Page 33 of Happily Ever Bitten (Underworld Royals 2)

My mother glanced at me, her gaze expectant.

Because she wanted me to handle this mess.

“What happened?” I asked, looking pointedly at the security team and not Zaya. “Did anyone see the attack?”

“I did,” Saxton said, stepping forward. His presence here told me what he was about to say. Because he was one of the two guards I’d given the order to back at my rooms, and he was currently sporting a broken nose. “She knocked out Cyprus back at the rooms and nearly did the same to me. But I came to faster and tracked her here, where I found her standing over Yakariah’s body with a bloody knife in her hand.”

“And I saw the attack on camera,” another of the guards added. “The entire thing was recorded by the hallway monitors.”

I fought the urge to pinch the bridge of my nose.

How many times have I told her to check her surroundings?

What the fuck was she thinking?

But that was precisely the problem. She hadn’t been thinking. She’d acted instead.

“All right,” I said.

“Grigory, I—”

“I didn’t ask you to speak, Zaya.” I gave her a look, imploring her to stay quiet. This was already bad enough without her arguing. I needed to see the footage. To review what the hell she’d done. And I needed to question my men thoroughly, too.

Because how the hell did she get the jump on Cyprus?

I shook my head. “All right. Take her to holding while I evaluate the situation.”

“Yes, sir,” Byron said, grabbing her handcuffs and hauling her to her feet.

“Grigory,” Valora whispered.

I shook my head. “Not here.”

“He’s right,” Adrik whispered. “This is his kingdom, his rules, and she just killed one of our guards.”

“I didn’t!” Zaya shouted, startling me. “I didn’t do it!”

“Quiet.” Byron shook her, like that would do the trick.

I narrowed my gaze at her but didn’t acknowledge her comment. At least, not out loud. Inside, I was confused.

Why would she deny it in the face of so much evidence? I expected her to justify the kill, not outright claim her innocence.

Byron disappeared with her around a corner before I could clarify it. Not that I would in front of all these demons. Several of our guests had entered the hallway, their faces all displaying shock and dismay at the findings. A few were even whispering amongst themselves.

Zaya had really dug a hole for herself this time. It put all her other antics to shame.

“I want to see the footage,” I told the guards, then turned to address everyone else. “Show’s over, everyone. Go back to your rooms.”

“And what of Zaya?” my mother asked, putting me on the spot.

“I’ll decide her fate once I’ve reviewed the evidence,” I replied.

Rather than argue with me, she merely nodded. “Then this situation seems to be in the right hands. If you need me, I’ll be in my rooms.”

She turned with a flourish, her skirts whirling across the ground before she strutted down the hallway on her too-high heels.

“Why would Zaya do this?” Valora whispered, drawing me back to her and Adrik. They both stood frozen beside me, their focus on the dead body a few feet away. “She’s not… Well, she’s never been very violent.”

---