Chapter 175 LITTLE TRAITOR
Chapter 175 LITTLE TRAITOR
MALIA’S POV:
"Bind them," Valir snarls, and his voice snaps me back to reality. "Make sure the chains are tight."
The guards immediately swarm the four brothers, pulling them back onto their knees and pinning their arms tightly behind their backs. The liquid they were injected with seems to have taken full effect as none of them appear to have the strength to fight off the guards.
After they’ve been cuffed, Valir sneers down at Lucien for one last second before he shoves me violently forward!!
"Here’s your girl…” Valir scoffs and tosses me toward Kieran like a sack of unwanted trash!
I stumble over the hem of my dress and Kieran steps forward quickly… his hands reach out swiftly to catch me by the arms. "Malia…”
But the moment his fingers touch my skin, a wave of violent revulsion surges through my veins!!
My right hand flies out and I smack him across the face with everything I have left! The sharp crack of my palm against his cheek echoes across the hall and Kieran’s head snaps to the side… I watch his jaw clench as a dark red mark flares on his skin.
Valir lets out a loud, mocking laugh from behind us. "Well, that’s awkward... I really thought you’d be a bit more excited to see your lover again."
"Don't touch me!" I scream and my voice comes out raw and hoarse as I back away from Kieran, my whole body is shaking now. "You monster! You lying, treacherous piece of shit!!!”
Kieran turns his face back toward me slowly and he inhales sharply as he smooths down his hair. His amber eyes, once so full of warmth and safety, are cold and unyielding now. "Malia, calm down…”
"Calm down?!" Hot, angry tears spill over my lashes, burning my skin as they fall. “Calm down?!!! How could you lie to me, Kieran?! How could you look me in the eye and tell me my father and brother were dead?! How could you manipulate me like that?! Do you have any idea of what that did to me?!!”
Kieran’s face hardens into a rigid mask but he steps closer, completely ignoring my tears. He speaks calmly. "It was the only way, Malia! It was the only way I could get you to do what needed to be done… for our people!"
“No! You just used me!!!” I shriek, lunging forward and slamming my fists against his chest. "I trusted you! I thought you cared for me! I thought you loved me! But all you’ve ever done is lie to me! Every single word out of your mouth was a fucking lie!"
"I did what I had to do, Malia…” Kieran says calmly again but his voice rises slightly as he makes a pathetic attempt to sound reasonable. "I was trying to set us free! Don’t you see? I was trying to save our kind—"
"Shut up! Shut up!!! Just fucking shut up!!!” I sob, wiping my face with the back of my hand. "I know about Sapphire, Kieran…”
Kieran freezes dead in his tracks and the color drains from his face… His jaw drops slightly. "What?"
"I know!” I spit, pointing a trembling finger toward the corner of the hall. "I know you got her pregnant! While I was busy daydreaming about our future together and being infatuated with you… you were sleeping with her! You lied from the very beginning!!!”
Kieran’s eyes dart nervously past me, locking onto Sapphire across the hall who is still watching with a beaming smile on her face. His jaw tightens, and he quickly turns his focus back to me.
"That was a mistake," Kieran says smoothly. “A moment of weakness… It changes nothing, Malia. It meant nothing. I still love you."
“Fuck you!!! I’m sick of your lies, Kieran! You are fucking disgusting!!!” I hiss and raise my hand to slap him across the face a second time but this time, Kieran’s hand shoots out and catches my wrist firmly in mid-air! He grips my hand tightly with a sudden, bone-crushing intensity and I watch in disbelief as his amber eyes darken completely into something ugly and cold!
I stare up at him and my breath catches in my throat as I realise… I don't recognize this man before me…
The soft, gentle Kieran from my memories all these years… The one who used to hold me and tell me everything would be alright... he doesn't exist. In fact, he probably never existed at all! That was just a version of him I created while drunk in my own infatuation and fantasies…
This is the real Kieran… I was just too blind to see it.
Kieran leans down and his grip tightens until my wrist throbs with pain… The Kieran from my fantasies would never hurt me.
"Do not be ungrateful, Malia…” he warns sternly. "You should be flattered that an Alpha like me even bothered to keep a weak, useless female like you by his side when I could’ve picked literally any other woman… You will get over this. And eventually... you will be grateful. You will thank me.“
I stare at him, completely stunned into absolute silence. My voice is trapped in my throat as my mind reels from the sheer arrogance dripping from his tongue.
He cannot be serious!!!
“As much as I hate to interrupt this delightful lovers' squabble," Valir’s voice cuts in arrogantly. “I’m afraid I have a throne to take…”
We all turn to see Valir saunter casually up the steps of the raised platform. He turns around, smooths down his shirt and plants himself comfortably onto Lucien’s carved obsidian throne!!!
A fresh surge of disgust burns through me.
"It doesn't suit you, Valir!” I spit at him angrily. "No matter what you do… no matter how many people you murder in your hunger for power, you will never be as worthy as Lucien! You’ll never be half the King he is… And you don’t even need me to tell you this, I think you already know it.”
Valir’s crimson eyes snap to mine and his relaxed smirk vanishes into a murderous scowl.
"Watch your tongue! Do not provoke me!!” Valir snarls then he points a clawed finger at Kieran. "Nuzzle your bitch, Alpha or I’ll gut her!"
"DON'T TOUCH HER!!!”
A hoarse roar rips from Lucien’s throat.
Even in his horribly weakened state, with the red poison blackening his veins and heavy blessed silver chains pinning his arms, Lucien violently surges upward and he throws his body forward, trying with everything he has left to reach Valir and tear him apart for threatening me!
But he’s too weak now! I watch him gasp and his knees drag across the floor as he takes two agonizing steps toward the throne before his weakened muscles completely give out.
CRASH!!!
Lucien hits the stone floor hard, collapsing in a pathetic heap right at the base of the platform… He wheezes frantically and his chest heaves as he struggles just to lift his head.
“No!!!” I try to go to him but Kieran pulls me back roughly.
Valir looks down at Lucien, lying helpless at his feet, and a dark, sadistic laugh echoes from his throat…
"Look at you…” Valir mocks, shaking his head with fake pity. "Look at the great King of the Lycans, crawling on the ground like a worm... and all for a little tramp who sold you out to the wolves. A bitch who never gave a fuck about you.”
My heart sinks straight to my stomach…
Lucien’s head snaps up at that and his eyes are bloodshot now as he gasps for air. “Don’t… call her that!!” He snarls weakly.
“How pathetic… you still haven’t realised?“ Valir chuckles, leaning forward in the throne to leer at Lucien. "The only reason this whole coup was even possible... the only reason we have these lovely new weapons... Well, it’s all because of your precious ‘Little mate’… She helped us get the key ingredient we needed to make the weapons… Your blood."
"She betrayed you Lucien.”