Chapter 132 Chapter 132
I blinked my eyes because of the pain I was feeling. It was the kind that lived beneath the skin, dull, heavy, crawling through veins like something poisonous had made my body its home and was slowly claiming territory.
My eyes fluttered open.
Darkness greeted me first, thick and unmoving, broken only by a thin line of light slipping beneath the door. For a moment, I didn’t remember where I was.
Then memory hit like a storm, coming at the same time. Lucian’s office, the argument, my tears, walking down the corridor and then…darkness. Fear curled in my stomach like a living thing.
I shifted slightly and the ropes around my wrists burned against my skin. My ankles were tied too, secured to the legs of the chair I sat on, and every movement sent waves of weakness through me.
The poison. The realization settled coldly in my chest. I slowly remembered Dahlia had done some thing to me and I became unconscious. My wolf stirred, restless and faint.
‘I’m so weak’ she whispered weakly.
“I know” I murmured.
My throat felt parched. I had not had anything to eat or drink in how many hours…10 or 24. I didn’t even know how long I had been here.
For a few seconds, panic threatened to consume me, but I forced it down. Panicking wouldn’t help. It
would only kill me faster. I inhaled slowly and exhaled. I listened for footsteps or movements from any of them but I was met with silence.
No footsteps. No voices. No movement.
That meant one thing. I was alone and if I was alone, this was my chance. I flexed my wrists again, testing the ropes. They were tight, too tight. Whoever tied them knew what they were doing. But ropes had weaknesses. Everything had weaknesses.
My wolf stirred again, faint but determined.
‘Try and shift. Can you do that?’ I swallowed.
“Okay” I whispered.
My gaze moved slowly around the room. It was small, bare and cold. There were no windows. There was a metal table in the corner. There was a heap of clothes or dirt, I couldn’t tell in the darkness.
It looked like a storage room to me. Was this a temporary holding place? Because it wasn’t conducive and Elara told me she was going to reach out to Lorcan. Which meant they didn’t plan to keep me here forever. A chill crawled down my spine.
I had to leave here before that happened. I was never going back to Lorcan. I’d rather die than allow that to happen.
I leaned forward slightly, letting the ropes rub against the wooden chair edge. Pain flared across my wrists, but I ignored it, focusing instead on the slow friction.
I did it once, twice, three times. The rope shifted barely. But at least it shifted and that made me more determined.
Minutes passed or maybe hours and I was still struggling with the ropes. Sweat gathered at my temples. My muscles trembled with effort. The poison pulsed through my veins like a reminder that my body was not on my side. My wolf whimpered softly.
‘I can barely hold on’ she whispered.
“I know but please don’t give up. I need your strength” I pleaded.
Stopping wasn’t an option. Not when Lucian had not forgive me. Not when I might never see him again if I failed. That thought alone sent a wave of desperate strength through me. I rubbed the rope again and again. Harder each time. The fibers began to weaken. Pain burned across my skin, but beneath it, determination grew.
Then, I heard voices. My body froze instantly. Footsteps echoed faintly beyond the door. I couldn’t continue because if I was caught they might tighten the ropes and I couldn’t afford that. I stilled my breathing, forcing my head to drop as if unconscious. The footsteps paused outside.
A woman’s voice spoke, it was muffled but recognizable. Damian
“…too risky” Another voice answered.
It was Dahlia
“You worry too much” my stomach twisted.
Footsteps paced slowly.
Then Damian spoke again.
“We shouldn’t drag this out. We might get caught”
There was a pause. I strained to listen. Dahlia’s voice lowered.
“Lucian is already losing control”
“Yes. He took…” I didn’t hear the last part.
A cold thrill ran through me but I was happy.
Lucian.
He was looking for me. He hadn’t given up. My chest tightened painfully.
“What if she dies before we use her?” Damian spoke again, quieter this time. Dahlia laughed softly.
“Then she dies”
My blood ran cold and Dahlia spoke again, sharp.
