Defy The Alpha(s) 2: Rebel Beast

Chapter 68: Divided House

"The first crack is never what breaks the glass. It’s simply the one we notice."

~ Rebel Beast

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"Karen Donovan is alive," Venus announced.

Caelis looked up from the papers he was buried in. The arena had been generating impressive profits so far, but the upcoming match between Maverick Nightshade and Rhydian Drakhar was guaranteed to send the numbers soaring. He would likely make three times his usual earnings.

For once, the dragon had done something useful with his life.

"Is that so?" Caelis murmured thoughtfully.

"I can’t decide whether that’s fortunate or unfortunate. While I am expected to honor my father’s agreement, only the gods know what sort of bargain he struck with that human. Had Karen died, the burden would’ve died with her. Instead, I’m now expected to babysit a human." He clicked his tongue in distaste. "That is rather offensive to my nature."

"That isn’t all," Venus said.

Caelis lifted a brow.

"According to the reports reaching me, Maverick took four of the human girls to reside in House Therion."

"What?" Shock flashed across Caelis’ face.

It lasted only a heartbeat before a slow, amused laugh escaped him.

"So it begins..." he murmured, a knowing glint entering his silver eyes. "I always knew Maverick was destined to become Bestiaris’ undoing. It appears fate has finally decided to cooperate."

"What are your orders?" Venus asked. "Karen is still with the remaining girls, and word is there was some sort of confrontation involving Maverick. The details are sketchy, but I’m certain we could learn everything if we questioned the girls."

He added with a faint grin, "Politely, of course."

Caelis ignored the joke.

"The girls Maverick took, was Aria Aspen among them?"

Venus looked genuinely surprised.

"How did you know?"

"Hm." Caelis leaned back in his chair, thoughtfully stroking his chin. "This continues to get more interesting."

He looked at Venus.

"Tell me. What have you discovered about the girl so far?"

Venus scratched the side of his brow.

"Honestly, Your Highness, nothing extraordinary. She lived a fairly ordinary life. However..."

Caelis leaned forward.

"However...?"

"I don’t know whether it’s important, but she wasn’t particularly well received in her community."

Caelis frowned.

"Explain."

"She was something of an outcast. Her classmates even nicknamed her ’Aria Freak.’ There was also a rumor that she trained birds to attack another student during an argument."

"And what made them believe such a thing?"

"The girl worked at an animal shelter and preferred the company of animals over people." Venus shrugged. "Apparently, that was enough to make the humans uncomfortable."

"So she has an affinity with animals," Caelis murmured.

"I wouldn’t necessarily put it that way, but—"

"And now she has conveniently been admitted into an academy populated entirely by beast shifters." Caelis’ eyes narrowed. "Surely I can’t be the only one who sees the conspiracy unfolding."

"What conspiracy, Your Highness?" Venus asked in confusion. "Just because Aria relates well with animals doesn’t make her special. The girl is still human."

"And how do you explain her stopping the bull?"

"Well..." Venus hesitated. "Just as Rhydian suggested, perhaps it really was Maverick—"

"Don’t finish that sentence."

The edge in Caelis’ voice was enough to silence him.

Venus wisely obeyed.

A deep crease formed between Caelis’ brows. He was growing tired of everyone insisting that what he’d witnessed was impossible. Something about Aria Aspen refused to make sense, and he intended to uncover the truth, even if it required methods he would ordinarily never consider.

"If Maverick personally selected those four girls, then he’s already written the others off," Caelis spoke more to himself than to Venus.

"Although Rhydian and I reached an agreement, he has far less control over the dragons than he likes to believe. That leaves Karen Donovan sitting alone in the human residence, waiting for whichever creature decides to end her short, pathetic existence."

"So what do you intend to do?" Venus asked.

Caelis rose from his chair, straightening the sleeves of his shirt.

"The exact opposite of what everyone expects. Or rather, what Maverick Nightshade wanted from the very beginning."

Venus waited.

A calculating gleam entered Caelis’ silver eyes. "We’re going to protect the humans. Who knows? Karen Donovan may prove useful to me yet."

He announced to the dumbfounded Venus,

"We’re going to the human residence."

At the human residence...

"Eww!"

Olivia and the other girls currently scrubbing the floor gagged almost in unison at the sight of the dried vomit still caked across the tiles.

