The Darkest Star

Ch. 36 Behind the Mask

Salem watched the male from behind his dark sunglasses. Pasha had grown irritated and after cursing the male in Russian, he had stormed out of the room. Leaving Salem alone with Miguel who wore a wolffish grin.

After Salem had repeated what he'd told Azrael to the Alphas, they had decided that it was best to contact the Council. Azrael had tried to talk them out of it, declaring that it would do nothing but put Salem in harms way to tell them about his abilities. Azrael didn't trust the Council and Salem wanted to know why. Most looked up to them as a sort of law enforcement.

The Alphas had dismissed him from their office and he had been waiting for Azrael for what felt like hours now. At one point, a warrior had escorted Miguel to sit and wait for the Alphas. Pasha had been keeping him company until the sex addicted male had tried to make advances on him.

Salem wondered if the male had anything to do with the wolf that tried to infiltrate the territory or the smokey figure that had been residing inside of it.

His story about his home was sketchy and was missing many details. Where was the shifter he had been having supposed sex with? Why wouldn't they come with him after their home had been attacked? How could such an attack happen without his notice? Salem had been into his home, he knows the security there isn't so easy to get through. The male was paranoid, he would have seen an attack coming long before it reach him.

Miguel smiled as the office doors opened and Azrael exited. His face already contorted with anger seemed to darken further when he noticed the male was alone with him. Salem stood and placed a hand on the males broad chest, the touch had the expected outcome. Azrael exhaled and relaxed some as he cupped the side of Salem's face, his thumb running over his sharp cheekbone. Salem turned his face to press his lips against the male's palm.

The Madam Alpha stood in the doorway watching them. When she noticed Salem was watching her in return, she called Miguel in. The male stood and winked at Salem, making Azrael stiffen.

Warmth spread through Salem's chest.

"Miguel." The male paused at the sound of his voice. It was the first time he'd spoken to him. He turned with that annoying smirk on his face and waited for Salem to continue.

Salem didn't speak again, he walked to the male and pushed his glasses up onto his head and met the male's dark eyes, making him freeze. Salem places a hand on the back of his neck and pulled him down before pressing his lips to the male's. Just as he'd done with the human, letting the warmth from his chest spread through his body and plunging into the male's mind. Having done if before, he now knew what to expect and the assault on the male's memories wasn't so painful this time.

A small brown skinned girl sat with him in a garden of colorful flowers looking at him with love and pride. The same girl held him tightly as she cried, a male that looked remarkably similar to Miguel pulled her from his arms. Salem watched through Miguel's eyes as the young male experienced his first kiss, his first love with a young human boy, the same boy's lifeless eyes and his bloody neck. He watched Miguel's downfall, the male's exile, no more than a pup and homeless. He watched as he accepted money in exchange for his body. A familiar face appeared, he was there for many years, Miguel considered him a lover. He watched as Miguel cleaned blood and tears from his face in the mirror before returning to the male with a smile in place. The girl from earlier memories returned as an older female. It ended the same with her being pulled from him in tears, Miguel's lover sending him away. Salem skipped the years of the male with many sexual partners but paid close attention when he got to the male's memories of a few days ago.

He looked at his reflection in a calm pond, tears rippled the water as they fell from his eyes. The male held a silver blade with a marble handle. The male's head jerked up and he dropped the blade. Salem let more warmth drip from his lips and into the male's mouth. He could hear screaming. Miguel jumped up and tore through the forest, stopping in the shadows as he witnessed a female slit a child's throat. Her face turned towards the sun and Salem pulled away from the male, tears falling from his own eyes.

Miguel crumbled to his knees, his tan skin paled and the same black veins spreading across his face. Only he wasn't screaming as Oliver had done, silent tears fell from his eyes as they had over the pond.

The others voices finally reached Salem and he looked up at Azrael and the Alphas, ignoring the warriors who stood around with wide eyes.

"Ivan Vasilek's mate, his sister," Salem pointed to the broken male on the floor. "She was there." Miguel sobbed and seemed to crumble more. Now, after tearing away the mask the male wore, he could see how incredibly sad he was. He could still feel it, the heartbreak and betrayal. The loss. Miguel wasn't distracted in the forest with a lover, but was there to end his own life.

A darkness surrounded them, calming and warm. Like a hug from a loved one. It silenced the male's cries until he just sat there, looking up at no one.