Delicate Deception (On Hold)

Chapter 2: Infuriating Cirumstances

The first bullet flew past my ear, cutting through the air, abrupt and unyielding. I made no move to shy away from the metal, obviously aimed for the trees beyond where I stood.

"Going easy, I see," I said quietly, allowing the stark tenacity in my voice to shine through.

An unfortunate turnout indeed, that they did not know that I was already a Phantom.

I had trained. Fought until unconsciousness overtook me. Fought until I had bruises running over every inch of my skin. Until I was exhausted, mentally and physically. And then I had been stripped of who I was, who I had been born as, and made into one of them. I'd gone through with the initiation and had come out with powers which they could not level in any way. No, not magic.

Strength. Agility. Speed. Valiance. An elegance in the mannerisms with which I fought. But the most overbearing of them all, an uncontrollable violence, too easy to lose oneself in.

My mind, body, soul was stronger than ever before.

I was a different person.

And one that was not to be messed with.

"You might want to rethink this," I said, amused with the extent of stupidity present within these people.

Yet they stood rigid, still hoping to pull information out of me without knowing the dangers lurking beneath my skin.

"Don't say I didn't warn you."

With one short flick of my wrists, I let the knives fly. They soared through the air, precise and methodical. Time seemed to stop as I listened to them slice through the soft winds, meeting their intended targets instantly.

Two men dropped to the ground, my weapons now buried deep within their chest. A second passed before, who I supposed was the leader, called out that I was to be taken alive.

I chuckled to myself, the sound almost inhumane to my own ears, before pulling out two of the five knives strapped to my body. The cold of the handles seeped into my palms for only a short moment before those too were somewhere getting comfy within someone's vital organs.

Nothing concerned me as I continued, letting this bloodrage fill my veins. As the steady rhythms of their hearts came to a halt, a part of me whispered. Whispered to stop. To look at what I was doing. To just look.

But I was too lost in the thrill, adrenaline burning through my body and bestowing upon me the extra energy to do what was necessary. The red had taken over and it continued to control me, even as all of my opponents had fallen. It took me more than a few moments to calm that monster inside of me. When the lust for carnage finally cleared, when the dark of the night surrounded me once more, I raised my head to find bodies all around, some still holding onto that slow, steady beat.

And then I vomited, emptying all of the toxins inside of me, built up after the blood I'd spilled tonight. The hollowness in my mind clung to me like mud after a rainy day, permanently staining me further and further, leading me astray of the cleanliness I so desired.

I willed my feet towards the bodies, willed myself to pull the knives from where I'd once wanted them to strike. My movements were uncoordinated, messy.

A groan rung out into the quiet night, making me pause. I turned towards the sound, finding the commander pushing his hand against a wound I had inflicted upon him. His palms were slick with red as he reached for something in his pocket, and I prayed it was not a weapon.

The light of a phone screen illuminated through the cloth of his suit. I bent down to slip it out for him.

"Who?" I whispered gently- an act of mercy.

He was silent for a moment, mind at war with the question of whether to trust me.

"King."

I nodded, searching for the name. I brought the phone to my ear as the ringing began.

"Hello?"

"Come get your men. Or what's left of them. And do not...do not attempt something like this again," my once steely voice now clearly displayed exhaustion.

I dropped the device on the grass below before continuing to collect my knives. When all seven were in my possession, I stumbled to the car, finally, willing my fingers to wrap around the door handle. It took an incredible amount of effort to haul myself into the vehicle, to drop the bloody weapons into a bag I kept on hand.

It was a undeniable effort to not constantly check the minutes pass by as I sped home. I silently cursed myself for not leaving earlier and perhaps skipping this mishap altogether.

After a quick change of clothes in the car, I headed into the heavily guarded condo Father had endowed me with, my body lagging idly after my feet.

Inside, I quietly slipped my shoes off, shoving them into the closet to dispose of later. My heart squeezed when I spotted Ziko fast asleep on the love seat. Gingerly, I scooped him into my arms before taking him to the room, tucking him in quietly. I went back to shake a dozing Miss Mabel awake. Seconds later, she slipped out, her own place only a floor above mine.

A hot shower did wonders for my aching muscles, soothing my body within an instant. My mental agonies prevailed, more a hindrance than I would ever admit. Ignoring my quibbling belly, I slipped into bed, knocked out within minutes.

--

I roused to small hands shaking me,

"Shhh sleep," I murmured, pulling Ziko into my arms.

"Mommy...door," he whispered back. My body tensed just as a hard, impatient knock sounded through the room. I frantically rubbed the sleep out of my eyes, leading him to the bathroom closet.

"Stay in here, okay?" I only moved away when he nodded.

Grabbing an ancient dagger out of my hidden selection, I moved furtively towards the door. All was dead silent as I brought my eye to the slot in the door.

"Are you fucking serious?" I hissed through my teeth after swinging the door open, "Why are you here on my day off?"

Jack sauntered in, throwing me a bright smile. I rolled my eyes, not believing how that charming face used to be attractive to my pathetic self. My eyes ran over his blonde hair, green eyes...and I felt nothing- no lust, no longing- nothing.

He held out a grand bouquet of blood red roses, a white envelope attached, marking a stark contrast between the two colors. I took the flowers from his hands, lifting them for a quick sniff of fragrance.

"You know, I'm still not taking you up on that offer," I slid him a steely look, my face still stuffed in the bright buds.

"What? A man can't get a beautiful girl flowers for the hell of it?" he asked, acting offended.

"No, he cannot," I answered, throwing a quick glance at the lovely gift before leaving Jack in the spacious living room to get Ziko from where he was hiding.

My lips tugged up when I found him half asleep in the dark space. I slipped him onto the warm bed, not able to hold back a long sigh.

"It's also to put a damper on what's in the envelope," Jack said when I'd closed the door behind me.

My brows furrowed, a silent question as to what exactly was there.

"You do the honors," he leaned back against the wall, too relaxed for my liking.

My eyes narrowed, palms began to sweat. I said nothing, slipping the crisp envelope out.

The place was void of noises except the ripping of paper, a sound that seemed to be magnified in the open space

"This isn't funny, Jack."

I looked up at him. He shrugged in response, an infuriating gesture.

"Who said it was a joke?"

BIG news! The characters in this series are no longer werewolves (Hear me out...I swear I'm not crazyyy)! They're now ailuranthropes, shapeshifters, holding the ability to alter their bodies into that of a feline creature. I was planning on revealing this after re writing Alpha's Bargain, but that, unfortunately, is taking longer than I'd thought. More details to come soon 💙