Chapter 82 I Was Never the One He Chose

Chapter 82 I Was Never the One He Chose
I forced myself to look up, my neck stiff, like even that small movement took more strength than I had left.
For a second, just one, I searched his face for something familiar.
For the man who used to hold me, letting go would kill him. The one who looked at me like I was the only thing keeping him alive. The one whose voice could make me forget, even briefly, how cruel this world was.
But there was nothing.
Nothing except cold.
Shax looked down at me like I was already dead. His eyes were sharp, distant, clinical, almost as if he were deciding exactly where to cut. And just like that, everything inside me went still.
Shit.
I bit down on my lip without thinking. The taste of blood spread across my tongue, grounding me, keeping me from… breaking. Or maybe from laughing. I couldn’t even tell which one was closer.
God, I was stupid.
Stupid enough to believe... what? That he came back for me? That somehow, somewhere in all that lost memory, I meant something?
I should’ve known better; this was Shax. The Beta. The hunter.
The man sent to kill me.
Sylas’s dog had found his way back home.
A quiet sound pulled my attention. Sylas was watching us, hands tucked casually into his pockets, a slow smile spreading across his face like he was enjoying a private joke.
Or a show.
"So, Brother..." Sylas put his hands in his pockets, grinning widely. "Are you truly awake? Or are you still a fool controlled by this servant?"
Shax answered without hesitation, his voice deep and steady, devoid of a hint of emotion. "I remember everything, Alpha. And the more memories I have, the more I desire to do away with this woman myself."
He glanced at me, radiating hatred so pure I felt short of breath.
"That's why, Alpha," Shax continued, his voice now dangerous. "Let me handle her punishment. She owes me a big explanation for what she did while I was out of my mind."
Sylas paused for a moment, tapping his finger against his chin. "What kind of punishment do you have in mind, Brother?"
Shax pulled the corner of his lips, a smile more like a devilish grin. His eyes flicked back to me, and an eager glint flickered within them. "Something that will make her beg me... to kill her instead of going through with it."
Sylas's laughter boomed, filling the room with a sickening noise. He stepped closer to me and poked my forehead with his index finger as if I were an eyesore.
"Do you hear that, Little Maid?" Sylas taunted. "You're going to beg him to die. Doesn't that sound romantic?"
“That’s impossible,” I said, my voice coming out sharper than I expected. “If I die, I’m not going alone.”
The crack came out of nowhere. My head snapped to the side, a burst of white exploding behind my eyes. For a second, I couldn’t hear anything but a high, piercing ring.
Then the pain hit. It was hot.
I tasted blood before I even realized I was on the floor. It slipped past my lips as I coughed, staining the cold marble beneath me.
I stayed there for a moment, half-curled on my side, trying to steady the spin in my head. A soft exhale above me.
Sylas.
He ran a hand through his hair like he hadn’t just hit me, like this was nothing more than a minor inconvenience. When I looked up, his expression had already settled into that same familiar disgust.
“You really don’t know when to stop talking,” he said flatly. “Pathetic.”
His gaze dragged over me, slow and deliberate. “An Omega like you should at least learn when to keep quiet.”
Something in my chest twisted, but I bit it back before it could show on my face.
He turned away as if I’d already stopped mattering.
“Take her,” he added, flicking his hand lazily toward Shax. “But don’t kill her yet. I still have use for her.”
Of course you do.
For a second, I almost laughed.
Shax didn’t respond. Not a word. But the shift in the air was enough. I felt it before I saw it. He glanced at one of the guards, his eyes darkening just slightly.
“What are you waiting for?” he said, voice low. “Move.”
Hands grabbed me before I could brace myself.
And just like that, I was nothing more than something to be dragged away.
The guard's rough hands grabbed my hair again. I whimpered as my body was dragged forcefully after Shax's steady steps. The pain in my scalp felt like it was being peeled off alive. Gripping the pain, I glanced at Shax's back.
Did the accident bring back your memories, Shax? I sobbed.
Do you hate me even more now that you have memories of how sweet we used to be, even though deep down you feel disgusted with me?
I was thrown back into the dank prison cell. My body hit the dirty floor, but I didn't care. My mind was focused on one name.
"SHAX!" I shouted as he turned to leave. I reached for him, my fingers brushing his hand just a second before he slapped it away.
"Don't touch me." His low growl vibrated through my bones, but…
"Go visit Skai! Make sure he eats and drinks! Please! PLEASE! He'll die if no one watches over him!"
Shax didn't stop. He didn't even turn around, as if my voice was just a mere whistling wind. The metal door of the cell slammed shut with a deafening bang.
I gasped for breath, burying my face in my dirty palms. I had to get out. I couldn't leave Skai in their hands.
I turned to the side. Rachel was still there, curled up with blank eyes, staring at the wall. She looked like a living corpse, just waiting for her death.
"You..." my voice cracked. "You want to get out of here, right?"
Rachel didn't answer. She seemed dazed, her consciousness seemingly elsewhere.
I crawled over to the iron bars separating us and roughly pulled her collar through them. Rachel gasped, her sunken eyes finally focusing on me.
"Are you going to get out of here or not?!" I whispered sharply, my voice filled with terrifying urgency. "If you do, you must obey my every word! This is your only chance to survive!"