Had anyone told them that the moment Professor Maverick left with Aria and her clique they’d be reduced to cleaning duties, they would’ve swallowed every ounce of fear and followed him instead. Anything was preferable to scraping another person’s vomit off the floor.

Unfortunately, not everyone had been assigned manual labor. If anything, the residence had quietly split into two opposing camps.

Karen’s and Charlotte’s.

The two groups occupied opposite ends of the common room like rival kingdoms preparing for war.

Karen stood with Liv while Olivia and Fatima did the cleaning, both girls stealing annoyed glances toward the mess they had been forced to deal with.

Across from them stood Charlotte alongside Zainab, Indigo, and Meredith.

Shannon had already been taken to the infirmary, leaving no one certain whose side she would eventually choose. After nearly losing her life because of Karen’s recklessness, however, it was difficult to imagine she’d remain particularly loyal.

"It’s refreshing," Karen drawled, "to finally know which of the snakes I called friends have been waiting to betray me."

Charlotte didn’t so much as flinch.

"That’s an interesting accusation coming from someone who shoved one of her own friends into danger." She gestured toward Zainab, Indigo, and Meredith. "At least they know I won’t sacrifice them just to save myself."

Her gaze shifted toward Liv. "If I were you, I’d sleep with one eye open. The next time the beasts attack, Karen might decide you’re the most convenient shield."

Liv folded her arms.

"Karen already admitted it happened in the heat of the moment." She sniffed dismissively. "Besides, Phillipa wasn’t exactly the brightest in the room. No wonder she died."

She lifted her chin. "Karen also told us her father already has plans to keep her safe. Naturally, those loyal to her will benefit as well." A smug smile touched her lips. "I actually feel sorry for the rest of you."

Charlotte laughed. "You’re putting an awful lot of faith in someone who has never done anything unless it benefited her."

Karen’s eyes narrowed. "Is that so?" She looked toward the girls cleaning. "Olivia. Fatima..."

The two immediately straightened.

"Stop cleaning."

The girls exchanged confused looks. Karen had been the one insisting she couldn’t bear looking at the mess. Now she wanted it left exactly as it was.

Not that either of them intended to question her.

Both hurried over and took their places behind her. Karen stood taller now, her chin lifted high.

"Since we’re apparently going to be sharing this residence from now on, I think it’s time everyone understood how things are going to work."

Her gaze settled squarely on Charlotte.

"You and your little followers will be responsible for cleaning this residence."

Charlotte stared at her in disbelief. For a long moment, she genuinely wondered how she’d ever mistaken Karen Donovan for someone worth following.

"And why," she asked evenly, "would I do that?"

Karen let out a scoff.

"Because despite this adorable little rebellion you’ve put together, we both know who actually holds power."

She lazily gestured toward Charlotte’s friends. "I’ll tolerate your little club. What I won’t tolerate is you mistaking this temporary freedom for equality."

"Also," she added, "you seem to have forgotten something. Bestiaris may be beyond my father’s reach..." A cold smile spread across her face. "But your family isn’t. All it takes is one phone call, and everything your parents have spent their lives building disappears."

Karen looked thoroughly pleased with herself. "So be sensible. You’re free to have your little group, but you’ll answer to me. So what will it be? A yes or a no?"

Silence settled over the common room, the tension hanging between both groups so heavily it seemed capable of snapping.

Charlotte lowered her head. "You’re right," she said in a small voice. "I can’t fight someone like you."

A satisfied smile slowly spread across Karen’s face. There it was. The surrender she’d been waiting for.

"Karen..." Charlotte said softly as she approached her.

There was something almost apologetic about the way she carried herself that even Liv, Olivia, and Fatima relaxed.

Charlotte stopped directly in front of Karen.

"I’m sorry..."

Karen smiled triumphantly.

"...that I didn’t do this sooner."

Before anyone realized what was happening, Charlotte drove her forehead straight into Karen’s face.

Crack!

The sickening sound echoed through the common room, and Karen screamed, stumbling backward with both hands flying to her face. Blood poured freely between her fingers.

"You fucking bitch!" Murder blazed in her eyes.

"How dare you!" Olivia lunged first, but she never reached Charlotte because Zainab intercepted her halfway, grabbing a fistful of her hair before the two crashed to the floor together.

Within seconds, the entire room became a war zone. The girls screamed, grabbed one another’s hair, and threw clumsy punches. Furniture scraped violently across the floor.

And that was exactly the scene Prince Caelis Cobryn and Venus walked into.