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My anger dissipated like air escaping from a deflated balloon. Fear overwhelmed me, and I squatted while gripping the bars. “If you murdered him without provocation, you could be in here for a long time. Who got physical first?”

“I did.”

“If his Creator shows up and asks for your head…” My voice trailed off, and I buried my face in my arm.

Lucian wrapped his hands around mine and spoke in a soothing voice. “I didn’t do it.”

“You were the only one on the scene. People saw.”

“Saw what? Nobody told me anything.”

I raised my head. “They found you on top of his body with blood in your mouth. He had a tire iron in his hand.”

“I don’t remember a tire iron. Eden, I didn’t flip my switch.

I blacked out. It’s not the same. The last thing I remember was a flash of white light before everything tilted.

Then I woke up with a crowd around us.” He let go of my hand and touched the back of his head.

“My head feels like it’s about to explode. Milly stitched me up.”

“I’ll have her send over pain medicine.”

Lucian dropped to his knees and sat back on his heels. “Do you believe me?”

I searched his eyes while trying to weigh the facts against the Lucian I knew. “It doesn’t matter what I believe. You need proof, or I can’t release you.”

He smirked. “At least I’ll get to see you every day.”

“This isn’t funny.”

“I know.”

His scent enveloped me, imbued in the fibers of my shirt. “My car smells like you. All this time, I thought it was your cologne. Did you mark it?”

He shrugged one shoulder. “Before I left. I can’t help it. It’s like me asking you not to shift.”

From my squatting position, I rested my arms across my knees. “They found Chitah bites on his neck, Lucian.”

“Someone else was involved.”

“Who?”

“I don’t know, but I own their scent.”

I jerked my head back. “What do you mean?”

He clutched his T-shirt and drew in a breath. “It was all over me. I already know what the Mage smells like, but this smell was different.”

“I thought you only did that with family?”

“We can’t go around owning everyone’s scent or it gets convoluted, but when I woke up, something wasn’t right.

When my switch is flipped, I can still see what’s going on; I just don’t have any control.

I’ve never blacked out. I wanted to own the scent before I lost it—before someone else got theirs mixed in with it.

Whoever pinned this on me, I’m gonna find them. ”

“From here? Even if someone’s smell was on you, what does that prove? How am I supposed to fix this?”

“On that note…” Lucian moved his legs aside and sat with one leg drawn up. “Maybe it’ll make this whole thing easier on you if I tell you my secret. Then you won’t have to feel all that guilt.”

“Guilt?”

He sniffed loudly, suggesting he could smell my emotions.

“This wasn’t your fault. I know how it looks, and if I go down for killing that prick, I don’t want you thinking I’m some great guy you couldn’t save.

I thought for a minute maybe I could prove myself a worthy male, but maybe I’ll never be that guy. ”

“If you want to tell me you’re an international spy, I don’t want to hear it.”

He touched the back of his head and grimaced. “This is something I should’ve said from the beginning, but I was afraid of what you’d think of me. I was afraid Deacon would tell you because he knows. But now I don’t give a shit. I’m tired of being afraid.”

“Then tell me.”

After Lucian opened up about his kindred spirit rejecting him, I ruminated in stunned silence.

One concern I’d had about us was that he would one day find his kindred spirit.

Anyone who settled with a Chitah knew the risks if their soulmate came along.

While I should’ve been relieved that she had rejected him, it angered me.

I was angry that someone thought he wasn’t good enough. Angry that he had carried that shame in his wounded heart. But I also understood that she had forged a life for herself before he came along.

Even though we weren’t soulmates, knowing that Lucian chose to love me felt more meaningful than any magical love match. He could’ve gone the rest of his life rejecting love, but he’d opened his heart to me.

Right now he had bigger issues to contend with than his love life.

When different Breeds were involved in a murder, we had to notify their respective Councils.

Because the victim was a Mage, the ruling would go to the Mageri, who oversaw all Mage matters.

They would locate Marcus’s Creator—the one who made him immortal.

His Creator would decide what punishment he deemed fair.

If they couldn’t find him or he was dead, the Mageri would make the ruling.

I reached through the cold bars and twined my fingers with his. Even though my thoughts were on his future, Lucian’s were on his past. “I’m sorry. You could’ve told me about her.”

“If I’m not good enough for the one I was born to love, I’m not worth your tears.”

“That’s not true.”

“You know, I actually thought I had a shot. If this had never happened…”

My fingers traced the black band he always wore around his left index finger. “Does this mean anything?”

“It doesn’t have anything to do with Mae, if that’s what you’re asking. I just wear it because I’m the dark one.”

“The dark one? Have mercy. You act like you’re Lucifer himself.” I withdrew my hand. “This is quite the predicament. If you’re keeping details about the crime from me, now’s the time to come clean. I can’t help you unless you’re honest.”

“I told you everything.”

I believed him.

Had it been a skirmish in a parking lot, I could ask for lenience on his charges. But since he had made a public declaration that he was going to kill Marcus and put him in the ground, that made this premeditated murder.

As a Councilwoman, I had a duty. But as his lover, my heart said otherwise. I loved this man, and the idea of anyone deciding his fate enraged my inner animal.

Yet a haunting question gnawed at me: Would I have accepted his offer to court me after weighing my options?

My father would’ve been disappointed since Deacon had won him over.

But Lucian and I were compatible on so many levels, and he respected me in a way other men didn’t.

What we had together was intuitive and natural.

I stood and released a sigh. “I’ll do what I can, but I can only do so much. If you remember anything else—even if you don’t think it means anything—tell me or one of the other Councilmen.”

The door opened. I looked across my right shoulder as the guard stepped in.

Tak ducked beneath the doorframe and scanned the hallway before making his way toward me. “Councilwoman,” he said, greeting me with a curt nod. This wasn’t the Tak I’d come to know at recent parties. He glared at Lucian, who then stood. “Don’t say anything else until we talk.”

His Packmaster had the right to counsel, so I gave an emotionless smile and left them alone. While I waited in the quiet lobby, grasping the scope of Lucian’s crime, I received a text message.

Henry

Are you free tonight? I’m about to make reservations at Dragonfly’s and would love if you joined me

Eden

I’m busy with work. We had fun, but I’m not interested in pursuing this any further.

Henry

I’ll check on you later

Mr. Hightower’s message reminded me that I still wanted to honor my father’s wishes before he passed. Though it was selfish to think about myself right now, how was I supposed to move on with my life with Lucian facing a murder charge? Was I supposed to pick a mate who offended me the least?

All evidence pointed to his guilt. If he were anyone else, I wouldn’t bat an eyelash about locking them up. I felt an obligation to help him, but was I doing it to ascertain his innocence or guilt, or was I doing it for love?

Although Marcus no longer posed a threat, what would happen when the next person showed up who wanted to come for me? The man I loved was behind bars—my protector was gone. The only one I trusted to make sure my father would be safe.

I had always been a take-charge person who made good decisions, but right now I didn’t have a clue what to do.