Chapter 114 Chapter 114 - Cold Blood

Chapter 114 Chapter 114 - Cold Blood
Lilly's POV

“What are you talking about, Angelica? What does Luna Emily have to do with this?” I asked, immediately dreading the answer.

Why did it feel like everything was tied to something that happened in the past?

“Ah, you don’t know; you were too young to remember,” Angelica said. She stepped away from me and turned toward a small dresser against the wall. She opened a drawer and took out an old photograph, her fingers brushing over the brittle paper before she turned back and showed me the picture.

“Alex and me after the duel,” she said. “I won against Emily. I should have become his Luna…”

Asena growled. She clearly didn’t like what Angelica said. “She cheated. I’m sure of it.”

“Shh,” I said. “Let her talk.”

I turned my attention back to Angelica, curious why she went through so much effort to make me suffer.

“What happened?” I asked.

“King Xavier,” she said, her face twisting in anger. “He thought he was clever not killing Emily the first time she arrived at his pack. He became fond of her. He still wanted to wipe out all the Lycans for revenge against the Goddess, but he knew some Lycans were still hiding. When Emily first shifted, he knew the prophecy had been triggered, and the rest of the Lycans would show up in due time.”

“No wonder the Lycans were just a myth,” Asena remarked.

“Where do you and Vito fit into all of this?” I asked.

“King Xavier killed my parents in cold blood,” she said, sadness filling her eyes. “He raised me, but he didn’t know I remembered what he did. It would have been the perfect revenge to blindside him and take everything from him.”

“And Axel?” I asked. “Was he your mate?”

Angelica sneered.

“That poor wolf wouldn’t have known what hit him,” she said. “He didn’t know where he belonged—he had no royal blood, no skills, no rank, no family. He was just a pathetic excuse for a wolf. He was nothing compared to Vito. I knew the Goddess made a mistake pairing me with Axel; it should have been Vito…”

“So what does any of this have to do with me?” I asked.

Angelica smiled, as if she had been waiting for that question.

“Your father was the one who ripped Vito to pieces and killed him,” Angelica said coldly.

Did my father kill Angelica’s lover?

“An eye for an eye. I made sure he and his mate suffered for years. I took his only daughter from him and made her a slave to serve me. It was the best decision I ever made.”

Angelica stepped closer, a vile smile on her lips as she continued.

“I watched him suffer. I watched as he began to give up hope of finding you. I watched as he and his mate accepted a spy into their home, believing it was you.”

I could hardly believe Angelica was this evil. She had made my parents suffer for all these years. Goddess, I swore to myself. If I get my hands on her, I’ll make her pay.

Angelica paused, as if on the verge of a new revelation.

“I always suspected you were Lex’s mate,” she went on. “The way he held your hand the first time we met was adorable. I knew he would eventually look for you and that something like a ball would be organized in his honor…”

My heart pounded. Everything had been planned.

“Now, as you can see, I have no more use for you, Lilly…”

Angelica turned away and busied herself at a makeshift table in the corner, humming a discordant tune as she sorted through vials and a wicked-looking blade.

I flexed my wrists gently against the rope, pressing against the small wolf-shaped tracker.

“Goddess,” I muttered. “I hope this works.”

Angelica spun, blade in hand, her eyes wild. “You know, I always wondered what would finally break you… I guess I was always the one destined to destroy you.”

I steeled myself, forcing my voice to stay steady. “You’ll never win, Angelica. Even if you kill me, Lex will know. He will never mark Sade, and Vito will never return.”

Her expression twisted, her grip tight on the silver blade. “Lex will do everything in his power to protect and save you, even if it means marking Sade. By the time he finds your body, Vito will be at my side.”

I shook my head and smiled, taunting her.

It set Angelica off. She lunged, knife flashing.

My mind raced—timing was everything. I gave Asena control, letting her take over just before Angelica reached me. She pulled hard, snapping the weakened rope just enough to twist away.

The blade grazed my shoulder, a burning line of pain, but Asena ignored it and kicked out, catching Angelica in the knee.

Angelica snarled, stumbling. Asena used the momentum to shove her back, chair and all, crashing us both to the ground. The impact rattled my bones but loosened the last of the rope.

She was on me in a heartbeat, hands at my throat. Her medallion swung close—close enough to grab.

I seized the chain, yanking hard. Angelica shrieked, her grip faltering as the medallion snapped free. The stone burned in my palm, sending a cold shock up my arm, but I held on.

“You have no idea what you’ve done!” she spat, scrambling to her feet.

I rolled away, adrenaline surging past the dizziness. “Maybe not. But I know what you want—and I won’t let you have it.”

Angelica lunged again, but I dodged, hurling the medallion into the fireplace. The onyx stone struck the flames and exploded in a burst of black and violet light, a shockwave knocking Angelica into the wall.

She howled, clutching her head as the cottage shuddered with supernatural energy.

“You—idiot! You’ve ruined everything!”

Smoke curled from the fire, the air thick with the scent of burning magic. I forced myself upright, blood pounding in my ears.

Angelica glared at me, eyes blazing with hate. “You think you’ve won? This isn’t over! Vito will find another way!”

The door crashed open. Hendrix and Adira burst inside, their faces pale and furious.

“Lilly!” Adira cried, rushing to my side.

Angelica hissed, scrambling for the shadows, but Hendrix was faster. He pinned her to the wall with a single, furious motion.

“It’s over,” he growled.

The last thing I saw before the world went dark was Adira’s desperate, relieved face as she caught me, and Angelica’s scream echoing in the ruined cottage.

Angelica’s eyes widened with terror as the medallion shattered in the flames, magic crackling through the air. For a split second, all the bravado drained from her face, leaving only naked fear.

Angelica scrambled to her feet, wild and desperate, bolting for the back door. But Hendrix was already moving—a blur of rage and protective fury. His body trembled, bones cracking and muscles tearing as something primal surged to the surface. For a moment, he froze, caught between agony and transformation.

Adira gasped. “Hendrix, no—!”