Page 94 of Bitter Discord

“To stop me from killing him,” Lonan said, putting the object on the bed. “And I get it. I do, but what was really surprising was you meant every word. You would have let him put a bullet in your head if he let Arlo walk out the front door.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because he’s innocent, and none of us are. Not anymore. Centuries ago, you were. Decades ago, I was, but not anymore. He still has a chance… though, so do we and I was choosing to protect him long enough to make his own choice, to use his chance to do better things in this world than I or you could.”

Lonan extended his hand, and I took it.

“Thank you for coming,” Lonan said. “It’s nice to meet you, Jacqueline, daughter of Hasan.”

“You can call me Jacky,” I said, smiling.

When we let go, I grabbed the object from the bed. It was a picture in a picture frame—Mikkel, a face all too familiar, and William, looking less broken. I opened it and took the picture out, seeing the blood smeared on the back.

I tore the picture in half.

“Heath, take Arlo out,” I called.

A moment later, hearing a whoop of excitement, I dropped the picture and led Lonan out of the house.

35

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

After sixteen hours of chaos and sleep, I sat in my living room with Zuri, Lonan, Heath, Carey, Landon, Arlo, Teagan, Benjamin, and more.

“William is secure,” Ranger told Zuri. “We’ve put him in a room with silver bars on the walls. He won’t be going anywhere and is ready for your interrogation.”

“Good.” Zuri nodded, pleased.

“How was the BSA?” I asked her.

“Glad that they weren’t needed, but also disappointed,” she said, sighing. “But out of our hair. The murderer was supernatural and only attacked supernaturals. They can walk away with nothing else. I have Mason’s ashes to give to Hasan. He’ll get them to whoever Mason was closest to, be they friend or family. Before you ask, the other werecats are glad we have the killer and that no one else died. They’ll go home once everything is… settled.”

“When he’s executed,” I said, rubbing my face.

“I could do it,” Heath offered. “It wouldn’t wear on my soul to kill a kneeling man.”

“I’d be willing,” Teagan growled softly.

“Teagan!” Arlo said in a gasp.

“He broke your arm and beat you. He’ll die for it,” Teagan said fiercely.

“I already know who’s executing him,” I said, stopping more from volunteering. “Zuri, did you call him?”

“Father will be here tomorrow evening to do it at midnight. The entire family will be in attendance, except possibly Hisao. Depending on how the interrogation goes, he might be doing… other business.”

“What?” Landon looked at me, his eyes demanding an answer. Niko was coming, and Dirk was still hiding his werewolf nature from practically everyone. This was a risk. Dirk was at their home, hiding out.

“A werecat of the ruling family has to do this,” I explained. “I would make too much sense. Of course, I want him dead because he hurt a werewolf from my fiancé’s pack. It’s too easy for detractors to say something about it. Zuri is in the same boat. She would do it for me because it’s clear she’s my loving, wonderful sister who would do anything for me.”

“Not wrong,” Zuri said, shrugging. “And the same applies for most of the siblings.”

“Hasan has to do it. Hasan, who hates my engagement. Hasan, who hates the werewolves here. Hasan, who has made it clear to many people that he’ll indulge me, but he doesn’t agree with me. He’ll execute William. He’ll enforce the laws that govern our kinds and do it without question. He’ll do it after Heath kindly hands William over, when he doesn’t have to, as a sign of faith in our system of rule. Hasan will execute William because he created the system of rule we have, and not upholding it would jeopardize everything. William murdered a werecat, attempted to murder two others, Lonan and me, and kidnapped Arlo, intending to murder him.”

“He’ll do it,” Zuri confirmed.

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