Pretty When She Breaks

Prologue

LAUREL

I breathed a sigh of relief as I stepped into the chapel, out of the blazing sun.

My dress was completely stuck to my back, and I unstuck it with a grimace as I sank into one of the pews.

It smelled like warm wood and incense in here, a combination that sent me back to memories of the far past, of being in this chapel for my mother and pack fathers’ funeral.

Staff hurried around, setting up flowers or adjusting seating, but I didn’t get more than a few pitying glances. At least they were quiet. The people outside had given me the same looks, but they had whispered as well.

What a troubled soul, poor thing. At least he’s at rest now.

Such a tragedy.

Who could have imagined he was so disturbed?

They were wrong. All of them were wrong.

My hands were clenched tightly on my lap as the tears threatened to spill over again. I knew my brother, and he’d never do something like this.

At least, I thought I had known him.

But when he’d become an alpha, he’d changed so much. I hadn’t heard him laugh in months, and his former cocky grin had been replaced by a blank mask.

But we’d had plans. And he would never abandon me to my father, no matter how bad things got.

“Right?” I whispered.

A quiet settled around me, and I looked up to find the room empty. I fingered the lipstick in my pocket, torn over whether I should follow through with my plan, but this was the only chance I would get.

I stood, quickly crossing the room until I was standing in front of the casket, my heart pounding.

Julius—what was left of him—was inside. Due to the nature of his death, it was a closed-casket funeral.

He’d had to hide who he truly was his whole life, and now he’d been hidden in death.

That’s why it didn’t make sense. Even if he’d been miserable, we had planned to escape.

He’d dreamed of having his moment

Of walking out of the door in heels and makeup, to let the world meet the real Jule.

Instead, we’d only had stolen moments hidden away from our father.

I trailed my fingers along the smooth wood, focusing on those memories.

Jule had loved me.

No matter what had happened in the last few months, I had to believe the years before that were real. And I’d failed him.

He’d withdrawn, he’d been hurting and alone, and I hadn’t been enough to help him.

I had been so sure he was strong.

So sure that killing himself was something he’d never do.

I took the lipstick out of my pocket, glancing around to make sure I was alone. This shade of red—Unbreakable—had been his favourite. I needed to give it to him, to make sure at least one real part of him was buried with his body.

Let him know that someone had loved all of him.

“It’s the best I could do,” I muttered as I lifted the lid. “Promise you won’t haunt me now, okay?”

I had planned to slip the lipstick inside and close it again, but the temptation to glance at the body was too much.

It—he—was dressed in a suit, his body straightened by the coroner, I guessed. There was cloth covering the face, but I was drawn to the hair. It was short, cut by his ears, and instead of golden blond, it had a reddish tint.

That wasn’t my brother.

I lifted the lid higher, staring, because what the actual fuck? I looked down at the name carved on the casket, Julius Octavius Fairchild.

Jule had wispy blond curls.

This wasn’t Jule.

It wasn’t Jule.

I stepped back, the lid slamming closed, my heart racing.

A bright, light hope was soaring in my heart as I turned and ran for the doors.

I knew it. I hadn’t failed him; he hadn’t been suicidal.

The crowd turned to stare as I burst through the chapel doors and almost fell down the stone steps.

My father straightened, an angry look on his face as I hurtled toward him.

“Father!” I gasped, almost bowling him over as I skidded to a stop in front of him. “I just saw the body—it’s not him! Jule might be alive somewhere!”

“What?” my father snarled.

The crowd had fallen silent around us, but I shook Father's arm. “I looked in the coffin—it’s not him!” I said again, trying to pull him toward the stairs. He had to believe me. I’d show him.

“Don’t be ridiculous, Laurel,” Father said, wrenching himself free of my grasp. “Of course that’s your brother.”

I gaped at him, not quite understanding. “But, Father, I saw! It wasn’t him!” I repeated desperately.

My father’s dark eyes glinted before a fake smile settled on his face. He wrapped his arm around me, fingers digging painfully into my arm as he addressed the family around us. “Please excuse Laurel. It was such a sudden loss for all of us, and she hasn’t taken it well.”

“No, please!” I said, trying to pull away and looking around for help. There was none to be found. My family’s faces had shuttered, some with pity, some with disgust.

No.

Why didn’t he believe me?

My stomach dropped to my toes as a horrible thought occurred to me.

“Laurel, I know this is hard to accept,” my father was saying, his hand digging into my arm. “You haven’t been sleeping well, and his body was quite damaged. It’s understandable that your mind is trying to fabricate an easier alternative.”

“You did this,” I hissed, breaking free of his painful grip and whirling around.

Of course this was his fault.

I grabbed a fistful of his suit and ripped, a button popping off and clinking against the gravel beneath us.

“What did you do to him? Where is he?” I snarled, clawing at his chest.

My face was too hot, and my eyes were burning as I glared up at his cold expression. My scent was unfurling around me, hot and angry. I would never usually be so bold, but he couldn’t strike me here; his hands were tied in such a public place. He snatched my wrists, and I screamed in frustration.

“Escort her to the car!” my father called to his security as I aimed a kick at him.

My vision was starting to blur, burning-hot tears pouring down my face.

“I know you did this! Give him back!” I screamed, managing to get in a good, solid kick before hands grabbed me and started to drag me away.

“Excuse her,” my father said, smoothing out his wrinkled suit. “She just presented. She’s extremely unbalanced right now.”

“I KNOW YOU DID THIS!” I screamed as I was forced toward our black sedan. For a moment, I escaped and managed a single step before security caught me again, yanking me back by my shoulders. “TELL ME WHERE HE IS!”

But Father simply turned his back on me, starting up the chapel steps to the farce of a funeral. I was shoved inside the hot car, screaming and kicking, but it was no use. The engine started, and I was whisked away to a world where I was completely alone.