Roses on the Floor

"Is there a problem?"

I looked up, then immediately shook my head and sat up. "I... I thought I heard a sound."

He didn't say anything else, and I slowly pushed the chain into my shorts pocket. It was definitely not my brother's chain, so whoever owned it could be the key to knowing more about why my brother had to die so suddenly. Why it couldn't be anyone else.

I swallowed hard, then turned to Valerian. His hand was still resting on mine, and I brought it to my lips, tears filling my eyes again.

If someone really did something to my brother, either to drive him to take his life or take his life themselves, I would find them, and I would make them pay. I am not much, but I would do anything for my brother, even if I take my last breath doing it.

I was already looking at my brother's remains. What else is there for me to Iive for? Not much. There was nothing, actually.

I sighed and closed my eyes, my forehead resting on his palm. It was cold, and I found myself breaking down again, unable to fathom why the moon goddess had to take them all before me.

The ambulance came to a slow stop, and I sat up, my chest heaving. Soon, I wouldn't even see him again. I wouldn't have the prospect of seeing him soon to comfort myself. I would never ever see that smile again.

"Let's go," the man said as he stood up, opening the ambulance door.

I held my breath and Valerian's hand as he was wheeled out. I followed immediately, the sudden morning winds hitting my face, making my eyes sting even more.

I felt faint seeing my brother's grave dug up, and two suited men standing next to it. The man, without wasting a second, wheeled him towards the grave.

"I am sorry for your loss," one of the suited men said to me, extending a hand.

I swallowed hard, my chest heaving. "My brother didn't kill himself."

He went silent for a long minute, then shrugged. "He is still dead. And there is evidence that he did kill himself."

"That could have been fabricated! He loved his life. He loved me! He wouldn't..."

"The training in here is quite vigorous, Miss Skylar. Weak Alphas tend to either leave or resort to suicide. This is not the first time. We train alphas who will take over the pack later. Normal alphas who happened to be born lucky most times are not able to catch up with the competition."

"How dare you call my brother weak?"

"How dare you accuse the alphas in here of murder?" His voice was low, somehow still polite despite all the bullshit he was spitting. "Who would you assume was reaponsible for his murder, then? His roommate? Do you know who you would be pointing fingers at?"

"Are you protecting him because he is powerful?" I asked, anger starting to replace my sadness. It was becoming increasingly clear that there was some shady business in this school that might have pushed my brother to his death.

"Maybe," he said simply. "But Valerian North was always weak. Almost effeminate. Seeing how you, his sister, are an omega, it does explain why his alpha potential was so weak."

I took a step forward but was immediately held back, my chest heaving. "You are a bastard!"

"And you, Miss Skylar, are accusing the wrong people. Take your anger out on your brother. Suicide is a thing of the weak and not just you. All of us will have to bear the consequences of his cowardice. I am sorry for your loss, but it wasn't much of a loss at all."

He turned to the other men. "Finish up here. We need to fill up the remaining student slots." He turned back to me, then gave a small smile. "Take heart."

Without another word, he walked away, leaving me standing there under the grey skies, the wind dancing around us, the other two men working to lower my brother.

I sat there on the floor, numb as his body was slowly lowered six feet under. No flowers. No prayers. Nothing. He was buried like an omega even though he had alpha potential.

My heart felt like it had been shattered by a crane, and I was just here, numbed by everything. Just a few hours had changed the course of my life.

I sat there long after all of them left, watching the grave that now belonged to my brother. This was a possibility I never entertained. I never saw myself burying Valerian, not even once.

I slowly reached for my pocket and pulled out the necklace. Eros. Who could he be? What could be his connection to my brother that he had his pendant on him?

I bit down on my lips, slowly running my hand over the pendant. A small, burning sensation passed through my thumb, and I moved, my brows furrowed.

Wolfsbane. There was wolfsbane on the necklace. My suspicions rose, and I slowly stood up, my heart beating wildly.

I haven't earned the right to mourn my brother if I do nothing about the bastard who could have killed him. I do not deserve to bring flowers to his grave if I do not avenge him.

I turned slowly. Rosendale High was just a few metres away from the cemetery. It was a massive, imposing building, and behind all of this beauty, something sinister happened to my brother, and I needed to find out what it was. I needed to get behind those walls and fish out the person those officials were protecting.

I started to turn to Valerian's grave when something caught my eyes. In the distance, behind one of the trees that covered the cemetery was a figure.

My eyes widened slowly as my vision zeroed in on him. My breath hitched in my throat. He was wearing a black cloak, half of his face covered, his stance confident, his hand behind his back.

I took a step forward, my chest heaving. He didn't move, the wind pushing the cloak all around, yet he didn't budge. I felt something rise in my chest, and something hit my nostrils. A scent. A feeling. Something I had never experienced before.

I looked up to where I assumed his eyes would be, just as a particularly strong gust of wind knocked the cloak away, revealing a long, jagged scar over his right eye, and a dark red lock of hair falling across his face.

My face immediately lost colour. It felt like seeing my dream come alive and, in the worst, way possible. He didn't seem to be interested in me and was mostly watching my brother's grave.

I started to walk slowly towards him, my heart pounding in my chest, my mind uncertain. Did he know something? What was he? Who was he?

Before I could cover the distance, he was suddenly gone. I didn't see the path he had taken, and he seemed to have simply disappeared into thin air.

I still made it down to the tree where he had stood, and right there was a single rose on the floor.