AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“How many times do you think I can get you to come on my knot?” His smile turns devilish, and I know I’m in for a ride. “I want to make sure my omega isn’t in pain ever again.”
His omega… the title makes me melt, and I yank him down until his lips are on mine again and we crash into a beautiful mix of pleasure. As we kiss, mouths moving together in a gentle caress, I realize he’s mine, finally mine.
Chapter 34
Andrik
In my line of work, I’ve seen plenty of dead bodies. Murder happens every day, it’s a fact of life at this point. There are a lot of sick assholes out there who do repulsive things nonstop. We do our best to stop them, but it’s a broken system.
It’s concerning, however, to see one here, of all places. And with Verity’s delectable pears still lingering on my shirt, it’s impossible to think. I shake off the nerves and attempt to delve into my enforcer mindset. The first thing I do is lean over and check for Matthew’s pulse, but I already know I won’t find it. His lips are purple and his eyes are sunken into his skull, which means he’s been dead for longer than thirty minutes. A chill skitters down my spine.
An inhale of residual pears, the abnormal sweetness to it, almost has my eyes rolling back in my head. Verity’s fever concerns me greatly. It seems she’s going into heat, which she says isn’t possible because of the suppressants she’s on. I’d say this Dr. Emmett guy isn’t doing his damn job. She has all the classic symptoms. The excess slick, the fever, the need to fuck. And her scent... I’ve never experienced anything like it. It’s as if it burrowed straight through me and claimed my soul. It’s felt that way from the very first second I met her. But earlier, it was so much more. Heavier, stronger, needier. I’d give anything to be with her right now, taking care of her, sliding my knot into her, if she would’ve let me...
Fuck. Focus, Andrik.
If I let my thoughts wander there, I’ll be a goner. I’d ignore the vow I made to serve and protect to get to my omega, and I can’t. Even though it’s going against my alpha instincts not to be with her right now. There’s a dead guy at my feet and something much more sinister brewing in the air.
While I wait for Jed to get reinforcements, I decide to check out the scene and glean any information I can. Who knows how this will pan out. Especially with the TV show. There are cameras everywhere, so surely, the murderer won’t be hard to find. Right?
Careful not to disturb anything, or leave my own footprints, I check out the area surrounding Matthew’s body. The grass leading toward the pathway is compressed like he was dragged to the spot he’s in now. This could be a sign the killer is weaker, lacking the strength to carry the body all the way out here. But it could also be a sign of disrespect for the victim, a lack of remorse for what they did.
Glancing around, I notice how open it is. We’re directly in the middle of the path that leads to the mansion. At first, it seemed like whoever did this wanted him to be hidden, but now it’s clear they wanted him to be found. Which is much, much worse.
As far as I can tell, there aren’t any footprints around the body, which is unfortunate because the size and print could help us pinpoint the killer.
The blood smeared across his face is dry, but other than that, I don’t see any other obvious wounds. There doesn’t appear to be any blood pooled around him, which makes the scene even more puzzling. As I’m examining his face, I notice dark bruising beneath his eye. Huh, Matthew with a black eye? Who would’ve guessed. It appears he was in an altercation with someone before his death. Could this have been the killer?
Is this simply a case of an alpha losing his temper and taking it too far?
I mean... I wasn’t a fan of the guy myself, but I’d never resort to murdering him. No, I would’ve just made sure he didn’t end up in Verity’s pack by getting him voted off the show. And believe me when I say this asshole wasn’t earning a spot in her pack if I had anything to do with the matter.
My skin itches with the need to figure out who did this and, more importantly, why. The instinct to protect has every muscle in my body tense and on edge. So it surprises me when Jedrik appears with an out of breath caretaker in tow, startling me out of my thoughts.
Mr. Emerald’s eyes scan the scene and he pales immediately, the classic expression of someone about to spill their guts twisting his face. “Don’t hurl on the crime scene,” I bark at the man and he turns around and takes several steps away. Somehow he manages to hold it in, keeping a hand over his mouth like that might help. I almost feel sorry for the guy. Seeing the dead like this is traumatizing, and it makes me realize how desensitized I’ve become.
Or maybe it’s the nervous energy over Verity’s condition making me a little snippier than usual. Either way, I take a deep breath and stretch out my fingers a few times to keep my blood flowing.
“We have maybe two minutes tops before the rest of them show up and the cameras are swarming this area. Did you discover anything useful?” Jedrik inquires, eyeing everything with the same clinical eye that I did.
“First, how’s our little omega?” His jaw ticks. I know my twin well enough to know he’s as antsy as I am about not being with her right now.
“She’s safe with the doctor and Ryland,” he responds and it eases my worry a fraction. I know my alpha won’t fully be settled until she’s in our arms, though.
I nod and point at the flattened grass. “Looks like the body was dragged from somewhere and deposited here.”
“The killer wanted him to be discovered,” he murmurs.
“Appears that way,” I agree. “It also seems as if he was in some sort of altercation before he was murdered judging by his big ole shiner.”
Jedrik snorts. “The fuckers lucky it didn’t come from me with the way he talked down to Verity.”
I don’t disagree. Instead, I merely shrug. “Other than that, and the bit of blood smeared across his face, I’m not seeing any obvious signs as to how he met his untimely demise.”
“Which is fucking concerning as hell.” Tell me about it. “Okay, talk theories with me.”
Normally, going over cases with Jed invigorates me, but this one hits a little too close to home. Is this a one off kill?
Mr. Emerald is still a few paces away, doubled over with his hands on his knees, so I figure it’s safe to mention Verity’s condition.
