Chapter 131 Chapter 131
AILSA
The door slammed shut behind Damian with a finality that echoed through the small, dim room. For a long moment, I didn’t move.
I just sat there, tied to the chair, the ropes digging mercilessly into my wrists, the metallic taste of blood thick on my tongue.
Then the pain came sharply settling into my bones like something cold and merciless.
My cheek throbbed where Damian had struck me, the skin hot and swollen. My wrists burned from the ropes, each tiny movement scraping raw flesh. My shoulders ached from being forced into the same position for too long.
But none of that hurt as much as the betrayal. A broken laugh slipped from my lips.
“Friend….” I whispered hoarsely. “I thought you were my friend”
The sound of my own voice felt foreign in the silent room. The room itself was unfamiliar, damp walls, the smell of mold and rust clinging to the air. Somewhere in the distance, water dripped in slow, rhythmic intervals.
A prison. My chest tightened.
Lucian.
The thought hit me like a blow. Tears welled instantly, blurring my vision. What must he be thinking right now? Was he angry? Still hurt? Did he believe I had left him?
Or worse…Did he not care?
“No” my wolf whispered inside me, soft but firm.
“He cares. He always cares”
My throat tightened.
“I should have told him” I whispered, tears slipping down my cheeks. “I should have told him everything”
About Lorcan. A past that I wanted to erase forever. It made me wish I had never met Lorcan in this life. I had realized late how my lies and secrets. Every moment I hesitated and avoided the truth.
A wave of shame crashed over me. I had hurt Lucian and betrayed his trust. I had also hurt his pride. How foolish had I been to think I could hide my past from him? A sob broke free.
“I ruined everything”
‘No’ My wolf’s voice was stronger now.
‘We didn’t ruin everything yet and we can still fix it’
I closed my eyes, breathing shakily but guilt didn’t listen to logic. It clawed and suffocated. It whispered cruel things in the dark and right now, guilt was winning.
Lucian.
I tried to reach for him instinctively through the bond. It was a silent call and desperate whisper.
“Lucian…”
Nothing.
Just emptiness.
The absence of warmth and the absence of him. My chest tightened painfully.
‘Lucian… please…’
Memories flooded my mind.
His smile. His voice.
The way he held me like I was precious. The way his eyes softened when he looked at me. The way he kissed me like I was home.
A sob tore from my throat.
“I’m here” I whispered into the empty room. “I’m still here.”
Fear crept in then. What if he couldn’t find me? What if I died here? What if the last thing between us was anger?
The thought shattered something inside me.
“No” I whispered fiercely, tears streaming down my face. “No. I won’t die here”
My wolf stirred, fierce and protective.
‘We’ll survive’
But even as that determination rose, something felt wrong. It was strange and heavy. A wave of dizziness hit suddenly, making the room tilt.
I blinked rapidly.
“What…?”
My vision blurred at the edges. My limbs felt heavier than before. I felt weaker than when i first woke up or was the weakness because I hadn't eaten? My wolf stirred in alarm.
‘Something is wrong’
Panic flared.
Had they…
My thoughts were interrupted as the door creaked open. I lifted my head, my heart pounding. Dahlia stepped inside.
I wouldn’t say I was surprised that Dahlia was part of it, after all she had always hated me since I stepped my foot into the pack.
She had a a wicked gleam in her eyes. Her eyes swept over me with interest.
“Well….you look better than I had expected you to look” she said softly. My jaw clenched.
“You’re behind this. I didn’t know you were friends with Elara” She smiled.
Her smile wasn’t warm or kind but it was like someone amused by a puzzle.
“I’m behind many things but not all” she replied.
I swallowed, fighting the dizziness creeping through my body.
“What do you want?” She tilted her head.
“Nothing much. I just want you gone”
The answer was simple.
“You could have chosen many paths,” Dahlia continued. “But fate is cruel. And now you would be useful to me”
I frowned, trying to focus past the growing haze clouding my mind.
“Useful for what?” Her smile widened slightly.
“Elara said you are useful for her plan. Left for me, I would end your suffering” she said.
The words felt heavier than chains.
“You can’t just kill me”
“Can’t I? You’re the one bound after all” Dahlia said.
“Why are you doing this? I haven’t even done anything to you. Elara, I can understand but you…I have not done anything to you” she laughed.
