CHAPTER 185

CHAPTER 185


Reika's POV

The moment there was a knock on the door earlier, I knew it was Ileus because I could literally smell him… not just his scent, but the anger radiating off him and the Alpha energy pressing down on me. Archer told me to remain calm. He promised to handle everything and made me swear that in case he couldn't, I should escape through the window.

I told him he didn't have to do it… honestly, he didn't have to risk everything for me. But he refused. He said he'd rather die than hand me over to Ileus.

A tear escaped my eyes as he stepped out of the room.

What manner of love and loyalty did my people have for me?

Yet, I had never done anything tangible for them. If anything, I had only added to their problems, making them live in constant fear and hiding. I was damn sure that if they hadn't met me, their lives would be easier and happier.

I stood closely behind the door, ear pressed hard against the wood as I listened to every one of their words.

Ileus was angry and this wasn't just about the fact that he couldn't see me for days. No… I could feel there was something more from the venom in his voice.

Maybe… maybe, he probably thought it was high time he confronted me about the dagger.

Archer was bold… too bold if you would ask me. He argued with him, trying to stop him from coming in even with his life on the line.

At first, I tried to do as he had instructed me.

My chest pounded as I ran towards the window, threw it open and swung my legs over the frame… but then, I stopped.

Until when would I keep running? Until when would I keep sacrificing others for my sake? If I left now, not only would Archer lose his life but Ray and Daisy too…

At the thought that there was a cute, innocent growing life that was going to get burned by all of this too… my chest tightened. My body grew weak and I slid my leg off the frame.

No… I couldn't leave.

Enough of running off every damn time it got inconvenient. Enough of running off every time it got hard. It was high time I stopped running and fixed things.

Besides… once Ileus discovered that I was gone, he would order for me to be brought back and it wouldn't take long for me to be discovered, especially since I had no help.

Maybe I might get away because I had a different face now, but that didn't change the fact that I would end up back here either way. In fact, it would be worse if the soldiers found the dead Queen.

The argument outside grew more intense. So, I moved quickly. My shaky legs carried me towards the wardrobe. I quickly reached for a silk scarf and wrapped it around my face.

It wasn't like the scarf would change anything. He'd know the real me at the end of the day, but the last thing I wanted was to scare him off right from the door.

When he began counting numbers, I ran towards the door and twisted it open.

Archer was dumbstruck to see me. His eyes were filled with fear and pain… almost as if I had betrayed him. I bet he had been stalling for time with the hope that I had already left.

It's okay, Archer. It is really over now, I thought in my mind as he struggled to break free from the soldier.

I invited Ileus into the room. He stepped in and slammed the door shut behind him.

“You are not sick, huh?” He spat immediately. “You are just avoiding me, aren't you?”

Even with the scarf over my face, I couldn't bear to stare up at him because I was afraid he'd recognize me. I lowered my head, wishing desperately that the ground would just open up and swallow me.

“No…” my voice was barely audible. “I was actually sick.” I kept up with the lie even though it wouldn't matter anymore in the next minute. “I was the one who instructed Archer not to let anyone in because I believed my illness could be contagious.”

Ileus' jaw tightened. His nose twitched as he circled around me lazily like I was nothing but prey he had come to hunt down.

“Is that so?” He clearly did not believe me. Then he chuckled drily. “Contagious indeed.”

I did not respond; I couldn't. I realized saying anything else was useless since he was going to find out everything anyway.

He stopped behind me, the rage from him enveloping me, pressing down against my neck so that breathing felt so difficult and I had to open my mouth slightly to get air into my lungs.

There was a long tense silence between us.

I was twisting my fingers together like it was the only way of holding myself together.

Any moment from now, I expected him to slide the scarf off my head.

Instead he leaned in, his breath warm against my neck. “You…” he murmured. “Who are you exactly?”

My breath hitched. My lips trembled so frantically that even my teeth were pressing down on my lower lip.

“I'm—Lilith, my Alp—ha…”

“Shut up!” He said softly, but the anger in his voice was palpable. “I know you are Lilith. Of course, I'm not even sure if that is your real name but I don't give a fuck if it is or not. It won't matter anymore anyway when I slit your throat and send your head to him.”

He would slit my throat?

Shivers ran down my spine. My body was clammy even though it wasn't summer.

“Him?” I repeated, confused. “Who is that?”

He paused. “King Kael of the Northern province.”

Now, it felt like my entire world had come crashing down on me. He knew I was entangled with Kael? How?

“I know he sent you here to murder me. I found your little weapon in the drawer.”

I parted my lips several times, but I closed them back.

“Cat got your tongue!” he thundered. “Say something, bitch!”

I knew I shouldn't deny it, but I did anyway and I honestly don't know why I did. “You must have been mistaken, my Al—”

The words died in my mouth when he suddenly wrapped his hand around my neck and pushed me hard against the wall, lifting me up.

The scarf did not slip off still; if anything, it tightened around my neck.

“Stop calling me that, bitch!” He roared, his eyes dangerously dark. “I'm. Not. Your. Alpha.” Then he held up a parchment paper. “This is the letter from Kael and you still have the guts to deny it?”

Oh… he had the letter from Kael?

The same one I had been waiting for all day?

Yeah… why would I ever think of denying it when I knew Ileus was meant to have evidence?

The oxygen in my throat had been knocked out, and breathing seemed difficult now. My weak hands reached out, hitting his gently. “Please…” I choked out.

He did not budge; he did not even listen to my plea. “I trusted you. I loved you… I cared,” his voice was more pain-filled now than angry, “but this is how you repay me. By conniving with my enemy to kill me. You even told him all about my war plans…”

Tears streamed down my cheeks, soaking into the scarf as I felt myself slowly slipping away. I couldn't even tap him anymore. I just let my hands fall and accepted my cruel fate.

I was going to die like this. There was no need to struggle when the result would be the same anyway.

As if he could feel it, he suddenly unwrapped his hand from my neck.

I dropped to the floor with a loud thud, the scarf finally slipping off my head.

As I let out a guttural cough, trying to catch my breath with saliva drooling out of my mouth and my hands tightly wrapped around my neck, I heard his shocked voice above me.

“Why is your hair brown?”

My chest slammed hard against my ribcage.

Oh… he had finally discovered me.