Chapter 127 Chapter 127
Chapter 127 Chapter 127
THIRD PERSON POV
The moment her body hit the ground, silence followed. Damian stood over Ailsa’s unconscious form, chest rising slowly as if he were steadying something far louder than his breathing. Guilt pressed at his rib cage like claws. But he couldn’t let himself feel guilty. He carried her carefully. Too carefully for a man involved in her kidnapping.
Her head rested against his shoulder as if she were sleeping, breath soft, lashes unmoving. Anyone watching would have thought he was protecting her.
The house stood hidden between thick trees, abandoned, forgotten, perfect. Elara unlocked the door and stepped aside.
“Inside”
Damian hesitated only for a fraction of a second before walking in. The air inside smelled of dust and cold wood. Dahlia had prepared the space days earlier, ropes, restraints, blankets, even medical supplies. Everything had been calculated.
Damian laid Ailsa gently on the bed. Elara watched, her arms folded as Damian gazed at an unconscious Ailsa.
“You hesitated carrying her earlier”
The voice came from the shadows. It was soft and amused. Elara stepped forward, light spilling across her face and illuminating the satisfaction curling at her lips.
“I was trying ensure everywhere was clear so no guard would see us” Elara didn’t believe that lie and shook her head.
“You were feeling guilty. She trusted you” Elara added. Damian’s jaw tightened.
“She trusts everyone who speaks nicely to her” Elara chuckled.
“And that was her mistake” Damian said angrily.
They tied her wrists first, then her ankles. Damian made sure it was tight but not so tight that it would hurt her. He didn’t want a scratch on her body but tying her was a necessity so she wouldn’t escape.
“Are you having second thoughts?” she asked softly. Damian exhaled.
“No”
But even he didn’t believe it. He knew this was wrong but if this was the only way he could be with her then he’ll do it over and over. He looked at Ailsa again.
“What are you planning to do with her?”
The question lingered in the air.
Before Elara could answer, the door opened. Dahlia stepped inside. Her gaze immediately searched the room.
“Where is she?”
Elara gestured toward the bed. Dahlia approached slowly. Her expression wasn’t amused. It was cold and resentful. There was something deeper in her gaze, something festering.
“She made this easy” Dahlia said flatly. Damian glanced at her.
“You’re enjoying this too much” Damian accused and Dahlia’s eyes flashed.
“You don’t get to judge me now”
Silence fell because Damian had no answer. He had already crossed the line. Elara crouched beside Ailsa, brushing a strand of hair from her face with mock gentleness.
“So fragile” she murmured. She knew Ailsa couldn’t hear her.
“But powerful and dangerous to my plans” Elara added. Her smile sharpened.
“You didn’t have to hit her that hard” Damian’s voice was low. Elara looked up slowly.
“Oh, Damian…” she said sweetly.
“Don’t start growing a conscience now. We’re already far past redemption” Dahlia turned to Elara.
“What’s the plan?”
The same question Damian had asked but with a different tone. Not concern. Elara smiled cruelly.
“She will be tortured, until she dies” Elara said calmly. Damian’s head snapped up.
“No”
The word came instantly. His tone firm and unwavering because he hasn’t agreed to this plan to kill her.
“That was not the plan. I didn’t agree to that” Damian said. Elara raised an eyebrow.
“What did you agree to, then?” Damian’s gaze softened as it fell on Ailsa.
“I agreed to this plan to take her away” his voice lowered. “And start a new life with her”
The silence that followed lasted only a moment before laughter filled the room. Dahlia laughed first, a mocking laugh. Then Elara joined.
“You’re serious?” Dahlia asked between laughs. Damian’s jaw tightened.
“I am” Elara tilted her head.
“Do you really believe she would go anywhere with you once she wakes up and discovers you helped kidnap her?” Damian didn’t hesitate.
“She’ll see me as her savior” Dahlia smirked.
“She’s madly in love with Lucian and won’t follow you”
The words landed like a strike but Damian didn’t flinch.
“I’ll convince her” Elara stepped closer.
“If you couldn’t convince her before, what makes you think you can now?”
Damian’s silence spoke louder than any answer but there was no use denying the truth because deep down he knew what it would be.
“I don’t agree with that plan” Damian said finally. Elara’s smile returned.
“We’ll think about what to do with her”
But the promise felt empty because Elara rarely reconsidered anything. Dahlia crossed her arms.
“Elara, aren’t you worried Lucian might throw you out soon now that he has rejected you?” Elara’s eyes gleamed.
“I just need to play my cards right. The pity card, and Lucian will let me stay”
A thought came to Elara or rather a realization. Elara’s gaze sharpened.
“How did you know Ailsa would be alone at that time?” Dahlia smiled slowly.
The answer changed everything.
“Lina”
The name hung in the air like poison. Elara’s expression froze and Damian stared in shock, disbelief and confusion.
“She’s working with me” Dahlia said calmly. Elara stepped forward.
“How?”
Dahlia’s smile widened.
“I have something against her” Her eyes glinted.
“And I used it so she would cooperate”
“The real question should be did Lina do her part well?” Dahlia crossed her arms. Elara’s smile widened.
“Oh, she did” Damian frowned.
“Don’t you think she would run and tell Lucian what’s happening?” Elara asked.
