Page 9 of Dark Souls

“Sorry? What did you say?”

She cocked her head, her long raven hair flowing behind her as she studied me with a frown. Her magenta eyes sparkled, catching the light of the grand crystal chandelier above us. My mother was a stunning woman. She was effortlessly beautiful, with so much grace and regality it just made you want to sit and stare at her for hours in awe. We were nothing alike. Opposites, in fact, with my icy white hair to her jet-black. She had the perfect figure, womanly and curved in all the right places that oozed so much femininity but also undeniable strength, whereas I was extremely petite, making me look fragile and vulnerable when I was anything but. I could be jealous of her big boobs, shapely hips or toned body, but I learned a long time ago it would be pointless. I should be grateful for the body I had and not compare myself to others, especially not one of the most beautiful women on the planet. Once I found my style and started blocking out others’ opinions of the way I looked, I found I was actually pretty comfortable in my own skin.

“I said, where have you been all day?”

“Oh. I was at the castle. And then I…” Fuck. I hated lying. And she would most likely find out eventually because Archer reported most of the confidential cases involving our people at their weekly briefings, but it was also not my place to say anything about the case.

“Hey, Princess!” My dad came hurtling down the stairs, skipping two at a time and causing a distraction for Mum. He was shirtless, which is just about standard around here, and made entirely of muscle, being a pure-blooded wolf. He nearly sent me flying when he planted a quick kiss on my forehead before darting past me and towards her. “Sorry, can’t stay. I said I’d do a border patrol around the pack. Is it raining out?”

“Oh-uh,” I glanced down at my damp clothes, but my dad was already too wrapped up in my mum to care for my answer.

“Fancy a run with me, my Queen?” he asked, sweeping her off her feet with one arm wrapped tightly around her waist. She giggled like a bloody schoolgirl when his mouth sucked at her neck. I groaned and rolled my eyes, turning to dart back upstairs and leave them to it.

Honestly, I was no prude. But the amount of public displays of affection I’ve had to bear witness to was sickening. Everyone in the family, except my brothers, has found their mates, which means constant kissing, smooching, caressing, cuddling, eye-fucking across the room, you name it. And they have zero shame! Zero! I mean, my grandparents have a bloody red room of pleasure, for Christ's sake. It actually makes me want to vomit in my mouth. Don’t get me wrong, I love that they all love each other so much. But when you’ve seen your own parents and grandparents making out at the dinner table far too many times, you start to want to stick pins in your eyes.

“Ilaria! Dinner at seven! Both your grandparents and Calli and Niko are coming, so dress appropriately, please,” Mum shouted after me between her giggles from my dad’s nuzzling. Oh goodie. More loved-up couples.

“Only if you act appropriately,” I shouted back, which only caused them both to laugh louder and my dad to whisper something in my mum’s ear that had her blushing like a beetroot.Lord, give me strength.

Entering my room, which was in the west wing of the palace, I flung my t-shirt over my head and threw it in the laundry basket before unbuttoning my jeans and peeling them down my legs. Cold air lashed at my exposed skin and I froze. My French doors leading onto my terrace were wide open, the sheer black curtains dancing in the breeze. What the—

I never leave them unlocked, let alone open. Walking forward, I poked my upper body out onto the terrace to see if anyone was out there, not caring that I was currently standing in my lacy bra and thong. I frowned before closing the doors and flicking the latch down to lock them from the inside. Leif, my warlock brother, was the only person I would ever find randomly hanging out in my room when he was bored because he had no sense of boundaries, but seeing as he was currently in another realm with my wolf brother Lorcan, I couldn’t hazard a guess as to who would have been in here. Maybe one of the omega maids?

Deciding not to think too much about it, I made my way towards my bathroom to run a bath. It was only when I walked back into my bedroom to grab a change of clothes that I noticed the pink box with a black ribbon tied neatly in a bow sitting on my bed. Happiness swelled in my chest as I zoomed towards it with a smile. Leif had been portalling letters and small objects to me from the Heroux realm that he knew I would like. So far, I’ve had a unique collection of crystals, writing quills and some exotic flowers which gave off intense perfume scents.

Without stopping to read the note folded under the ribbon, because I’m the kind of person who opens the present first and reads the card after, I untied the silk bow and lifted the lid of the box. A loud gasp left my lips as I jumped back, dropping the lid on the floor. Blood rushed to my ears, causing them to heat as my eyes widened with shock. Settled in the middle of a satin cushion was a human fucking heart. And from the smell of blood that had my fangs tingling under my gums, it was pretty fresh out of a body.

“What the actual fuck!” I shouted, lifting my head to look around my room. Was this some kind of prank? A sick joke from Sienna or Raiden because of my interest in the case? Or Ronnie? Leif wouldn’t send me a human heart, would he? I mean, I wouldn’t put anything past my mischievous brother, but this just wasn’t his style.

Bending down, I retrieved the lid I’d dropped and took off the folded note.

Seeing as you enjoyed the last one so much. Here is one just for you, Snow Angel. Take a bite. I dare you. H x

Oh my god. Oh my godddd.

This was Eddie Hughes’ heart. And somehow, without meaning to, I had just caught the dangerous attention of a predator.

I pushed around the overcooked meat on my plate with my fork absentmindedly as I stared into space while my family’s voices droned on and on in the background like white noise. The last thing I wanted to eat was this, when all I could think about was the bloody heart upstairs in my bedroom, causing my fangs to tingle with sensitivity under my gums.

’You’re not seriously going to let it go to waste?’ Rue huffed.

‘We’re a vampire. We drink blood. We don’t eat organs!’

‘I bet it would taste delicious, though. And it is a gift. It would be rude not to accept it.’

‘It’s a human heart, Cruella! What kind of psycho gifts someone a human heart?’

‘I think it’s sweet.’Of course, my demon was practically swooning.

I blocked her toxic thoughts out and tried to focus on what the hell I should do next. I knew what the sensible thing would be. Tell my parents and report it to the SIA. Let them take the heart and the note as evidence. But what would that really achieve other than their hysteria? They’d all overreact, no doubt by demanding I was always guarded, tighten up security on the palace and fret over the smallest things. They’d be even more protective of me than they already were if they knew I was now the centre of some crazy killer’s attention. And any chance of finally persuading them to let me work for the SIA would be obliterated.

Maybe I really was more messed up than I thought because I knew a normal person would feel some level of fear, or at least anxiety, over the situation. But all I felt was a thrilling buzz. This could be the opportunity I’ve been looking for. The SIA has clearly been on his trail for a while, so if I could capture this killer myself and bring him to the SIA, they would have to take me seriously. I’ve been trying to rack my brains around how the hell he got into the palace grounds, let alone into my bedroom without being seen. There are security cameras around the premises but not inside our home. Once I got a chance, I’d go through the archive and see if I could catch him in the act. I’m also presuming he’s a he. There is just something about the way he operates that gives off masculine vibes. And the note… it felt almost flirtatious rather than threatening.

“Ilaria?”

I blinked, clearing my mind as the concerned faces around the table came back into focus. “Yeah?”

My mum’s dark eyebrows pinched as she frowned at me and my dad narrowed his green eyes. My grandparents from both sides of the family were now all staring too, which forced me to straighten in my seat, put down my fork and give them the most reassuring smile I could muster.

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