Chapter 226 226

Chapter 226 226
~ Gab ~

I stood a few steps behind Jason, my eyes fixed on the front door where Kiara and Kendra were standing. Jason was completely focused, lost in the shock of realizing they had switched places.

But then something else caught my attention.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a figure move near the trees. It felt like someone trying not to be seen. 

I glanced at Jason. He hadn’t noticed anything. He was still talking under his breath about how Kendra had fooled him.

Things had already been dangerous lately, and I didn’t want to scare him without being sure.

Quietly, I took a step back, then another, moving away from him as silently as I could. 

I moved deeper into the treeline. The further I went, the quieter everything became.

Dry leaves cracked softly under my sneakers, each step sounding louder than it should.

I stopped and looked around, trying to see between the trees.

“Is anyone there?” I called out.

My voice didn’t travel far. It died quickly.

Everything around me was empty.

My breathing slowed as I forced myself to stay calm. 

There was no one here. 

I let out a shaky breath and turned around, ready to head back to Jason before he noticed I was gone.

A heavy hand landed on my shoulder from behind.

My body froze.

I spun around so fast my breath caught in my throat.

Standing right there, close enough that I could feel his presence, was Lucious.

A cruel, twisted smile spread across his face. He didn’t just look dangerous—he looked completely unstable, like someone who had lost all control.

He tilted his head back and let out a loud laugh.

“Well, well, well, look who we have here.” Lucious said. 

He stepped closer, his gaze locked on mine.

“You finally ran back to your perfect little family, huh, Gab?” he hissed. “And just like that… you forgot everything. You forgot our plan. You forgot me.”

His smile widened, but there was nothing warm about it. It was cold. 

“Did you really think you could just leave me like that?”

Fear rose in my chest, but I forced myself not to move back. I straightened my posture, swallowing the panic rising in my throat, refusing to show him how scared I really was.

“Who says I’m scared of you?” I spat, my voice shaking even though I tried to steady it. “You’re a coward, Lucious. You only hide in the shadows because you’re too weak to stand in the light. You think you have power over me? You don’t. I’m done being your puppet. I’m done believing your twisted lies.”

For a moment, I expected him to snap.

But Lucious didn’t look angry.

Instead, his grin only grew wider, more unsettling, like he was enjoying every word I said.

He let out a short, breathless laugh, like I had just told him something funny.

“Oh, you think you’re brave now, don’t you?” he said, tilting his head. “That’s cute. Really, it is.”

Slowly, Lucious reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a phone.

He tapped the screen a few times, then turned it toward me.

“Let’s see how brave you are after watching a little home video,” he said.

My eyes locked onto the display.

It was a live feed.

The video showed the outside of our pack.

My father stood in the field. Beside him was my mother. There was a smile on her face as she watched the pack children playing on the grass.

She bent slightly and ruffled a little boy’s hair, completely unaware of anything wrong.

Then she straightened and walked with my father toward another direction, side by side.

Lucious suddenly pulled the phone away and the screen went dark.

His expression changed too. The twisted calm in his face deepened, and that disturbing glint in his eyes became sharper, more intense.

“Right now,” he said in a low whisper, stepping closer, “A few of my men is hidden around there.”

He leaned in until his face was too close to mine. 

“They’ve got a poisoned arrow aimed straight at your precious mother,” he continued. “And if you don’t do exactly what I tell you from this moment on… your parents are going to die slowly and painfully.” He said with a smile.

My breath broke.

“Stay away from my parents!” I screamed, my voice cracking as panic consumed me. Rage and terror collided inside me, burning so fiercely I could barely contain them. “Don’t you dare touch them! You’re a monster! A sick, disgusting monster!”

I took a shaky step forward, fists tightening at my sides.

Lucious only watched me. Like he was enjoying every second of it.

“Shh… shh, keep your voice down,” Lucious chuckled, tapping his fingers lightly against the phone like it was all some kind of game. “I don’t want to kill your parents. Their lives are in your hands.”

My chest tightened as I struggled to breathe.

“It’s a simple trade, Gab,” he continued, voice calm and almost amused. “You bring me the twins. I’ll send you a location. You come alone with them.”

He stepped closer again, his tone dropping lower.

“If you fail or if you try to be a hero then start planning two funerals.”

The words hit like a blow to my chest.

My knees nearly gave way. The twins. My parents. Everything I was trying to protect—caught in his hands.

I looked at Lucious through blurred vision, my throat tight, my whole body shaking.

He just stood there, patient and merciless, waiting for my answer.

"Fine," I choked out, the word tasting like ash in my mouth. "Fine. I'll do it. Just... just don't hurt them. Please."

Lucious grinned, entirely satisfied, and patted my cheek with his cold hand. "That's my boy. I knew you'd make the smart choice."

"Gab!!"

I heard Jason’s voice from a distance.

I blinked. By the time I turned toward the sound, Lucious was gone.

He disappeared into the shadows as if he had never been there.

I wiped my face with the back of my hand, trying to fix my messy hair and calm my heavy breathing.

I turned and ran back to where I had left Jason.

“Gab! Where the hell were you?” Jason asked the moment I stumbled back into the clearing.

He grabbed my arm, his eyes wide with worry as he looked me over.

"I... I just... I had to excuse myself," I stammered, as I struggled to find the words. "To... to ease myself over there. Sorry."

Jason nodded slowly, accepting the answer, but his eyes narrowed as he scanned my face. He stepped closer.

"Okay..." Jason muttered, his voice dropping into a concerned whisper. "But why do you look so completely terrified right now?"

“It’s nothing, Jason,” I said quickly. “Please… let’s just go home.”