seven | intoxicating

＊ This chapter is dedicated to Tracy. Thanks for voting!＊

EROS

Closing my eyes, I held my breath and calmed my beating heart. That intoxicating smell from the help had driven me crazy and made my blood boil. I wasn’t sure if it was an instant attraction or if she’d put something on her being, whichever it was, it brought up a raging desire to grab her, pull her toward me, and rip her clothes off of her. The very thought alone scared me. Especially when this was not a place to be distracted. And furthermore, distracted by the help of all people! I was in the enemies’ territory right now, anything could happen.

‘Maybe Dawn is no longer what you need,’ sneered Ares.

“Shut up,” I growled under my breath as I made my way back into the party.

The fact that Soren had Valeriya Sinclair wrapped in his hands only a matter of minutes after they were acquainted was bad enough. Soren was one of those bulky guys with a surly expression on his face. He loved to mingle with others, boasting about his achievements and kills. He was selfish and had no compassion for others. More reasons why I was glad I’d never been associated with him before. But right now, I wished I knew more about him so I could be sure that he wouldn’t be too rash to actually kill a princess in her own castle.

Standing in front of the door that would lead me back to the ballroom, I recalled what had happened after the pack meeting the other day. On my way out, I had caught up with Soren who had been loitering around the corridor. Every now and then he had looked up and checked out everyone who had walked out of the room. When his gaze had fallen upon me, he had straightened up and I knew immediately that he’d been waiting for me. 

“Adler, tell me, how many kills do you have up to now?” 

‘Sixty-six but it’s about to be sixty-seven if you don’t get the fuck out of my face,’ answered Ares inside my head. Clearly, he wasn’t named after the God of War for nothing. 

Funny how on the contrary, my parents had named me after the God of Love, Eros. Perhaps that was the reason why instead of going for a provocative answer such as one that my dear wolf had provided, I shrugged nonchalantly. 

“I’ve done fifty-nine kills,” announced Soren accompanied with a satisfactory smile. “Just for your information.” He shoved his hands into the pocket of his brown trousers and shrugged his broad shoulders. 

‘Not as many as we have but good enough numbers for an arsehole like you. I expect less.’ 

The corners of my mouth twitched as I suppressed my hankering to laugh and fought to remain silent instead. 

“Hearing that aloud might scare you but I’m not here to crow about it. I’m just saying that I’m perfectly able to take that mission, Eros, Son of Ezio.” Soren took another step forward and if we were in a romantic movie, I would’ve been able to smell his aftershave and whatever shite the director had cooked up. “I don’t need you to step in.” 

“Is that what this is about?” I let out a small sigh, all of a sudden feeling physically and mentally tired. “I’m not doing it to take your job. We all know you’re one of our best mercenaries here.” 

‘I think I just threw up in my mouth hearing you lick his arse.’ 

Ignoring Ares’s snide remark, I continued, “If you want to do the mission, take it up to the Alpha.”

Soren’s eyes narrowed and when he took a sharp breath, I could smell a hint of Vodka. “Very well, Adler,” he said again, this time his voice was twice as loud as he’d been. “I’m letting you handle this little girl. At least now I can catch a bigger fish.”

He laughed as if he’d just said something real funny, then he walked away, but the fact that he was here tonight and already after Valeriya proved that he hadn’t let this mission go. It seemed that Soren was as unpredictable as he was daft. I just hoped that it wouldn’t come to a time where I had to kill him because killing him, who was also an Erebus member, would raise suspicion and the last thing I wanted was for anyone to find out about my plan.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊

VAL

After dropping Soren’s clothes on the nearest sofa, I went back to the party. The minute I stepped into the ballroom, my maid Quinn rushed to my side. “Miss Valeriya, your father has been looking for you everywhere, Milady.” 

“I was only gone for ten minutes. What’s happening?” I tried to ignore the murmur around me and people glancing in my direction. 

“It’s time for you to open your birthday presents, Milady,” said Quinn, ushering me toward the front of the ballroom where my father and stepmother were standing. Amber had switched out of her silver dress into a purple cocktail dress. 

“Ah, there you are, the birthday girl,” said Amber with a fake smile plastered on her face. Once upon a time, I’d been a fool and believed that she was a nice, kind person. Growing up I never had a mother figure in my life since my biological mother had died while giving birth to me, I’d once hoped that she could be the mother that I’d always dreamt of. What a fool had I been! 

One of the event organizers handed me one box over another and each time, I had to open and pretend that I was extremely happy about the presents. The first time around I had indeed felt happy but right now, with the knowledge I had now, I felt more anxious than anything. I knew that most of these people who claimed to have my father’s back would turn against him. The question was which ones. Not all my recollection of the past had returned. Some things were still vague to me. 

After twenty minutes, I lost count of how many expensive handbags, jewelry, and watches that I’d received. Nothing truly stood out, and none met my taste. Not because I had an unusual taste but because most of these presents were here to impress my father, not me. They were all bought and brought here to serve one purpose only which was to showcase the wealth of the person who gifted them. 

At last, I’d done opening the last present and managed not to let my smile falter. “Thank you so much, everyone, for these lovely, thoughtful presents,” I thanked everyone, successfully playing the part of a grateful host and the daughter of an Alpha. “I know everyone has spent so much time and effort in choosing them, and I—” 

Before I managed to complete my speech, a servant rushed in with a new present in hand. “Wait, Milady, there’s one more.” 

A buzz was going around and everyone locked their eyes on the small box that this servant was carrying. Clearly whoever the person who gave this wanted to make a commotion by handing this latter than the others. 

“Thank you,” I muttered to the servant who had beads of sweat sliding down his temples. He broke a smile as he handed the box to me. 

Despite the fact that the box was much smaller than the other boxes that I’d been given so far, it was heavier than the rest. 

“I wonder what that is,” whispered Lola who was standing next to me and had been helping me with all these gifts. 

Driven by curiosity, I lifted the lid and heard Lola’s gasp as she leaned in and took a peek. Inside the box was a gun.

My best friend had recovered from her shock and softly asked, “Who is it from?” She pulled a card out of the box.

In the neatest penmanship I’d ever seen, was written a quote from one of the most famous books in the history of literature. 

‘Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit ’em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird — Happiest Birthday, Val. E.A.’

I recognized this gun as the Smith & Wesson Model 36 which was ultimately known as ‘Chief’s Special’. I’d read about it in one of the books at the library. From what I read, this five-round, double-action revolver was an immediate success and had served law-enforcement officers well. Along with this card, it was almost as if the person who gave me this gun wanted me to fight the injustice and was rooting for me. 

“E.A.?” Lola frowned. “Do we know anyone with that initial?” 

I didn’t say anything but in my mind, I was being reminded of a mysterious man with a pair of brilliant blue-green eyes.

＊＊＊＊＊＊＊