Page 41 of Wolf Crowned

Surprise me? She sure as hell did that. I jabbed my finger toward the door. “You have no right to be in here. Get out.”

She crossed her arms over her chest and pouted. “I don’t like how you’re talking to me, Sawyer. It’s rude.”

Rude? What was she on? “You broke into my room without permission. Get out.” I was five seconds away from throwing her out. What the hell was wrong with her.

She narrowed her eyes and sucked another bloodied finger into her mouth. She popped it back out, her eyes widening as she examined her digits. “I don’t think I will.”

My bedroom door creaked open, and my father walked in, followed by Drake. There was something in my father’s hand. I gulped as he lifted his arm up.

Fuck!

My pulse pounded in my ears. I couldn’t move, my limbs becoming a hundred pounds each, leaving me paralyzed unable to tear my gaze away. It was a severed head, and not just anyone. It was Ruby‘s brother, Luke.

Blood dribbled on the hardwood from the jagged fresh cut along his neckline.

Dad grinned as he turned Luke’s face toward him. Then he chucked it like a football at me. It landed on my bed, bouncing and then rolling across the sheets.

I shot backward, my back colliding with the headboard. Luke’s face stared up at me. His mouth twisted in an ‘o’ shape and his eyes wide. Bile crept up my throat, and I gagged. I was going to be sick.

No. You can’t be. Be strong. He doesn’t know about you. He can’t. Right?

Play it cool.

You don’t know what’s happening yet.

I forced even breaths in through my nose and out of my mouth. “What’s this?” I couldn’t keep the edge from my voice.

The question was had Dad noticed it? I really hoped not. This had to be a test. Or he knew.

Stay calm. Breathe.

Dad pushed my door open farther, sauntering into the room. He stopped halfway between the door and my bed, crossing his arms over his chest. He tapped his foot on the floor. “I found our conspirator.” he motioned to the head. “As you can see, he’s been dealt with accordingly.”

I pushed the covers back, fighting the urge to cover Luke’s face with them. I stood up and looked down at the horrified expression permanently etched on Luke’s face. My stomach twisted. He hadn’t deserved this. I was going to make sure that no one else suffered the same fate again.

Play your part. Hang in there for a few more days.

I met my dad’s gaze. “Do we know if he was acting alone?”

Drake leaned against the door frame, glaring at me. I didn’t miss the fact they were blocking my exit.

Drake ran his tongue slowly over his top lip. “Seems awfully suspicious that not many people go in there and it just happens to be the brother of the girl you’ve been seeing.”

So they suspected. Fantastic!

I wasn’t as worried about Drake as I was about my dad. If I could convince my dad I was on his side, it wouldn’t matter what Drake or Fiona thought.

I picked up a shirt from my dirty laundry and blotted at my bloodied chest. There was a lot of blood, but the cuts were superficial at least. They stung like hell and it made me wonder if she had wolfsbane on her nails.

Bitch probably does.

I mopped up the blood as best I could and then set the dirty shirt on the outside of the hamper. It would probably need thrown away now.

I looked between Drake and my dad. “I’ve spent most of my time with Ruby. I didn’t see Luke often. Most men are kept separate, but you know that already, and you’re there the most, Drake.”

Dad shifted his gaze to Drake. “He brings up a valid point. You spend more time there than anyone.”

Fiona crinkled her nose and stomped her foot on the floor like a petulant child. “But he doesn’t smell like that Ruby girl. He smells like someone else.”

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