bChapter /b377

    KESTER.

    “Send part of his remains to Karina,” I had muttered, still picking dried blood off my kntickles like lint. “Tell her it’s a peace offering from bme/b. Rehab bcan /bbbe /blonely. Might as well remind her that the world still sees her.”

    “bWrap /bup the bnce of his meat. Send it to his pack members. The Blood Crescent pack has never received a gift from their Alpha. Let me be the first to give them one.”

    I had instructed my men before stepping out.

    I checked the time, and I was still on schedule. I nned on spending just two hours with Wes, and I kept to it.

    Now, I had somewhere else to be.

    But not before I drowned in the exciting scene ying out before me. Because this moment right here? Worth every second.

    There was no need to step out of my car. I had already stepped out once, and that was like ten minutes ago, before everything went up in mes… I mean… Literal burning mes licking the sky and curling like fingers of the devil himself.

    Sirens red from outside – emergency units trying to y hero.

    People ran for shelter and safety.

    News reporters were already on ground. Fuck. Those guys don’t mind getting roasted in the fire just to catch history in breal/b–time.

    The fire kept getting bigger, starting from the top and eating its way down like a starving beast.

    People were running and screaming, some dragging others, some on their kneesb, /bsobbing, begging to whatever god they believed bin/b.

    bAnd /bI?

    I sat in my car like a fucking spectator in a VIP box. Front row. Prime view.

    Firefighters showed upte, as always, pumping God knows what into the inferno, hoping to beat a fire that bwas /bnever meant to be beaten.

    I massaged my temple with one hand while the other hand rested casually on the stirring. The splitting headache from three hours ago had refused to go. But it was totally fine. I needed more pain than normalcy right now.

    What, was that gasoline the firefighters kept pumping into the building?

    Iughed so hard my ribs hurt. Why the fuck was the fire climbing higher in bresponse/bb, /bbas /bif feeding on my madness? Jeez. Even the universe knew that bKex’s /bjudgment day was today.

    bI /bwatched with sick amusement and satisfaction how Kex’spany went up in mes. The mes I setb. /b

    And when it was all over, I turned on the ignition and drove off.

    My next stop would be at the bunker. I already had the blueprint of what June’s death should look like, and I was more than excited to execute it.

    NARRATOR’S POV.

    bThe /bsound of the engine died just a distance away from the small, deserted bunker. It was dead in the night, band /bthe only viable blight /bbwas /bbthe /bbone /bbthe /bbhalf /bmoon in the sky provided. Not so bright at all.

    Four men stepped bout /bof the car, and just as nnedb, /bthey bgot /bbbusy/b.

    bChapter /b377

    bThey /bbsplit /binto the woods in different ilirections, bbut /ball heading to the same destination The bBunker/b,

    bIt /ball happened so fast that i was hard to tell if the guarde guarding the ce were first pathetic, or if the man storming the hunter werd simply teste bgood /bat what they did.

    bThe /bmen didn’te to kill. No. They just knocked the guards out for a while.

    The leader of the group stepped into the bunker, and the moment he saw her, he froze.

    She looked so pale and pathetic. Not that he expected anything less. But above all, he felt numb. Almost as if he were looking at a total stranger bwins /bwas de broken and needed help.

    June.” He called softly, and the moment she lifted her weak eyes, pure hope shed in them.

    She tried to speak through her gag. She looked like she had a lot to say, but there was no time.

    The man strode toward her, taking in her form for another second before shaking his head pitifully and crouching beside her.

    He slowly pulled down the gag but hushed her when she was about to speak.

    “Shhhh. He ced a finger to his lips, “Not a word.” And bshe /bnodded frantically.

    He immediately loosened the ropes binding her hands and legs before lifting her up to her feet.

    “Can you walk?” He asked, and she nodded. “Good. bIf /byou can walk, then you can run.” And that bwasn’t /ba question. It was an instruction.

    His voice was so cold and emotionlessb. /b

    June looked at him, confused, grateful, and expectant. But he didn’t even return the look with warmth.

    “You’ve yed a bad card, June. And you deserve all the punishment that’s meant toe to you,” He said, suddenly realizing that all he felt for her was disgust. “I’m not proud bof /byou, and I’d never be.”

    There was silence.

    “But…” he continued, tilting his head slightly, like he was forcing himself to finish what he started, “Kester didn’t take your virginity.”

    She blinked.

    “What?” she croaked, even though her voice was barely there.

    The man looked away, his jaw clenched so tight the veins in his neck strained.

    But before she asked further questionsb, /brealization began to set in… “Was it… No…”

    “Yes,” he said, deadpan. “It was.”

    June’s knees buckled, and she gripped the wall for support.

    He didn’t offerfort, neither did he touch her again.

    “Save the tears for the road,” he said, backing toward the door. “You need to get out now… Kester is on a blood hunt. Leave the state. Flee the bcountry/b. bJust /bleave the entire fucking continent.”

    He stopped in the doorway and looked over his shoulder at her.

    b“/bBecause if Kester bever /bfinds you… bHe /bbwon’t /bjust kill you.” His bvoice /bdropped. “He’ll ruin you. Cell by cell. Bone by bone. You’ll bdie /bbscreaming /bbevery /bbsecond /bbof /b

    it.b” /b

    bChapter /bb377 /b

    bJune /bclutched her chest, sinking bto /bthe floor, too stunned to move.

    bYou /bdon’t deserve mercyb,/b” he said. “But I owe you this much.”

    Then he turned and pulled the door open, “I hope you find the love you were so desperately looking for, June Mellors.