“The poison was meant to weaken her, not kill her”
Poison.
Yes, that was what made my wolf and I very weak. The confirmation hit like a punch.
“Maybe we should move her before anything happens and we’re caught” Dahlia hummed thoughtfully.
“She’ll survive, we won’t move her yet. Fate seems obsessed with keeping her alive” The footsteps moved again.
Damian’s voice dropped lower.
“And Lina?”
My heart stopped and I tried to listen carefully. Then Dahlia whispered something I couldn’t fully hear.
“…done her part.”
Then she chuckled.
“Good”
The words echoed inside my skull like a crack forming in glass.
No, no. That didn’t make sense. Lina wouldn’t…
The footsteps began moving away. Their voices faded and silence returned but inside me, something had shattered. I didn’t want to believe anything I heard from them. But Dahlia had insinuated someone I trusted had betrayed me.
My hands trembled as I resumed working the ropes.
Not from fear but from confusion and dread. Fragments of their conversation replayed in my mind.
Lina.
Done her part.
What was her part? My chest tightened painfully,
“No” I whispered.
Lina was my friend. She was always there to comfort me, support me, laugh with me and cry with me. She couldn’t have betrayed me.
But doubt had a cruel way of planting roots once it appeared. I shook my head.
Focus, I said to myself.
Escape first and find the truth later.
The rope finally loosened enough for my wrist to slide halfway free. Relief flooded me so suddenly my eyes burned and the movement drained what little strength I had.
The poison pulsed harder now. My vision blurred, black dots danced in my line of sight. My wolf whimpered again.
‘Hurry’ her voice was barely a whisper
“I’m trying”
With my trembling fingers, I pulled my wrist free. The rope scraped skin raw, but I didn’t care. Freedom.
Partial freedom. I quickly untied my other wrist and moved to my ankles. The moment the final rope fell away, weakness slammed into me like a wave. My body swayed. I gripped the chair to stay upright. My breathing suddenly felt harder.
The poison seemed to show its potency now. It was getting worse but I had no time to worry about it. I stood and nearly collapsed. The room tilted violently. My legs felt like they didn’t belong to me even as I tried to stand upright. But somewhere deep inside, something stirred.
A warmth. It was too faint but familiar. But I couldn’t get through even though I tried.
It was the bond.
Lucian.
His emotions flooded me in fragments. Rage, fear, desperation and most importantly, love. Tears blurred my vision.
“Lucian…” I whispered into thin air.
The bond pulsed again, stronger this time and for a brief moment, strength surged through me. It was not mine.
His.
I used it. I staggered toward the door. The hallway beyond was dim and empty. I stepped out slowly, every movement careful and quiet. The building smelled unfamiliar. It was cold, damp and hidden.
I moved forward, leaning against the wall for support. Each step felt heavier than the last but hope pulled me forward.
The bond guided me like a thread. Lucian’s wolf was calling out to me and I needed to reach him. I turned a corner and froze. Voices echoed faintly from another room.
Dahlia’s voice.
“…she doesn’t know what Lina can do”
My breath caught. Another voice answered, too quiet to identify. Dahlia spoke again.
“She trusts her completely”
There was silence, then a soft laugh.
“Too bad”
My heart cracked. It wasn’t shattered or broken. Deep down, I still refused to believe it. Until I hear Lina say it with her mouth then it was a lie. I backed away slowly. My mind racing and my heart aching.
But my survival demanded focus. I turned toward what looked like an exit corridor and started running or trying to. My body failed me halfway. The poison surged violently. My knees buckled.
I crashed against the wall, sliding to the floor as nausea rolled through me. The bond flickered painfully.
“I’m here. Please come and find me” I whispered weakly but my body refused to obey.
Footsteps echoed suddenly behind me. My blood ran cold. I tried to stand but failed. I tried again and still failed. A shadow stretched across the floor. My heart pounded.
And then…A hand grabbed my arm.
WHO DO YOU THINK FOUND HER?
Tell me in the comments