Chapter 158
Chapter 158
Third Person POV
Ellie lay on the damp forest floor, every muscle protesting, her breaths shallow and uneven. She had expected Asher to swoop down, to lift her up and rush her back to the pack. But he stayed on his knees, his head bowed, utterly consumed by something far heavier than her presence.
A small frown flickered across her face. Disappointment gnawed at her, but beneath it was relief. He hadn’t suspected her. Not yet. Her plan still had a chance to work.
The rustle of leaves whispered around them, the wind teasing at the edges of the trees, and the faint hum of the forest seemed louder in the tense silence. Ellie felt the rough bark pressing into her back and imagined Asher’s eyes burning with anguish, though they weren’t on her. Each tremor of his breath seemed to echo through the clearing, marking the depth of his worry.
She adjusted slightly, wincing, letting the act of pain show in small shivers.
“Asher…” she murmured, a hint of plaintive concern in her voice. Her tone was soft, coaxing, testing.
He didn’t respond, his focus remaining locked somewhere beyond her, somewhere unreachable. The forest air pressed close, heavy with the scent of pine and wet earth, and the distant call of a bird cut through the quiet.
Ellie’s heart beat fast, not from fear, but from anticipation. She had to read him, measure his reaction, and make sure the moment passed without suspicion. She let her head tilt back, eyes closing for a fraction, pretending to gather strength, while secretly observing every micro-expression on his tense form. Every breath he took, every small movement, fed into her calculation.
Relief curled inside her chest, soft but persistent. He believed her pain. Her lips parted in a faint, almost imperceptible sigh.
“I tried… I tried to protect her,” she said softly, her voice trembling just enough to appear sincere.
Her eyes darted, watching him closely. His shoulders didn’t relax. His hands didn’t move. He didn’t even glance down at her.
And that was when a tiny thrill ran through her. He was too absorbed, too devastated by Phina’s disappearance, to even suspect that she could be anything but helpless. For now, she was invisible, and her deception was safe.
Ellie whispered again, this time with more weight, “I didn’t fail. I swear I didn’t.”
Her gaze flicked to his back, watching him tremble just slightly as his mind wrestled with the absence of Phina. She would get up soon. But for now, she waited, hidden in plain sight, a shadow among the shadows.
Asher’s gaze sharpened, his jaw tight as he studied Ellie on the forest floor.
“Ellie,” he began, his voice low but firm, “tell me exactly what happened when Phina was taken. Who came for her? What did you see?”
Each word carried weight, testing her as much as seeking truth.
Ellie flinched slightly, her eyes widening as if the questions themselves hurt.
“I… I don’t really remember everything,” she said, her voice quivering, deliberately soft. “It all happened so fast… I was trying to stop them, but I couldn’t—”
Her words stumbled over each other, a practiced display of vulnerability. Asher’s eyes narrowed, and his hands curled slightly, the tension in his posture growing.
The forest seemed to press in around them, the rustle of leaves and distant birdcalls punctuating the silence between questions. Every subtle movement Asher made—the shift of his shoulders, the slight lean forward, the tapping of his fingers against his knees—was measured, and Ellie felt the weight of his focus pressing down on her.
“I was being falsely accused,” she added, her voice shaking, the tremor calculated, “but I tried everything I could to protect her. I didn’t fail… not truly. I… I was just too weak at that moment.”
Her chest rose and fell rapidly, feigning exhaustion while keeping just enough control to appear sincere.
Asher didn’t speak for a long moment, watching her with a penetrating stare that made Ellie’s heart skip. The scent of damp earth and crushed leaves filled the air, mixing with the faint metallic tang she imagined came from her feigned wounds. Every rasp of her breath, every small shiver of her body seemed magnified in his attention.
“Ellie,” he said finally, his voice quieter now, almost gentle, “are you sure that’s all? That nothing is being left out?”
His question was simple, but the edge behind it was sharp. The tension in the clearing was palpable, the forest holding its breath as if it too awaited her response.
Ellie’s eyes darted downward briefly, then back up, forcing herself to appear meek and honest.
“I… I swear, Asher. I did everything I could. I couldn’t have done more.”
She forced a small, trembling smile, hoping it masked the calculation behind her words.
Asher’s stare lingered, and the faint whisper of wind through the branches seemed louder than ever, carrying with it the weight of unspoken truths.
Ellie knew the next step was crucial, and she braced herself, letting her body rise slowly as she whispered, “I can walk back… I’ll be fine.”
She took a slow, deliberate breath and pushed herself upward. Her legs trembled slightly, the perfect show of weakness, and she allowed herself a small, pained wince as she began to step forward.
Each movement was careful, calculated to appear fragile yet determined, keeping Asher’s attention locked on her. The undergrowth crunched softly beneath her feet, twigs snapping with the weight of her feigned struggle.
She let out a shallow sigh, as if each step cost her dearly, and brushed her fingers along the rough bark of a nearby tree for support. The damp, earthy scent of the forest surrounded her, mingling with the faint metallic tang she imagined from her earlier “injuries.”
Asher remained kneeling at first, his hands still pressed to the ground, eyes dark with worry and suspicion. When he finally shifted, he moved closer, his breathing even but tense, watching every subtle motion Ellie made.
“You’re walking, but… you’re hiding something, aren’t you?” he asked, his voice low and cautious, threading between accusation and concern.
Ellie’s lips curved in a small, forced smile, keeping her gaze slightly lowered.
“I… I just need to get back to the pack,” she murmured, her voice quivering as though the effort of standing and walking was exhausting her.
She made sure each limp, each careful placement of her foot, was visible, reinforcing the story she wanted him to believe.
The forest seemed to hold its breath, the whisper of leaves in the wind and the creak of bending branches magnifying the tension. Asher followed her slowly, his hands flexing slightly at his sides, every instinct alert even as he fought to trust her words.
The crunch of dry leaves echoed beneath their steps, a sharp rhythm marking the slow passage back to the pack.
“You’ve been through a lot,” Asher said quietly, his voice low and steady. “I just want to know you’re telling me the truth. Phina… she needs us both.”
His tone carried concern, but Ellie felt the undercurrent of doubt weaving through each word.
Ellie nodded, forcing her shoulders to sag in exhaustion, keeping her act intact.
“I did everything I could,” she said, voice soft, almost pleading. “I tried to stop them all by myself. But nothing I say at this point is going to make any sense to you because you're still looking for ways to justify her going missing.”
Asher’s eyes stayed on her, dark and searching, sensing more beneath the surface. The forest pressed around them, heavy with silence, and Ellie forced herself to take another careful step, murmuring, “I can make it back… don’t worry.”