Chapter 32 Chapter 32
ELIJAH'S POV
Hours had passed, but I couldn’t rest.
The halls were quiet now—too quiet. My chamber felt like a cage, and the fire in the corner had burned low, its light flickering weakly against the walls. I sat in silence, feeling the weight of every choice I’d made.
I couldn’t stop thinking about Anna—her face, her voice, and the way she had looked at me before she walked out earlier today. That look still burned in my mind, because she wasn’t angry or hurtful.
It was disbelief.
She didn’t believe me about Damon.
She thought I was jealous of both of them.
I leaned forward, elbows on my knees, staring into the dying fire. My thoughts were in a mess—Damon, Anna, Amanda—all mixed up in a storm I couldn’t escape.
I had promised myself I’d protect Anna, even if she hated me. Even if she never forgave me. Damon couldn’t get to her.
He couldn’t. I wouldn’t let him.
But how could I protect her when my own Pack was falling apart?
My claws had started to push through my skin. My wolf was restless, angry, and wanting blood. I clenched my fists until the pain forced them back. Losing control now would fix nothing.
Then came the knock.
“My lord,” a voice said from behind the door.
“Enter!” I ordered.
The door opened, and a guard stepped in and bowed quickly. His scent was sharp with fear. “Forgive me, Alpha Elijah, but there’s something you must see.”
My chest tightened. “What is it?”
He hesitated, staring at the floor. “It’s the great hall, my lord. The kings have gathered. Your Luna… she—”
“What about Amanda?” I cut him off, already dreading his answer.
“She said it was your command,” he said in a low voice. “She told everyone you wanted to test the girl. I'm taking about the maid called Anna.”
His words hit me like a blade. I stood so fast my chair fell over with a loud crash.
“What did you just say?”
The guard flinched. “She said it was your order, Alpha. The fifteen kings are there already in the hall. Luna Amanda said Anna would dance and entertain them.”
For a moment, I couldn’t breathe. The fire behind me cracked loudly, but the sound felt far away.
I stepped forward slowly. “And you believed her?”
“My lord, she is your Luna—”
“She is not the one I love!” I roared. The sound shook the walls, and the guard dropped to his knees instantly, shaking.
My rage burst out and I grabbed a golden vase and hurled it across the room. It shattered against the wall, scattering glass and dust.
“You let this happen?” I shouted. “You stood there while she used my name to humiliate someone else?”
“I didn’t know what to do, Alpha,” he stammered. “It was the Luna’s command. And her father—”
Elder Matthias.
He was Amanda’s father, the man who controlled the Elder Council, and the man who had power to destroy me with a single word.
If I went against him, they’d strip me of my title before sunrise. They’d make sure Anna disappeared forever—and then they’d come for me.
My claws pierced my palms.
Blood dripped onto the stone floor, but I didn’t even care.
“How long?” I asked quietly.
“My lord?”
“How long has she been in there?”
“A while now,” he said. “Almost an hour, Alpha.”
An hour.
An hour of humiliation.
An hour of Amanda’s cruelty—using my name to break the only person I’ve ever loved.
I slammed my hand against the wall so hard cracks spread through the stone.
“I’ll kill her,” I hissed. “I’ll kill that bitch for this!”
“Alpha—”
“Silence!”
He bowed lower, trembling so hard his armor rattled.
I turned away, pacing across the room. My mind spun. My wolf wanted to tear through the palace and end it all, but my human side knew the truth—if I stepped into that hall, it would destroy everything.
If I defied Amanda now, the Council would call me unfit. The crown would go to Damon. And Anna… they’d kill her before I could reach her.
I slammed my fist on the table, breaking it in half. The crack echoed through the room. Papers flew to the floor. The firelight flickered over the mess.
I was Alpha, but I was powerless. I had all the strength in the world, yet I couldn’t save her.
Amanda had trapped me perfectly.
She knew I couldn’t act against her, because of father—the Elder Council’s member—would make sure I paid for even trying.
“Get out!,” I said coldly. “Now get out before I take out my anger on you.”
The guard ran out without another word. The door closed behind him, leaving me in silence again.
All of the members of the council had their claws in me. I was trapped, a king in chains. And the one person who didn’t deserve to suffer was paying the price for their power.
I kicked the broken table aside and dropped to my knees. I didn’t care about the crown anymore. I didn’t care about the throne or the Council’s approval.
All I cared about was Anna.
Getting her out alive.
Even if it meant losing everything else.
I lifted my head slowly, staring into the fire. The flames danced across the floor, reflecting in my eyes. My hands were still shaking, but my mind was clear. I knew what I had to do.
But every path I thought of led to one truth—I couldn’t do it alone.
Amanda’s guards would be everywhere. The Council would be watching. If I stepped into that hall by myself, I wouldn’t make it ten steps before they stopped me.
I pressed my hand to my forehead, breathing deeply. I needed a plan. I needed someone who knew how to move without being seen. Someone who could help me break their circle of power.
My thoughts drifted to Damon.
I hated him. Every part of me did. He was ruthless, cold, and reckless, but he was also clever.
I gritted my teeth in anger. The idea pissed me off because working with Damon felt like swallowing fire, but maybe he was the only one who could help me reach Anna before it was too late.
The sound of laughter floated faintly from down the hall—the laughter of kings. It was the kind that made my blood run cold.
I closed my eyes for a moment. I could almost see her standing in that hall, her face pale under all those eyes.
My chest tightened until it hurt.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered into the silence. “You don’t deserve this.”
If I stayed here, she’d be ruined. If I fought alone, I’d lose her before I reached her.
But if I found Damon—if I swallowed my pride long enough to ask for his help—maybe there was still a chance.
I stared at the door, my jaw tightening in anger.
“Hold on, Anna,” I muttered under my breath. “Just hold on.”
Because if I had to work with the devil himself to save her, I would.
Even if that devil was Damon.