Chapter 26
Chapter 26
Larisa’s POV
I stood frozen, like a deer caught in headlights.
My mind was screaming at me to run, but my body wouldn’t budge. It was as if my instincts were battling it out, but my limbs just wouldn’t cooperate.
Killian.
He loomed in the narrow tunnel, his presence thick and heavy, like smoke filling the air. His tall figure was illuminated by the flickering torchlight, and even in the shadows, the look in his eyes was crystal clear.
Triumph.
“You always were predictable,” he said, his voice smooth but chilling enough to send a shiver down my spine. “You act all calm, obedient... but deep down, you’re just a little traitor trying to slip through cracks you don’t even understand.”
I didn’t respond.
Words seemed pointless. No use in pleading. Killian wasn’t here to negotiate. He hadn’t followed me for a heartwarming reunion—this was about control. About power.
About punishment.
I took a slow breath, my heart pounding in my ears as I tried to will my trembling legs to take a step back.
“No,” he said sharply, raising one hand.
I froze. His tone wasn’t loud, but it was commanding—the kind of Alpha voice that made your wolf tremble. Mine stirred uncomfortably beneath my skin.
“I should’ve known Damien would pull something like this.” His lip curled. “Sending you out like a pretty little package, huh? You really thought I wouldn’t notice the whispers? The subtle shifts? You two must think I’m an idiot.”
My jaw clenched. “This has nothing to do with Damien.”
He tilted his head, amusement dancing in his eyes. “Oh, of course not,” he replied sarcastically. “Just a coincidence that he’s the one you ran to. Again.”
He stepped forward slowly, and I instinctively took a step back. My fingers twitched at my sides. I needed to buy some time. Just enough to think, to find an opening. Anything.
His gaze was locked on mine. “You don’t even know what he’s done, do you?”
“I know enough,” I shot back, trying to keep my voice steady.
“Do you?” Killian chuckled darkly. “Did he tell you about the ambush three years ago? The blood on his hands? Your little fling left more scars than pups.”
I flinched.
He noticed, and his smirk widened.
“I can’t wait to see your face when it all comes crashing down, Larisa. When the truth shreds whatever illusion you’re clinging to.”
The way he said it… there was something unsettlingly real in his words.
But I couldn’t let him pull me in. Not now.
I glanced around, my eyes scanning the walls behind him. Just past his shoulder, I spotted a hidden latch—an old escape tunnel. One of the servants had mentioned it months ago when I was still pretending to care about palace gossip.
This wasn’t part of Damien’s plan, but really, what choice did I have?
Killian stepped closer again. “Come with me now. Walk back on your own, and I’ll show some mercy. Keep running, and you’ll spark the next Alpha war.”
I tilted my head, forcing my lips into a neutral line. “You talk too much.”
He blinked, momentarily taken aback.
That was my chance.
I lunged sideways—hard—slamming my shoulder into the stone wall as I reached for the hidden groove. My fingers found it, dug in, and yanked. The old stone creaked in protest, and a narrow gap cracked open beside me.
Killian shouted something, but I was already moving, slipping into the passage and slamming the hidden door shut just as his hand swiped where my cloak had been.
Darkness enveloped me.
My breath came out in ragged gasps. My ribs ached from the impact, but I couldn’t stop.
The tunnel was damp and musty, the air feeling stagnant, like it hadn’t stirred in years. I crawled through the cramped space, hands scraping against the rough stone floor.
Behind me, I heard him pounding on the wall, shouting.
I didn’t stop.
I pushed through the dark, every inch of my skin screaming from the effort, every scrape reminding me that pain meant I was still alive. Still fighting.
Eventually, the crawlspace opened up to a slope. I slid down a few feet and landed hard on solid ground.
I gasped for breath, wincing at the ache in my body. My arm was bruised, but I was free.
I took a deep breath, wincing as the pain shot through me. My whole body felt like it had been through a wringer. My arm was bruised, but hey, I was out.
Free—at least for now.
I stepped forward, a bit unsure, and found myself in a hidden little nook within the thick trees. The night air slapped me in the face—cold, sharp, and somehow full of freedom.
And something else, too.
A smell. Just the faintest whiff.
I looked up, suddenly alert.
Someone else was here.
“Larisa,” a voice whispered from the shadows.
I spun around, fists clenched, ready for anything.
Then I froze, my breath hitching in my throat when I saw him.
He emerged from the trees, looking at me with those wide eyes—half disbelief, half relief. “You made it.”
I just stared back, my heart racing from the close call. “Barely.”
He stepped closer, studying my face, and his brow furrowed. “What happened?”
I shook my head. “He knew. He knew everything. He was waiting for me in the tunnels—he almost caught me.”
Damien’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t say a word.
“Why do I get the feeling he’s always one step ahead?” I murmured.
His expression darkened. “Because he’s not in this alone.”
Just as I opened my mouth to ask him what he meant, a sharp whistle sliced through the night—followed by that unmistakable twang of a crossbow being fired.
Damien’s eyes went wide, and then—
He lunged right at me.
Everything spun as we tumbled to the ground—
And the bolt hit the tree right where my head had been just seconds ago.
I gasped, my heart racing.
We were still being hunted.