CHAPTER 167
Lexa's POV
I was worried for Kyle and the fact that I had defiled his family's expectations, torn apart their carefully laid plans with my very existence. The guilt gnawed at me sometimes, especially in the quiet moments when I saw the weight of his choices settling on his shoulders. But deep down, I didn't care about what had happened between us and his parents. I had lived too long pleasing other people, bending myself into whatever shape they needed me to be, sacrificing my own happiness for their comfort and convenience.
"I won't hold back on this one," I whispered to myself as I stood by the window of our shared quarters, watching Kyle train with his men in the courtyard below. "I want Kyle too much to let anyone else's opinions matter."
For the first time in my life, I was choosing myself, choosing love, choosing the man who saw me as more than just a servant to be used and discarded. The freedom of that choice was intoxicating, even if it came with consequences I was still learning to navigate.
I was lost in these thoughts when I heard footsteps approaching our door, followed by a voice that made my blood run cold.
"Is Kyle here? I need to speak with him urgently."
Marcella. The woman who was supposed to be locked away in the dungeon for her crimes against the pack was suddenly here, standing in our doorway like she had every right to be. My heart raced with a mixture of fear and fury as I turned to face her.
"When did they release you?" I demanded, my voice sharp with suspicion and anger. "You're supposed to be paying for what you did."
Marcella looked different than I remembered—thinner, paler, with dark circles under her eyes that spoke of sleepless nights and constant fear. But there was still that calculating look in her gaze, that sense that she was always working an angle.
"I need to see Kyle," she repeated, ignoring my question. "It's important. There are things he needs to know about what's coming."
"Kyle isn't around for the likes of you," I said firmly, crossing my arms over my chest. "Whatever game you're playing, whatever manipulation you're trying to pull, it won't work. He's done with your lies."
Her face crumpled slightly, and for a moment I almost felt sorry for her. Almost.
"I don't want trouble, Lexa," she said, her voice softer now, almost pleading. "I know you have every reason to hate me, but I'm not here to cause problems. I just need to warn him about—"
"I don't care!" I yelled, my patience finally snapping. "I don't care what you think you need to tell him, I don't care about your warnings or your excuses or your sob story. You tried to destroy everything good in his life, and now you want to waltz back in here like nothing happened?"
That same minute, Kyle came bursting through the door, his face pale with concern and his eyes scanning the room for threats. "Lexa, are you okay? I heard yelling and—" He stopped short when he saw Marcella, his expression immediately hardening into something cold and dangerous.
"Why is she here?" he asked, his voice deadly quiet. "How did she get out of the dungeon?"
Marcella immediately dropped to her knees, her hands clasped in front of her in a gesture of supplication that might have been convincing if I didn't know her so well.
"Kyle, please," she begged, tears streaming down her face. "I know I don't deserve your forgiveness, but I'm begging you to at least accept me as a maid rather than keeping me locked away in that dungeon. I'll do anything, serve anyone, just please don't send me back to that place."
Kyle scoffed, the sound harsh and dismissive. "You think I would let you anywhere near my mate after what you've done? You think I would trust you to serve in the same house where she sleeps?"
"I've changed," Marcella insisted, her voice breaking with desperation. "The dungeon... it changed me. I understand now how wrong I was, how much damage I caused. I just want a chance to make amends."
"The only thing you're doing is making my mate uncomfortable," Kyle said firmly, his arm coming around my waist in a protective gesture. "And that's unacceptable. Leave. Now."
But before Marcella could respond, the door burst open again and several guards rushed in, their faces flushed with embarrassment and panic.
"Commander Kyle," one of them said, breathing heavily. "We're so sorry. She slipped away from us during the prisoner transfer. We've been searching everywhere for her."
"You let a dangerous prisoner escape?" Kyle's voice was dangerously low, the kind of tone that made even the bravest wolves think twice about their next words.
"It was an accident, sir," another guard stammered. "She seemed compliant, and we thought—"
"You thought wrong," Kyle cut him off. "Grab her hands. Now."
The guards moved forward to comply, but Marcella began crying and pleading even more desperately.
"Please, Kyle!" she sobbed. "I know I made mistakes, but I'm not the same person I was before. The dungeon taught me humility, taught me respect. I just want a chance to prove that I can be useful, that I can serve without causing trouble."
"You're right about one thing," Kyle said, his voice filled with cold satisfaction. "You did learn something in the dungeon. But clearly not enough, since you're still trying to manipulate your way out of consequences."
He turned to the guards, his expression stern and unforgiving. "You're doing a sloppy job," he told them. "If you can't handle one prisoner properly, how can I trust you with pack security?"
The guards looked stricken, clearly understanding that their careers were hanging in the balance.
"Take her to the cave dungeon instead," Kyle continued, his voice carrying absolute authority. "The conditions there are more... appropriate for someone who can't seem to learn from standard imprisonment. Maybe some time in complete isolation will help her understand the gravity of her crimes."
"No!" Marcella screamed, her composure finally cracking completely. "Not the caves! Please, Kyle, anything but the caves! I'll die in there!"
"You should have thought of that before you tried to destroy my life," Kyle replied without a trace of sympathy. "Maybe next time you'll think twice before betraying the people who trusted you."
As the guards dragged her away, her pleas echoing through the corridors, I felt a mixture of satisfaction and unease. Justice was being served, but I couldn't shake the feeling that this wasn't over, that Marcella's desperation might drive her to even more dangerous actions.
"Are you okay?" Kyle asked, turning his full attention to me once the commotion had died down.
"I'm fine," I assured him, leaning into his embrace. "But I have a feeling this is just the beginning of our troubles."