Bonding With The Enemy (BxB)✔

Chapter 28 - Grief

Darren was not looking forward to telling either man what he just learned. 

Honestly, if Gerrit had anything to do with the Alpha's death, then it wouldn't be so bad for him. But for Jasper...

He sighed, knowing that despite their recent falling out, Jasper had considered Liam like a father. 

The rogue stood hesitantly behind the two, waiting for them to take notice. When they did, they were disturbed by the rogue's unusual sheepish behavior.

"What is it?" Jasper asked.

Just as Darren opened his mouth, the doors to the station burst open and in walked a frazzled officer. He had sweat stains under the armpits of his uniform and looked like he had just run a marathon.

"What's going on?" Gerrit stepped forward, stopping the man from passing them on his way to the back.

The officer glanced between the group and the door, clearly in a hurry but not so much that he would ignore them. Jasper let the man hesitate for only a moment longer before getting impatient.

"Roy!" Jasper drew the officer's attention, and he bowed his head in submission.

"We found a body in the lake."

As soon as those words left the officer's mouth, both men were on high alert. Meanwhile Darren was unaffected since he already knew who it most likely was. As a matter of fact, he was somewhat relieved that he no longer bore the burden of telling them himself. 

"When?" Jasper asked urgently.

"About twenty minutes ago." The man sucked in a breath, then turned sadly towards Gerrit. "It's...Alpha Liam."

A heavy silence filled the room. Once those words sank in, Gerrit brought a hand up to his mouth and backed up till he was leaning against the wall. Slowly, he sank to the floor.  

As for Jasper, his expression went from alert to blank as he focused all his attention on the officer.

"How?" The young Alpha swallowed hard, trying to maintain his composure.

"We don't know yet." Roy explained. "Even though he was found in a lake, it looks like he was hit in the head, so we're suspecting foul play."

"Where is he now?" Gerrit shot from the wall and approached the officer. "I need to see!"

Roy hesitated at the breach of protocol, then sighed and gestured for them to follow.

Darren was forced to tag along and witness these men slowly crumble as the reality of Liam's death was confirmed when they took a trip to the local morgue.

He had seen enough dead bodies in his life and opted not to look, but Jasper and Gerrit insisted on making sure it wasn't some sort of mistake. When they finally got a glimpse of the man, Gerrit reeled back and stormed out of the building.

At this point, Darren felt like the man was putting on a spectacular performance for someone who may have murdered his own father, and quite frankly wanted to doubt the accusation.

Jasper, on the other hand, was oddly calm.

The young Alpha had slapped on a poker face the instant they left the station, and had continued to wear it up till they unzipped the body bag. Even after Gerrit left, he continued to keep that unnatural calm about him.

Then Mary arrived.

The woman tumbled through the entry and was escorted by another Beta. All it took was one look before she let out the most painful wail they had ever heard.