After the night's unrest, the scent of antiseptic mixed with coppery blood clung to the air of the clinic even as day broke.
A tired groan escaped Raya's lips as she slumped into a chair, the seat creaking under her weight as she closed her weary eyes.
Ayria appeared with a fresh, steaming cup of coffee, approaching Raya.
"Need a break?" she asked, handing the cup over.
"Thanks," Raya said, her fingers curling around the cup.
She flashed the vampiress a small smile. "I don't know what I would've done without your help."
"The pleasure's all mine," Ayria replied, her crimson eyes sparkling with gentleness. "I'll be heading out now. I'm sure you can handle the rest."
Raya nodded, waving as Ayria left.
The influx of injured had turned the clinic into a rattled disarray. She was new to this, and the panic of deciding who to heal first had completely disoriented her. Ayria's arrival had been a lifeline, a blessing, though some wolves had balked at a vampire's touch before grudgingly accepting her help.
Watching Ayria heal had been quite the sight to behold. Her healing ability was not only more powerful than Raya's, but beautiful in its own right.
Now, with the injured stabilized, Raya's job shifted to the morgue. She set down her coffee, stood, and headed for the cold, silent room. Before she could start prepping the bodies, two men burst in, wheeling a covered body on a gurney.
"Alpha wants you to examine this one and get a report back Asap," one said, while the other chewed gum nonchalantly.
Raya frowned. "What's special about this one?"
"Who the fuck cares?" the other scoffed, spitting out the gum. "Alpha's orders. Got questions? Ask him yourself."
Raya crossed her arms, eyes narrowing. "Sam, tell your buddy to pick up that gum," she said, her voice sharp.
The guy scoffed. "Or what?"
In her experience with dealing with arrogant men, Raya knew one thing that always worked. She picked up a scalpel lying next to a body and strode over to the gum on the ground, scraping it off, then walked over to the gum spitter.
"Or what, you asked," she said, her eyes dropping lower.
It wasn't communication, but brute action.
The next second, she kneed the guy in the balls. He groaned in pain, falling to his knees as he clutched his crotch.
Taking advantage of his current position, she stuck the gum from the scalpel onto his hair, then casually tossed the scalpel into a basin.
"Bring the body over here," she ordered the other guy, Sam, who still stood frozen after watching his buddy get hit in his precious jewels.
Raya frowned, glancing at him when he didn't move. Her stare alone was enough to get him moving.
When she removed the cover, the state of the corpse shocked her for a moment. The way this one had been killed was far too brutal.
"Half-shifted, huh," she murmured, observing the distorted face.
She proceeded with her autopsy. At first, there was nothing strange about the body despite its half-shifted state, until she noticed it. She checked around the mangled organs, everything intact except the heart, which was missing.
"The heart is missing," she announced. "And whoever killed him wanted him to suffer." She resumed checking for anything she might have missed.
"Is that all?" Sam asked.
"Nope." She turned to face him. "There are traces of an anesthetic substance in his body which kept him alive longer than he should have been. He was still alive after his limbs were torn off, even after he was opened up. It was lights out for him after his heart was eaten out." She snapped her fingers casually.
Both men's eyes widened.
"You've gotten your report. Find your way out, boys." She waved a hand, shooing them away.
The one she kneed glared at her before quietly following his companion out.
After they left, Raya glanced at the body again, wondering what monstrosity had done this.
"Were you killed by your own folks?" she murmured.
....
Still at the Draven residence, the air was stiff between Camelia and Thomas. Camelia decided to speak first in an attempt to ease the man's irritation toward her.
"Good morning, Master Thomas. How are you faring today?" she asked, flashing him a grin.
"Wipe that fucking grin off your face," Thomas snapped.
Charm and smiles were not going to calm him, so Camelia immediately zipped her lips.
"My brother tried to murder me because of you, and you have the guts to show up in front of me today," he said, leaning closer, his eyes narrowing. "You must have a death wish."
Technically, he had a point. Camelia felt she owed him an apology, even though the one who truly owed him was Ian.
"I am terribly sorry about yesterday. You got hurt because of me. It wasn't my intention, but still, I am sorry," she said, bowing her head low.
Thomas froze. He hadn't expected her to apologize so quickly.
He pulled back.
"Carry on with your work, but I don't want you anywhere near my chambers," he instructed, then began walking away.
But he stopped.
"I don't know what Ian's intentions are with you, but I should warn you," he said, glancing back. "Run away from him while you still can."
.....
Slap after slap. Kick after kick. Alpha Caden was relentless in beating his wife. Her wrists were bound to the bed, the bed that was supposed to be their matrimonial bed. But the more he struck her, the less reaction she gave, as if she had grown accustomed to the pain.
One of her eyes was already swollen shut. Cuts lined her lips, her face black and blue, smeared with bloody bruises.
"Lost your words now?" he asked as his belt landed on Luna Grace.
"Why did you speak? Who asked you to fucking speak? Did I ask you?" he repeated, his eyes filled with mad rage.
Luna Grace whispered something, gesturing with her head for him to come closer. When he did, she spat the blood pooled in her mouth onto his face, some reaching his eyes.
Alpha Caden stumbled back, wiping the blood from his eyes.
"You bitch!" he cursed, raising his belt to strike her again when a knock came at the door.
He paused.
"Who is it?" Alpha Caden barked irritably, itching to return to the beating.
"We got the report, Alpha," the person at the door responded.
Hearing that, he immediately fastened his belt and stormed out of the room, as though he had completely lost interest in assaulting his wife.
"So what did the healer report?" Alpha Caden asked, after leading the two young men to his study.
These two young men; Sam and Kyle were infact close friends of his son, who he had given instructions to report everything concerning Dart.
They stared at each other, silently deciding who would speak first.
"Speak already," Alpha Caden snapped.
Sam quickly stepped forward and relayed the report exactly as Raya had given it.
As he listened, Alpha Caden's jaw tightened, cold sweat beading on his forehead. He walked to his desk, leaning forward with both hands braced against it.
Like déjà vu, the report mirrored events from a night he had prayed to forget. If this was accurate, then the rogues were the least of their worries.
He turned to the two men after regaining some composure.
"Find my son this instant and bring him here," he ordered.
They left immediately.
Left alone, his eyes fell on a photo frame sitting on the table. He reached for it, his fingers brushing the image of the woman inside, longing filling his gaze as his hand swept across the cold glass.