Skinned

Valerie

“Tea?”

I shook my head dismissively, crossing my left leg over the other with my spine straight and my fingers entwined above my lap, as the Luna took her place by the window with a cup of tea between her hands.

Luna Celeste’s crimson hair was styled the same, tied neatly into a low ponytail and swept to the side of her shoulder, exhibiting the mark given by her infamous mate. Her slender fingers, with nails painted red, were tapping against the porcelain cup while her vibrant green eyes looked through the window with a calm smile plastered on her bewitching features.

With eyes distant, she let her fingers graze the proud punctures of Alpha Azeil’s teeth, and a pleasured shudder left her lips in response.

I didn’t know whether her mannerism brought me envy or distaste. The way she paraded her mark, like it was the most prized gem in the world, ticked me off.

Beta Reed had informed Alpha Azeil of Killian’s confession as soon as we left the penitentiary.

I could tell, all of the words that left Killian’s mouth had drilled itself deep into the marrow of Reed, forcing his shoulder to hunch forward and his hackles to raise; the fear of something unknown that proudly asserted its aggression was pressing firmly down on his wild.

And I was slightly thankful that my wolf was withdrawn, or the threat I felt would have increased tenfold.

With the Alpha fully aware of Killian’s truth, he had summoned me to his home for the afternoon to discuss the matter that he had skillfully denied.

“Where is Alpha Azeil?” I questioned the Luna.

“He’ll be here soon, he just needs to talk to Beta Reed about the nearing exchange with Alpha Eli’s pack.”

The mention of the Alpha’s name brought a faint look of dislike on Luna Celeste’s face, “That pack places their reliance on the old ways; so much tradition and practice that it’s almost hard to keep up with them. It’s putting a lot of pressure on my male.”

On and on, she ran her fingers across her mark and talked about Alpha Eli’s pack, mentioning how invested they were to the Moon and how ill-fated he was to be blessed with an overbearing mate despite the faith he had for the goddess.

The Luna made it sound like he was cursed.

While she openly rambled about Alpha Eli’s pack, I had learned that she took pleasure in degrading a pack that was not hers.

It was a waste, really.

Celeste was a beauty with a mouth of decay.

I was slightly thankful when the door behind me had opened, hearing the heavy footsteps of Alpha Azeil approaching his desk before taking his seat right in front of me, his dark grey eyes greeting me as they held an array of storm and menace.

Luna Celeste offered him an adoring smile and ran a hand on his shoulders, to which he quickly grabbed and delicately planted a lingering kiss on her wrist while keeping a close eye on me.

For a moment, the rage within him silenced, and I watched as it quickly resurfaced when Luna Celeste had taken her leave of the office with a quick whisper of goodbye against his ear.

I was surprised. I didn’t know greed and conceit could go perfectly with one another.

I cleared my throat, finding myself in discomfort after watching their open display of affection, but I quickly regained my composure.

“Alpha,” I greeted with a nod of my head.

Alpha Azeil crossed his arms above his chest and leaned back on his chair, “Enlighten me, Doctor.”

His words were meant to command, and the strength of it wrapping tightly around my throat, forcing me to choke out my knowledge.

My hands clasped tightly together and I released a breath before rolling back my tense shoulders from his waiting gaze.

“Where do you want me to start?” I questioned him.

“I want you to tell me everything,” Alpha Azeil glared at me. “Tell me everything that makes him a ticking time bomb.”

I ran a tongue across my dry lips and unfolded my legs before taking a breath.

“Killian’s body heals ten times faster than us werewolves. His blood isn’t common and doesn’t match any other blood in the database. I ran a test as soon as he landed in my infirmary, and I found out that his genetic code is different... it’s completely modified into something more.”

Alpha Azeil remained silent, his own eyes focused on the wooden surface of his desk with his fingers continuously tapping against it.

“Alpha Azeil, it is very much given that Killian is not a werewolf, but I’m certain that he means no harm. The fact that he was discovered half alive in that lake was enough to tell us that he was attacked.”

“What makes you think that he was attacked?” Alpha Azeil flashed his teeth. “He could have been the attacker, Valerianne. He could have slaughtered a lot of humans and received enough bullets to weaken him, but still managed to survive.”

“I can assure you that that man stuck inside that prison made of pure, thick concrete is anything but a killer.”

“You have no proof, Val. If wolves were to find out that there is a bigger threat for them, it would cause an outcry. No matter what, that thing will remain locked up for the safety of this, and every other pack.”

Coward.

All of Alpha Azeil’s intentions were made to avoid the opponent to his reign; Killian was the thief to his crown that he did not deserve to wear. He was afraid of the shame he was going to bear when he faces his inevitable loss, as well as the destruction he would cause upon the reeking pride of his obssessive mate.