“She doesn’t know what’s happening. I only told her to let me know when Ailsa would be alone” Elara tilted her head.
“Smart move”
The air shifted because the truth behind the plan was far darker than the act itself. Lina had never been part of the kidnapping. She was just a pawn that has been manipulated.
“Tsk, tsk” Elara stood, dusting her hands.
“Trust is the easiest weapon” she said.
“People never guard themselves against the ones they love” Damian’s chest tightened.
“You used her” Dahlia laughed softly.
“I didn’t use her per se. This is not the first time she’s working for me” Damian and Elara looked at her.
“I had her poison Ailsa once” Dahlia added casually.
“Ailsa survived it”
Damian clenched his fists when he heard that Dahlia was the one behind Ailsa’s poisoning. Something twist inside him. He pitied Ailsa because, she believed she had a friend.
His gaze returned to her. She looked peaceful but the awakening ahead would be devastating.
“She doesn’t have anyone” Damian thought.
That realization made his plan feel justified because loneliness created opportunity and betrayal created dependence.
“When she finds out Lina betrayed her. She’ll break” Damian thought.
And when she does? He would be there to comfort her and protect her. To replace everything she lost.
Dahlia smirked.
“She practically delivered Ailsa to us. We shouldn’t be worried about anything else”
“I’m not worried maybe Damian is…” Elara said and they turned to him. Damian exhaled sharply.
“She’s going to blame herself” Elara’s eyes gleamed.
“And that guilt will keep her silent” Damian stared at her.
“You’re cruel” Elara’s smile didn’t falter.
“I never claimed otherwise”
Dahlia stepped forward, studying Ailsa with barely concealed bitterness.
“She took everything from me” Damian frowned.
“She didn’t” Dahlia’s gaze snapped to him.
“She took the one thing I wanted the most” Dahlia’s voice trembled with restrained fury.
“I stood beside him for years, supported him, protected this pack by fighting. Then she walks in and suddenly she’s everything”
“You don’t own him”
“I earned him” Dahlia snapped.
Elara watched the exchange with amusement.
“Love” she murmured. “Such a destructive motivation” Her gaze drifted to Ailsa again.
“But power… power is cleaner” Damian’s eyes narrowed.
“This isn’t about Lucian for you” Elara’s smile turned predatory. She finally spoke the truth.
“No” her voice lowered.
“It’s about power”
The word lingered in the air.
“Ailsa disrupts too many things” Elara continued.
“You’re planning something bigger” Elara’s eyes sparkled.
“Of course I am”
Dahlia glanced between them.
“You promised removing her would be enough” Elara laughed softly
“Removing her is only the beginning”
Damian felt unease crawl beneath his skin.
“What are you planning, Elara?” Her smile widened.
“Chaos”
The word settled like prophecy. Elara didn’t want Ailsa dead, she wanted her alive. She would be useful to her, she would be a weapon. Elara gestured toward Ailsa.
“With her gone, Lucian becomes unstable and unfit to rule” She tilted her head.
“Lorcan wants her too. He is desperate” her smile deepened.
“And desperate alphas make reckless decisions”Dahlia’s eyes widened slightly.
“You’re provoking war”
Elara’s gaze shimmered with excitement.
“Not only that”
Damian ran a hand through his hair.
“This is bigger than we agreed” Elara stepped closer.
“You’re already involved” her voice dropped.
“And you want this too”
Damian’s chest tightened because part of him did. Not the chaos or the cruelty. He just wanted to start a new life with Ailsa somewhere else.
“You don’t resent Lucian?”
Damian said nothing. He didn’t have the answer to that question.
“So what now?” Dahlia exhaled and Elara’s smile returned.
“Now, we go back and pretend like nothing happened” She nodded toward Ailsa.
“Who’ll watch over her?” Damian’s gaze lingered on Ailsa.
“I’ll watch over her. You can both go back before you are not seen?” Elara said.
“She’ll fight you when she wakes up” Dahlia said.
“I hope she does”
Because Elara didn’t just want control. She wanted to break Ails slowly.
Damian turned Ailsa carefully. His movements were gentle despite everything. Dahlia noticed.
“You still care”
“I care about finishing what we started” he said in a clipped tone. He wasn’t happy with Elara staying back, he didn’t trust her. Elara smiled.
“Good answer”
Meanwhile, Elara’s mind was racing with calculation. Dahlia revealing Lina’s involvement created risks, loose ends and threats she couldn’t afford and Elara hated threats. Her thoughts turned darker.
“I’ll get rid of them” she decided.
All of them. Damian, Dahlia, Lina, Ailsa and possibly Lucian. Anyone who stood between her and the power she wanted.
Across the room, Dahlia had her own calculations because alliances built on hatred never lasted and Elara was dangerous. Too dangerous.
“If this goes wrong….” she thought
“I’ll expose them” Her gaze lingered on Damian, then Elara.
“And remove every obstacle”
Her chest tightened because the only thing she truly wanted was Lucian. And if betrayal was the price? She would pay it.
The cabin fell silent again. Except for Ailsa’s breathing, soft and fragile.
Three predators stood in the room. All allies and enemies. All planning to betray one another. And on the bed lay the girl who would become the center of their destruction.
As they disappeared into the night, Elara looked back once toward the cabin and the chaos about to unfold and she smiled.
Because the game had finally begun.