Chapter 67

P.O.V. Lyall

It was desperate to know that I was being accused of treason.

I would never do that and I'm sure no one from Valgerd or any pack under our rule would either.

However, I'm sure that werewolves were here. I can still smell them, but that leaves a lot of questions in the air.

The kingdom of Ebon has magical protection against werewolves, and its entrance is guarded day and night. Someone really did facilitate this attack, but it pains me to know that Ebon didn't even give me the benefit of the doubt and had me locked up.

We had a surreal night. How can she imagine that I gave myself up the way I did just to fool her?

Our bond is still very recent, but she should have trusted me.

Now I'm here, trapped in a cold, dimly lit cell, but what's worse, far away from my partner.

I hear the sound of metal dragging and realize that someone is about to enter. I know it's not my Ebon, because I can feel her and once we've made our mark, we're able to recognize each other in the most adverse conditions.

“Turn on a light and leave it on. Werewolves are bothered by light and I don't want him to have such a good life,” I recognized as John speaking to the guards, but the story he told was absurd.

I was bothered by the place. The darkness always put me on my guard and, contrary to what John had said, having the lights on would make the atmosphere less chaotic.

“You know the light...” he interrupted me as I was about to speak.

“Welcome gift, no need to thank me.”

“Why hasn't she come yet? I need her to know the truth. I need to prove my innocence,” I said almost desperately.

“She won't come. Whatever you have to talk about will be with me,” my companion's protective friend said with resolution.

“Damn it, John! I haven't done anything! I just want Ebon!” I shouted and then realized I was losing control.

“Why are you so nervous? If you really are innocent, things will be cleared up. That's why I'm here, so you can help me find those werewolves who attacked the kingdom.”

“I can't help you... if I stay here, away from Ebon, I'm afraid I'll lose control of myself. In fact, I think I'm going to go mad...” I confessed to him.

“What happened between you yesterday? Why are you so upset?” John asked me and as I knew he was Ebon's trusted friend, I turned my neck towards him, lowering the collar of my shirt, which disguised the mark I was wearing.

“Wow! I've got to get you out of here. How long do I have before you freak out?

“A couple of days... I think.”

“Right! I'll try to get you into the prisoner fighting tournament, if you do well, you get to choose a prize and you can order dinner with the queen, as usual. Do you agree?”

“Of course! I'll do anything to be near my Ebon.”

“Then behave yourself because I'll come back with a solution later.”

John left and I was alone there again, but this time I was no longer chained and the darkness no longer worried me.

It's strange to imagine that this man is a vampire, that he is very close to my companion and yet I feel comfortable next to him, as if we were old friends.

A few hours passed, but this time Viktor came to visit me. He seemed to have blood in his eyes, as if something was really bothering him and I was ready to find out.

“So you mean you want to fight to find Ebon? Don't you think it's a bit presumptuous of you to think that you can simply beat the strongest and most dangerous criminals in the world?” He asked me with contempt.

“I'm a Lycan and with my training I can beat most beings and you know it,” I replied calmly, not wanting him to taste me being desperate.

“I'll let you take part in the fight, but on one condition: you can't turn into a Lycan. You'll have to fight as a human.”

What he was proposing was almost suicide. Who in their right mind would do something so stupid?

“That wouldn't be fair, unless whoever's going to fight me doesn't use their powers either,” I said, returning the proposal.

“I thought you were braver...”

“And why do you think that? You know I'd be accepting my death by taking part in the fighting tournament under those conditions,” I asked.

“Because you'd have to be very brave to do what you did yesterday...” So he knows about me and Ebon?

“Don't draw conclusions about what you haven't even seen,” I replied.

“I only speak of what my eyes have seen... You dared to touch what is mine and now death is your only destiny. I was still trying to give you a chance to say goodbye, because I'm going to make Ebon watch the fight and after you die in front of him, I'm going to fuck him until he forgets that his dirty hands ever touched you.”

I was shaking with rage, my control, which had been hanging by a thread, abandoned me and I threw myself at his neck and began to squeeze with all my might.

I wasn't transformed into a Lycan because there was some magic in that prison that stopped me, but it wouldn't be necessary, with the rage I was feeling, I could easily split him in two.

“Stop! You're going to kill him!” John's voice echoed in that cell and so I let go of that worm Viktor, who fell to the floor in search of air.

“I'll fight on your terms, but don't you dare touch my wife, or you won't get a second chance next time.”

Viktor gave me a devilish grin and left, leaving me with John.

“Damn it, I came here just to tell you that I wasn't going to accept Viktor's proposal. I was about to convince the royal advisors to let you take part in the tournament fairly, now you've simply signed your death warrant.”

“I don't mind dying,” he said, still filled with hatred.

“But he should. After his attack on Viktor, which was probably premeditated by him, he'll have leverage to make demands and one of them is that Ebon surrenders to him or else hands over the throne.”

“She'll never hand over the throne,” I said, terrified.

“That's right, I'll find a way to make you run away. Go back to Valgerd and once things have calmed down you can try to get Ebon out of Viktor's arms. I'll do my best to make sure nothing bad happens to her,” not even John believed his words.

“No. I'm going to fight and in the meantime, try to prove my innocence. I'll only leave here with Ebon by my side.”