Chapter 47 047
LYKA
I panicked the moment I saw his face, and without giving myself time to think, I dragged Zuri behind me protectively as I launched an attack at him, my heart pounding violently against my ribs as fear and anger mixed into one uncontrollable emotion.
“You demon!” I yelled, my voice filled with rage as I attacked with my leg, aiming to strike him hard enough to keep him away from us, but the man moved faster than I expected, his hand shooting out to grab my leg mid-air. Before I could react, he pulled me forward and turned me around, slamming my body firmly against his chest, and the sudden contact forced the air out of my lungs as my eyes widened in shock.
“I am the one,” he mumbled those words of confirmation close to my ear, and relief flooded my chest immediately because that voice belonged to Derrick, but that relief quickly turned into embarrassment and anger when I realized the compromising position we were in, my back pressed against his hard chest and his arm wrapped around me possessively.
“Let go of me!” I breathed out angrily, pushing against him and forcing myself out of his hold, and I glared at him with burning eyes, wondering why he had tricked me earlier and why he had worn that terrifying smirk that made him look like a stranger. What was that smirk for? Why did he look at me like he wasn’t himself? What was he hiding from me?
“What is going on? Why were you attacking the Alpha?” Zuri growled behind me, her voice filled with accusation, and I rolled my eyes in annoyance, wondering why she was acting like the victim when she had no idea what truly happened moments ago. If she had seen that darkness… if she had seen that other side of him… she wouldn’t be standing there questioning me like this.
“What does it look like? Don’t tell me that you need me to spell it out for you,” I asked coldly, hissing in disgust as I turned to walk away, no longer wanting to remain in the same space as either of them, but Zuri grabbed my arm and dragged me back, her grip tight and provoking.
“Why are you leaving? Don’t you think you have a lot of things to explain to the Alpha?” she asked arrogantly, raising her eyebrow like she had authority over me, and my eyes darkened with disbelief at her audacity. How dare she look at me like that? How dare she question me?
“What do you mean? Why do I need to explain anything?” I asked sharply, glaring at her, but before she could answer, Derrick’s voice came from behind me.
“What does she mean?” he asked, his deep voice calm yet curious, and I snarled inwardly, realizing how manipulative Zuri was trying to be, twisting the situation in her favor.
“I mean, she just attacked you now, and she bullied me earlier. She needs to be punished,” Zuri said, her voice laced with fake hurt, and my eyebrow creased in disbelief as anger boiled inside me.
“Bully you? What nonsense are you saying?” I demanded, but I could feel Derrick’s gaze on me, heavy and searching, and it made my skin crawl with discomfort, though I refused to show weakness.
“This. What are you going to say about it?” she asked, shoving her arm toward me, and my eyes widened when I saw the bruises on her skin, instantly remembering how I pushed her earlier to stop her from opening that door. So this was her plan. She wanted to frame me. She wanted to make me look like the villain.
“So this is your evidence of me bullying you?” I asked coldly, and she nodded immediately.
“Yes, and it hurts so much. I think you did it intentionally,” she said pitifully, and I scoffed loudly, unimpressed by her performance.
“You’re quite the actress, Zuri. Have you ever thought of performing in the market square? I’m sure people would love your dramatic performance, so stop wasting your talent on me,” I said mockingly, and without waiting for their response, I walked past them, refusing to explain myself to Derrick because he had no right to question me, not after what happened earlier, not after that demon almost got me killed. I could feel his piercing gaze on my back as I walked away, but I didn’t turn around, because if I did, I might remember his touch, and I hated myself for not completely hating him.
“Those pretentious people… they should just marry each other instead of disturbing my peace,” I muttered bitterly as I marched down the hallway, my chest tight with suppressed emotions, but my steps slowed when I noticed a maid walking ahead of me suspiciously, her movements cautious and nervous as she kept looking around like she was afraid of being seen.
“What is wrong with her?” I mumbled quietly, curiosity rising inside me, and I stopped walking momentarily as a thought formed in my mind. What could a maid possibly be hiding? Why was she acting like that? My eyes narrowed as suspicion crept into my heart. If I wanted to destroy this pack… if I wanted revenge… then I needed their secrets. And this maid might lead me to one.
Without hesitation, I began following her quietly, maintaining a careful distance so she wouldn’t notice me, my footsteps light and silent as I moved behind her, my heart beating faster with anticipation. She walked down a lonely hallway rarely used by anyone, and my curiosity deepened even more, and when she finally stopped in front of an isolated door, I froze, watching her carefully as she held a tray of food in her hands before opening the door and slipping inside.
My eyes widened in shock. Food? For who? Who could be inside a place like that? I quickly hid myself and waited, my patience stretching thin as seconds turned into minutes, and finally, the door opened again and the maid stepped out, looking around cautiously before walking away. I waited a little longer to make sure she was gone before rushing toward the door, my heart pounding loudly.
“I know this isn’t right, but I need to know,” I whispered to myself as I reached for the handle, but when I tried to open it, it didn’t move, and I realized it was locked from the outside. My breath hitched in confusion. Why would someone lock a door from the outside? This wasn’t a prison… or was it? And why was the maid bringing food secretly? Unless someone was being hidden.
“That makes it even more suspicious,” I muttered, and I crouched down, fumbling with the lock, my fingers trembling slightly as I tried to force it open, and it took a long, frustrating time before I finally heard the soft click.
“Finally,” I breathed out in relief, and I slowly pushed the door open, my heart racing as fear and curiosity consumed me, but before I could see what was inside, a voice roared behind me.
“What are you doing?” My entire body stiffened instantly, fear shooting through my veins like ice as my breath caught in my throat. I had been caught. And the terrifying question was… who was behind me?