Chapter 104

Chapter 104

The void reverberated all about me, the silver-infused walls of this cell weakening my wolf long after she had given up on fighting. I was motionless, huddled up in the corner with my eyes clouded by tears.

I could still feel him, his sorrow pouring through my heart's constricted beat, his anger and responsibility tearing at every nook and cranny of my being. Even when he had ordered his men to cast me into this dungeon to rot, he was still by my side. Despite everything that had transpired, he refused to look at me when his men took me away, but our mate link remained strong and needed to be fulfilled even in that moment.

As time passed, I became further detached from reality and felt loneliness creeping into my bones. I could feel myself fading, even though I had no idea how long he would force me to stay here or how much time had gone since the trial's instructions.

I would get worse the longer he left me down here. Without him near, sleep was agony, and my flushed eyes confirmed the reality of my bad dreams: the recollection of his impassive glare, which would always come back every time I closed my eyes. Eating was agony as well, since my body rejected the food even though what it actually wanted was to be near him.

The mate link bound me to my partner's promise even though I realized how unlikely it was that I would bore his mark, which was a punishment in and of itself. My wolf withdrew when the anguish flared, and it was yearning for the impossible.

I know he sensed too that our separation from one another would eventually become catastrophic. The agony would stop as soon as he forced me to stand trial. Despite knowing my mate's extreme possessiveness towards his wolf, I was still in this chilly cell, and for once, I didn't feel that his control might be easily lost.

I was unable to stop thinking about him or the steps that had brought me to this point.

I was worthy of it. I was worthy of his disinterest.

He would seek a verdict that I deserved.

As I fade in and out of the darkness, clinging to the memories of him that did not make me seem bad, I deserved the pain that radiated from my sternum and wrapped around my heart like barbed wire. The agony for the life he would spend with me, the hunger in his touch, the yearning in his eyes. The only safety he could provide for me now that I had sought him out was in my fantasies.

I was fighting desperately to remain conscious, but given my body's failing condition, there wasn't much I could do. When I wasn't attuned to myself, my magic wouldn't work, and since my wolf was dormant, I couldn't use it either.

I was sick of the strength I required to survive. I was sick of it all. Why would I be worth it in the end if I wasn't?

Like a blanket of clouds, the blackness enveloped me and periodically withdrew, reminding me of my situation.

But I was no longer alone when, for what seemed like the hundredth time, the shadows moved away.

She pressed her hands on my immobile body as the familiar aroma swept over me, making me feel panicked. Even though moving was the last thing I wanted to do, her smooth and persistent fingertips begged me to.

How did she get to be here? I hadn't even thought to consider what it would mean for her to know the whole truth about who I was since I had been so preoccupied with my own destiny, even if it was just another illusion I had made up. I had not considered how a wolf that identified with me would be handled by the royal pack.

"Kylie." Her words were filled with compassion as she whispered. "You have to cooperate with me in order for me to get you out of here. You are immovable to me.

"That wasn't the deal, and you know it." A little farther away, the beta's voice could be heard, his remarks harsh and cut. Despite his cruel attitude, I couldn't help but find solace in it.

"Kylie, come on—I can't leave you here like this." Vera disregarded the beta's instruction and pulled at my body once more, her voice breaking with the memories of the past few days.

"No," I muttered incoherently. "I must remain here. I deserve everything, including this."

Not even she could alter my destiny or the relationship I had with the man who had my life in his hands.

"She's right about that; she really had us all fucking fooled."

Between the three of us, there was an excruciating silence while his words shattered against the walls made of cement. I mean, whatever my goals were, that was the truth.

Vera briefly ran her fingers over my disheveled hair before her aroma filled my nostrils due to her abrupt movement. I peered up at them through the holes in my hair, and she sprung up from the ground beside me and wheeled towards the beta.

"Are you really that fucking dense—look at her?" Morgan crossed his arms across his chest, scoffing at her scream, as he didn't think I deserved the attention. "You really believe she's come to hurt your pack, but why did she pick this? If you believe she is so bad, then why would she give up without a struggle and utilize her magic to keep you all safe?" Then Morgan lowered his gaze and scowled at me.

"This could all be an act, and you're the idiot that is falling for it." He reiterated.

I was guilty of the crime and hadn't even attempted to refute his assumptions, so I couldn't possibly resent him for them.

Wouldn't it have been simpler for her to complete the mate bond if she was trying to harm you all? Would you not take the mark of the man who controls everything if you were attempting to destroy the monarchy?" Knowing that what she was saying made more sense than his animosity towards me, Morgan pinched his lips together. "There is something worse at play, and you are taking the distraction that was given to you all because you can't get past your own egos." With a snarl, Vera turned back to face me and attempted to help me stand up.

"Kylie, we don't have much time. "No." I shook my head, causing the room to start spinning. "Please, you can't make me go; I can't leave. I must remain in this place. Without him, I don't want to go anywhere."Despite my hysterics, she was able to understand even though my sentences were jumbled together.