I gritted my teeth, my nostrils flaring in annoyance as I avoided Alpha Azeil’s eyes.

“Given that he’s only been held captive for a short amount of time, I want you to pay closer attention to the extent of his strength and capabilities,” Alpha Azeil said and stood up from his leather chair while I remained seated on the same place, seething.

“Yes, Alpha,” I bit out, my eyes focused onto the world outside the window while Azeil walked over to the small separate table full of whiskey and wine.

He poured himself a glass of alcohol filled to the brim and headed out the door. But before he could take his leave, he suddenly came to a halt.

“And Valerie,” Alpha Azeil trailed off to take a swig of his drink, “find out what makes him weak.”

“Don’t stall,” Beta Reed once again reminded me as we entered Killian’s cell.

I locked my jaw tight. “I know.”

My heels clicked against the concrete floor, the sound of it resonating throughout the entire room as I began my slow approach to my pack’s convict.

“Killian,” I greeted, and his head rose to look up at me, his right eye immediately going straight through my spine, forcing me to bend as it held an even brighter glow before going back to its calm glimmer.

Killian’s wild sent me its feral greeting.

“Valerie,” he breathed out, the corners of his lips tugging up into a smile for a few seconds before returning to its neautral form.

I sent him a grin and crouched down on his level before placing my bag beside me.

“Let’s see them,” I said and reached for the bandages on his torso to roll it off of him with ease, only to find myself in complete awe.

In the span of forty eight hours, he had completely reached his recovery. The wound inflicted by the lethal bullets were now replaced by soft, pinkish scars that marked his skin.

Killian looked down at himself. “Have I become well?”

“Actually, you’re great. Which means that you won’t be needing these anymore,” I told him, placing the fresh set of bandages back into my bag before looking up to meet his eyes.

Even his face had cleared itself of cuts and bruises. By the light of the moon creeping through the small window, every fine cut of his chiseled features were put into greater definition.

His strong jaw.

His high cheekbones.

His plump lips.

His neck.

If Killian was born like any other werewolf, with a face so ethereal, he would have had a lot of females flocking to get his attention.

But sadly, he was beyond what anyone could ever imagine.

He was not a werewolf.

Killian was a lost man holding no knowledge about his own past. He could never be able to taste the bliss of life, but could only welcome the misery it generously offered him; he was being punished for being something that was not in his control.

I didn’t flinch when Beta Reed had approached me from behind, his footsteps carrying a purpose to it before coming to a stop and presenting me a silver syringe.

“Alpha Azeil wants him incapacitated at all times,” Beta Reed told me, his voice holding no remorse as he held the object in front of my face.

Killian kept himself quiet, his unique set of eyes watching us without judgement as he wore an unreadable expression.

My hand hesitantly reached for the syringe, and I stared at the object as Beta Reed took a few steps back.

Could I do this?

“Every night, I can hear the distant sound of women talking to the moon,” Killian suddenly said, completely taking me by surprise, and I ripped my attention away from the syringe in my hand to look at him.

“Why?” He asked, with eyes holding great curiosity as he paid no heed to the fact that he was going to be stabbed with a needle meant to escalate his vulnerability.

I clutched the syringe tighter in my hand and forced a grin.

With the ritual being done at a considerable amount of distance from his cell, I was quick to conclude that Killian’s hearing range was remarkable.

“It’s a ritual,” I told him. “Those females sing their praise to the Moon every night for the life they’ve been blessed with.”

“Do you sing your praise to the Moon?”

I chuckled and shook my head, “No, I don’t. There’s nothing to praise, I’ve never been blessed by the Moon.”

In fact, I was rather cursed.

“Valerie,” Beta Reed released a warning growl, forcing me to mutter a quick apology with my shoulders tensed.

“I have to do this, Killian,” I told him weakly, and his eyes trailed down to the shot that deemed his wild’s temporary silence.

Killian’s eyes remained still on the syringe, and I could just witness the sadness within them for a short time before disappearing completely.

He was so quick to hide his emotions, so good at pulling them back that I wasn’t sure how long he could handle them before the war within him broke past his skin.

“I understand,” Killian said before looking up to meet my eyes, and it seemed as if he had to be the one to reassure me. “I know what this thing inside me can do, it needs to be settled down, for the sake of everyone. It’s better this way."

I made an attempt to swallow down my guilt, only to end up choking.

It just didn’t feel right.

“One day, Killian,” I told him, my voice held within a whisper as I made a promise that meant only one thing, and I wasn’t even sure if I could keep it.

Hope.

And without any countdown or warning, I let the needle break through his skin.