Chapter 202 202

Chapter 202 202
Lorien POV
Auren gave a lazy shrug. “Humor me.”
Lysandra’s lips pressed into a thin line, the war in her mind clear from the tension in her shoulders. But after a moment, she reluctantly extended her hands through the bars so the guard could fasten the shackles around her wrists. “You’re right,” she said finally, her voice trembling just enough to sound sincere. “It would be better if you and I went somewhere private to talk.”
Alone?
The word echoed through my head like a challenge. I almost laughed at her absurd suggestion but managed to keep my expression composed. She wasn’t going anywhere with my mate. Not while I was still breathing.
“Up,” Auren commanded curtly, his tone sharp enough to make Lucen flinch. His Beta’s brows lifted slightly, confusion flickering across his face before he obeyed without hesitation. He rose, pressing his hands through the bars.
“Yes, Alpha,” Lucen said quietly, keeping his gaze lowered.
A strange twinge bloomed in my chest uneasy, almost like guilt. It wasn’t mine, though. It was his. Auren’s. His emotions pressed against mine through the bond, heavy and conflicted. He didn’t want to believe that his childhood friend could betray him.
Still, Lucen’s sudden cooperation was suspicious. His calm acceptance didn’t fit the defiant man I’d seen over the past few days. Unless… he already knew this was coming.
“I can’t!” Lysandra’s voice cracked through the room, sharp and raw. “I can’t go into the same room as him, Auren! Lucen is evil! He’s behind all of this! I’d rather rot in this cell than be near him he’ll kill me!”
Her entire body shook as she looked wildly between the two men. Her face flushed, her jaw trembling, tears filling her eyes until they finally spilled down her cheeks. For just a heartbeat, I almost believed her. The desperation in her voice felt real enough to stir something in me then it vanished, replaced by cold clarity.
Behind us, Rion chuckled darkly, the sound echoing off the stone walls. Olyssia leaned against the far wall, her arms folded, watching the scene with a faint, mocking smile. Lysandra’s sobs grew louder, her voice cracking as if she were performing for an audience.
“Please! He’s going to kill me!” she cried, tears streaking her cheeks like melting wax.
Lucen met Auren’s gaze silently and shook his head. The disbelief and quiet resignation in his eyes said more than any denial could.
I didn’t trust either of them. But if I had to choose, I’d put my faith in Lucen before her. He might have despised me from the start, but at least he’d never hidden it. His hatred was honest. Lysandra, on the other hand, was nothing but venom wrapped in silk.
“Lysandra, you’ll come with me,” Auren said at last, his tone flat and unreadable as he gestured toward the door behind him.
I wanted to demand what he was thinking, but the moment his hand tightened around mine, I understood. He was humoring her. Playing along to keep her calm.
Lysandra’s sobs stilled instantly. She sniffed delicately, wiping her cheeks, and in seconds, the tears were gone as if they’d never existed. “Okay,” she said softly, a hint of smugness curling beneath her tone. “Thank you, Auren.”
The guard opened her cell, attaching a chain to her shackles before pulling her out. The heavy clang of metal echoed down the corridor until it faded behind the closing door. Only then did they move to Lucen’s cell, repeating the process in grim silence.
Auren didn’t look at his Beta. Not once. He simply guided me forward, his hand still gripping mine, and led me into the room where Lysandra had been taken.
It was larger than I expected empty except for a single wooden table at its center. Lysandra stood near the far wall, her chains now replaced by a single shackle clamped around her ankle. Her false tears were long gone, replaced by the sharp, haughty glare I remembered all too well.
“Auren,” she began, her voice dripping with disdain. “What has she done to you? She made you mark her? It’s disgraceful.”
The hairs on the back of my neck rose, but I forced a calm smile. “Disgraceful?” I repeated, my tone cool and deliberate. “I’m not the one in chains, Lysandra.”
I leaned into Auren, pressing my breasts against his arm as my hand slid up his chest, every move calculated. His lips twitched with amusement, and he gave me a playful wink before tilting his head slightly. I took the invitation, pulling down the collar of his shirt to reveal the mark I’d left on his skin proof of what bound us.
“Besides,” Auren murmured, his gaze locked on hers, “it only seemed fair that we match.”
Her eyes darkened, swirling black with barely restrained rage. Her jaw clenched so tightly I thought I might hear her teeth crack. And though she didn’t speak, her silence trembled with fury right up until Lucen was led into the room.
That was when her anger finally broke.