Chapter 75
ELARA’S POV
I was seated at the dining table, trying my best to have some dinner. The meal sat in front of me, but everything tasted dull and unappealing, much like the fog clouding my thoughts. Clara remained quietly positioned behind me, her steady companionship offering a sense of reassurance that I clung to. I toyed with the food on my plate, more shifting it around than actually putting any of it in my mouth.
Since the pregnancy began, my hunger had been all over the place—some moments I felt starving and couldn’t get enough, while others left me with no desire to eat at all. There were days when I had to push myself to consume something just to keep up appearances and avoid raising any suspicions, but tonight… I simply couldn’t manage it.
At last, I surrendered, sliding the plate away from me with a heavy exhale. “That’s it for me,” I muttered, getting up from my seat.
Clara stepped over, her gaze sweeping across the barely touched dish, and she released a quiet sigh. “Are you certain? You’ve hardly had a bite…”
“Yes, but I’m fine. If I try to eat any more, it might just come right back up.”
She gave a understanding nod. “In that case, I’ll walk you back to your quarters.”
We made our way up the staircase, the quiet between us interrupted solely by the gentle swish of our steps on the plush carpet. Out of the side of my vision, I caught sight of Liam stationed right outside my door.
“Miss Elara,” he greeted with a slight incline of his head.
“Hello, Liam,” I responded with a tired smile. “I apologize for all the hassle.”
“It’s no trouble at all.”
As my fingers wrapped around the door handle, Clara offered me a gentle smile. “Goodnight, Miss Elara. Sleep well.”
“Goodnight, Clara,” I echoed, mirroring her expression. “I appreciate all you’ve done.”
She dipped her head in a subtle bow and pivoted, making her way down the corridor toward the servants’ area where her own room was located.
The instant I stepped into my chamber, my attention was immediately drawn to the gentle flicker of the candle positioned on my nightstand. My breathing faltered when I spotted yet another envelope. Unlike the previous ones, though, this wasn’t placed on the usual spot on the table—it was right beside the candle, carefully creased and seemingly placed there deliberately for me to find.
The pale light from the moon streamed in through the window, stretching elongated shadows throughout the space, while the dancing flame from the candle played across the surface of the paper, crafting a spooky and disconcerting vibe that set my nerves on edge.
I swallowed with difficulty, my mouth feeling parched all of a sudden. Nobody had come into my room… Liam surely would have alerted me if they had, so what was going on? How had whoever it was managed to slip past Liam… or…
Acting on pure gut feeling, I dashed over to the window, peering out intently, but there wasn’t a soul in sight. The exterior was shrouded in darkness, eerily still and vacant, with only the sentries making their routine rounds around the palace grounds visible. A cold shudder traveled down my back as I retreated from the glass, my stare locked firmly on the envelope.
I approached the table with deliberate slowness, my pulse thumping loudly in my ears. I lifted the letter, exhaling deeply to steady myself.
Please, let there be something written this time.
Please, don’t let it be—BLANK!
It was identical to the others. An empty sheet of paper, a wordless declaration that filled me with an creeping horror. The envelope held nothing but silence, as if it were deliberately ridiculing me, goading me with its lack of content.
Just as I started to pull away, the paper escaped my fingers. It drifted downward, settling onto the table. I observed as one edge brushed against the candle’s flame.
And then, something utterly astonishing occurred.
The supposedly blank sheet started to ignite.
But as the fire consumed it, characters began to materialize, as though the heat was unveiling a secret that had been concealed within all along. Bold, dark script emerged amid the glowing embers, inscribing itself onto the page even as it crumbled to cinders.
‘He knows, and he will come for you.’
Those words seared into my memory, stark and horrifying against the charred remnants of the paper. No signature, no origin, just that ominous, bone-chilling phrase. I staggered backward, collapsing onto the floor with a thud, all the air knocked out of me.
A firm rap at the door jolted me back to awareness.
“It’s Liam,” the voice announced. “Is everything okay in there, Miss Elara? I heard a noise like something falling.”
“Kael…” I whispered faintly, barely audible. “I have to reach Kael.” I clambered to my feet, snatching up the letter, and burst out of my room. Liam’s calls grew more urgent as he followed, but I tuned them out completely.
As I neared Kael’s private quarters, his personal guards obstructed my way. Their stares bore into me with an contempt I couldn’t quite place.
“The Lycan is resting,” one declared in a monotone.
“Step aside! I have urgent information for him!” I grated out, my heart racing wildly.
“I repeat, the Lycan is resting.”
“Allow her through,” I spun to see Liam approaching from behind.
The other sentinel raised a dubious eyebrow at Liam, then let out a mocking snort. “And who does a mere sentry think he is? The Lycan gave explicit orders—no disturbances to his quarters. So, turn around.”
“She’s not just anyone,” Liam countered firmly. “The Lycan himself directed me to safeguard her no matter what; that’s reason enough for her to proceed. Immediately.”
“Go back where you came from,” the guard persisted, his fingers settling on his weapon’s handle. “Don’t force me to escort you away.”
At that precise moment, the doors to Kael’s rooms flung open, and Kael appeared in the threshold. Liam and the guards instantly dropped into deep bows.
“Lycan, I—” one of the sentries started to justify, but Kael silenced him with a sharp gesture.
“You’re both relieved of duty.”
The guards traded confused looks. Kael’s expression grew stormy as he confronted them. “Well?” The implication was clear. The sentries snapped to attention, shot me a look laced with revulsion, and then departed.
Once they were gone, Kael’s stance eased slightly. He turned his attention to me, his grip encircling my arm as he drew me nearer. He glanced up at Liam. “Appreciate it. You’re dismissed.”
Liam gave a brisk nod. Kael guided me inside his chambers and sealed the door with a quiet snap.
“Elara…” He started, his gaze roaming over my features. “What’s wrong? Are you hurt?”
“No,” I gasped, my words shaky. “It’s the letter…”
His features turned steely, the worry shifting into a more piercing resolve. “You received another?”
“Yes, but this one…” I extended the envelope toward him. He accepted it, his touch grazing mine, sending a subtle jolt of intense connection between us. He strode over to the candle on his nightstand, its light casting shifting shadows across his face. The energy surrounding him altered, a faint shift that sent a chill racing along my skin. He muttered a curse in a deep, harsh tongue I didn’t recognize, then forcefully placed the letter down, causing me to startle.
He yanked open a drawer and retrieved two more blank envelopes—the ones I’d gotten before. I edged nearer to him, eager to witness what the flames might disclose. As he positioned the paper over the candle, exactly as had happened earlier, the empty sheet ignited, unveiling the identical message.
He pivoted toward me, his eyes now ablaze with a fierce crimson glow—almost as if he teetered on the brink of shifting.
“Darius,” He uttered in a deep, menacing timbre. “No question about it. This is his doing.”