Chapter 147
Daranâs roar made everyone quiver in their spots.
But not Westin.
Instead, he replied calmly in a provoking sort of way:
âYou heard me already. I am her mate.â
âBULLSHIT! I am-â
âYeah, you WERE her mate. But not anymore.â Westin sneered. âYou rejected her for another woman, didnât you? Even a rogue like me knew about that. Does it surprise you that she finds her second chance mate now?â
Daran glared at Westin in silence. He was like a volcano, ready to erupt at any second.
After a long pause, he turned to Janet.
âWas it true?â he asked word by word.
Janet frowned. She was on full alert, afraid that anything she said would trigger Daranâs rage and cause him to attack all of them again.
Just then, Morgana spoke up for her, âIt is true! Janet just found him today! Why are
you acting like a bigâo saint all of a sudden? We saw you with other women! If you have moved on, so can Janet-â
And that was the final straw.
Without warning, Daran lunged forward, his fist connecting with Westinâs jaw. Westin was sent staggering back, his face contorted in pain.
ââ¦Violence?â
Westin wiped the blood on the corner of his mouth and glared back at Daran, his eyes filled with rage.
âIf that is the best you can do, no matter if Janet grows tired of you.â
He charged forward abruptly, his own fist aimed at Daranâs face.
The two men grappled with each other, their punches flying back and forth. The air was filled with the sounds of their grunts and the thud of their fists connecting with flesh.
They were evenly matched, both strong and determined.
None of them even had the time and mind to shift into their wolves.
Both fueled by anger and jealousy, they fought brutally, determined to kill each. other on the spot.
âFuck,â Janet cursed.
She wanted to break their fight. But it was too brutal. She couldnât do it, not without her wolf.
âLet us go.â Morgana took her hand and whispered into her ears urgently, âLet Westin handle this. Let us take this chance and run!â
Yet they didnât make it to the courtyardâs entrance before hearing a furious growl from behind.
Daran shoved Westin aside and rushed at them again.
He snatched Janetâs hand back and held her tightly in his arms. Blood dripped down from his face, his own blood. He got injured in the fight earlier.
ââ¦Stay,â he said hoarsely, halfâpleading, halfâdemanding. âYou donât have an option.â
Janet stared at him coldly.
She could hear the sound of heavy boots approaching. The soldiers were coming. They were trapped again.
The chance was gone.
She raised her hand and slapped harshly across Daranâs face.
SLAP!
âYou are a fucking jerk,â she snapped.
Daranâs jaw moved, and his face darkened, but he didnât say anything or strike back.
The soldiers poured into the courtyard, surrounding them in the middle.
âMorgana.â
With Janet in his arms, Daran turned to look at Morgana, his eyes ice cold.
âThat man is your soldier. What do you plan to do?â
Westin had pulled himself up from the ground, his face covered in blood and bruises as well
Morgana kept Westin behind her back and raised his chin, âWestin did nothing wrong. You canât punish a soldier for nothing.â
âHe fucking tried to help you two escape!â Daran said grimly. âI wouldnât call it nothing.â
âThat order comes from me! You will have to punish me first!â
Daran let out a cold sneer. Just when he was about to give the order to take down Morgana and Westin, Janet spoke up beside him:
âDaran. Donât make me hate you even more.â
Daranâs chest rose and fell.
He gave Janet a dark look.
âFine.â he gritted, âBack to the palace.â
He stuck out a hand to take Janetâs hand. But she avoided him coldly.
âI can walk by myself,â she said.
She puffed her chest and walked straight past by Daran, without casting him a single look anymore.
Janet thought Daran would take her back to the dungeon and lock her up again.
Vet instead be
Yet instead, he took her to their suite, the room they stayed in when they first arrived at the Grace Ruin.
Janet stepped into the room and felt a wave of strong emotions washing over her.
This room carried so many memories.
They used to stay in this room all night discussing tactics against Lance and cuddling to sleep on the couch.
