Chapter 136
Chapter 136
Elara’s POV
Lance’s lips parted in shock, his eyes wide, staring at Kimberly as if trying to understand why everything had shattered in that one instant.
Kimberly ripped the blade out of his side, and the blood spilled over her, staining her skin like a warning. Lance staggered back, but he quickly steadied himself, his hand pressing against the wound.
“Why?” His voice was hoarse, desperate. The pain didn’t stop him from asking, “Why the hell would you do this?”
Kimberly’s eyes burned with fury as she snarled, “Because I don’t bow to anyone, especially not to a monster like you. Is that reason enough?”
She lifted the blade again, aiming for his heart.
But this time, Lance’s hand shot out, grabbing her wrist before she could strike.
He let out a harsh laugh, the sound echoing in the tension–heavy air. It started soft, but soon it grew louder, darker, almost manic.
“You think you can end me this way?” His voice dripped with scorn as he shoved her back. “You fools–You really have no clue! YOU KNOW NOTHING!!!”
With a guttural growl, he stepped back. Then, without another word, Lance threw his head back and howled.
That was when I saw it. His wolf.
It was nothing like I expected. It wasn’t massive and imposing, like most of the others. It was bony, with fur that looked patchy, as if it had been neglected. A sickly mix of grey and brown, it looked more like a creature struggling to survive than the fierce leader it was meant to be.
“My soldiers-” Lance roared, shaking the earth beneath his paws. “KILL THEM!”
The sound of battle erupted. Shouts, gunfire, the clash of metal–it all mixed together in a chaotic symphony of war. My heart raced as I fought off one of the rogue soldiers. J needed to find Lance before he escaped.
“Damn it, he’s getting away!” I shouted, watching as the mottled wolf darted down the hill, weaving through the chaos. “Stop him–We can’t let him escape again!”
Thorne, always fast on his feet, sprinted past me, determination written all over his face.
“I’ve got this!” he called over his shoulder as he closed the distance between himself and Lance’s fleeing form.
But as much as I wanted to follow, the rogue soldiers wouldn’t give me the chance. The fighting intensified, bodies dropping in waves. Blood soaked the ground, the air thick with the scent of death and sweat.
The rogues had the numbers, but our soldiers were better trained, and they fought like they had nothing left to lose.
Still, there was no sign of Thorne or Lance.
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Chapter 136
I wiped my blade clean, scanning the battlefield. Fifteen minutes. Fifteen minutes and Thorne still hadn’t come back,
I felt the unease gnawing at my gut. Something was off.
Without a second thought, I turned and ran into the woods. The sounds of battle faded, replaced by the rustle of trees and the occasional crack of a branch underfoot. It was darker here, the canopy overhead blocking out much of the fading sunlight. A thick, suffocating silence filled the air, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that something bad was about to
happen.
The silence… it was unnatural. Every step I took felt heavier, as though the forest itself was holding its breath.
Then, I heard it–a whisper, faint but unmistakable. Human voices.
I froze, every muscle in my body tensed.
It was coming from down in a low valley. I crept forward, trying to stay hidden, praying my instincts were wrong.
And there they were–Thorne and Lance.
Lance was slumped against a tree, his face pale, a dark stain spreading across his shirt. He was barely conscious, bleeding: out. He looked like he was seconds from death, but there was something in his eyes–something cold, calculating.
And Thorne… Thorne was standing over him, a gun aimed squarely at Lance’s chest. But he wasn’t pulling the trigger.
I crouched behind a tree, heart hammering. Why wasn’t Thorne ending it now? Why was he hesitating?
Lance, with blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, laughed weakly, his voice rough. “You don’t have to do this, Thorne. Killing me… it’s not the answer.”
I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. The bastard had the audacity to speak, to try and manipulate him, even in this state.
“Everything you’ve done, all the sacrifices, all for nothing, if you kill me now,” Lance continued, his grin widening, even as he coughed more blood. “But keeping me alive… now that’s the wise move.”
S
Thorne’s hand twitched, the gun lowering just slightly. I couldn’t understand. Why? Why was Thorne listening to this
monster?
Lance’s grin was sickening. “I’ll tell you what you want to hear. You don’t have to be alone in this. You’ve been wondering why I brought you here, to the Grace Ruin. It’s because we’re meant to do this together. We’re destined for this.”
I couldn’t take it anymore. I exploded from behind the tree, stepping into the open, shouting, “Thorne! Don’t listen to him -just kill him! End this!”
Thorne’s whole body stiffened. But he didn’t turn to face me.
“Thorne, no!” I pleaded, my voice thick with frustration and fear. “He’s playing you–don’t fall for it!”
But Lance, the bastard, didn’t stop. “Isn’t it tempting, Thorne? All the power. No one would dare challenge you. You’d be The One True King. The ruler of both worlds–the wolves and the rogues. No one would take from you… not even her.
Lance’s voice dropped to a whisper, like poison seeping into Thorne’s ears. “You’ll have it all. The throne, the power… And
10:13 Thu, sĩ Jul
Chapter 136
Gamma Elara, no one will touch her again.”
I saw it–the flicker of doubt in Thorne’s eyes. It was the whisper of temptation, the darkest kind.
I couldn’t stand it. “Don’t you dare!” I screamed. “Don’t you dare listen to him, Thorne!”
But the next thing I saw–the thing that sent a spike of fury through my chest–was Thorne’s hand falling. The gun
to him. dropped, and Lance’s bloodied hand was reaching up to
I rushed forward, eyes locked on Lance, fury blinding me. “If you don’t do it, I will!”
But just as I leapt, a rogue soldier appeared behind me. A sharp pain ripped through my neck, and my vision blurred. The last thing I saw before my world went black was Thorne lifting Lance to his feet, their hands clasped together.
