Chapter 55 A Mistake

Chapter 55 A Mistake
Rodney's Point of View

Her gaze didn’t waver. If anything, it sharpened, her defiance burning brighter. I could feel the tension in the air as Elizabeth stood next to me, the whip in her hand.

“Give me the whip,” I demanded, telling Lucienne that I was going to show her mates exactly why they needed to reject her.

Elizabeth refused despite me making it clear that I didn’t want her to do it—not that it mattered. She wasn’t going to listen. Elizabeth was determined to be the one to strike Lucienne, refusing to let me handle it.

“Just don’t go so hard that you kill her,” I said.

I wouldn't let Lucienne die—not like this. Elizabeth saw no issue with it.

To her, Lucienne was just another obstacle to crush. She didn't understand that there was no way I was going to allow her to kill Lucienne. I would kill Elizabeth sooner than I had planned. I couldn't risk losing her, not when I was this close to getting what I wanted.

I watched Lucienne’s face when Elizabeth told her that Marc and Cole were rejecting her, and I thought I saw some sadness there, maybe. If there was, it was gone. Why did she still look so confident? Why didn’t she seem afraid?

Lucienne started to shift, or at least try. I reminded her that she was wearing silver wrist cuffs, not to mention the wolfsbane still coursing through her veins. But there she was, fighting through it. I could see it in the way her bones shifted, her muscles bulging, her skin stretching and rippling with raw, untamed power.

Elizabeth's face twisted in disbelief, and for the first time, I saw uncertainty in her eyes. She hadn't expected this. She thought she had control, that Lucienne would crumble under her cruelty, but Lucienne was a force, a wild thing that couldn't be caged.

For the first time, I felt a flicker of unease.

Lucienne wasn’t like anyone else. And that, I realised, might be a problem.

“You stupid bitch!” I screamed at Elizabeth. “You never told me she was a member of the Royal Family. She’s a fucking Lycan!”

There was nowhere to run. I just wished Elizabeth hadn’t unlocked the door, but she had. Lucienne, now in her Lycan form, was incredibly fast, and her strength was unmatched. The second she grabbed Elizabeth and me, I knew we were in trouble. 

I had fucked up. The power behind her hands was a terrifying reminder that I had underestimated her. She flung both of us into the cell with ease, our bodies crashing against the cold stone with sickening thuds. I gasped for air, disoriented by the sudden, violent motion.

Before I could even gather my bearings, Lucienne was already standing, her purple eyes glowing with even more fierceness than I had seen. She didn’t waste any time. With one swift motion, she slammed the heavy door shut, the loud clang reverberating through the room. 

The sound sent a jolt of panic through Elizabeth, and I could see the tension in her body as she froze, her wide eyes filled with alarm. She stayed rooted to the spot on the floor where she had landed, her breath coming in short, shallow gasps as she stared at the door, the desperation clear on her face. She didn’t attempt to get to her feet—perhaps the fear had taken its toll—but I could feel her urgency, her pulse racing in her throat.

I rolled closer, placing a hand on her shoulder to steady her. “Calm down, Elizabeth,” I said, my voice quiet but firm. “I have the key.”

Her shoulders shook slightly as she took a steadying breath, but her gaze remained fixed on the door. I could see the wariness in her eyes, but she knew I was right. There was no need to panic—she didn’t have the key, but I did. Not that it mattered.

Lucienne’s strength was overwhelming. She ripped off a bar from the cell door like it was nothing, a feral snarl escaping her lips as she wrapped it around the remaining bars. With a practised twist, the door was sealed. There was no way I would have the strength to break it. We were trapped, and she knew it.

I could feel the sting of defeat creeping up my spine, but I wasn’t ready to admit it. I glared at her, trying to hold onto some semblance of power. “You think this is over?” I spat, my voice dripping with disdain.

Lucienne didn’t answer, but I could see the resolve in her eyes. She wasn’t done. She wasn’t just fighting for her freedom; she was fighting for something far more important.

She left.

I was beyond furious. I could feel the heat of rage building in me, spreading from my chest down to my fingertips, threatening to explode. Elizabeth had never mentioned who Lucienne really was, and now, standing there in the aftermath of my mistake, the full weight of what that meant was crashing down on me. I had been blindsided by her lies, and it was too late to fix things.

I couldn’t contain myself anymore. “You should’ve told me, Elizabeth!” I hissed, my voice low but dripping with venom. “You didn’t think it was important to tell me that she’s a Royal Lycan?” That she’s the daughter of Daemon and Adriana, the Lycan King and Queen?!” My hands clenched into fists, and I could feel my own pulse hammering in my temples. “If I had known that—if I had known who she really was—I never would’ve gotten involved in this mess.”

Elizabeth shot me a look, her defiance still visible despite the tension in her stance. She opened her mouth to speak, but I wasn’t finished.

“The Royal Lycan family,” I continued, my words biting, “are responsible for Darius’ death. They’re responsible for Kree’s, too. And I don’t care if Adriana wasn’t Queen when Darius died. That doesn’t change anything. Their family has always been one of the most dangerous in the supernatural world. And now Lucienne’s one of them? God, Elizabeth, you’ve really screwed us over this time.”

I paced, trying to reign in my temper, but it was hard. The situation was spiralling out of control. We had no way out. “They underestimated King Daemon and Queen Adriana—Darius and Kree did, and now, so have you.” I turned back to face her, my voice a dangerous growl. “They are powerful, Elizabeth. More powerful than you or I could ever imagine.”

Elizabeth, of course, was trying to defend herself, her voice coming out in a shaky attempt to lie her way out of it. “Lucienne was just a Gamma,” she said quickly, her eyes darting to the cell door as if hoping for a miracle. “She wasn’t anyone important. Even though she came with the Royals, she was still… just a Gamma.”

I didn’t buy it for a second. I saw right through her lie, and I wasn’t going to let her get away with it. I took a step toward her, my fury growing. “You think I’m stupid, Elizabeth? You think I don’t know you’re lying?” I sneered. “Don’t try to pull that with me.”

I shook my head, almost in disbelief. “Darius and Kree were warned. I told them—both of them—about the power of the Alpha and Luna of the Black Wolf Pack. Back then, before the Queen Lycan had even shifted for the first time, I told them it was a risk to go up against them. Now, after what they’ve become… they’re not just Lycans. They’re unstoppable. And you’ve just drawn the attention of the most dangerous family in all of the supernatural realm.”

Elizabeth tried to protest, but I wasn’t listening. I continued, the frustration in my voice growing louder. “And it’s not just them, is it? The Supernatural Council is even more powerful than it used to be. Fae, Dragons, and Lycans—all working together. The King and Queen were instrumental in forming the Council in the first place. Do you think we’re going to slip past them when they come for us? When they come for you?”

Elizabeth’s face paled as the reality of what I was saying sank in. She knew. She knew. We were in deeper than she’d ever imagined.

Keeping low had always been one of the reasons I was still breathing. I kept my head down and kept myself under the radar. That was the only way to survive. But now, with her recklessness and Lucienne’s bloodline, we weren’t just dealing with the Howling Moon Pack anymore. The stakes had been raised beyond anything we’d ever planned for. And I could feel the weight of it crushing me, knowing that it was only a matter of time before everything came crashing down around us.

The Lycans weren’t the only threat now. If we managed to escape—and that was a big if—the Supernatural Council would be after us next. And that was a far greater danger than anything we had dealt with so far.

Elizabeth’s expression twisted, but she didn’t say anything. She didn’t have to. I could see the fear in her eyes now, even if she refused to admit it.

We were screwed. And there was no way out.