should listen to Camille," he said calmly, addressing the guard. "She may not hold an official title yet, but she will soon be the future queen of the Lycans. Her judgment carries weight, especially in matters concerning our people. If she wants Amity's arrest to be a secret. She must have her reason."

He then turned to me. "How are you holding up?"