Chapter 8: Stupid

The first scream tore through the pack compound just as the sun crested the trees. Garrick’s body had been found by the pack, slumped against the training yard fence, his throat ripped out, his dead eyes frozen in shock. The snow had collected around his body over the night. It was stained dark red. Dax stood over the corpse, arms crossed, face unreadable. Around him, wolves had gathered. Whispers were rising like smoke. " The hell happened last night???! " "Who did this?" "Looks like an Alpha’s kill." "Garrick was a Gamma heir! This won’t go unanswered." Then, a voice cut through the murmurs. "Move." The crowd parted like prey before a predator. Kieran strode forward, boots crunching on frost, his expression cold, detached. He barely glanced at the body before turning to Dax. "You let him rot out here all night?" Dax met his gaze. "I wasn’t hiding what I did. And if you remember, you sent me somewhere last night! " A muscle twitched in Kieran’s jaw. The pack held its breath. Then Kieran let out a heavy sigh! "Garrick challenged pack order," Kieran announced, his voice sharper than a blade. "He attacked a subordinate without cause. Dax executed discipline." Silence. Then murmurs. "A subordinate? Who?" "That rogue thief? The one the Alpha dragged in?" Kieran’s golden eyes flicked to the crowd, and the voices died immediately. "This matter is closed." But it didn’t seem like it was closed. The air was thick with tension. And then an elderly elder, one of Garrick’s kin, stepped forward. "Alpha, with all due respect, Garrick was Gamma blood. His death demands more than hushed silence. We deserve an explanation." Kieran’s smile was slow, dangerous."Are you questioning my judgment, Elias?" The old wolf lowered his gaze. "No, Alpha. Only asking for clarity. No, n, oo, there is no discord in the pack. " Kieran exhaled through his nose, then turned to the pack."Fine! If that is what you want...Council meeting. One hour." Then he walked away, leaving them all staring at Garrick’s corpse. And at Dax, who had just become the pack’s executioner. The meeting hall was packed. Autumn had been ordered to serve drinks to everyone present there! A deliberate humiliation, forcing her to kneel before the same wolves who had questioned her dignity...doubted the narrative that Garrick cornered her. But she kept her eyes down, her hands steady, as she poured ale into the elders’ cup. Gulping down her pride like poison. The man smirked. "Careful, thief. Wouldn’t want you to spill anything." She did not react. Simply moved on to the next one. At the head of the table, Kieran lounged in his chair, one hand draped over the armrest, the other tapping a slow rhythm against his thigh. He hadn’t looked at her once. "Garrick’s death was necessary," Dax stated, standing at Kieran’s side. "He violated the pack law. He attacked an unranked member without provocation." "An unranked thief," spat another Gamma."Not even a true pack member." Kieran’s fingers stilled. "Does not matter," Dax countered. "Pack law applies to all within our borders. Garrick knew that well." "And yet," Elias mused, "the Alpha seems... unusually invested in this thief’s safety. Is he considering his pathetic mate bond? Are we hoping for a future Luna in this rogue? How low will our pack stoop, Alpha? Did Garrick have to pay the price for your ... " " That is enough! " A beat of silence. Then Kieran laughed...a low, mocking sound. "You think I give a damn about her?" He finally glanced at Autumn...directly at her. His gaze was empty."She is a servant. Nothing more." Her fingers tightened around the pitcher. "Then why kill Garrick over her?" someone challenged. Kieran’s smile turned razor sharp. "I did not. Dax did. Because Garrick disobeyed me when I assigned her duties. This wasn’t about her...it was about my respect." The room buzzed. Autumn’s chest burned, but she kept her face blank. "So," Kieran continued, "unless you all want to question my orders further, this discussion is over." No one spoke. Kieran stood up, dusting his hands. "Good. Dax, burn the body. No funeral rites." Gasps!Shocked faces everywhere! A Gamma denied burial was a deep insult. But Kieran was already walking out, leaving Autumn kneeling in the silence, the glint and the weight of his dagger hidden against her thigh. The rest of the day was hell. Autumn was given the filthiest tasscrubbinging blood from the training yard, mucking out the stables, hauling carcasses to the butcher. Everywhere she went, whispers followed. " Poor Garrick! I heard a few others are missing as well! What bad luck this one brought to our pack! Filthy bitch! " " As if we had any less trouble! " "Should have let Garrick finish her off." "The Alpha doesn’t even care. She’s just a toy. He is playing around..." By dusk, her hands were raw, her back aching. When she finally stumbled back to her room, she didn’t bother lighting a candle or switching on a lamp. She just stripped off her dirt-stained clothes, letting them fall to the floor, and stepped into the shower. The water was scalding because she