Chapter 90: Faltered

Elle’s steps faltered as she turned toward the hallway, her mind set on finding a way out, a way to fight back. But before she could take another step, a firm grip seized her arm, pulling her back with a force that nearly sent her crashing to the ground.

Her breath caught in her throat as she spun around to face Jude’s father, his face twisted with a mixture of regret and resolve. “You can’t leave, Elle,” he said, his voice low and controlled, but there was an underlying urgency to his words.

“What the hell are you doing?” Elle snarled, struggling against his hold. Her pulse raced, her mind spinning as her fury grew. “Let me go. I’m not staying here. I’m not waiting for the Higher Council to come and take me!”

Jude’s father’s grip tightened. “You don’t understand. If you leave now, they’ll find you. They’ll use you against us. We can’t let that happen. I’m doing this to protect you... and us.”

Elle’s heart skipped a beat as he pulled her toward the back of the house, away from the front door, away from any potential escape. She fought harder, twisting her body, but his strength was far too much for her.

“Stop fighting,” Jude’s father snapped, his voice low but firm. “We’ve already contacted them. We’re waiting for their arrival. You’ll be safer here, locked up. I’m sorry, Elle, but this is the only way.”

Elle’s blood boiled as they reached a small, hidden room at the back of the packhouse. A heavy iron door loomed before her, and she knew, with sinking dread, what was about to happen. Her pulse surged as she began to panic.

“No! You’re not locking me in here!” Elle yelled, struggling with every ounce of her strength. Her eyes darted to the door, trying to find an escape, but the walls around her felt suffocating. “I won’t be their prisoner. Not again.”

Jude’s father didn’t answer. He simply unlocked the door and shoved her inside.

The room was small, windowless, and bare, its only feature a single cot in the corner and a cold stone floor beneath her feet. A faint scent of sweat and stale air lingered, making her skin crawl. But it wasn’t the room itself that made Elle’s heart race—it was the figure in the far corner, chained to the wall.

The hybrid.

His golden eyes met hers immediately, and a cruel smirk spread across his face. His chains rattled as he shifted slightly, and Elle’s stomach twisted with loathing. The bastard who had killed Jude, who had been sent by the Higher Council, was sitting there, alive and waiting.

"You," Elle spat, her voice trembling with fury. "You’re the reason he’s dead. And now you want to watch me rot in this cage with you?"

The hybrid’s lips curled into a smile, though there was no warmth in it. "I didn’t kill him out of choice, sweet thing," he purred. "I did what I was ordered to do. But if you think I’m your enemy, you’re wrong. I’m just the messenger. The real danger is coming, and when it does, you’ll wish you had a little more respect for me."

Elle’s hand balled into a fist as she stepped closer, ignoring the sharp sting of tears that threatened to rise. "You’re a monster."

He tilted his head, his golden eyes glinting with amusement. "Maybe. Or maybe you’ll see things differently when the Higher Council arrives. You won’t have the luxury of being so angry once they have you in their grasp."

Elle’s breath came in ragged bursts, her fists trembling. “I’ll never let them take me.”

Jude’s father stepped inside the room, his face hard with the weight of what he had just done. He took one last look at Elle, his expression strained. "You’ll be safe here for now, Elle. We can’t protect you out there. We had to lock you up. If you try to escape, the Council will come for you faster than you can blink."

Elle turned her back on him, glaring at the hybrid. "You’re making a mistake."

Jude’s father’s voice softened, but there was no doubt in it. “I’m sorry. I never wanted this, but this is the only way.”

The door slammed shut behind her with a finality that echoed through the small room, and Elle was left in the oppressive silence, her heart pounding in her ears.

The hybrid, though chained, was still dangerous. The smell of his blood, mixed with the faint scent of fear and violence, lingered in the air. He might be locked up for now, but she knew that would change soon. The Higher Council would come for her, and there would be no escaping them.

But that didn’t mean she was going to go down without a fight.

Elle’s eyes flicked toward the hybrid once more. "You’re just as much a prisoner as I am, aren’t you?" she said, her voice colder now, a spark of defiance lighting in her chest. “You’re just a tool for them, aren’t you? A weapon they’ll throw away once they’re done with you.”

The hybrid’s gaze darkened, and for the first time, his smug grin faltered. "I don’t think you know the full story, little wolf. But you will. And when you do, you’ll see that I’m the least of your problems."

Elle stepped back, her anger rising once more. “We’ll see about that.”