Chapter 39 39
CHAPTER 39
\[Rhea’s POV\]
"Isolde, please. Think about what you're doing. We were friends for years. You don't have to do this. We can fix this. Just let me go."
Isolde looked down at me, and for a split second, I saw a flicker of something in her eyes. It wasn't pity. It was a strange kind of regret, like she was sorry that I was the one who had to be in her way.
"I am sorry, Rhea. I really am. But what has to be done must be done. You’re the stumbling block. As long as you’re breathing, I’ll always be second best. I can’t live like that anymore."
She tightened her grip on the handle of the knife. I watched as her knuckles turned white. I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for the impact, my heart hammering a frantic rhythm against my ribs. 'Lucien, Damian, please...'
"Stop!"
The door to the apartment slammed open, the wood hitting the wall with a deafening crack. I jolted, my eyes snapping open as a shadow Mark walked in. He looked disheveled, his shirt stained with dirt and dried blood, but his eyes were bright with a frantic, terrifying energy. He took one look at Isolde with the knife and his face contorted with rage.
"What the hell are you doing?" Mark roared, stepping into the room.
Isolde didn't drop the knife. She turned to him, her eyes narrowed. "I'm doing what you couldn't, Mark. I'm finishing this. Once she's gone, the bond is broken, and we can finally move forward."
"I told you I wanted her!" He shouted, ignoring her logic. He walked over and grabbed Isolde’s wrist, forcing the knife down. "Why would you try to kill her? The deal was that I get Rhea. You were supposed to help me take her back, not murder her in cold blood!"
"She's a liability, you idiot!" Isolde screamed back, shoving him away. "If she stays alive, those Alphas will never stop hunting us. They’ll track her scent to the ends of the earth. The only way to be free of them is to sever the link!"
They began to argue, their voices rising with insults and accusations. I watched them, my heart racing. This was it. While they were busy fighting over my fate, I had a chance.
I turned my focus back to the ropes. I twisted my wrists, ignoring the sharp pain of the fibers cutting deeper into my flesh. I could feel a strange heat beginning to pool at the base of my spine. It was a low vibration, like a distant engine starting up. Nyra was finally waking up. She was sensing the danger, sensing my desperation, and she was pushing against the cage of my human mind.
'Help me,' whispered to her. 'Please, help me get out.'
I pulled against the knots, my muscles straining. I could feel the rope stretching just a tiny bit. I kept my eyes on Mark and Isolde, praying they wouldn't notice the way my body was tensing.
"She’s mine!" Mark yelled, his voice cracking with madness. "I spent years on her! Tracking her everywhere. I’m not letting you toss her away because you’re jealous of her mates!"
"Jealous?" Isolde laughed. "I'm not jealous, Mark. I'm ambitious. I want the power they have. You’re just a pawn who can’t see past his own obsession!"
Mark turned away from her, his chest heaving. He looked toward me, and for a second, I froze. I tried to go limp, to look like I had given up, but his eyes were sharp. He walked over to me, a sinister, knowing smile spreading across his face.
"You can never run from me, Rhea," he said softly, kneeling down in front of me. He reached out and stroked a lock of hair away from my face. "I always find you. You know that, don't you? We’re meant to be together. Everything else is just a distraction."
I stared at him, my blood boiling. The fear was still there, but it was being drowned out by a wave of pure disgust. I looked at the man who had stalked me, lied to me, and tracked me like an animal. And then I remembered what Isolde had said.
"You're a cheating asshole," I spat.
Mark’s smile faltered. "What did you say?"
"I heard everything," I said, my voice shaking with rage. "I know about you and Isolde. I know you’ve been sleeping with my best friend behind my back. You stood there and called me a slut. You followed me and screamed at me for being near other men, yet you were the one cheating the whole time."
Mark’s face went pale, then turned a deep, angry red. He glanced back at Isolde, who was watching us with a bored expression, then back at me.
"That... that was different," he stammered, his grip on my arm tightening. "She meant nothing. It was just a way to stay close to you. I did it for us, Rhea."
"Go to hell, Mark," I said, my voice dripping with contempt. "You’re pathetic. You’re a liar and a hypocrite. I hope you and Isolde deserve each other, because I want nothing to do with either of you."
I gathered all the saliva in my mouth and spat right in his face.
He recoiled, wiping his cheek with the back of his hand. His eyes turned dark, a flicker of something truly evil dancing in the depths of his pupils. For a second, I thought he was going to hit me. Instead, he let out a low, terrifying chuckle.
"Don't worry about the past, honey," he whispered, leaning in so close I could smell the stale scent of his breath. "I'm a big enough man to forgive you for your little flings with the professors, in return you can do the same for me. We can start over. We’ll go away, just the two of us, and we’ll be that perfect couple again. I’ll make you forget everything that happened here."
I couldn't believe my ears. He was completely delusional. He truly thought that after everything he had done, we could just play house.
Mark stood up and turned to Isolde. "Leave. Now. I’ve heard enough. I’m taking her with me, and we’re leaving tonight."
"No," Isolde said, crossing her arms. "I haven't gotten my end of the deal yet. I want the professors, and I want them now. If you take her away while she’s still alive, they’ll follow the bond. They’ll find you in a matter of days."
"I have a place deep in the mountains where the signal is blocked and the scent is masked by the pines. We’ll go there. They’ll never find us. And once we’re gone, they’ll be all yours. They’ll be empty, broken, and looking for someone to blame. You can be the one to 'save' them, Isolde. Isn't that what you wanted?"
Isolde seemed to consider this. The greed in her eyes was palpable. She looked at me, then back at Mark, and finally nodded. "Fine. Take her. But if they find you because you were sloppy, I’ll make sure you regret it."
"They won't find us," Mark promised.
He turned back to me, reaching down to grab my shoulders. "Time to go, Rhea. Let’s get you home."
I felt a surge of adrenaline. The heat in my spine exploded, spreading through my arms and legs. My wolf was no longer just whispering; she was roaring. I felt my muscles swell, my bones creaking under the sudden influx of power.
Now! Nyra screamed.
I gave one final, violent tug on the ropes. With a loud snap, the fibers gave way, the broken ends flying into the air. I didn't wait for them to react.
Mark was still leaning down, his guard completely down. I channeled every bit of my new strength into my leg and kicked him square in the chest.
The impact was like a sledgehammer. He was sent flying backward, his body crashing into a stack of wooden crates with a sickening crunch. He let out a loud groan of pain, gasping for air as he slumped to the floor.