They were surrounded by so many dangers before. But at least their hearts were close to one another.
Yet now, everything had changed.
âLeave us,â Daran said.
The soldiers bowed and backed out of the room.
Jane turned around to face him, a sarcastic smile on her face.
âThey really treat you as the big boss. Seems that you already have Lance wrapped around your finger. Congratulations,â she mocked.
âI have my reason,â Daran said coldly.
Janet rolled her eyes.
She was getting tired of him saying that.
Her disdainful face enraged him. He strode up to her and grabbed her chin forcefully with one hand.
âYou never give me a chance to explain,â he gritted.
Janet snorted, âI stayed in a fucking dungeon for almost a week, and you didnât show up. Morgana brought me to the nightclub to confront you and the only thing I saw was you groping a striper. So if you still think that you havenât been given a chance to explain, fine, fire away now.
âLance said something to me in the forest. Before I kill him.
âYou mean your new boss?â
Daran ignored her sarcastic tone and continued, âKilling him doesnât solve our problem. Even if he dies, another Rogue King will appear, probably someone even worse. The war wonât stop. They will tramp our border again.â
âBut you donât know for sure!â Janet cried, âMaybe someone better will take over, someone better, someone decentâ¦like Morgana or Kass!â
âThe rogues will never pledge their loyalty to a soft soul. The Rogue King is always someone cold, cruel, and ambitious.â
Janetâs chest rose and fell rapidly in anger.
And she taunted, âSomeone cold, cruel, ambitiousâ¦.Are you talking about yourself?â Daranâs face darkened instantly.
âOK! I can see what is happening here.â
Janet slapped his hand away and glared at him.
âYou believe that by becoming The King, you can make all the rogues submit
themselves to you. You will be the one uniting the two worlds. Hence solving the problem is one thing for all. Is that right?â
Daran looked straight into her eyes, âThat is right.â
âBut you are not in this for the peace, Daran! You are just powerâfueled! You said that you didnât want a monster to be the Rogue Kingâ¦But look at yourself! You are becoming that cold and cruel monster that we are all afraid of!â
Daran snarled, âIs that how you fucking think of me? A fucking monster?!â
âYou almost shot that girl in the nightclub!â
âA necessary sacrifice!â
A creeping chill was sent down Janetâs spine.
â¦A necessary sacrifice.
He was willing to kill anyone who stood in his way.
First, it was just a random girl in the nightclub; then it would be Morgana, or Kass, or Casper⦠Eventually, it would be her.
She meant nothing to Daran compared to his ambition.
After a long pause, Janet said in a hoarse voice, ââ¦Did Lance say anything about how. to make you The King?â
âNot yet. He hinted that there was going to be a special ritual but hadnât given me. the details. I am going to find it out.â
âFine.â
Janet nodded.
âGo be friends with Lance. Do what you have to do. Go be a fucking brutal monster. I donât care anymore.â
A flash of anger flickered across Daranâs eyes.
âThen who do you care!â he growled, âYour second chance mate? That Westin guy? Are you going to recognize him as mate?!â
She didnât have that plan.
But now she would say anything to piss Daran off.
âYes!â she raised her chin defiantly, âI am going to recognize him as my mate first thing in the morning! We will have sex, fall in love, and live happily ever after-â
He bent down and caught her lips, silencing her forcefully.
His lips were hot and slightly trembling. Janet bit on his tongue hard but he didnât let go. She could taste his blood.
He kissed her with his whole might till she almost passed out due to the lack of air.
Then he pulled away from her and rubbed her chapped lips with his thumb.
âYou are not going anywhere.â
Daran said in a low voice, like the whisper of a devil.
âYou wonât be able to see Westin. Not anyone else. From now on, you just stay in
this room.â
Janet rounded her eyes in shock⦠Was he going to lock and imprison her?!
Yet before she could shout out her objection, Daran turned and strode out of the
room.
The door shut with a loud bang, locking her inside.