Chapter 24

LLOYD

Misty’s link came through just after King Axel’s alpha command to yield—the timing was almost perfect. A whole squad of warriors held me down, their combined weight pressing my face into the dirt.

I could smell their fear, a sharp tang in the air, as their claws raked across my skin. Even though each wound healed instantly, I wasn’t immune to pain, and it lingered.

Most of them knew I had been released from the chamber, yet now they viewed me as evil—as if the curse was contagious. Their eyes were filled with suspicion and revulsion.

In revealing herself, Misty had tipped her hand, and everything changed in a split second. Asking her to save me had been a grave mistake, and I kicked myself mentally, frustrated with my shortsightedness.

Fear for her life made my heart pound with anxiety. The thought of palace warriors hunting and capturing her sent a chill down my spine, but they were nothing compared to the threat I posed.

Why hadn’t I discussed the curse with her earlier? I had been so absorbed in her—her presence, her proximity, the intoxicating scent that drowned out all rational thought.

Selfishly, I wanted to create memories with her, allowing the pressing issue of the curse to slip my mind entirely.

Getting her out of the chamber and away from the palace had taken priority, but now they knew she was a witch, and we no longer had the advantage.

I pictured Misty—her determined eyes and fierce spirit. She was strong and capable, but fear gnawed at me.

Rough hands jerked me upright, taking a path I was familiar with, and I guessed the destination. I was intimately acquainted with the dungeon. King Broderick never trusted the curse and insisted that I sleep there.

Thrust through the doors, I was made to kneel in the center of the lower level, a large, cavernous room lined with cells on three sides.

There were no walls between the cells, only bars, allowing the guards to hear every whispered conversation. At the far end stood a scarred, blackened desk, and behind it, against the wall, hung an array of silver whips and knives for torture.

Next to the knives was a little hook with the cell key—one opened all.

In the center was a large open space where King Cillian had tethered me to test my invulnerability.

Two large iron rings with chains and cuffs were bolted into the discolored cement floor, mirroring identical fixtures in the ceiling—a convenient drain to wash away the evidence.

The adjustable chain allowed the guards to stretch you regardless of height. They fastened the cuffs to my ankles and wrists, and I waited bare-chested for Axel.

I instinctively knew he would want revenge for being locked in the chamber, and if this detracted from Misty, I was prepared to endure any amount of pain.

The cells were filled with alphas and betas, their gazes trained on me. I scanned the cells and found Harris. I was shocked at his appearance but glad he was still alive.

He could barely stand, his body bearing the marks of torture, likely because I had removed Misty from the throne room, and King Axel would have demanded answers.

Still, Harris didn’t have any details unless Misty had confided in him, which I doubted. Our eyes met, and all I saw was pain and confusion.

The three guards who accompanied King Axel and Tanner into the chamber to release me were locked up by themselves right opposite the desk. I hadn’t had much to do with them, but I knew their names: Patrick, Reese, and Aaron.

King Axel was taking no chances with their loyalty after Tanner’s defection. They shot me nasty looks, and I knew they could be a problem if anything untoward happened.

The cells reeked of blood, urine, and feces, and I heard King Axel before I could smell him.

He removed something off the wall before walking deliberately toward me. His face contorted into an ugly mask of rage.

His eyes burned with intense, almost feral anger, and his lips twisted into a snarl. Veins bulged at his temples, and his clenched fists trembled with barely contained violence.

My gaze flicked to the whip in his hands, a cat-o’-nine-tails with silver hooks braided into the leather for maximum pain. I had felt its lash before and knew the agony it promised before it touched my skin.

“You traitorous, worthless motherfucker,” he spat, his voice dripping with venom.

Without warning, he swung the whip with a vicious snap. The silver hooks bit into my chest, tearing through flesh and muscle with brutal efficiency. Pain exploded through me, and a few drops of blood welled up and ran down my torso.

~“I wish I could absorb the pain,”~ Vetus snarled.

~“We’ve dealt with worse.”~

I met Axel’s gaze and raised my eyebrows; all the bygone kings thought I felt no pain, and it was best to keep it that way. The whip came down again and again, and the hooks ripped into my flesh with renewed ferocity.

Ten lashes later, he tired and threw the whip on the floor. What came out of his mouth next froze my blood.

“I can’t torture you, but I can make you torture others, and we have so many guilty alphas here. Alphas who don’t understand the privilege of letting me fuck their daughters. I mean, what higher honor could I bestow on these worthless she-wolves?” he ranted, pacing before me.

I said nothing. I already had so much blood on my hands, and the last thing I wanted was to torture innocent wolves who only wanted to protect their pups. I understood now that Olivia hadn’t been the first.

Alpha Zack wanted to negotiate first and had many alphas supporting him. I stopped him from naming them—it was better not to know.

I knew he planned on killing King Axel, the sole reason I woke initially, and I wished I could have stood back and watched. I wondered briefly who the wolf was that caused my awakening this time, but it was irrelevant.

A warrior came striding into the dungeon. “Sire, I have disturbing information.”

King Axel lifted his hand, clearly irritated by the interruption. But I already knew what the warrior had to report—Misty had used her powers to escape.

Taking his frustration out on me, he grew his claws and slashed my face, the sharp pain cutting deep.

