AT THE CRIMINAL REGISTRY BUREAU
"Are you really going to do this?" Mark asked, worry all over his face, as they sat in the car parked outside the Bureau.
During the entire ride, Mark had silently hoped Edward would change his mind, maybe take a U-turn or pretend they forgot something at home. But no, Edward only took one turn, and it led them straight here.
"Watch me," Edward replied coldly, pushing the car door open.
"Please, think about it," Mark said, grabbing his arm.
Edward shot him a sharp look that could cut through his skin. He yanked his arm away and stepped out without another word.
Mark quickly followed. "Don't tell me the four years you spent with Mabel were just to make Lucille jealous?"
Edward turned and gave him a death stare. "Do you ever stop talking nonsense?" he barked and marched ahead.
Just then, Ellis's car zoomed into the parking lot. The moment he spotted Edward and Mark heading toward the entrance, he practically leapt out of his car, forgetting to even lock it.
"Edward!" Ellis called, jogging toward them.
Edward stopped, slowly turned, and stared at him with ice-cold eyes, clearly ready to bite anyone who dared him.
"Tell me you're not really here to report my sister," Ellis said, trying to stay calm.
Edward scoffed. "That's why you stopped me?"
His lips curled into a sarcastic grin. "Didn't you dare me to do it earlier?"
Ellis took a deep breath. "Can we talk?"
"No," Edward snapped and turned to walk into the building.
"She's your girlfriend, your woman," Ellis blurted out, desperately.
The words hit Edward like a slap. He froze mid-step and slowly turned, his eyebrows rising.
"What did you say?"
Seeing he had his attention, Ellis quickly closed the gap between them. "If not for anything, do it for the love you two once shared."
Love? Shared? With Mabel?
Edward let out a dry laugh and shook his head. "I don't know what you're talking about. Your sister was just my classmate. That's it."
Mark's mouth dropped open. Did Edward just deny his own girlfriend? Ex, maybe, but still?
"And if you're wondering why she was at my house…" Edward paused, then turned back to Ellis. "I'll tell you anyway."
He stepped closer, his voice low and sharp. "She came to see her friend, but the friend was out of town. She begged to stay over. Just for one night."
Mark turned his head slowly, his jaw tensing. Wow. Since when did my best friend become a professional liar?
"And for the record," Edward growled, "Lucille is my property, legally, for now. Mabel had no right to touch her, let alone hurt her!"
"She slapped her, Edward!" Ellis snapped. "A slap! Not a stab, not poison. You're acting like she committed murder!"
"It doesn't matter!" Edward roared. "Lucille has a black eye and a cut near her ear. What if she'd lost her sight, huh? What would you say then?"
Mark blinked. Black eye? That was news to him. Edward never said anything about that. Where's this mind blowing lies coming from?
Mark stepped between them quickly. "Alright, alright. Enough, both of you. This is getting too much."
"Stay out of this, Mark," Edward said sharply.
"No," Mark said calmly. "Because someone needs to inject some logic into this madness. Edward, you're about to ruin his sister's life over a girl you treat like trash half the time. And Ellis, you're acting like Mabel's innocent."
Ellis's jaw tightened. "I'm not saying she's innocent. I'm saying we don't throw our own into the mud."
"And what about what she tried to do to me?" Edward sneered. "She was ready to drag me into the dirt."
"You're twisting the whole story!" Ellis argued, clearly losing patience.
Edward's eyes darkened. "So I should just let it go? Pretend it never happened?"
"No! I'm saying, be human about it!" Ellis yelled.
Mark rubbed his forehead, sighing. His head was starting to pound. He looked around, thankfully, no one seemed to be watching. Their little courtroom drama hadn't drawn a crowd. Yet.
"You've made your point, Edward," Mark said quietly. "But think about what this report will actually do. To Mabel. Just, please, reconsider."
"Please," Ellis added, his voice softening.
Edward stared at them both for a few seconds. Then, without a word, he turned around, walked back to his car, unlocked it, and slid in, his jaw clenched.
"Thank you," Ellis said, holding out his hand to Mark for a handshake.
"You're welcome," Mark muttered, giving it a quick shake before heading back to the car.
The moment he got in, he turned to Edward, eyebrows raised. "You really are a petty liar, you know that?"
Edward said nothing.
"Four years with Mabel, and you just tossed her out like expired milk?" Mark huffed in disbelief. "Seriously, man!"
Still, Edward didn't reply. He just started the engine and drove off, eyes fixed on the road.
Two days later. In her cell
Lucille sat on the cold floor, knees hugged to her chest, head hanging low. Her heart felt like a rock in her chest. What now?
She had already been punished once, just for breaking a mate bond. Now that she had hurt an elite, would she face something worse?
Maybe that terrifying silver injection. The one that killed the wolf inside. Just the thought of it made her stomach turn.
Suddenly, the heavy cell door swung open with a loud bang, yanking her from her thoughts.
Her eyes flew to the doorway. Two wardens stood there, stone-faced and silent.
"Get up!" one of them snapped.
Lucille jumped to her feet, her heart hammering in her chest. She remembered the last time they came for her. How they led her into a waiting black maria van, like she was some kind of dangerous criminal.
This felt exactly like that.
"Move!" the second one barked, grabbing her arm with no care for how tightly he held her.
She didn't fight it. What was the point? She walked with them quietly, until they reached a waiting room.
A woman sat behind a desk, her uniform more decorated than the others, clearly someone in charge.
Lucille's eyes darted to the window. No black maria. That was strange.
She glanced down at her wrists. No cuffs.
Did they, forget? Or is this some kind of trap?
"Lucille Clinton. You're done here," the higher-ranked warden said in a cold, flat voice.
Lucille blinked. Done? Her mind spun. Does she mean, court? Another sentence? Or, wait, does she mean I'm actually free?
She didn't dare ask. She just stood there, too stunned to speak, eyes wide with confusion.
"What?" the warden snapped impatiently. "There's no vehicle taking you back. Find your own way home."
Lucille's mouth fell slightly open. Home? I can go home?
She didn't wait for the universe to change its mind. She nodded quickly, and walked out of the waiting room like someone who was sure they were being pranked.
With every step, she expected someone to yell her name. To stop her. To drag her back.
But no one said a word.
No black maria. No cuffs. No threats.
The moment she stepped outside, the brightness made her squint. She blinked fast, adjusting to the light she hadn't seen in days.
She took another step, then froze as a thought slithered through her mind.
Run! Escape! From Edward! From the servitude.