Chapter 374
Chapter 374
Chapter 374
Cupid
Almira. Almira.
Her name was the only coherent thought looping through my mind, a desperate mantra drowning out everything else.
For days I had ignored her calls, her texts, silencing every notification with cold, deliberate fury.
I had been too wound up, too angry at her the last time we spoke, Now regret clawed at my insides like broken glass.
If anything had happened to her because of my stubborn silence…
I arrived at the Godlike pack grounds that night under a sky heavy with stars that felt mocking in their indifference.
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The compound moved with its usual nocturnal rhythm, guards patrolling in lazy circuits, lights glowing softly from windows, laughter drifting from a distant bonfire as though nothing at all had shattered.
I killed the engine and leapt from the car, pulse hammering, confusion sharpening every sense.
Why had Beta Sky called with such frantic urgency if everything appeared so… normal?
I was halfway to the main entrance when I spotted Desmond’s car parked outside. My frown deepened.
Hadn’t Snow said he was heading to her place with Yasmin? That he needed to speak with me urgently? The pieces refused to fit.
I followed Almira’s scent instead, faint but unmistakable, laced now with something metallic and wrong.
It pulled me toward Desmond’s private apartment. The closer I got, the heavier the air became.
No maids drifted through the corridors as they usually did at this hour; the hallway felt unnaturally empty, hushed.
The door to the apartment stood slightly ajar, as though someone had left it that way on purpose. Waiting.
I reached out, fingers closing around the cool knob, and eased the door wider.
The sight on the couch stopped my heart.
Almira lay crookedly on the floor beside it, her dress torn at the shoulder and hem, fabric hanging in ragged strips.
Bruises already bloomed across her pale skin like dark petals. Blood matted her hair at the temple.
“Al… Almira?” My voice cracked, barely above a whisper. I crossed the room in three strides and dropped to my knees beside her, gently cradling her head into my lap. “Almira? Hey… look at me p>
She didn’t respond. Her eyelids fluttered once, weakly, then stilled.
A thin trickle of blood seeped from the gash on her forehead, fresh, angry. I slid my arms beneath her to lift her when my palm met something warm and slick.
Dread coiled in my gut like ice. Slowly, terrified, I turned my hand over.
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10:44 am PPDT.
Chapter 374
Blood. Thick and dark, coating my fingers, my palm, streaking up my wrist.
What… what blood?
My gaze dropped to her lower body, fear crystallizing into something razor–sharp and nauseating. Had she been p>
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Sirens wailed in the distance, growing louder with terrifying speed. I surged to my feet, scooping her carefully into my arms, already turning for the door.
She stirred then, just barely. Her lashes parted in sluggish slits; her lips moved.
“R… run p>
The word was so faint I almost missed it. Her small hand pressed against my chest, pushing, resisting, weak but insistent.
“No,” I rasped, voice shaking. “Let’s get you to the hospital first, Almira. Please, just hold on. Let me p>
The sirens cut off abruptly outside. Car doors slammed. Heavy boots pounded up the walkway.
I stepped into the hall just as the first officers rounded the corner. They froze at the sight of me, Almira limp in my arms, blood on my hands, on her dress, smeared across my shirt.
A paramedic rushed forward, arms outstretched.
“Sir, let me take her p>
I bared my teeth in a silent snarl. “Don’t you dare touch her. I’m taking her myself p>
“You won’t be doing that,” the lead officer said, voice flat and final. He stepped into my path. “Because you are under arrest, Cupid Godlike. For sexual assault and aggravated assault p>
The words hit like a physical blow. I almost laughed, almost. In a pack governed by an Alpha and Luna, what authority did human law enforcement, H.O.W.L even have here?
“We received the complaint directly from the Alpha,” the officer continued. “Hand over the victim to the paramedics. You’re coming with us to H.O.W.L headquarters for questioning p>
My shoulders sagged as the name landed. The Alpha. My father.
When the paramedic gently but firmly lifted Almira from my arms, I didn’t fight, not yet. The shift in the air was immediate, electric,
Cops couldn’t breach pack territory like this without high–level clearance. Without his knowledge Without his permission.
Beta Sky’s call. The urgency. The timing
Did Alpha Ruis really do this?
The question burned through every nerve as silver cuffs snapped around my wrists, burning faintly against my skin even through the suppression.
I didn’t go quietly. I wrenched free of their grip and bolted down the corridor toward my father’s study, boots pounding maible, cops shouting behind me.
I burst through the double doors without knocking.
2/3
10:44 am P. POT
Chapter 374
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My father stood behind his desk, mid–sentence, speaking to the deputy director of H.O.W.L. Luna Sash was there too poised, expressionless. Beta Sky lingered near the window, arms folded, eyes averted.
The room went deathly still.
My father’s gaze flicked to me, then away, as though the sight of his own son in cuffs was something he couldn’t bear to witness.
“Please take him away,” he said quietly, voice devoid of inflection.
Right then, something inside me fractured.
I believed it wasn’t real. Couldn’t be. Wouldn’t be.
But the cuffs bit into my wrists, the deputies moved forward, and the study doors closed behind me with a final, hollow click.
It was real.
And I was alone.
3/3
Cedella
Cedella is a passionate storyteller known for her bold romantic and spicy novels that keep readers hooked from the very first chapter. With a flair for crafting emotionally intense plots and unforgettable characters, she blends love, desire, and drama into every story she writes. Cedella’s storytelling style is immersive and addictive—perfect for fans of heated romances and heart-pounding twists.