2~ The Crime

~Avery~

   Throughout the day, my thoughts were stuck on King, gnawing at every memory of him and I found myself yearning for his return. With no enthusiasm for my classes or training, I pulled the classic "I'm sick" card, but really, it was a case of lovesickness. I holed up indoors, reminiscing about last night's events until the sky blushed with the colours of sunset. Eventually, I peeled myself off the bed, dragged myself to the window, watching and waiting for my mate's return like a heroine in a romance novel.

My mind buzzed with questions. Why had King touched me last night? Was he going to come back tonight? Was this his way of accepting me? Tia, my wolf, was practically doing backflips in excitement, making it impossible to sit still. Just then, Sammy's voice cut through my thoughts via the mind-link, snapping me back to reality.

"Ave, you alive over there?"

"Very much so," I chirped, barely able to contain my giddy delight.

"Thank the goodness, you sound fine. The servants told me you were ill."

A grin spread across my face. "Oh, Sammy, I am sick, but it's a sickness of the heart—I'm lovesick."

There was a pause, and I could practically hear the wheels turning in Sammy's head.

'King and I..." I trailed off, unsure of how to spill the tea. "Last night, he... he touched me. He marked me, and—'

Sammy's mental squeal almost made me jump out of my skin. "What happened? Tell me every juicy detail. In fact, I want to see your happy face as you narrate it all to me."

"Sammy, breathe," I chuckled, flopping back onto the bed.

"I need to see you, Ave, but those meathead guards won't let me near your room. They say you need rest and not to be disturbed."

"Oh," I murmured, recalling that I had indeed given those instructions earlier. "I'll just—"

"No need, Ave. We need to celebrate this. After two whole months, King finally touched you. He'll keep coming back for more, mark my words. I hope Regina knows her place now."

I sighed. I didn’t like talking ill about Regina. She had sacrificed her feelings to help King grow stronger. To me, that was true love. I tried to imagine how she must have felt in all of this. It couldn’t be easy for her either.

"Regina's not a bad person, Sammy," I found myself saying.

I could almost see Sammy rolling her eyes through the mind-link. "Whatever," she dismissed. "As I was saying, we should celebrate. I know you’ve been missing the nightlife. How about we hit the club tonight?"

'Sammy, I'm still in the middle of my Luna training and need to remain sober until it's complete. I can't drink now, at least not without supervision.'

"Oh, come on, Ave! I need to see that mark. Don't turn me down. Having a couple of drinks and some fun won't hurt anybody. I'll be there to make sure nothing goes wrong. No one would even know you were gone."

I considered her words. I had been craving this life since I got here, and being shoved into this position had made me miss it even more. A rebellious spark, dormant since my arrival here, flickered to life. The thought of a night filled with freedom and fun was tempting. A little fun wouldn't hurt, right? After a bit of coaxing—okay, a lot of coaxing from Sammy, I caved. Little did I know that it marked the beginning of my downfall.

~*~

I poured another drink, tipping my head back as the disco lights played around Sammy and me. It had been two months since I last let loose like this. The thrill of the moment was intoxicating, and I found myself downing vodka shots like they were water. Sammy was equally enthusiastic. My heart was racing, and I kept mind-linking my mom to check if King had returned.

I had told her everything that happened between King and me the previous night and showed her the mark on my neck. When she asked about my plans for the night, I said I was meeting Sammy and might not come home early. She had sounded sceptical but told me to be careful. Despite her caution, I felt like I was having the time of my life—until my head started spinning. That’s when I saw Jackson.

Jackson was a guy I had met two weeks ago at the weaving centre. There was no romantic spark or attraction, just a friendly connection. He was just the good Samaritan who had found my lost ring and returned it to me. I had thanked him and left. Our paths crossed again when Sammy and I went for ice cream, and he had saved me from a would-be mugger in the restroom. I had clung to him as he carried me out of the restroom, since I was pretty shaken by the event.

Given these encounters, it felt natural to feel a sense of safety around him. So, when I bumped into him again, I was more open and friendly. I introduced him to Sammy, and we were soon giggling like old friends. Seeing him at the club wasn't surprising. He was with a woman, but I didn’t feel anything because he was just a friend. He greeted Sammy and me before leaving with the woman hanging onto his arm.

By then, my head was spinning faster than a wheel. I suggested to Sammy that it was time to leave, but she insisted we had just arrived. She convinced me to dance some more, saying it would shake off the feeling of intoxication. But standing up from my chair was the last thing I remembered that night.

~*~

BAM! BAM! BAM!

I woke up with a start to a loud knock on the door. The room looked unfamiliar, and a pounding headache made it hard to think. "Where in the world am I?" I groaned. The pounding on the door persisted, more insistent this time, pulling my attention towards the clock. It read 5:30 a.m., and I was perplexed as to who would be disturbing anyone at such an ungodly hour?

As I reached to gather the bedsheets around me, my eyes caught sight of a male leg beside me under the sheets. The heavy knocking continued, now accompanied by King's unmistakable voice. All the air left my lungs, as the gravity of the situation hit me like a ton of bricks. There I was, naked beneath the sheets, with a man lying next to me—a man who was definitely not King. My eyes nervously travelled from the unidentified man's leg, slowly inching up his torso, until they finally settled on his face. Time seemed to freeze as I recognized him.

Jackson!