CHAPTER 159: SELFISH LOVE

Everyone paused and turned to look at Noah, who was walking over. The man came to a stop behind Killian, who turned around and faced him. With a smile on his lips, he questioned, "How may I help you now, Fuller? Do you want to take a look around for any more innocent people to kill?"

Noah stepped closer. His expression was neutral as he remarked, "This is how the world works, Killian. I believe that an alpha like you knows it better than the rest; the weak get weaker, and the strong get stronger. It has always been like this, and it will always be like this."

No one spoke against Noah. Not because they didn’t see the flaws in his words, but because they knew that there was no point in retorting to him. The man himself didn’t see the fault in his words, so what could they even say to him?

"I know how the world works, but as the alpha of this pack, it’s my responsibility to protect my pack members," stated Killian somberly. "You have killed one of my pack members, and I have allowed that, for I don’t wish to go to war with the council. Not because I fear you, but because I can’t be bothered to. I hope you know that I fear no motherfucker." He added when he noticed the smug smile on the man’s lips.

His words wiped clean Noah’s smile, who now stared at Killian, furious that the man had spoken to him so fearlessly. Narrowing his eyes, he said to him, "I will be submitting a report regarding the incidents that took place today."

"You are free to do so," commented Killian with a nod. "I am a frail man, Noah. I cannot bear the thought of being beheaded just because I went against the council. I have people to care for."

There was nothing wrong with what he said, but at the same time, there were too many wrongs. Noah pursed his lips in anger; for a second, Inez thought that the man was going to say something harsh, but he only scoffed and remarked, "I will see how long you will be able to get away with that arrogance of yours."

With that, he turned around and walked away.

Inez watched the man leave before turning to look at Killian, who stood next to her. "What’s going to happen now?"

"Oh, the usual," said Killian. "The man has been out for me ever since he joined the council. Now that he has finally gotten a hold of a handle that he can use against me, I believe that he will use it against me to the best of his ability."

"Not with me taking care of this case," said Finn as he pushed the glasses above the bridge of his nose. He turned to look at Matt before saying to him, "Come on, we have a bunch of things that we need to do."

With that, the two of them strode to the security building to collect the recordings.

"I need a drink," muttered Edira. She was pinching the centre of her forehead with her fingers, looking quite tired as she turned around on her feet and headed to her lodge.

While Morrineth and the rest of the pack also took their leave once she was gone.

Selene turned her head and glanced at Inez. However, she didn’t say anything and allowed Laxus to take her away.

Once everyone was gone and they were quite alone, Inez spoke to Killian, "I thought I was going to die." She was not exaggerating; she would rather die than let the men from the council take her away. She had once heard her grandmother say that there were times when shifters at the council captured the imprisoned siren and used them as a breeding machine, for they wished to sire a child who was a siren as well.

All for the sake of profits.

It was because of this that heavy laws were placed by the council, allowing only the council to use the sirens if caught.

"I wouldn’t have let you," stated Killian as he continued to walk towards Inez’s lodge.

"I know." Inez trusted Killian enough to know that the man wouldn’t have let her die.

As the two of them walked down the path, silence stretched out between them before Inez pushed the question that she had been trying to keep in her heart. "Did you know that there was a siren residing out in the lands away from the territory?"

"I found out just recently."

Inez frowned. She asked, "What do you mean that you just found out about it recently?"

Killian glanced as he walked beside her with his hands held behind him. He said to her in a soft voice, "I didn’t know until I saw you collect the coral wisps. In the past, there were times when the wisps were collected, but I thought it was done by some curious children. Only when I saw you collecting them did I make the connection."

"Then you—"

"I did tell the lycan to take the siren away, just like how I told Laxus to clear the coral wisps from your lodge and hide it in mine. Unfortunately, the siren was unwilling to leave, for this was where her home had always been. I wonder if the two of them were going to leave tonight."

As he spoke, he raised his head and looked at the sky that had turned a deep shade of purple with pinkish hues. Stars were twinkling in the dark veil that was slowly stretching over the lands.

"So you knew... you knew and—"

"Let them die?" Killian finished for her as he turned his head slightly when it was still tipped backwards. "I did because the alternative would have been to see you captured or worse, killed, and I can’t allow that, Bubbles."

Inez parted her lips to speak, but she didn’t know what to say to him. Was she supposed to be grateful that he had chosen her, but how was she supposed to wash off the guilt that she was alive because two innocents lost their lives when it was her turn to die?

As the two of them came to a stop in front of her lodge, Killian paused and turned to look at her. He said—