The Lycan's Hunt

Chapter 4 : Signed In Blood

"My help? What for?" I sputtered.

"With Mr. Monroe's case, of course. You remember it, don't you?" he inquired. As if I could forget. " The finest Summit members are looking into it. It's only a matter of time before they get to the bottom of this murder and apprehend the criminal. I will also be looking into all the leads myself. There will be no errors," I reasoned with him.

"If I'm being honest, I don't trust anybody else with my affairs. The only reason The Summit was involved in this case is that my parents demanded so. They were very adamant about it as they probably suspected that I would want to solve it by myself. I'm still going to intervene. It changes nothing other than the fact that more people are going to be working on it," he declared, calmly. "And as for the reason why I like a hands-on approach to all my affairs."

I blushed. Of all the things he could have said, he had to say something like that. His silver eyes moved all over my face, as he raptly took in my flushed face. s**t. Time for some damage control.

"And I am needed because?" I probed him for more information. "Well, Miss Pierce, I looked through all the Summit employees who are aware of this case to determine if anyone could be useful to me in my search. You have been in this field for a while now. You're an expert. The observations you told Silas also had me thinking that it would be good to get you to work with me. You would be paid handsomely, of course. Will you work with me, Miss Pierce?"

There was a ringing in my head. No thought penetrated my brain. What? Work with a Lycan? Of all the capable and experienced members of the workforce, he wanted me to work with him?

Life. That uncertain and unpredictable b***h had f****d me over. Again.

"You can refuse if you don't want to do this. I understand," Zen said.

Zen Hayes. The Lycan. The Royal. Refuse him. I might as well start digging my own grave and making funeral arrangements.

"Of course not. I'll gladly work with you. There's no question about it," I said. It felt like I had given myself the death penalty. Probably. Certainly.

Zen scanned my face and without warning, a corner of his mouth twisted into a slightly amused smirk. Almost as if he could read my thoughts. Which he couldn't. That wasn't an ability Lycans possessed, surely. Right? My anxiety peaked.

" Now that this whole matter has been settled, I'd like for us to go back to my house and go over the contract. Would that be alright with you?" He questioned as he started the car. His house? More like his palace.

"Sure. No problem," I said, automatically. Here goes nothing.

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Getting out of the car, I stepped onto the driveway of the mansion I never thought I would come back to. Fate was an eccentric b***h.

I followed Zen through the large, wooden front doors and entered the huge space within. He led me to his office and I gaped at the interior. The entire floor was covered with marble tiles. We entered a huge living room with cream-colored couches, a fireplace, and huge windows adorned with dark maroon curtains. Climbing up the wooden staircase, he went up to a room, unlocked it, and held the door open for me. I hastily brushed past him and stepped onto the wooden floor of his office. It was a huge room containing a dark, mahogany desk and tall wooden bookshelves which covered one wall completely. On the other side of the room was a table surrounded by the same colored sofas. There were two huge windows overlooking the driveway below. It was a place fit for a king.

He slid into the chair behind his desk and I sat across from him. Opening a drawer, he pulled out a set of papers and put them in front of me. " You can go through these papers to see if everything is to your liking. Then we'll sign it. Please take your time," Zen said as he turned on his computer and started typing something. I silently picked up the papers and started going through them. It felt like a typical NDA and employment contract put together. Then I saw my salary and I felt like I was going to choke on absolutely nothing. I must've made some kind of sound because Zen looked up and studied me closely. " Is there something wrong? You can tell me about it," he stated. "No. It's all good," I managed to sputter out a reply.

My mind was still on the salary. The long line of figures could change my life. I'll get an early retirement. A vacation to the Maldives. A new apartment. New car. Cars. If I survive. And just like that, all my newly-found elation went down the drain with just one thought.

I carefully went through every clause of the contract. And when I was done, I gave away my soul to the devil. Signed in blood.

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