Chapter 236 Chapter 0236

Chapter 236 Chapter 0236
•CASSANDRA•

"Hold on a little bit longer for me, baby," I whispered as I looked down at my stomach. "Mommy will be out of here soon."

I was relieved that the cramps had stopped after examining myself. I was so worried because I didn't want to lose the baby.

The door opened a few minutes later, and I straightened my back. Arsela walked in alone with a dress and a towel in her hands.

She furrowed her eyebrows as she leaned toward me. She looked around the room and suspected something that she couldn't put her finger on.

"I hope you weren't trying to escape this place, Cassandra," she scoffed. "The place is heavily guarded, and this room is smeared with herbs everywhere to keep you from shifting or contacting your wolf."

"Yes, and you've told me that a million times already." I rolled my eyes. "Where's your son? I want to negotiate my terms of release. I am a doctor and I can—"

"What do you think he will do with you being a doctor?" she scoffed as she placed her hands on the sides of my chair. She looked at me and narrowed her eyes. "We don't care who you are or what you are. You won't do anything for us, Cassandra."

"Okay. Since I can't offer you anything for my release, I want to be given a chance to fight for it. It would be fair, don't you think? Your son betrayed me, made me trust him, and then brought me here when I wanted to rely on him for something."

"You are just like your father, aren't you?" she scoffed as she leaned back and folded her arms across her chest. "You are both stubborn and think that the world owes you something for simply existing."

I groaned and rolled my eyes. "Let me go, Arsela," I replied. "Because if you don't, Dante will arrive here and give me the chance to slit your throat myself. And trust me when I tell you that I have been looking forward to that moment since you knocked me out in that forest."

Arsela laughed. "Sweetheart, this room was specifically designed to keep everything you have suppressed. You cannot shift. You cannot reach your wolf. You cannot contact your mate." She spread her hands out. "You won't leave this room until I decide to let you go."

I laughed. "You are going to need a lot more than herbs to keep me in this chair," I replied. "Your son made the mistake of underestimating what runs through my blood. Don't make the same one."

She opened her mouth to respond, but the door burst open behind her.

A guard leaned in, breathing hard, his face tight with urgency. "He's almost here," he replied, looking at Arsela. "Dante has been spotted. He's approaching the building."

Arsela's hands clenched. "Have you told my son?"

"Maximus is going to tell him," he answered. "And our guys are already waiting in the courtyard."

"Well, this is getting interesting," I chuckled. "Dante will kill all of you, and all the work you've done here will be in vain once he's done with you."

"You may go," Arsela instructed the guard, her voice firm. She then turned to me after the door closed. "Do you think you're funny? I will show you exactly why I built this Council."

"You will show me?"

"I built this Council because your father got my husband killed!" she snapped. "Your father and Dante's father ruined my life. They took everything from me, and now I am going to make you feel what we felt. So, we should thank you for this opportunity."

I furrowed my brows, and I then realized that they were using me to lure Dante over. I fucking made things easier for them by calling Kael. Because if I hadn't, they would've marched to Crystal Valley pack and faced all the warriors there.

I realized that if I didn't do something to get out of there on time, Dante would walk straight into a trap. Kael and his mother were counting on it to win the war because it would've been difficult for them to win it when they were facing Dante in his territory with all his warriors.

I closed my eyes and reached as deep inside myself as I could. I ignored the burning herbs and the pain spreading through my body, and a fierce roar burst out of my chest.

The sound shook the room, and a wave of powerful energy exploded from me and slammed into Arsela. She flew backward and crashed hard against the wooden door with a painful cry.

At once, the smell of the herbs began to fade, and the heavy feeling holding me down weakened. I moved toward the door, but before I could take another step, Arsela lifted her trembling hand and threw a small pouch at me.

The herbs burst open in the air, and a sharp scent filled my lungs. My vision blurred, my knees gave way, and darkness swallowed me before I hit the floor.