Page 40 of Moon Kissed

“It would’ve been a good plan if it wasn’t so sloppy and stupid. Including that dumbass note. Again, if that thing actually was found on the roof, then it’s just more of the killer’s attempt to throw suspicion off themselves. Only a dumbass that wants to get caught announces they’re going after more people. That’ll just put the whole school on high alert.

“But, if what they’re actually trying to do is frame me for it, the note would force all of you to throw me out of the academy as fast as possible. You get rid of me, and when no one else gets hurt, it only further confirms the lie that I was behind it. Voila, the real killer gets away with it all.”

A sound filled the room. It was Dagem clapping.

“Wow. Well done.” She clapped hearty and loud. “That was expertly rehearsed, Miss Volana. You rattled all of that off without pause or mistake, and it was even convincing.” She reached for the phone on her desk. “Be sure to tell Sunella the same story when she comes to collect you. Blackmail or no, she cannot allow you to stay on these grounds now that you’ve murdered one of our staff and expressed that you have no intention of stopping.”

“That wasn’t rehearsed, it was common sense! It’s the only thing that makes sense because it wasn’t me. I was standing right fucking next to Orion when Hall fell. What more do you want!”

“But Orion wasn’t there,” a voice slid into my ear. “Was he?”

My brows drew together as Badr crossed into my line of sight, doing something he hadn’t done since he met me—smiling at me.

“Nice try, Volana, but you were alone when Hall was thrown off the roof, weren’t you?”

“What? No, I—”

“Because Orion stepped out of the room,” Badr continued, sliding off me to fix on his friend. “He went to the bathroom, then grabbed a smoke. He was out in the alpha courtyard when me and the guys ran into him. We were there kicking back when we heard Hall scream. Far away from the detention room... and you.”

My body went rigid.No. Oh gods, no.

“Orion forgot to mention that before, Headmistress,” Badr went on—a hard, sharp edge bleeding into his tone. “You know with the shock of finding a man dead. But he remembers the full story now, don’t you, Orion?”

“Yeah, man,” Edric spoke up. “That’s exactly how it went down. You ran offafteryou heard the scream, and found Volana standing over his mangled body.”

“All right, enough,” I snapped. “Joke’s over.”

“What joke? It happened exactly like they said.” Nyx loped over next to Badr—the smirking judge condemning me in his eyes. “We were hanging in the courtyard when Hall was killed, and Volana sure as fuck wasn’t with us.”

Paxton stepped forward. “Guys, I know why you’re doing this, but this isn’t a game. You can’t—”

“Paxton wasn’t there,” Badr cut him off, raising his voice over him. “He was off with his omega friends, so he doesn’t know what happened. We do know, and we’re not playing any games. Murderers belong in a prison, or in a grave.” He saw through my eyes and straight into my soul. “And we won’t stop until she is.”

Dagem cleared her throat, rising to her feet. “Thank you, gentlemen, for your clarification of events. It’s perfectly understandable that in the shock and horror of what you saw, Mr. Wheeler, you forgot the true events leading up to the trauma.”

What the hell is she saying?! She can’t do this. They can’t do this!

Nia just sat there, eyes wide and hands shaking as she looked where everyone else was looking... at Orion.

If there was anything still alive in our feeble, mangled bonds, I called upon it then. Silently pleading with him, I dropped all my smirks and taunts, I gazed at him with open need.

Don’t do this, Orion. Please don’t lie. Please!

“Amend your statement,” Dagem said, holding out a pen and paper. “Put it in writing.”

“Don’t forget about the video,” I burst out, holding up my phone. “If Lucia doesn’t hear from me morning and night, saying that I’m safe, free, and in the academy, she’ll show every mundane in the world that werewolves exist. You’ll be breaking the third law and bringing the fae down on all of our—”

“Argh!” Ripping the phone from my hand, Badr flung it at the wall. It smashed into a dozen pieces—one of them pinging off my slackened jaw. “You don’t need to worry about the fae attacking us. You’ll be rotting in your hole.”

I could only sit there bug-eyed and panicking. Of all the things I expected them to do, call my bluff and unleash Lucia on the world wasn’t one of them. Despite what Badr said, werewolves were worried about fae. They ended a centuries-long war in two weeks. They so obliterated our warriors, that the first alpha council of five was born because there were only five alphas left. Anywhere. In the whole world. They were the only five still living to hear the fae’s commands for new laws and forced peace.

No sane man, woman, or wolf wanted a war with the fae, and Badr just brought it on... to win his war with me.

Once again I underestimated my fates, and their hatred. There was one thing a sane man wanted more than anything, and that was his brother’s killer in the ground. Which iswhere I will be. They’ll lock me up somewhere cold, dark, and dirty where not even my moonwalking can get me out of. No mitigating circumstances. No excuses. No mercy.

“Orion, don’t do this.” This is what I was reduced to.Begging.“This is wrong and you know it. I didn’t lay a finger on Hall. I didn’t—”

“I’ll call Sunella and tell her we have our culprit.” Dagem actually smiled as she picked up the phone. “I will also have to tell her we’ll need to redouble our efforts to find this Lucia. In the future, young Badr, it’d be wise for you not to so casually disregard the safety of Wolf Nation.”

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