Chapter 86
Selena’s POV
The house we were kept in felt more like a cage than a home. The walls were heavy with t Fortress had ever seen, hex and I were prisoners, 1
true sting of it wasn’t just the we
were trapped in our own thoughts, unable to say th
( we needed to sy
The door creaked open, and in walked Thorne and Elara, their presence ah
d yet to fara Baking
them was a doctor, his expression grim, his eyes lingering on me. He’d been checking my condition, and could self from the way he didn’t meet anyour’s pace that the news wasn’t good.
“How is she, doctor?” Elara’s voice was sharp, cuffing through the heavy air.
The doctor paused, as if finding the right words was as hard an faring the truth. “if she had swallowed the whole pill, she would “The good news is…only half of it was enough to cause
I damage. The bad news is that it’s destroyed her throat. Shi
A gasp rippled through the room, and I felt my pulse quicken Thadn’t wanted anyone to know. The moment I’d taken the ph
But hearing it out loud–hearing it contamed—was like a cold hand gripping my chest.
“Are you telling me she can’t talk?” Bee’s voice cracked as he spoke, desperation in his eyes
The doctor sighed, nodding slowly. “I’m afraid so.”
Bex’s hand found mine, but I couldn’t return his grip the way I wanted to. I wanted to tell him it wasn’t his fault, but the words were locked behind the damage. Instead, I met his gaze, feeling my heart break in ways I didn’t know how to express
Then, out of the silence, Ralen stepped forward, his gaze hard. “B,” he said, h
his voice cold but not without weight
Bex turned to him, his face crumbling in shame. “I don’t know what to say he whispered. “I’m sorry. For everything”
*You should be,” Raelen’s tone was sharp, his eyes unflinching “What you did wasn’t just a betrayal to us–it was a betrayal to her.” He gestured to and the room fell into a heavier silence. “Us Fenreach Pack men are proud of our devotion to our partners. But that’s no excuse. You can’t fix this with a
apology”
Bex’s shoulders slumped, his hands shaking. “I take whatever punishment you want. You can kill me. Throw my body to the wolves, for all care. Just let Serena go. It was my idea. Not hers.”
My breath caught, and a choked sob escaped my throat. I shook my head, my eyes pleading with him. Words wouldn’t come, but the urgency in my gaze
was all I had left.
But then, Elara spoke, her voice cutting through the sorrow. “Maybe there’s another way.”
She stepped closer to me, gently placing her hand on mine. Her touch was warm, a small comfort in the storm of emotions swirling inside me. “You were trying to save those you love. You can still do that. Give us information about the Rogue King”
Hooked at her, suspicion flickering in my eyes, but she didn’t look away. Her hand remained on mine, steady and reassuring
“With that information, we can defeat the Rogue King,” Elara continued. “Rescue your family, I can’t promise you won’t face consequences, but at least you’ll get to spend more time with Bex”
Raelen echoed her, his voice almost too calm. “56 what do you say. Bex? Do you want to face execution tomorrow, or do you want to make things right
and stay with her a while longer?”
Bex hesitated, his gaze flickering from Elara to me. The tension in the room thickened, each second dragging like an eternity.
“I love you, Serena,” he murmured, his voice barely a whisper. “This is your choice.”
1/3
Chapter 56
( managed to
Tips to him, iny hands trembling a kissed
y to make them understan
inidier rushed over, handing me a notepad and a pen. My
sok an 1 grasped them, id the world seemed to narrow down to just me and i
Tarot quickly. Rogue King Man
whow it held the key to understanding him
voice low “rou belie
eyes darting to the corner of the page. I drew two mountains, sharp and jagged, a gap between them. The Great Canyon Then, I traced a
ed leading north, toward a cilj a city marked with three simple words. The Grace BuN.
drawing “is this his headquarters? Where does
1 pointed to the road, the
leading to the north.
rote, Only Way.
Thorne’s face darkened. “That’s the only way back to his homeland” He exchanged a look with Elara. “No wonder the rogues gathered by the Great Canyon”
Elara nodded slowly, her expression grim. “That’s their only route to the Grace Ruin.”
Thor’s voice was heavy with something darker now. “The Grace Puin was once known as Graceland. A beautiful, fertile highland until the rogues took
“And now Roman’s voice was eager, impatient: “Shall we go in, grab the city back from him!”
Elara frowned. The idea felt too hasty Too dangerous. They needed rest. They needed information.
“We can’t rush this,” she muttered.
Thorne nodded, his eyes never leaving the room’s somber atmosphere. “Let’s wait. We’ve pushed the rogues back for now, but I feel like the Rogue King will strike again soon. This time, we’ll wait for him to come to us,”
She’d be
The room fell silent for a moment as everyone absorbed his words. Elara allowed herself a breath of relief. She’d been thinking the same thing.
The other nodded.
sfied with the plan. But before anyone could leave, Raslen stepped up to Elara by the door.
“Elara,” he said, his tone unexpectedly warm. “How about dinner tonight?
it caught her off guard. And before she could answer, Thome’s voice sliced through the moment like a blade.
“Where exactly are
are you planning to go, Raelen? The city’s burned to the ground.”
Ralen smiled, unfazed. “I was thinking of a picnic on the mountaintop. It’ll be romantic. What do you think, Elara?”
The word “romantic” hit Thore like a slap. Hepcowed, his fists tightening at his sides,
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