Chapter 58: Spinning the Wheel of Emotions

Rain pushed the doors open without bothering to knock.

She barged into the sprawling bedroom just as Killian was pulling the silk sash of his robe tight around his waist. He had just stepped out of the shower. Drops of water clung to his collarbones, trailing down his pale skin, and his silver hair hung damp over his forehead.

Killian turned his head, his purple eyes locking onto her with a glare so freezing it made the blood in Rain’s veins run cold.

Her knees hit the plush carpet instantly.

"I am so sorry for barging in," Rain breathed out, lowering her head in a bow. Despite her apology, she couldn’t keep her eyes on the floor. Her gaze shamelessly drifted back up, hungrily taking in the expanse of his exposed chest. It was her very first time inside his room, her first time seeing him in any state of undress, and she desperately wanted to commit every single detail to memory.

"But it is an emergency," Rain continued quickly, needing to spin her lie before he threw her out. "It’s about your human. I tried to stop him, but Daemus lost control. The wolf fucked her until she broke. She’s dead, Killian. He tossed her body somewhere."

She looked up at his face, searching for a reaction. There was nothing. His face was a perfectly carved, unreadable mask. It was impossible to ever know what was going on inside his head.

"Stand up," Killian ordered, his voice flat.

Rain immediately scrambled to her feet.

I’ll just buy him a new one, Rain thought. I’ll find the best, prettiest human in the sector and wrap a bow around her neck.

She just had to avoid being punished for breaking his things. Even when they were young, Killian had never minded sharing his toys with the other royals, but he hated getting them back with cracks or scratches. The punishments he doled out for damaging what belonged to him were legendary.

"Why do you smell like her?" Killian asked dryly.

Rain’s green eyes bulged. Her heart stopped dead in her chest.

She had scrubbed her skin in the shower until it was raw and pink. She had brushed her teeth ten times to get the taste of human blood out of her mouth. There was no way he could smell Blair on her.

"I—well," Rain forced a light, bubbly chuckle, waving her hand dismissively. "That must be from my little tussle with the Wolf Prince. Also, he didn’t take kindly to me catching him. You know how notorious a wolf’s pride is. I was right there in the bushes when he took her so roughly."

Silence stretched across the room.

Killian stared at the empty space next to her shoulder, his jaw ticking slightly. "It does not sound like Daemus to do something like that."

Slowly, his gaze shifted, landing on Rain.

The air in the room seemed to vanish.

A sudden dread gripped Rain’s heart. Her knees instantly turned to jelly, buckling so hard she almost hit the carpet again. Terror washed over her in a tidal wave. The pressure on her bladder was so intense she thought she might actually wet herself.

She grabbed her own hands, her nails digging painfully into her knuckles. It was the only way to stop herself from clawing at her own face and screaming at the top of her lungs.

"W-What emotion..." Rain gasped out, her entire body shaking like a leaf in a hurricane. "What emotion are you feeling right now?"

Rain told him that he was making her feel terrified.

"Perhaps you should be terrified," Killian coldly replied. "If Daemus was truly hurting my human, why did you sit back and watch it happen?"

"Killian, you need to calm down!" Rain pleaded, her teeth chattering uncontrollably.

"I will calm down," Killian stated, taking a slow step toward her, "when I see her body."

The terror vanished.

In a dizzying whiplash, Rain’s body was flooded with lust. A second later, it morphed into crushing sadness, bringing tears to her eyes, before changing into overwhelming joy.

Despite the furious, burning frustration she felt in her own mind—Why is he so hung up on that ugly bitch?!—a bright, ecstatic smile stretched across Rain’s face against her will.

"Do not return without her," Killian commanded softly.

He looked away, turning his back to grab a towel.

Rain gasped for air, regaining control of her own emotions.

She wiped a tear from her cheek, trying to steady her breathing. "My pet is waiting in the hall. I will bring him—"

"That thing will only slow you down," Killian interrupted, rubbing the towel through his damp silver hair. "Go. Quickly. Before something else out there finds her."

Rain didn’t dare argue. She shot one last, deeply irritated glare at his back and marched out of the bedroom. She slammed the door shut behind her, her stilettos clicking furiously and loudly down the marble corridor.

A few moments later, Killian tossed the damp towel onto a chair.

"Come in," he called toward the door.

The door slowly creaked open. Rain’s human pet scurried into the room. He crawled across the plush carpet, the silver chain clinking loudly as it dragged behind his neck.

Killian looked down at him, making no effort to mask his disgust. The human was filthy. He smelled of dirt, sweat, and fear.

"Tell me the truth of what really happened," Killian demanded, looking at the bruised, cowering man. "And I will grant you a favor."

The human lifted his head. His face was weathered and exhausted, his eyes sunken so far back into his skull they looked like dark bruises. He didn’t look excited by the offer of a favor. He just looked tired.

In a hoarse, shaky whisper, the pet recounted everything in vivid detail. The fight. Blair throwing herself in the way. The bite.

Killian hummed quietly when the pet mentioned Rain’s fangs sinking deep into the girl’s back. That settled it, then. Inland Taipan venom was notoriously lethal. No human could possibly survive a bite from that snake species. Blair Willows was truly dead.

"But she was alive, Your Highness," the pet whispered, his voice cracking. "Mistress... she buried her while she was still alive."

Killian’s hands clenched into tight fists at his sides. He fought to keep his breathing even, battling the rage threatening to break his composure.

How dare Rain go that far? He could understand a misplaced bite during a brawl, but she obviously held no regard for him.

Still, Killian’s mind rebelled against the pet’s words. How could a lesser possibly survive that bite?

"She was breathing when I put her in the hole," the pet promised, misreading Killian’s silence. "I swear."

Killian wasn’t entirely sure what to believe about Blair’s condition, but one thing was absolutely certain: Rain Tegret had lied to him.

"Take me to where she is buried," Killian ordered.

"Yes, Your Highness," the pet mumbled, immediately turning to crawl back toward the open doorway.

"Walk on your feet," Killian snapped.

The pet froze. Slowly, shakily, he pushed himself up off the floor. His legs trembled like a newborn doe taking its first steps. Years of crawling had permanently damaged his posture, leaving his frame locked in a pathetic, hunched slouch.

Killian walked over to his wardrobe. He pulled a refined, wool cloak off a hanger and tossed it across the room.

The fabric draped over the pet’s head. The man pulled it down, gripping the edges with his trembling fingers.

"You... you are giving me clothes?" the pet whispered in awe. "Thank you, Prince."

"We are entering Hookup Forest," Killian stated dryly, walking past the hunched man and into the hallway. "I do not want anyone getting the wrong idea."

Half a mile away, the sprawling woods bordering the campus were shrouded in a thick, chilling fog.

The trees were dark and imposing, the perfect cover for the academy’s nocturnal predators to engage in their illicit, primal affairs. But stepping onto the damp, mossy path, clad in a black trench coat, was a certain Crow professor who was most definitely not out looking for his missing detention student.