chapter 1 : The evening that mattered
1292 Words
The engine softly hummed to a halt as I drove into the driveway, my hands still clutching the steering wheel more firmly than needed. I breathed out gently, making myself calm down. This evening needed to be flawless.
I took my phone from the passenger seat and rapidly glanced over the messages. The event coordinator had delivered the ultimate confirmation for the catering, decor, and seating setup. All preparations were complete.
Exiting the vehicle, I held the phone to my ear once the call went through. "Maria, I just received your message." “Is everything alright with the final arrangement?”
Maria's tone was lively yet assured. "Indeed, everything is going well." The floral displays showed up right on schedule, and the ballroom is almost finished. “We just need to verify the lighting one last time, but that’s a small adjustment.”
I acknowledged myself with a nod as I approached the house. The night air was brisk, bringing the subtle aroma of pine from the trees bordering our land. “Alright.” And the dessert? “Kaylin particularly asked for vanilla and raspberry.”
There was a short moment of silence before Maria replied. "The bakery brought it a couple of hours ago." It’s precisely what she desired, three layers adorned with silver decorations.”
Relief released the tightness in my chest. "Flawless." I’ll catch you at the location shortly. "I simply have to get ready and ensure Kaylin is prepared.”
Of course. And Kendall?”
I hesitated. “Yeah?”
A small sigh came through the phone. “Try to enjoy the night too. I know how much effort you’ve put into this.”
I forced a small smile. “I will.”
The call ended, and I slipped the phone into my coat pocket as I reached the front door. My fingers wrapped around the handle, but just as I pushed it open, a strange chill prickled down my spine.
Something felt… off.
The house was unusually quiet. No sounds of Kaylin moving around upstairs, no soft hum of the television from the living room.
I frowned, looking around then I heard it.
A scream.
The scream shattered the silence like glass breaking into a million pieces. My heart leaped to my throat, my breath catching in a strangled gasp. That voice… Kaylin.
Without a second thought, I bolted up the stairs, my bare feet barely making a sound against the wooden steps. The house felt too quiet, the air thick with something sinister. Then, I saw it.
Blood.
A dark crimson trail, smeared along the steps, leading upward toward Kaylin’s room.
My pulse pounded against my skull as dread slithered through me. What is happening? My hands trembled, cold sweat slicking my palms as I forced my legs to move forward. Each step felt heavier, as if the house itself was trying to hold me back.
Then, a flicker of movement,something, someone, darting past the dimly lit hallway.
I sucked in a breath, my stomach twisting in knots. Who was that? My instincts screamed at me to turn around, to run, but I ignored them. Kaylin was in there. She needed me.
Reaching the door, I shoved it open.
And froze.
The coppery scent of blood hit me first, thick and suffocating. My gaze dropped to the floor, and my stomach lurched.
A severed hand.
Pale fingers curled slightly, as if still holding onto something. My throat closed, bile rising in the back of my mouth. The blood pooling around it was fresh, dark, still spreading across the floorboards like a living thing.
I took a shaky step forward, my breath ragged. My entire body was trembling. My mind screamed at me to move, to find Kaylin, but I couldn’t. This isn't real. This can't be real.
My fingers twitched as I reached out, hesitant, unsure what I was even doing. But before I could react, the door burst open behind me.
“What have you done?!”
Zach’s voice was a roar, sharp and laced with pure fury.
I spun around just as he stormed into the room, his eyes blazing with rage. His Beta, Mark, was right behind him, his face twisted in horror as he took in the scene before him.
My lips parted, words caught in my throat, but before I could utter a single sound, Zach’s gaze dropped to my hands.
To my dress.
To the blood.
I followed his line of sight, my pulse stuttering when I saw the dark red stains smeared across my gown. My fingers,shaking, coated in blood,held a dagger.
A bloody dagger.
I inhaled sharply and immediately let go of the weapon, my heart pounding against my ribs.
“No—Zach, I certainly didn’t—”
Before I had the chance to explain, he had his hands on me.
I shouted as he seized me by the shoulders, jostling me violently before pushing me back. My legs collapsed, and I fell to the ground with an agonizing thump.
"Killler!" His voice resembled a knife cutting through the air, charged with poison and blame.
I shook my head wildly, anxiety surging in my chest like a tsunami.
"I didn't carry this out!" I promise, I—”
"Be quiet!" His eyes sparkled with anger that was hardly restrained. His wolf was right beneath the surface, perilously near to escaping.
Mark carefully stepped forward. “Alpha, we must—”
“Get the sentinels,” Zach interrupted him, his tone icy. “Ask them to tidy this up.”
I inhaled sharply, quickly getting to my feet. “Zach, I ask you—”
“Everyone remains still.”
His authority was conclusive, unwavering. Mark paused, his gaze shifting between us before giving a stiff nod.
An instant later, the atmosphere in the corridor changed. Additional footsteps. The senior members. They had listened to the scream, and now they were present.
Their whispers enveloped the area, their stares acute as they absorbed the scene ahead of them. The plasma. The palm. Myself.
I recoiled beneath their gaze, my chest rising and falling with frantic gasps.
Zach's lips twisted in revulsion as he advanced, looming over me.
"Lift it up."
I blinked, my brain fighting to comprehend what he said. “What did you say?”
His jaw tightened, his voice eerily low but piercing enough to slice.
"Lift it using your mouth."
I sensed the color leave my face. My body tensed up, my nails pressing into my hands.
“Zach, I beg you…” My voice faltered, a request I understood he’d ignore.
He scoffed. "You took the life of your own sister." You don’t get to plead.”
Tears burned at the edges of my vision, but I refused to let them fall. My legs trembled as I slowly turned my head toward the severed hand lying in the pool of blood.
The elders whispered among themselves, their expressions unreadable.
Mark shifted uncomfortably. “Alpha, maybe this is—”
“Do it.”
His voice was firm, unyielding.
I swallowed the bile rising in my throat. I didn’t do this. But no one believed me.
Slowly, hesitantly, I bent forward, my face inches away from Kaylin’s lifeless hand. The scent of iron was overwhelming, my stomach twisting in revulsion.
But before I could move, something strange happened.
The room seemed to darken, the air thickening. A sudden gust of wind blew through the open window, the candles flickering violently.
A whisper.
Soft. Ghostly. Not yours to bear.
I gasped, jerking back as the weight of the moment crashed down on me.
Something was wrong. This isn’t what it seems.
But Zach,Zach was convinced of my guilt.
And in his eyes, I was already condemned.
- Writer
