Chapter 137 Why?
Chapter 137 Why?
~ Lyra's POV ~
I was still reeling from everything I had just witnessed, my mind struggling to accept the reality of it as it replayed over and over again with disturbing clarity. My entire body trembled as though it could not stabilize itself, every muscle locked in shock while the image of Kael fighting against overwhelming odds kept flashing in my mind. He had stood his ground despite being outnumbered, refusing to yield even when the situation turned hopeless. Then everything had changed in a single horrifying moment when Dagan drove a dagger straight into his chest before Kael was forced over the cliff. The memory refused to fade no matter how much I tried to suppress it, and the pain that followed that moment still lingered like a wound that had not closed. Breathing felt unnatural, every inhale too sharp and every exhale too hollow as I remained frozen in place staring toward the edge where he had disappeared.
While I was still trying to process what had happened, still standing in complete disbelief and emotional paralysis, Dagan and his men began discussing Kael’s fate as though nothing significant had just occurred. Their casual tone only deepened the rage building inside me because it felt wrong that they could speak so calmly after everything that had just unfolded.
“Do you think he's dead?” one of Dagan's warriors asked as he stepped closer to the cliff and looked down into the depths below.
His tone carried no hesitation or concern, only curiosity, which made my stomach twist violently.
“With that stab to the heart and a fall from this height, he wouldn't make it even if he was immortal,” another warrior replied with complete confidence. He glanced down briefly before turning back to Dagan, his expression already settled as though Kael’s fate was no longer in question.
Despite their certainty, Dagan did not appear fully satisfied. His gaze remained fixed on the cliff below, suspicion still lingering in his expression as though he could not allow himself to believe it completely without proof.
“I need to make sure,” he said firmly. “I don't want his ghost returning to ruin things for me.”
His words sent a wave of disgust through me because even after what he had done, even after betraying Kael, there was still fear in him, as though part of him knew Kael might still survive.
“That is impossible,” the first warrior replied. “Unless we go around the mountain. And that will take a lot of time.”
“Then we go around,” Dagan answered immediately, his tone leaving no room for argument.
“I will not be satisfied until I know for sure that he's dead.”
His determination only intensified the nausea building in my chest.
As soon as he finished speaking, he grabbed my arm and began dragging me along with him. That was when something inside me snapped and I finally resisted him with everything I had left.
I planted my feet firmly into the ground and refused to move, forcing myself to stand my ground despite the pain and exhaustion.
“Let me go, you traitor,” I shouted while struggling against his grip. “How dare you do that to your alpha? What has come over you? Have you completely lost your mind?”
Before I could say anything else, his hand struck my face with brutal force, sending a shock of pain across my cheek and disorienting me instantly. My vision blurred and bright flashes filled my sight as my head snapped to the side from the impact.
The sting lingered sharply across my skin while the world around me spun slightly out of control. Even as I tried to steady myself, his voice cut through the ringing in my ears.
“Say it again,” Dagan's voice reached me coldly. “Kael is not here to save you, so run that dirty mouth of yours one more time.”
When my vision finally cleared, the burning pain on my cheek only intensified my anger. I lifted my head and glared at him despite the lingering shock. The man standing before me felt unrecognizable, every trace of the Dagan I once knew completely gone. Yet even through the pain and humiliation, I refused to stay silent.
“You are going to regret this,” I spat through clenched teeth. “Mark my words. You will regret every single thing you have done. When Kael comes back you will wish you had never—”
I could not finish because another slap struck me across the same cheek, harder than the first. The force sent my senses spiraling and everything around me became distorted and distant. My body felt weightless for a moment before darkness swallowed me completely.
When I regained consciousness, it came slowly and in fragments. First came the throbbing pain in my head, followed by the burning ache in my face and the soreness spreading through my body. Gradually, sounds began to return, the hum of movement and the faint vibration beneath me revealing that I was inside a moving vehicle.
When I forced my eyes open, I realized we had already arrived at Ironfang. The vehicle had stopped and the doors were open. Before I could fully understand what was happening, I was pulled from the back seat roughly, stumbling as my feet hit the ground. Dagan’s grip remained tight on my arms, holding me firmly as though he had no intention of letting me go.
His hold was painful and unrelenting, and I knew bruises would form where his fingers dug into my skin. The ache in my face combined with the exhaustion in my body and the emotional devastation still lingering inside me made it difficult to think clearly. But through everything, one thought continued to echo relentlessly in my mind. Kael had fallen. Kael had been stabbed. And I did not know if he was still alive.
As I was dragged forward, I lifted my eyes and saw something that made my entire body go rigid. The courtyard was filled not only with Ironfang members but also with Shadow Pack warriors standing among them. Their presence created an atmosphere that felt deeply wrong, as though something fundamental had been broken. Nothing about it made sense and I could not understand how everything had changed so drastically within such a short time.
“What did you do?” I muttered in disbelief, struggling to comprehend what I was seeing.
Dagan ignored me completely as he dragged me onto the raised platform facing the gathered crowd. Hundreds of eyes locked onto us as he addressed them loudly.
“Dear people of Ironfang,” Dagan announced. “We successfully brought back the enemy but unfortunately we couldn't return with Alpha Kael because this witch had already killed him before we arrived.”
The reaction was immediate and explosive. The crowd erupted into chaos as anger spread rapidly through them.
“Kill the witch. Kill the witch. Kill the witch.”
The chant grew louder until it filled the entire courtyard. The hatred directed at me felt overwhelming, yet all I could think about was Kael falling from the cliff.
“Of course we will openly execute the witch and all accomplices just as you all want,” Dagan continued. “We will bring justice to our Alpha.”
The crowd cheered in response, but my focus remained locked on him in disbelief.
“Where is Alpha Kael's body?” someone asked.
“She threw him into the river and we couldn't find his body but there is a search team out already. I am sure that in no time he will be brought back and given a befitting burial. Lock her up,” Dagan ordered.
I was dragged away toward the dungeon while the crowd continued chanting behind me.
“Kill the witch. Kill the witch. Kill the witch.”
By the time I was thrown into a cell, I was already shaking. The moment I landed on the ground, a familiar voice reached me.
“Lyra? are you all right?”
I looked up and saw Elder Rowan inside the cell. He immediately moved closer, concern written all over his face.
“No, I'm not alright,” I cried. “what is going on? why are you all here and why are there shadow Pack warriors everywhere around the house?”
“Shadow Pack warriors? are you serious? Are they attacking?” Elder Rowan asked, clearly confused.
“No. they were not attacking. they were stationed everywhere around the house together with iron fang warriors.”
“What about Alpha? where is he?”
That question broke me completely.
“He… I don't know.”
“What do you mean you don't know tell us where he is or what you have done to him.”
I turned sharply and saw Brenda in a nearby cell.
“Shut your mouth Brenda. I don't want to engage you so don't make me remember the role you played in getting us where we are right now,” Elder Rowan said immediately.
The dungeon fell into tense silence as I sat there overwhelmed, unable to accept what had become of everything I once understood.