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“How else are we supposed to build a solid relationship?” Andrik finishes for him.
“You want me to communicate more to help us have a healthy foundation?” The fact they want to build a solid relationship from the beginning has something in my chest warming, and my voice becomes softer with affection. Pears thicken in the air around us as my scent shows them how much that means to me.
“Exactly right,” Andrik purrs, running his nose along my neck. “Any other surprise alphas we should know about?”
I lean back against his chest, enjoying the attention. “Well, there’s Kyle, but you already know about him.”
“And that’s it?” Emmett asks, joining in. Jedrik’s grip on my hips tightens, showing that he’s still getting used to the idea of him being in my pack, but he doesn’t snap at him, so I suppose that’s progress.
“And in the spirit of keeping an open dialogue…” Jedrik trails off, glancing at the other men in the room. “With Matthew being murdered, and his killer on the loose, one of us will be with you at all times. We’ll figure out a way to keep it off the show.”
“Tell them it’s for your safety. And if they don’t like that, we’ll threaten to make a big deal about you being in danger in every taping. They won’t get a single sound bite to air,” Andrik growls.
“I can say with her heat, I need to be close by to ensure it doesn’t happen again,” Emmett offers.
“What about Kyle?”
“I know you like him, Precious, but we still need to clear him of the murder. We can’t trust anyone with your safety until we’re sure.” I instantly bristle. Kyle isn’t the type to murder someone. Right? His words from the other day echo in my head from when I asked if he thought Matthew would end up in my pack. I know he’s not. Something about the way he said it made it sound like he was positive he wouldn’t make it till the end.
Okay, I can understand their precautions, even if the thought of Kyle being a murderer doesn’t sit right. Andrik feels my shiver and runs his hands up and down my arms, reassuringly.
“Wait, hold up,” Ryland says, taking a step closer. “What murder?”
Before anyone can answer him, there’s a loud clap of thunder, so forceful it shakes the mansion. You’d think that wouldn’t be possible with such a huge building. It’s quickly followed by another lightning strike outside that sounds too close for comfort and a deafening clap of impact.
My heart pounds in my chest, and I instinctively hunch into myself. How that would protect me, I’m not sure, but it seems right to do. Andrik draws me into his chest where I take deep breaths of his cinnamon and nutmeg warmth. There are also three distinct purrs that start up at the exact same time. It works to quickly calm my nerves, only for them to get frazzled once more when there’s a banging knock at the door. The sound echoes in the hallway with a foreboding bang, making my heart rate speed up.
Chapter 38
Verity
The knock sounds again, louder and more forceful this time. Another crack of thunder outside has me nearly jumping out of my skin. Gosh, these storms seem rough. I hope it blows over soon.
“Andrik?” Mrs. Violet calls out. No one says anything for a beat and she continues, “Jedrik, are you in there? Mark checked the security footage and there’s been a... development we need to discuss. It’s urgent.”
My heart leaps to my throat as reality comes flooding back and the sliver of peace we’d built in the medical wing shatters. Someone murdered a man tonight. I motion for one of them to open the door and as soon as they do, Mrs. Violet and Mark rush inside. Words flood from their mouths, both talking over the other, and none of it is intelligible.
“One at a time,” Jedrik barks, but before anything else can be said, Mrs. Violet’s eyes widen, and a gasp escapes her as she raises her hand to her chest. I follow her horrified line of sight to... Ryland?
Shit. His necklace. With everything happening the way it did, I didn’t have a chance to ask him what the fuck it was doing in the grass at the feet of a very dead Matthew. Not to mention the scuffle I witnessed from the peg hole.
Something about this whole situation has the fine hairs on my arms raising.
Once Mark notices what made Mrs. Violet gasp, his face contorts in anger. Two things proceed to happen simultaneously. Mark takes a menacing step toward Ryland and Andrik steps in his way, blocking the irate cameraman from pouncing on my beta. “Whoa, slow down. What’s your damage, Mark?” Andrik demands.
“That son of a bitch is the last person who saw Matthew alive,” Mark spits out, venom lacing every word.
Ryland pales and glances at me, his expression pleading for me to understand. The question is, what is he wanting me to understand? For once, our telepathy isn’t working, and it’s like a knife straight to the chest.
“That doesn’t mean he’s the killer,” Jedrik attempts to reason with Mark and Mrs. Violet.
“Oh, yeah?” Mark taunts. “How about the fact Ryland’s the reason Matthew was sporting a black eye?”
“What?” My question comes out hoarse and I’m surprised anyone even hears me. I don’t understand what they are trying to imply here. Who cares if he gave that asshole a black eye. He didn’t kill the man.
“That’s right. Cameras caught their little tousle in the parlor about thirty minutes before going dark. The two of them disappear and aren’t seen on camera again,” Mark growls. “Explain that.”
The rest of the room erupts into an argument, but I’m only focused on one person. “Ver, it’s not what you think,” my best friend, who has quickly turned into my entire world, murmurs, guilt written all over his face. Okay, now there’s the dagger to the chest. All the air is sucked from my lungs until there’s nothing left to inflate them. The blood rushing through me roars in my ears, drowning out the angry voices around me. My vision falters and distantly, I realize it’s not normal for the world to be this blurry, but I can’t seem to shake myself out of it.
