Chapter 118 Exposed Lies.
Chapter 117
Rosa's POV
"When was the last time I saw...?"
I quickly paused the words in my mouth before it messed things up more. Any wrong words would nothing but suicidal to my position as queen and the mission here.
Then I quickly rephrase it.
"Don't you know where his house is anymore?" I said. My voice rose a bit like I was asking a question.
I paused for a moment. Then I added, "At least you wolves are friends, right?"
I tried to sound casual. Normal. Like nothing was wrong.
"Yeah, that just escaped my mind," Jax said.
He nodded his head slowly. But his eyes weren't looking at nothing. They were searching. Looking at my face. Then looking at Lyra's face. Back and forth.
He was looking for something. Some piece of evidence. Something he could use to bury me. Why couldn't challenge me when he had the last statement from lyra?
Then he put on a smile. But it wasn't a real smile. It was cold. Empty.
He kept nodding his head.
My stomach twisted. There was no doubt about it now. No doubt at all.
Jax had heard the conversation between me and Lyra. He had heard everything.
I turned to look at Lyra. Then I looked back at Jax. My head moved back and forth between them. Like maybe the answer to Jax's question was written on Lyra's face. Like I could find some clue there.
I had to come up with something. Fast. I needed to say something. Anything.
I knew I had been exposed. I knew Jax had heard me talking about Ryder. He knew that Ryder and I were having something together. Some kind of relationship.
The question he asked when I went back into my room to get the list... that said everything. That told me what he knew.
And what about Lyra? Was she trying to protect me? Or was she playing some kind of game? Being smart and tricky?
I couldn't tell.
Jax walked to the door. He grabbed the handle and pulled it open.
Then he left the room. Just like that. Without saying another word.
I moved quickly to the door. I pushed it shut behind him. Then I turned the key in the lock. I locked it.
The sound was loud in the quiet room. Then I turned to her, my back leaned against the door.
"Can I leave now?"
Those words erupted from Lyra's lips. Her voice cut through the silence of the room like a hot knife cutting through cheese.
Like she had been waiting for Jax to leave the room and had been a pest feeding on her blood all this while.
"Yes," I said. My voice came out hard. Mean. "Not only leaving this place now, but leaving my life. And leaving this palace forever."
I pointed my finger at her.
"Go into that filthy room of yours and pack your things. Then get the hell out of here!"
Lyra quickly turned her face toward me. She looked right at me.
Then she smiled. But it wasn't a normal smile. It was wicked. Strange. Different.
I had never seen her smile like that before. Never.
Something sparkled in her eyes. Just for a split second. It was quick. Like a flash of light. But I saw it.
It made my skin feel cold.
"Rosa Emily Limnac Blackthorn," Lyra said.
She said my full name. All of it. Every single part.
I froze. My whole body went stiff. I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe.
"Where did you get those names from?" I asked.
My breath caught in my throat. It felt like someone was squeezing my chest.
"The only wolf who called me by that name was my late father," I said. My voice shook a little. "Not even my mother. Just my father."
How did Lyra know that name? How?
Lyra smiled again. That same wicked smile.
"My only advice is this," she said slowly. Her voice was calm. Too calm. "Don't try to do what you just said."
"Are you threatening me?" I snapped.
Then I let out a big laugh. A loud laugh. I threw my head back.
At this point, I should be careful not to give the notion that she was winning. I am still boss. Lyra should call shot. I employed her, gave her life from the hell hole she was coming from that had been messed by rogues.
I drifted closer. Showing strength, power and control.
I stepped closer to her. I tried to look strong. Powerful.
"You don't even know who you're messing with," I said. My voice was low. Dangerous.
"Okay," Lyra replied. She shrugged her shoulders a little.
"I won't press any further than this. But you know something, Rosa. You know I have what it takes to bury you."
She took a step toward me. Her eyes were locked on mine.
"You know that you and Jax are not on good terms right now. You should be thanking me. I covered for you when he asked me that question. I protected you when he said I was shielding you."
Lyra's voice got a bit louder.
"I know you heard our conversation in that room. You were listening. But I still went ahead and protected you."
She paused. She let those words sink in.
"Listen, Rosa," she continued. "Your secrets are safe with me. But going ahead and asking me to kill someone just because of your insecurities? That won't take you very far."
Lyra shook her head slowly. Side to side.
"You have so many other options around you. So many other people you can use. But don't ever add me to that list. Don't ever ask me to do something like that again."
Then Lyra turned away from me. She walked toward the door.
I just stood there. Watching her. Staring at her back.
She moved like she owned this palace. Like she was the queen and I was just some servant. Like the roles had switched somehow.
How did this happen? When did she get this kind of power over me?
Lyra reached the door. She grabbed the key that was still in the lock. The key I had just turned.
She unlocked it. The metal made a clicking sound.
Then she pulled the door op
en. Wide open.
And then she stepped through it.
SLAM!
She jammed the door hard. So hard that it sends the pillars of the room into vibration.