Chapter 19 THE HEIR
CHAPTER NINETEEN
LYRA
Orion was the one who had interrupted my nice time with Damian. I was so furious that I was denied a possible orgasm, but what could I do about it?
I didn't want to see him, and I knew the twins didn't want me interacting with him too. They were rigid, and their stance was alert and ready to attack.
“I don't think you should speak to him,” Damian said.
I also didn't think it was a good idea, but I was oddly curious about what he had to say. Had he come to apologize for his actions? Or was it something else? Knowing Orion, I was sure he didn’t come here to apologize. His pride wouldn't let him. He was either here to tell me something about my parents or my sister, or something else I had no idea about.
“I want to. I have so many questions for him. This might be my only chance.”
They weren't convinced by my words. They even became more on edge after.
“I don't think it's a good idea to see him too,” Damien stepped in. “If it were up to me, he would be dead by now. I didn’t harm him because he was your mate, and I needed your permission to do so.”
I was genuinely grateful for his respect and consideration of my feelings, but I could tell he was disappointed that I didn't want him dead but actually wanted to speak with him. He must have expected me to ask him to kill him immediately.
“What were you expecting me to do? Reject seeing him and hearing him out?”
Damien folded his hands, annoyed. “Of course not. I expected you to order me to make him go through hell before killing him.”
My eyebrows furrowed, surprised. “And why would I do that?”
He gave me a pointed look. “Because he almost killed you, obviously. If we hadn't found you, you’d be dead. He wanted your head on a stick.”
They were right. I had every right to be angry and wish him the same fate he wished me, but even I wasn't that type of person.
I believed in karma, and I believed that karma's revenge would always be ten times worse than any vengeance anyone can give. I wanted the moon goddess to pay him back for everything he did to me.
I had put on my clothes in their presence, oddly feeling comfortable with both of them there. I had no reason to be ashamed of anything, they were my mates.
“I'm ready,” I said once I was done putting on Damian's sweatpants until it fit.
“I really think you shouldn't go. I'm sure he can tell us anything he wants to say to you, and we can pass it across.”
I refused, putting on my slippers and walking out. I only turned back when I was at the door. “No,” I said simply and walked out.
They followed me immediately.
I was expecting him to be in the sitting room or dining area, but he wasn't there or anywhere else a guest should be. The twins trailed behind me as I searched for him everywhere in the house but never found him.
“Where is he?” I asked, tired of moving from one room to another in search of him.
“The dungeon,” Damien answered begrudgingly.
I thought he was kidding, but when I saw the serious look in his eyes, I knew he wasn’t. I ran there, and truly, he had been imprisoned and tied up.
Not only was he tied up, he was beaten to the point of almost being unrecognizable. Blood was all over his body, and his face was as swollen as a puffer fish.
I didn’t need to ask what happened, I already knew that Damien must have beaten him up before coming to inform me of his arrival.
I felt an odd sense of satisfaction in my chest for how pathetic he looked. I also felt proud of Damien, even though what he did was against my values.
He was passed out on the chair he was tied to, and when I called him, he didn’t wake up.
“He’s unconscious,” I pouted, sad that I wouldn't be getting the information I wanted now.
Damien shrugged, walked over to a corner of the cell where a bucket of water was. “I’ll wake him up.”
He poured the water all over him, and he jolted awake, groaning in pain.
Tears spilled down his eyes, and instead of feeling pity, I felt happy. If that made me a horrible person, then I guess I should accept my new identity now.
“Why does it hurt so much?” he groaned.
“Because it is water mixed with wolfsbane,” Damian laughed.
“Lyra, please. Tell them to let me go. I only came here to speak to you. It’s really important,” he begged, his voice rough and hoarse.
“What do you have to say to me?” I crossed my hands over my chest and glared at him.
I still hated him for what he did to me.
He looked at the twins, then at me, as if expecting me to tell them to excuse us. He soon realized that they were going nowhere and spoke. “I want you to know that I am sorry, Lyra. I am so sorry for what I did to you. I don’t know what came over me. I was being manipulated by your sister, Anika. I’ve always loved you. I never loved your sister, but I was betrothed to her, and I didn’t want to fail her.”
Even as tears fell from his eyes and he sniffed, I still couldn’t believe him. I was shocked that he was apologizing to me in the first place. Anyone who knows Orion knows that he doesn’t apologize to anyone, even when he’s wrong.
I didn’t understand why he would let go of his pride, come over to the Lycan king’s place, risking his life in the process, just so he could apologize to me.
He was obviously here for something else, and I was going to get to the bottom of it.
“What is the real reason you came here, Orion? I know you wouldn't risk your life to come apologize to me. You need something, what is it?”
His remorseful expression disappeared immediately, replaced with hardness and determination. “I am here to get back the heir to my throne.”