Glancing up at him, I can see that his jaw is clenched, and he is furious. That’s when I realize his knuckles are coated in blood. My stomach plummets and I wonder what he’s done, did he kill him? He sends a text before turning around to face me.
Blood spots are on his white shirt and when he’s about to turn toward the rest of the room, I step in front of him, tugging his suit jacket closed, and doing up the buttons before someone can see.
“Is he…” I trail off, not knowing what I’m asking. But looking at him now, I almost know the answer.
“Dead? Yes, you were told not to leave our sides!” he snarls, and I flinch at his anger.
“I just wanted to use the restroom,” I whisper.
He growls at me again. “And now one of my patrons is dead.”
“I never asked you to kill him,” I squeak out as guilt smashes me. Bile rises in my throat and nausea washes over me. What have I done? This is my fault.
“He shouldn’t have touched you, so he got what he deserved,” Kyan snarls.
“He was drunk. You didn’t need to kill him!” I hiss, casting a quick glance around to make sure no one is watching us.
“He still touched you,” he insists.
“Why do you care? You hate me anyway,” I reply bitterly, stepping away from him.
“I don’t hate you, Marabella, I just don’t like you,” he adds in an arrogant tone.
I scoff. “That’s exactly the same thing!”
“You know nothing, now enough. We are leaving,” he says with finality, leaving no room for debate. Kyan grips my elbow in a bruising grip, tugging me after him as he strides towards the exit.
“Wait, what about Jonah?” I ask, trying to pull away from his grip.
He growls, ignoring me and yanks me toward the elevator. Why is everyone pulling me around in these heels? My feet are killing me and they keep pulling me along like a rag-doll.
“Kyan, please slow down, I have heels on!” I yelp as I stumble, trying to keep up with him.
He stops abruptly, and I slam straight into his back. Ouch! He growls as he turns, glaring menacingly at me before kneeling and lifting the bottom of my dress and fiddling with my heel. I grip his shoulder, glancing around and ignoring the growl he lets out when I touch him.
He slips one heel off, then grips my other ankle and tingles rush up the inside of my leg and thigh, making me gasp. He removes it, quickly and stands up. Those sparks again…
“Better?” he asks icily, grabbing my elbow again.
My heels are clutched in his other hand as he leads me toward the elevator. He presses the button when I hear Jonah’s voice from behind us. Thank the Goddess!
“There you both are,” Jonah sighs, making me look at him. Relief floods me and just then, the elevator doors open.
“Get her back to the penthouse,” Kyan snaps at him, shoving me into the elevator so harshly that I barely catch myself on the wall. Jonah looks between us, clearly confused at why Kyan is angry.
“What’s going on?” he asks, concerned.
Guilt builds up inside me again. This is all my fault. I am the reason this happened.
“Don’t bring her back here again. She is not welcome here,” Kyan snaps, thrusting my heels into his chest. Why do his words hurt so much?
“Kyan?” Jonah says, but Kyan just walks off. Jonah runs a hand through his hair, shakes his head at his friend and steps into the elevator, looking at me.
“What happened?” he asks, and I shrug.
Kyan will probably tell him later, and I just hope I won’t be around when he does end up telling Jonah. Because I have no idea how he will react. Will he be angry like Kyan that I got one of his patrons killed, that I didn’t listen and stay with Kyan after he left? That man is dead because of me. I wish I would have listened and just stayed there by Kyan’s side. I don’t think I’ve ever been more relieved than I am right now to be out of there.
Marabella
Eighteen-years-old
Having a wolf is so much more than I ever expected. I never realized how empty I was until Kora came into my life. How much I craved interaction, someone to fill the void that resided inside me for so long. Not realizing how lonely one’s mind could truly be.
Then she came along. Kora can’t stop the pain, but she keeps me tipping over the edge, over the precipice and into the dark void of nothingness that is me. She keeps bringing me back even when I wish she wouldn’t. Even at times I wish she would give up on me the same everyone else already has.
And yet, I am beyond thankful that I have her. I don’t even want to think back to a time before I had her. That deep, dark emptiness I lived with for so long always makes me fear its return.
“Up Marabella, we can’t sit here all day,” Kora murmurs in my head.
I feel like a passenger in my body these days. Something is off. More so than usual, like my soul is searching for something. My days are lived on autopilot, a never ending battle with my own mind.
It confuses me at times, but mostly I just gave into it. It is easier this way. Whatever this is, it became my reality, and I don’t care enough to change it. I try, but I can’t find the strength within me, even with Kora.
“Marabella, get up,” Kora snaps, and I roll on my back.
Groaning, I force myself out of bed. She will whine if I don’t and honestly, I am having trouble coming up with more excuses to not leave my room. Mom is becoming suspicious. So I need to do this. Today is the last day. I just have to get up and go to this meeting.
Then, after the meeting, I will finally leave. Yet, that feels like a mammoth task. One I honestly am not up to either.
My days have been blurring into one. I barely recognize my scenery, barely hear the words spoken to me or around me. I am comfortable in my own misery, that is the beauty of depression.