Chapter 137
Elara’s POV
I jolted awake, the world spinning around me like some twisted carnival ride. My head was splitting, each pulse of pain sending a shockwave through my body. I could barely focus. What happened? Why was I on the cold, unforgiving stone floor?
The answer crashed into me like a freight train–Lance. Thorne. Blood Moon Pack. The betrayal. I remembered it all. The fight. Thorne going after Lance, leaving me behind. I had followed them. Watched, hidden in the shadows as Lance. poisoned Thorne’s mind with his lies. The moment that traitor… my Alpha… had taken Lance’s hand.
The world felt distant as I tried to make sense of it. I was no longer in the safety of my home, surrounded by the Blood Moon Pack. No, now I was chained up like a prisoner, locked in some forsaken dungeon.
I slowly pushed myself to sit, my hands and feet bound by iron cuffs. The stone walls around me seemed to close in, covered in mold, the dampness in the air thick enough to taste. It smelled like death. It was all too much.
I tried to push the anger down, but it roared inside me. Thorne. How could he? How could he betray us all for the promise of power? I never thought I’d see the day when my most trusted ally would stand against me, stand against everything we fought for.
But I couldn’t believe it. Not yet. Something had to be wrong. There had to be something more. Something I didn’t understand.
I pulled at the chains, the iron scraping against the stone, but it was useless. The cuffs were tight, unyielding. The sound of my frustration echoed in the silence, but it felt like a mockery of my powerlessness.
Just as I was about to let the despair swallow me whole, I heard footsteps. My head shot up, and for a brief moment, I dared to hope. Thorne?
But when the dungeon door slammed open, that hope died instantly.
Miela walked in, her face twisted with cruel delight, a group of soldiers following behind her.
“Oh, look who finally woke up,” she purred, her voice dripping with mock sympathy. “Were you hoping it was Thorne? Sorry to disappoint you, sweetheart. He’s not coming.”
I gritted my teeth, fists clenching. “What the hell are you doing here, Miela? Where am I?”
“Where else?” she giggled, stepping closer. “You’re in the royal dungeon, sweetheart. Beneath the palace of Grace Ruin. The place where we keep people like you. Prisoners.”
I spat, the taste of bile rising in my throat. “Let me out of here.”
Miela’s eyes gleamed with malice. “Not so fast. I’m enjoying this a bit too much.” She stepped forward, her lips curling into a cruel smile. “Look at you, chained like a dog. You and Thorne were so sure of yourselves, huh? But you’re nothing now. Lance has won. And soon, you’ll know what it feels like to lose.”
Her words hit me like a slap to the face. I wanted to yell, scream that it wasn’t true, that Thorne would never betray us. But
Miela was right about one thing. The weight of it all settled like a rock in my chest.
“No,” I said, voice shaking. “You’re lying. Thorne would never do this. He would never…”
“Oh, please,” Miela interrupted, her laugh cutting through my protests like a knife. “Thorne is a traitor. He’s working for Lance now. And guess what? He’s not just a traitor to you. He’s abandoned everyone—Kimberly, Jory, the whole damn pack. All for power. All for Lance.”
Her words were poison. But as much as I wanted to reject them, part of me… part of me knew there was truth in them. I had seen it in Thorne’s eyes. He had believed Lance. Chosen him over us.
“Stop lying,” I growled, tugging at the chains again. “Get him here! I want to see him!”
“Get over it,” Miela snapped, her voice gleeful as she strolled around me like a predator circling its prey. “Thorne and our king are best buddies now. Lance took care of anyone who tried to help you. Kimberly’s locked up, Jory ran off with the soldiers, but don’t worry, we’ll find him soon enough. Your little plan to kill Lance? A total failure. The Rogue King is
unbeatable. Lance always wins in the end.”
The words felt like daggers. I could hardly breathe. The idea of Thorne, my Thorne, standing beside Lance–the monster I’d once fought–was too much to bear.
“Shut up,” I hissed, through gritted teeth.
Miela’s laugh stopped. She rounded on me, eyes wide in mock disbelief. “What did you say?”
“I said–SHUT UP!” I roared, pulling at the chains with all my strength. “You don’t know a damn thing!”
Miela’s face twisted in rage, and before I could react, she raised her hand to slap me. But I was faster. I grabbed her wrist, twisting it hard until she yelped in pain. And then, I slammed my palm into her face.
SLAP!
The sound echoed through the dungeon. Miela stumbled back, her hand flying to her cheek. A bloodied tooth fell from her mouth, and she screamed. “My tooth! My tooth!” she shrieked, clutching her mouth in horror. “Where is it? I need it! I need it for the King’s ceremony!”
“Maybe I should slap you again,” I sneered, my voice cold and venomous.
Miela’s eyes filled with fury as she pointed at me. “Hit her! Make her suffer! I want her broken!”
The soldiers didn’t hesitate. They lunged at me, fists flying. I tried to fight back, but the chains held me in place. The pain was excruciating as they struck me. The whip cracked against my skin, tearing at my flesh.
But I wouldn’t give them the satisfaction of hearing me cry out. I gritted my teeth, forcing myself to stay siler
The torture lasted for what felt like an eternity. When they finally stopped, I slumped against the cold stone, barely
conscious.
Miela’s sickening laughter echoed in the distance. “I’ll come back for you, Elara. Don’t
worry, I’ll be back.”
The door slammed shut, and I was left alone in the darkness once again.
The pain in my body was nothing compared to the pain in my heart.
What was Thorne thinking? I couldn’t stop asking myself that. What did he believe in?
Tears burned in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall.
I would find a way out of this. And when I did, I would make Thorne face me. He would regret what he’d done. He had to
I just needed to survive first.