“Your coming to this pack is reason enough for me to hate you. You falling in love with Lucian is another reason. Most importantly you took a way the one thing I wanted” My stomach dropped.
Lucian.
“You are obsessed with him” I said weakly.
“Call it whatever but I’ve been the one by his side when he went through heartbreak” Dahlia replied calmly. “It should have been me beside him”
A chill ran down my spine. My wolf growled.
“So, you think if you eliminate me then you’ll get the position?” I demanded.
Dahlia walked closer, her gaze thoughtful.
“Why not? You’ll no longer be here and Elara would be dead by then. So who else would he choose if not me?” she said simply.
My head spun. The dizziness worsened. She noticed and smiled.
“You feel it, don’t you?”
My heart stuttered.
“What did you do to me?”
“Nothing dramatic” Dahlia said lightly. “Just something to weaken your wolf. Temporarily” my pulse quickened.
Poison, I thought.
My wolf recoiled, struggling against an invisible weight pressing down on her strength.
“You poisoned me” I whispered. Dahlia shrugged.
“You won’t die, it’s just a precaution”
Rage flared despite the weakness.
“You’re insane” She smiled again.
“Perhaps. But I am also patient”
Then her gaze sharpened.
“They say a patient dog eats the fattest bone”
Dahlia stepped closer, crouching in front of me.
“There is something fascinating about you, Ailsa,” she said quietly. I didn’t respond.
“You trust easily” she continued. “You love deeply and you forgive quickly” Her eyes locked onto mine.
“And that is why betrayal cuts you so deeply” My breath hitched.
“What do you mean?” She smiled again.
Oh, how I wanted to wipe that smile off her face.
“You didn’t get here by accident. Your abduction was carefully planned” Dahlia said softly.
As if I didn’t know that this didn’t just happen.
“You’ll be surprised to know that the person who led you here is someone you trust.”
The words hit like a blade.
“It’s Damian, isn’t it?” I whispered. Her smile widened.
“Oh, I see you’ve seen Damian already but it’s not him”
My heart pounded violently.
Who was it then? Was there another person who was in on this with them?
A horrifying thought tried to form, but I shoved it away immediately.
No. Impossible.
Dahlia stood.
“You will discover the truth soon enough” she said calmly. Then she turned toward the door.
“But for now rest”
The door closed behind her and silence swallowed the room again. My breathing came fast and shallow.
Someone I trust.
The words echoed endlessly. My mind raced through faces. Memories and voices but none of it made sense. None of it fit. The dizziness worsened, forcing me to lean forward slightly.
Poison.
My wolf felt distant. I knew she was weak from whatever Dahlia had done. I was scared for my life but beneath it something else stirred.
Determination.
No.
I wouldn’t die here. I wouldn’t be their pawn. I forced myself to focus and observe. To listen attentively in case I heard familiar voices Tears slipped down my cheeks again but this time, they weren’t just fear. It was grief.
For the illusion of safety and friendship. For the illusion of control. I lifted my head, whispering into the darkness.
“Lucian…”
The bond was silent, faint. It was so faint I almost thought I imagined it but it was there. A tiny flicker of warmth. Hope burst painfully in my chest.
“I’m here. I’m still here” I whispered.
My wolf stirred weakly.
‘He’ll come for us. He won’t leave us”
I closed my eyes, letting tears fall freely.
“I won’t die. I won’t die before I see him again” I whispered fiercely.
But as determination filled me. The poison surged. My vision blurred heavily and my limbs felt numb.
My wolf weakened further. Fear crept back.
What if the poison killed me first? What if Lucian arrived too late? My breathing shook.
“I don’t want to die” I whispered
“I don’t want my last memory to be his anger”
Tears streamed down my face as I prayed in my mind.
“I don’t want to leave him. I love him”
My voice broke into a whisper.
“Please… find me”
And somewhere deep within the bond. A faint pulse answered. It was warm and assuring and I knew I Lucian would find me. Hope exploded in my chest even as darkness threatened to consume me.
I lifted my head weakly, whispering one last vow into the silence.
“I will survive, I will fight. I will not break”
Then the poison dragged at my consciousness again and as darkness crept closer, only one name remained on my lips.
“Lucian…”