did not bother regulating it! She did not care. She pressed her forehead against the stone wall, her breath coming in sharp bursts. Then she let out a scream tear from her throat. Raw! Full of pain! She slammed her fist against the wall once. Twice. Thrice! Then slid to her knees, water streaming over her, her body shaking. She did not cry. But the tears dropped at an alarming rate. She let the water burn her. Autumn didn’t care. She let it scald her skin, let the steam choke her lungs, let the roar of the shower drown out the voices still echoing in her skull. Let the steam blind her for a while. Filthy bitch! Her fingers curled against the tile, nails scraping. The dagger Kieran had left her was still strapped to her thigh, and then - A creak. The shower door opened. Autumn didn’t turn. She didn’t need to. She knew who it was. The air thickened with the scent of pine and smoke, with the quiet presence that made her wolf coil tight in her chest. Stupid ... stupid wolf! "Get out," she snarled. Kieran did not move. She could feel his gaze on her...on the bruises raw on the skin of her hands, on the way her shoulders trembled despite the heat. "You are wasting water," he said, voice flat." I am quite stingy with my resources! " Autumn whirled. The dagger was in her hand before she could think, the blade flashing as she lunged. Kieran caught her wrist mid-strike. He grabbed the sharp end, his golden eyes glinting in the dim light. "Careful," he murmured. "That’s mine. A nd what’s mine, obeys my order. " "Fuck you!" She twisted, trying to break free, but he did not budge. His thumb pressed into the tender bruise on her wrist, and she hissed. His gaze dropped to the mark. "You are hurt." "No shit," she spat. "Let go!" He did not. Instead, he stepped closer, crowding her against the wall, the water sluicing over them both. His black shirt was soaked through, clinging to the hard, toned muscles of his chest. "You are going to cut yourself if you are not careful with this, " he said, his voice, ow, finally letting go of the blade. "I don’t care!" "I do." The words hung between them for a few seconds! Autumn froze. Kieran’s expression did not change. But his grip on her wrist gentled, his thumb brushing over calluses on her palm. "You worked hard today," he said, as if commenting on the weather. She yanked her hand back. "Because you made me." "Because the pack works. We work to earn our bread in the Blackmoon! Stealing. No easy way! " " Motherfucker..." Her voice cracked. His jaw tightened. "You don’t understand how this works. But mind your language...that’s not how we converse here. Your rogue days are over! " " Like shit you do! You do worse! " She slashed the dagger toward him again...not to strike this time, just to make him step back. "Or better yet, leave me the hell alone, n’t you done playing your sick games with me? Let me go! The fuck let me go..." Kieran did not retreat. He caught her wrist again, this time twisting until the blade clattered to the floor. Then he pinned her against the wall, his body flush against her naked body, his breath hot on her face, breathing laboured like he was working hard to focus on the face and not look down. "You don’t get to order me around, little thief," he growled. "This is my pack. My territory. My rules." "Then kill me already! Get your leverage. Do you find sick pleasure in humiliating people? Psycho!!!" she shot back. For a heartbeat, he did not answer. She could feel the tension in his body, the way his fingers flexed against her skin. He was trying hard. He had to be self-controlled, which was not that easy! But before she could call him on it, his gaze dropped to her mouth. Autumn’s breath hitched. The water pounded between them, steam rising in thick curls. Kieran’s lashes were damp, his lips parted just slightly. Then his grip tightened. "You are shaking." "I am furious." "Same thing." She bared her teeth. "Get. Out." Kieran smirked. "Make me." She tried to kick him. He dodged, catching her thigh and shoving it back against the wall. "Predictable." "Bastard!" "Language, little thief." She twisted, nails raking down his arm. He did not flinch. Just leaned in, his voice a rough whisper against her ear. "You want to fight me? Fine. But you won’t win." "I don’t care," she hissed. "I just want you to hurt." Kieran went still. Then, slowly, he pulled back, his gaze searching hers. Autumn’s chest ached for some stupid, funny reason.D amn her stupid wolf! But before she could respond, Kieran bent, snatching the dagger from the floor. Then, in one smooth motion, he hauled her over his shoulder. "Put me down!" "No." "I swear to the Moon, Kieran...!" "Swear all you want." He kicked the bathroom door open, striding into the dim hallway. "You are coming with me." "Why? Where?" she sneered. He did not answer. Just adjusted his grip, his hand splayed possessively over the back of her, this guy. Right over her butt! Autumn thrashed. "Let me go!" "Stop fighting." "Or what?" Kieran paused. Then, his voice dropped to a growl. "Or I will give you a real reason to scream."