Axel turned to the warrior. “What is it?”

“The girl got away using some sort of magic—an invisible barrier. And she had help from one of our juniors.” He stepped back and bared his neck submissively; I suspected he feared Axel’s retaliation as the bearer of bad news.

Axel paled before his eyes swung back to me in fury, glancing at my neck.

“So she’s not your mate but a witch,” he hissed. When I didn’t answer, he shouted, using all his dominance. “Answer me!”

I didn’t resist, but there were ways past the alpha command.

“I never saw her perform any magic,” I said calmly. “Otherwise, I wouldn’t have had to help her out of the chamber, but she is my mate.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Harris stand up straight, his eyes pinning me. Admitting it put a big target on her back, but confirming she was a witch was a death sentence.

King Axel had read the journal and knew what was at stake. I held my breath, fearing his next words…

“Then where is your fucking mark? Don’t tell me you didn’t want to fuck her.”

I shrugged. “The chamber is not conducive to mating.”

Axel looked at me derisively, and I surmised that a dirty, musty chamber wouldn’t have prevented him from mating.

“Sire,” the guard interrupted. “Everyone saw her carrying a bag filled with the crystals from the chamber.” He handed Axel a crystal. “I found this on the road outside the palace walls.”

The crystal must have fallen out of the bag and shone like a star. Axel held it in his palm speculatively. He’d calmed down and was ten times more dangerous when thinking clearly and not raging.

“So the little witch woke you?”

“No, the curse did. She could have wreaked havoc if she had been a witch, but instead, she ran. Helping her out of the chamber was the least I could do for my mate.”

His eyes narrowed, and I knew he didn’t believe me.

“Why did she take the crystals, then?” he asked.

“To find a witch to release me. The mate bond is strong, and she wants what every she-wolf does.”

“Bullshit, what about this magical barrier?”

“It must be the power of the crystals. As you see, sire, I am still bound and adhered to your alpha command, so nothing has changed,” I said conclusively.

He stood in contemplative silence for a moment, and I hoped I had convinced him.

~“Fuck,”~ Vetus said, and that summed it up. I fearfully waited for another alpha command.

“What is your name, guard?” Axel asked softly, raising the hair on the back of my neck.

“Calvin, sire,” he said, baring his neck deferentially.

“You’ve just been promoted to dungeon master,” Axel said. “I want you to whip him every hour throughout the night, understood?”

“Yes, sire,” Calvin said with a bow, a huge smile on his face.

Calvin was a well-trained and strong wolf in his prime, and I knew we were in for a long night.

But whipping me was pointless and served no purpose, and I wished I had insight into King Axel’s twisted mind. Still, I felt a certain amount of relief.

Without another glance, Axel stalked out. Dropping my head onto my chest, I closed my eyes and linked Misty.

~“Misty?”~

Her response came quickly, and I bit back a grin of pleasure.

~“Lloyd? Are you okay? Why didn’t you tell me?”~

~“I’m sorry. I keep making the same mistakes, but I didn’t want to argue with you during the time we had. Are you okay?”~

It was partially true, but being by her side put her in mortal danger, and the last thing I wanted was my mate’s blood on my hands.

~“That’s the worst excuse ever… I’m a reasonable she-wolf, you know. I connected with Chelsea and Tanner, and we are on our way there. What about you?”~

~“Oh, you know, I’m invulnerable.”~

~“Adam took wolfsbane, and it occurred to me it could be a way out for you.”~

~“It’s a great idea, but it doesn’t work. I can’t get rid of Vetus that easily.”~

Vetus growled softly. During one of my awakenings, seeing no way out, I tried to take my own life in desperation but was unsuccessful.

~“Meaning?”~

~“I’m immune to poisons, wolfsbane, and even silver. But listen, regarding the curse, maybe you should forget about that and me,”~ I tried to dissuade her.

There was a moment of silence before she yelled so loudly in my head I winced. ~“Don’t do that! Don’t you dare push me away! And believe me, I have a score to settle with Axel. No, I will do everything in my power to break the curse.”~

~“No good can come of it, and I have no idea how the allegiance spell works.”~

~“I will figure it out. There must be something in the grimoire,”~ she said decisively.

Two weeks ago, she had no clue she was a witch, and I had no right to ask for her help. I should never have marked her or asked her to save me.

I knew I couldn’t convince her, and part of me rejoiced at her determination, but she had to be prepared. I didn’t have the heart to tell her that I could be the one hunting her.

Goddess, I was in a bind. I desperately wanted her to break the curse, but at the same time, I wanted her to be far away and forget about everything.

~“And tell Tanner it might be the opportune time to rally the packs, and it is imperative you stay on the move and stay hidden. See if there’s a spell to mask your scent. As you suspected, King Axel knows you’re a witch, which puts you in danger. What did you do?”~ I asked curiously.

~“I don’t know how, but I created an invisible barrier.”~

I grinned in delight. A barrier might keep me from her.

~“Brilliant!~ ~One more thing. Your father is alive and in the dungeon.”~

~“Oh, thank Goddess. How did you find out? Wait—are you in the dungeon?”~

Fuck.

~“I am, but as I said, I’m invulnerable.”~