Chapter 121 THE ESCAPE PLAN

Chapter 121 THE ESCAPE PLAN
\- MELISSA -

The sound of the door creaking is no surprise to me. I had heard their footsteps in the passageway since their arrival. I noticed Mutheran’s scent first, then there was a wolf - someone I had not sensed before. I rolled my eyes warily, wondering what the hell he brought this time.

There was a third aura, and it felt like a walking energy source because it had no scent. Nothing about it gave me a hint that I was even picking up the presence of something living. His energy, his aura, made my skin crawl.

What sort of creep’s club is Mutheran accompanying here? Is that how much he wants to get the beast?

A sharp breath escapes me, my lips curling into a brittle smile.

I can’t believe I loved a Liking like him. How blind did I let myself become?

When they came in, Mutheran quickly recoiled to some dark corner like a snake. He refused to be anywhere my vision could catch a glimpse of him easily.

I only heard two sets of footsteps. The third presence was in the room, but I couldn’t see him. He hunched next to Mutheran like they were bonded—just like the Lion King and his wolf - except the third presence was no wolf. Whatever it was, it was evil, and it was tied to Mutheran.

I sighed.

How evil he is… as if evil itself incarnates and follows him everywhere.

The second man, the wolf, did not cower behind Mutheran and his hidden shadow. Instead, he came right in front of me and stared me in the face. I couldn’t see past his chest because my head was lowered, but I could tell from his clothes that he was a nomad wolf of some kingdom. And he was a ruler too, because of the emblem on the belt around his waist.

“Melissa,” he said.

He whispered my name.

I raised my eyes to look at him, my expression unreadable.

His lips pulled into a small smile, warm and oddly compassionate.

I lowered my eyes again, convinced I was in the company of yet another one of Mutheran’s schemes to deceive me.

The bed creaked under the pressure of the strangers as they stepped closer.

The stranger leaned down and brought his lips to my ear.

“Melissa, I am Ethan. King Davenport sent me. You know him better as Enzo, the owner of the city bookshop. If you understand me, raise one finger slightly.”

I raised a finger immediately, my breath coming out shakily as I tried to calm myself and fight the tears building in my eyes.

Enzo… so he remembered me. He found me.

The days I spent here chained in this room… I had thought about him so many times. I had remembered and regretted losing a man like him.

I never thought, not even for half a second, that he would be looking for me. I thought he had forgotten.

“Don’t say anything until I tell you to,” he continued. “Just raise one finger for yes, and two fingers for no. Understood?”

I raised one finger.

He tried not to show his happiness, but I could tell he was relieved.

“Good. Now listen. Enzo will come to buy you from the Liking King. But he needs time and a reason to come, something that’s keeping him back. Meanwhile, you have to play along with something. It will make you uncomfortable, but believe me, it will buy Enzo enough time to come for you. Can you do that?”

I didn’t reply.

I didn’t know what I had to do, but bitterness already sat heavy in my gut.

Without him saying it, I already knew I would hate it terribly.

“Here’s the plan,” he continued. “You have to pretend your heart has softened for Mutheran. I will deceive him into believing I cast a spell on you, a spell that will make you want his company. A spell that will require a magic word to activate. It will last only ten minutes, then you will pretend you’ve fallen asleep. He will leave you then. He will not return until the next day.”

I shook my head slowly, my hollow eyes holding his gaze.

I didn’t want to do it. I couldn’t.

But more than that… I didn’t want to be near him. My heart would break.

He gave me a faint look, like he could hear the words I wasn’t saying.

“Please hang in there. This is our best shot. Now look his way and say, ‘I don’t want to see him.’ Okay?”

My lips quivered. I bit them, sucking in a few breaths. I turned my head slowly. I saw Mutheran shrouded partly in darkness, his cold blue eyes staring back at me, his face as emotionless as his heart.

My lips parted and I mouthed, “Mutheran, I don’t want to see him.”

Mutheran didn’t react, but there was a feeling in his eyes.

I looked away again.

I must be mistaken.

Mutheran is incapable of feeling anything.

The wolf Ethan said a few words to me, then he whispered in my ear.

“What’s the reply?”

And I did.

Mutheran didn’t utter a word.

He was tongue-tied. Even I couldn’t ignore that.

After this, Ethan took Mutheran outside. They were there for a while.

Meanwhile, I had my face buried in my palms. Tears trickled down. Just the thought of touching him left a crushing ache in my chest.

I couldn’t, not anymore.

His eyes alone awoke every memory, every feeling, every moment we had in the past, and left me hurting like someone tugged a dagger in my chest.

“Be strong, Melissa.”

The beast’s voice echoed in my ears. We had become one, and now he could communicate with me as if he were my wolf.

“You heard what Ethan the wolf said. He wants to make you consent to allowing him to control me. Apparently he thinks the spell is real and it will work. Make him put all his hope on it, and then break him.”

My lips pulled into a wide grin.

An eye for an eye.

I wouldn’t mind that at all.

The door announced Mutheran’s return. His evil spirit was not with him. Off to somewhere else, I suppose.

He stood there in the middle of the room, absolutely quiet.

I didn’t offer him any words either.

We stayed like that in dead silence for God knows how long before Mutheran finally broke it.

“Melissa…” he muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Forgive me… but I… I can’t stay a day more without you in my arms, without you in mine. Your absence, the feeling of your warmth, everything you’ve given me that I miss is driving me crazy. I’m sorry I have to do this, but I really have no choice. I promise I will do anything I can to make up for all the pain I’ve caused you.”

He paused, sighed deeply, then he chanted the spell Ethan gave him.

It was time to act.

I waited for the chant to end, then I counted to ten.

Before I turned to look at him.

“Hey.”

I waved at him slowly.

“Why are you standing there? Is something wrong?”

He shook his head, his eyes laced with surprise.

“Then come closer.”

He took a step and another, watching me carefully.

I turned away, staring at the chains as if they were odd-looking accessories.

Mutheran finally got close enough, but he kept distance between us.

“Mutheran,” I said, “why am I in chains?”

She didn’t reply.

At first, instead he waited for a moment before he finally said something.

“Please don’t ask. Just know that it’s for the best. I swear it is. Once things get better, I will… I will take them off. I promise.”

“I don’t believe you. I don’t know why, but I think you’re lying.”

“I’m not,” he said quickly. “I’ve lied before, but I’m not lying now. I swear I’m not.”

He moved closer and tried to hold my hand.

I hesitated.

He noticed, but he still went for it, resting his fingers on mine.

He held my gaze with his eyes, watching me tear up.

I was crying for real.

His touch, his face, his scent—everything was torture.

He didn’t know that, though.

He leaned in and pressed his forehead against mine.

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry… I’ll never hurt you again, I promise. Please believe me.”

He waited until I stopped crying before he wiped my tears.

Then he climbed onto the bed and lay his head on my lap, closing his eyes.

I watched the clock.

I wanted him to get off so badly.

The clock ticked. Slower and slower.

Ten minutes turning into ten years.

Finally, it struck.

A breath of relief escaped me.

It was time to stop acting.

I shut my eyes and turned on my side.

He noticed the change in my position.

He rose.

Before I could open my eyes again, he was gone.