“Your birthday present you never stuck around to get. After the… after you were upset, I decided to hold onto it.”
I open the box to see my black opal ring with the scarlet flower. I huff as tears come to my eyes, and I lean into his body. He starts swaying to the music with me in his arms, and I shake my head.
“Brazen, I’m not ready to be in any sort of relationship. What makes you think I’m ready to be engaged?”
He laughs lightly, and his chest vibrates my drooping head that is still propped against it.
“I wasn’t proposing,” he teases, and I tilt my head curiously while looking into his pale blue eyes.
“This is my engagement ring,” I say suspiciously.
“I know that. I’m the one who bought it,” he chuckles. “It doesn’t look like an engagement ring though, and it’s not like I have any use for it in my drawer. Just wear it on another finger. I bought it for you, and I want you to keep it.”
I smile a little before pushing the ring onto my right hand ring finger, and I wrap my arms around his neck to give him an appreciative hug.
“Thank you,” I murmur softly, and he kisses my forehead with his cool, soft lips in response.
“Araya,” Nicholas says from behind, and I turn to face him.
“What’s wrong?” I ask when I see the worry on his face.
“I’m sorry to bother you, but I could use your help. We had a man attack a woman earlier. He took her blood without permission, and these things need immediate attention. He’s apparently arguing she offered it willingly, but she’s crying blood rape. Will you-”
“Yes. Of course. You stay here, and enjoy your daughter’s party. I’ll take care of it.”
He nods appreciatively, and Brazen takes my hand to join me to the steel box. There are guards everywhere outside the doors, and Leon - Nicholas’s second in command - is directing them on what to do.
Oh I hate this smug, Napoleon-complex-suffering bastard.
His short stature leaves most of the taller men surrounding him looking like giants. In my heels, even I can see eye-to-eye with him in the literal sense. He’s one of the few full bloods here who doesn’t appreciate the presence of hybrids. The devil taints the pale eyes that are nothing like the soft, wonderful eyes of Brazen.
“I’m here to interrogate,” I say authoritatively.
“I don’t think so,” the arrogant full blood scoffs.
“Excuse me?” I snort out derisively.
“This is a hybrid. Your track record is impressive, but it doesn’t include your own kind.”
I step by him to walk into the viewing room, and I see the scared hybrid with dark blue eyes staring into the glass while jiggling his leg nervously. His soft, dirty blond hair is tousled and stained with blood. The white shirt he’s wearing isn’t ripped or tousled as it should be from a struggle, but it does bear stains of blood - fresh blood. If anything, he fucked the wrong person. This boy is shaking in terror, not because he feels as though he’s been caught, but because he’s a hybrid. The full bloods show no mercy on hybrids.
“This guy? You think this guy blood raped someone? He’s scared to death right now,” I say with a laughable, yet slightly agitated tone.
“See. You’ve been here for five minutes, and you’ve already assumed him innocent because he’s hybrid.”
Oh you cocky son of a bitch.
“Nicholas sent me down here to interrogate. Would you like me to tell him you refused to carry out his orders, Lieutenant?”
He scowls fiercely at me, and then he steps out of my way. Brazen glowers at the short full blood glaring at me, and his hand brushes my back when Leon snorts out his disgust for my mere presence. I’m worried he’s going to show Leon the bad boy side Metropolis knows.
I actually kind of hope he will. Never mind, I’d fuck him for sure then.
There are pictures scattered across the table, and I look at the neck of the woman they’re claiming is a victim. She’s full blood. I can see it in her pale eyes - eyes holding more scandal than fear.
“I think the captain should know he’s a hybrid. You don’t have any arrests on hybrids,” Leon grumbles while picking up his phone.
Brazen steps out in front of him. His patience is completely gone, and I get a little excited when I see that protective look burning deep in those incredibly pale eyes.
