Chapter 77 Chapter 76
Evelyn.
"I need to go to him. " I reached out, pressing my hand against the bars of the cage, longing to touch him, to offer him comfort. But he was beyond reach, beyond my touch, and it only added to my anguish. My emotions ran wild – shock, grief, and the overwhelming desire to free him from this torment. The man I had feared and resented, the man I had grown to love and hate, now lay before me, a tortured beast. And it was a sight that would forever haunt my soul. Duke Ethan grabbed my hands, hurriedly pulling me back. I glared at him in shock, trying to get away from his grip but he just shook his head.
"I'm sorry, but I can't let you do that." Duke Ethan said after a while, breaking me from my thoughts. "If he takes a whiff of your scent, he might become more agitated. The fact that he's in this state is still a secret. No other soul must know about it." He warned me sternly, watching me with a mixture of sympathy and apprehension.
"He's going to stay in the cage? For how long!?" I asked, panicked.
"As long as it takes." He informed me, his voice firm. We have to leave. It must not know we're here, especially you." Duke Ethan warned. I paled at his words, my body alight with horror.
Unable to do anything, I let Duke Ethan lead me away, and he took me back to my crib where Amaris was waiting for me. She welcomed me with open arms, while I sobbed loudly against her chest, my heart and body aching immensely.
"Please, stop crying. At this rate, you're going to fall sick." Amaris cooed at me but I could barely pay her any attention, the emotional anguish inside me turning me into a mess. I pulled away to stare at her, my body trembling and eyes bleary with tears.
"The Alpha king is suffering, and it's all my fault." I cried to her but she just kept hugging me. Eventually, I had to be sedated just so I would be able to stop crying and fall asleep. Even then, all of my thoughts were consumed the Alpha King. What if he never changes back?
Can I still help him?
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The night had been a restless torment of tangled sheets and sleepless hours, each moment weighed down by the haunting image of the Alpha King trapped in his wolf form, the agonizing howls still echoing in my mind. His plight was etched in my consciousness, a nightmarish vision that refused to fade. But as my exhausted body succumbed to slumber, a dream transported me to a place where the lines between reality and the surreal blurred.
I found myself standing in a vast, moonlit meadow, the flowers around me casting silvery glimmers in the soft, ethereal light. The night was hushed, with only the gentle whispers of the wind to accompany me. And then, like an apparition, she appeared. My sister, Elizabeth, the former mate and Luna of the Alpha King, stood before me, radiant as ever. She looked as beautiful and vibrant as the day she had passed away.
I couldn't hold back the surge of emotions that welled up in my chest, a mixture of joy and grief. "Elizabeth," I breathed, my voice quivering as I rushed forward, throwing my arms around her. She enveloped me in a warm, comforting embrace, her presence offering solace and a fleeting respite from my waking nightmares.
"Evie," she whispered, using the affectionate nickname she had called me as a child. Her voice was soft and melodic, just as I remembered. Tears blurred my vision as I gazed at her, drinking in every detail of her face. "I've missed you so much," I admitted, my voice trembling with the depth of my longing. "I thought I'd never see you again."
She smiled gently, her eyes filled with a deep understanding. "I've watched over you, Evie, and I've seen the pain and struggles you've faced." Her words carried a weight that transcended the dream. It was as if her spirit had indeed watched over me throughout my journey in the kingdom.
"You never should have left," I cried as she palmed my cheeks, cleaning off the tears that had trickled down from my eyes, her gaze somber.
"I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean to. If I could turn back the hands of time, I would." She muttered, her voice filled with sadness.
Tears welled in my eyes as I thought of all that had transpired since her passing. "Elizabeth, so much has happened," I confessed. "The Alpha King... he's in such pain, and I don't know what to do. He's trapped in his wolf form, and I'm responsible for it." I revealed, the bitter memories flooding my mind once more.
She reached out to wipe away my tears, her touch cool and soothing. "I know how much you've grown, Evie. I've seen the love and the pain you've experienced, the challenges you've faced. But remember, it's not your fault. There are forces at play beyond our control."
A heavy sigh escaped my lips, and I nodded, acknowledging the truth of her words. "I feel lost, Elizabeth," I confessed. "I don't know what to do, or how to help him."
Elizabeth's expression turned thoughtful, her eyes locking onto mine with an unwavering intensity. "Evie, sometimes the answers we seek are closer than we realize. The Alpha King, the one you love, needs you now more than ever. Even more than he realizes. That was the mistake I made. I wasn't patient enough to wait for him to open up to me. and I didn't stay as well. It's why you are his second chance mate, his anchor. Stay with him, support him, and together, you may find a way to break the curses of his past that has binded him. Only you can help him now. No one else."
Her advice resonated within me, an unexpected clarity that stirred my soul. "Stay with him," I repeated, her words echoing in my mind. I had never considered the possibility that staying by his side was the key to unlocking the mystery of his transformation. "But what if I can't help him?" I asked, a hint of doubt lingering in my voice.