Page 128 of A Silent Prodigy for the Lycan Princess

Night doesn’t let him finish. He releases him, and lets his claws come out before ripping PJ into pieces. Blood splashes everywhere, sullying the floor and the walls, and Junior and Sky.Once Night is finished, he turns to Junior. “Clean up,” he hisses. “And that fucker,” he gestures towards Sky “is still breathing.”

“You want me to end him?” Junior asks.

“No, you heard PJ. He is the one with the contacts.”

Junior nods. “Yes, boss.”

Night turns towards me. “Azurite,” he says, walking towards me and pulling me up. “You were such a good girl.”

I feel sick to my stomach. My whole body is still trembling. I follow Night, almost scared he will take me back to his room, but instead, he leads me to my favorite place, to the small library. He lets me slip inside before grabbing my chin and tilting my head up. He kisses me. “A reward for my most beautiful possession.”

I wait for him to close the door before dropping to the floor. I pull my legs up, wrapping my arms around them, and rock back and forth as if it will keep me safe. Please be safe Opal. Please be safe.

Night mentioned my mom today and that he might have known her, or rather that his father knew her. Is this how Night found me? At the very back of my mind, I remember him from my life before, but not as a dangerous person. He was just a visitor to where I lived.

Did he look for me back then?

I’m so exhausted. Night killed two people today, right in front of me, and he almost killed a third. He took what he wanted from my body. I wish I had more fighting spirit. I wish I were stronger.

But all I can do is sit here and hope he won’t kill me. Though deep inside, I’m beginning to hope the opposite, that he finally ends my sad existence. I am not even certain about my real name anymore; it constantly slips from my mind. Before I become truly Night’s possession, without a soul and a will of my own, I’d rather end up dead.

*ARDEN*

Aurelia jumps up to gather all our stuff, preparing for us to leave while I call Eric. “What happened?” I blurt out the moment he picks up the phone without greeting him.

“We… one of the victims,” Eric says breathless. “One of my contacts from the police called me, because he recognized her from the list we gave him.”

“Another body?” I whisper.

“No! It’s Annette, and she is alive.”

His words shock me more than anything else. Not even in my wildest dreams had I expected him to say we would find one of our victims. “She… she managed to run away?”

“Yes,” Eric says. “Arden, she is completely in shock. My contact from the police coincidentally found her while she was hiding in the back of a truck. We are so lucky! He knows she is a werewolf and instantly called me.”

“Where is she now?”

“She was brought to one of our very close lycan packs.” He tells me the exact pack name and coordinates, making me pause. “That’s not too far from where Aurelia and I are at the moment. I’m heading there ASAP… but wait… I don’t have anything with me.”

“Arden,” Aurelia interrupts me. “You just run ahead in your lycan form, take your bag with you. I will return to the Council, grab a car, and then meet you there.”

Eric, who has easily heard Aurelia’s suggestion, agrees with her. “That’s a good idea, Arden.”

“I’ll run there immediately,” I tell him. “It should take me an hour maximum.”

“I will probably take the same time to return to the Council,” Aurelia tells me.

“Did you hear that, Eric?”

“Yes, I’ll call the pack and tell them you are coming so they expect you. Then, I’ll wait for Aurelia and will drive over with her,” Eric says. “I will take Valerie with me. We might need her healing powers.”

“Is Annette hurt?” I ask carefully. “What do I need to expect?”

“From what my friend told me, she has some scratches and bruises. She wasn’t sexually assaulted, though,” Eric says. “But she is terrified and in shock. Make sure to be gentle and patient.”

“Of course,” I promise.

I hang up, turning to Aurelia. My heart is beating so fast I’m scared it will jump out of my chest. “They… Annette… she is…”