Chapter 9

Chloe hurried into the office right behind me. Hearing my question, she smiled brightly.

"Oh, I cut my hand the other day, and Silas was so upset! He said he couldn't bear to see me hurt, so he gave me that little carved wolf to comfort me. He said it was clumsy and cute, just like me."

My hands began to shake. I glared at Silas, my lungs feeling like they were on fire. "What gave you the right to give my things away?! My mother gave that to me! How could you give it to her?!"

A cold smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth as he leaned back in his chair like a cruel tyrant. "That cheap little trinket was yours? My mistake, I thought it was just a worthless ornament..."

Before he could finish, I grabbed a heavy crystal ashtray off his desk and hurled it at his face.

Silas didn't dodge. The crystal struck his forehead, splitting the skin. A drop of blood rolled down his brow.

Chloe screamed, "Are you crazy?! Attacking the Alpha over a piece of junk wood!"

She ran to her desk and marched back, tightly gripping my obsidian wolf totem. She viciously threw it onto the marble floor at my feet. "Take your trash back! Did you think I'd actually care about something no one even wants?"

The obsidian shattered into jagged, irreparable pieces.

I stared at the shards. My birth rune, my mother's blessing... all broken.

Just like my life. Beyond saving.

A sudden, overwhelming wave of grief crashed over me. I really was going to die.

But I didn't want to die so soon. I was terrified that without an anchor, my mother wouldn't be able to find my soul in the afterlife.

Something inside me snapped. I lunged forward and slapped Chloe so hard the sound echoed off the glass walls. "That was my mom's! My mom's!"

I screamed like a madwoman, tears pouring down my face. I reached out to grab Chloe again, but Silas's massive hand caught my wrist mid-air.

Tears blurred my vision.

I looked up at him, crying and laughing at the same time. "You know I'm dying... You know I'm dying, and you still bully me. Silas, you are a monster."

His thumb brushed my cheek, wiping away a tear, but his eyes remained cold. "First the cake, and now you're dying? Is playing games with me really that fun, Aria? Save your tears. I'm done pitying you."

He couldn't finish his sentence.

A thick drop of black blood dripped from my nose and splattered onto the back of his hand.

Then another. And another. A horrifying stream of blood gushed out, soaking my chin and dripping onto his pristine white shirt.

My legs gave out, my chest feeling hollow as a blinding agony erupted like a volcano.

I collapsed.

Silas caught me before I hit the floor. For the first time, his calm facade completely crumbled, replaced by naked panic.

"Healer! Get the medics! NOW!" he roared, his Alpha voice rattling the glass windows of the entire building.

But he was powerless to do anything but watch as my blood soaked through his clothes, dark and endless.