Chapter 7 Even More Than Your Life?

• DAXTON
• My chest burned with rage and something far more dangerous—blood thirst. I could feel them watching me with expressions of disgust and disdain. Although I'd been released and cleared of the murder charge, all they saw was a monster, a cold-blooded murderer. I should be used to this by now. But their gazes always get to me every single time. It wasn't my fault I was born a tribrid.
• "Dax? Are you alright?" Tyrone, my zeta asked, pulling me out of my spiralling thoughts. Quietly, I settled in the car, and he shut the door before sitting on the driver's seat.
• Letting out a sigh, I pinched the bridge of my nose, my eyes fluttering shut.
• "We found the traitor," Tyrone suddenly uttered, and my eyes snapped open, a fresh wave of anger flooding my senses.
• "Who was it?" I demanded, my gaze meeting his through the front mirror.
• "Calm down. You're getting too worked up," he stated, and I lowered my gaze to my bleeding right hand, which was curled into a fist. Slowly, I opened my palm, wincing at the sight of the claw marks on my flesh.
• "Beta Mason is taking care of it. You don't have to worry," he added, and I looked away from him, my thoughts wandering.
• Arya.
• Was she aware of my absence?
• A flicker of irritation ran through me. I shouldn't care.
• "Alpha, I just got new info. Mason thinks the new slave might have something to do with your arrest," Tyrone suddenly said, and my mood took an even bigger nosedive.
• ...
• A while later,
• "You asked to see me."
• Arya's voice was quiet, measured. She kept her head lowered as she stepped into my room, a cup of tea balanced carefully in her hands.
• I eyed the tea, suspicion curling in my gut. Last time, I had accused her of poisoning me. Yet, here she was again.
• I watched her from my seat as she placed the cup of tea on the nightstand and straightened, still refusing to meet my gaze.
• "I have a question for you," I said, and she nodded.
• "How much do you know about my arrest?" I asked, and she looked up at me, a puzzled look on her face.
• "Honestly? I know nothing. Is there a reason why you're asking?" She said, and I sighed, the knots in my chest loosening when her steady heartbeat confirmed her statement.
• She couldn't have known anything about my arrest. What was I thinking?
• Perhaps I'd been merely looking for an excuse to see her face again.
• My gaze warily landed on the cup of tea on the nightstand.
• Did she poison my tea? I wondered.
• "I did not poison your tea, I promise," she suddenly said, as if she'd just read my thoughts. I snorted, now amused.
• "Your promises mean nothing to me, Arya. Come closer," I told her.
• She obeyed me, keeping her head lowered as she lessened the distance between us. Once she was right in front of me, I rose to my feet.
• Cupping her jaw, I forced her to look up at me. There was an undeniable gut feeling I couldn't shake off. The feeling that I'd seen her before.
• "You seem more tense than I've ever seen you," she suddenly said, and the frown on my face faded.
• "Why? Do you think it's your chance to gloat over my bad mood?" I asked, and she sighed.
• "As much as I would love to do so, I can't afford to. Not if I want to keep my head intact," she stated, and I narrowed my eyes at her, offended.
• I knew she was undoubtedly hinting at my ex-mate's death.
• "You look worn out, Master. You probably called me over because you're thirsty. You can feed on me," she added quickly, and I stared at her, surprised.
• When I still didn't make any move, she tilted her head to the side, exposing her bare neck to me. Instantly, the beast inside of me stirred, my fangs elongating.
• I didn't know what to think of her sudden offer, but one thing was certain: I couldn't hold back for much longer. I couldn't feed on her while I was this unstable. There was a high chance that I could lose control and kill her. And despite my distrust towards her, I didn't want that.
• Groaning in annoyance, I pushed her away from me and started to turn away. But then she grabbed my hand and pulled me towards her. She crashed against the wall, my body pressing against hers. Desire coursed through my veins, my blood rushing downwards as her enticing scent washed over me.
• "What the hell are you doing?" I demanded, and she swallowed hard.
• "Your brother is going to punish me if he finds out that I didn't fulfil my duties," she croaked, and I squinted at her, the sound of her racing heart reaching my ears.
• She was most definitely lying about something. But whatever it was, I couldn't bring myself to care. My thirst was growing by the second, beads of sweat forming on my temples.
• Letting out a sharp sound of irritation, I buried my face against the crook of her neck, my fangs sinking into her flesh. She groaned, her fingers tightening against the fabric of my shirt. A moan slipped out of my lips as I drank her in, my hands settling around her small waist.
• Worried that I would lose control, I released her and stumbled away from her. My head spun, and I squeezed my eyes shut. Something was wrong. Forcing my eyes open, I glanced at Arya, who was still leaning against the wall, a hand pressed to her neck.
• My stomach churned, my heart rate spiking.
• Through blurry vision, I caught a glimpse of the tea she'd served me. Even if she'd laced it with something, I hadn't touched it. So, why did I feel so sick?
• Swaying, I brought a hand to the side of my head.
• "Are you alright?" Arya asked, moving towards me with wide eyes.
• "Don't come any closer," I growled, and she halted, her brows deeply furrowed.
• In that moment, my knees went weak, and I sank to the ground, a searing pain tearing through the back of my head as the world turned grey.
• I hadn't eaten anything since I returned. The only thing I'd tasted was...
• My breath hitched in my throat, my lips twitching when realization hit me.
• Arya. She must've drugged herself.
• I looked up at her, and sure enough, she was swaying, trying to gain her bearings.
• A deep chuckle tore out of my lips.
• Just how far would she go to take me down?
• "Did you really have to do this?" I slurred, panting.
• "It's important to me," she hissed, and I lost my balance, collapsing to the ground.
• "Even more than your life?" I croaked, and she crawled towards me. Her lavender eyes met mine when she halted beside me, her lips set in a grim line.
• "You're a tribrid. I know you're a vampire and a werewolf. What else are you?" She asked, and I snorted in amusement.
• "A unicorn."
• "Fuck you," she spat, and I grabbed her hand, pulling her down. She crashed into me, her head resting on my chest.
• "You have no idea how badly I want to fuck you until you're screaming my name," I whispered, and her entire body went rigid.
• She attempted to pull away from me, but I held on to her, refusing to let her go.
• Eventually, she stopped struggling, her chest heaving as we lay there on the floor, our limbs entangled.
• After a while, she finally spoke, her voice a soft whisper. However, her words packed quite a punch.
• "Did you steal the moonstone?" She asked, and I stiffened.
• How did she know about the moonstone?
• Just how much did she know?