Chapter 19
Erich
Well, I’ve made things worse.
What else is new?
Losing control with Zephyr like I did the other day was not my brightest decision, and now I’m here alone, instead of with them.
To be fair, they haven’t shunned me. I’ve just stayed away. But then, they haven’t come to find me, either.
Who would think to look for me in the library, though? And isn’t that why I came here in the first place?
Deep down, I don’t want to be found. Wallowing in my anger is all the company I’m accustomed to, so really, what’s the big deal at this point?
“Misery loves company, it seems.”
I spin toward the voice behind me and find Arlowe approaching my table. I follow her movements as she pulls the chair out across from me and sits, leans back, and crosses her arms over her chest.
This new attitude of hers is… weird. It’s like looking in a mirror at myself from years ago.
Okay, even up to a month back, but still. It doesn’t fit her.
She’s always been this snarky girl, but she was fun, good-natured.
“What bug crawled up your ass?”
She actually huffs a laugh, the corner of her mouth curls upward for a nanosecond before her lips go flat again. Her eyes bore into me across the table. “I know how you’re feeling.”
I send her a doubtful look.
She continues. “You’ve been in love with one person for as long as you can remember, and now, here comes some other people you’re supposed to love, too. They’re in your way, they confuse you, they upset you.” She leans forward, gaze dropping to the table. “You hate the complications.”
Well, shit. “Sounds like you know firsthand.”
She looks up, frowns. “I’ve been in love with someone I haven’t seen in almost five years now. I don’t even know if…” She swallows her words, but I know what she meant to say.
She doesn’t even know if he’s alive.
Such is the life of a Cursed.
“And now,” her voice gets a bit stronger, “here come these three Alpha idiots who dare to smell irresistible. Who dare to try and pull me into their orbit until I crash into them.” Her eyes narrow at something over my shoulder. “And one of them is a murderer.”
That gets my attention. “Who?”
Her violet eyes flick to me, then over my shoulder again, compelling me to turn. When I do, at the back of the library stands that huge, hulking Alpha from Russia. The one who was a part of the councilman’s personal guard or whatever.
I’d heard second or third-hand that he’d gone to the infirmary here at the academy before the rebellion arrived, and didn’t come out until weeks later.
I swivel back to Arlowe. “I’m pretty sure anyone he’s killed, it wasn’t his choice.”
Her laugh is humorless. “Tell that to the Omega he executed on academy grounds.”
My brows rise. I’d heard that something terrible had gone down while we were at a War Games exercise months back, but nobody wanted to give details. “How did you hear about it?”
“You hear a lot when you can exist in the shadows.”
Fair enough.
“Did you talk to him about it?”
She lets out a pfft, and that’s answer enough. Then she adds, “Like you’re talking to your pack?”
Ouch.
“Look, Erich. I know you’re a good guy, deep down. You want what’s best for your pack. Or, at least for Nyx.” Her head tilts, and I nod in confirmation before she goes on. “I heard something… distressing. During my time in the shadows. Something about incomplete bonds within a pack.”
I open my mouth to question her, and she puts up a hand in a “stop” gesture. “It’s not my place to tell you, but I say that the other Alpha in your pack knows the truth. You should go to him for answers.”
The growl that builds in my chest is unstoppable.
Fucking Laurant.