Chapter 94
94
~Elara’s POV
Time dragged on slowly, painfully, like it wanted me to suffer through every second of it. The room smelled of broken wood and spilled wine, and the air felt heavy, thick with anger and grief. Darlon staggered across the chamber, knocking things over as he went, his footsteps uneven. I watched his hands shake as he reached for another bottle, then stop halfway, as if something inside him was fighting back.
It was getting late. The candles burned low, their flames flickering weakly, shadows dancing across the ruined walls. I felt fear tighten around my chest. I was scared for him. Scared that he would hurt himself. Scared that his grief would swallow him whole.
“Please,” I whispered again and again, my voice breaking. “Please do not destroy yourself too. I cannot bear to lose you like this p>
He sank into a chair heavily, resting his elbows on his knees, his head hanging low. For a long time, he did nothing. He did not drink again. He did not break anything else. He just sat there, breathing hard, his chest rising and falling. I watched closely, afraid to even hope.
To my surprise, the drunken haze never fully took him. His eyes stayed sharp, dark, burning with purpose. Whatever held him back, it was stronger than the wine.
Then the door opened.
I turned instinctively, even though my body could not move. The commander stepped inside, his armor still damp from the rain. He dropped to one knee immediately, his head bowed low.
“Alpha,” he said respectfully.
Darlon lifted his head slowly. “Speak p>
The commander hesitated for a brief moment, then said, “Ronan and Lira have been captured. They were trying to flee the pack borders. They are now secured in the prison p>
My heart jumped painfully. I felt fear and anger twist together inside me. It was really happening.
Darlon stood up slowly. Then he smiled.
It was not a smile of relief. It was not a smile of peace. It was dark and cold and wicked, and it sent a chill through me.
“Good,” he said quietly. “Take them to the torture chamber p>
The commander bowed deeply. “As you command, Alpha p>
He turned and left quickly, closing the door behind him.
I wanted to scream. “No,” I cried. “Please, Darlon. This will not heal you. This will only deepen the wound p>
But he was already moving, grabbing his coat, his steps steady now, his eyes focused. He followed the commander out, and I was pulled with him, dragged along by whatever force kept me bound to his path.
The torture chamber was dark and cold, built deep beneath the palace. The air smelled of stone, metal, and old fear. Torches lined the walls, their light harsh and unforgiving. Darlon stood in the center of the room, arms crossed, waiting.
I stood near him, unseen, unheard, my heart pounding as if I was still alive.
After some time, the heavy doors creaked open.
Ronan and Lira were dragged inside, their hands bound, their clothes dirty and torn. They looked smaller now. Weaker. Nothing like the confident liars who had stood over my body and rewritten my death.
The moment they saw Darlon, they dropped to their knees.
“Alpha Darlon,” Lira cried quickly, her voice shaking. “Please, listen to us. We know nothing about your wife’s death. We swear it p>
Ronan bowed his head deeply. “We are innocent,” he said. “You are grieving. You are being misled p>
I felt rage explode inside me. Even now. Even now they were lying.
Darlon stared at them in silence for a long moment. His face was calm, terrifyingly calm.
Then suddenly, he moved.
The sound of the slap echoed loudly through the chamber as his hand struck Ronan’s face with brutal force. Ronan cried out and fell sideways, blood spilling from his mouth.
“How dare you,” Darlon shouted, his voice shaking with fury. “How dare you still lie to me p>
He turned and slapped Lira just as hard. She screamed, her head snapping to the side, tears pouring from her eyes.
“You killed my wife!” he roared. “You touched her. You hurt her. You took her life and then you destroyed her name p>
“We did not!” Ronan cried desperately. “She was already dead. We only p>
Another slap cut him off, harder than before.
“How dare you lay your hands on my Luna,” Darlon yelled. “How dare you breathe the same air after what you did to her p>
I cried openly now, my whole soul shaking. I remembered their hands. Their voices. Their betrayal. And still, I did not want this. I did not want Darlon to become this.
“Stop,” I begged. “Please stop p>
But he did not hear me.
He grabbed Ronan by the collar and slammed him against the wall. “You were her friend,” he said, his voice low and shaking. “She trusted you p>
Ronan sobbed, his body trembling. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.
Those words broke something in Darlon.
I saw it in his eyes, the exact moment the last piece of him gave way. His rage exploded fully then, raw and uncontrollable. He let go of Ronan only to turn and grab the iron whip hanging on the wall. The sound it made when it cut through the air was sharp and cruel, and when it struck flesh, the scream that followed made my whole soul shake.
I wanted to turn away. I wanted to close my eyes. But I could not move. I was trapped there, forced to watch everything.
Darlon’s movements were wild and merciless. He lashed them again and again, his breathing heavy, his hands steady even though his heart was breaking. Blood splattered onto the stone floor, mixing with tears and fear. Ronan begged. Lira screamed. Their voices echoed off the cold walls, filling the chamber with panic and pain.
“Say her name!” Darlon shouted, throwing the whip aside and grabbing a metal rod from the table. “Say Elara’s name p>
He struck Ronan hard, over and over, the sound dull and sickening. Lira cried loudly, crawling on the floor, reaching for his feet.
“Please,” she sobbed. “I never meant for it to go this far. We were scared p>
Darlon kicked her away, his face twisted with fury. “You touched her,” he yelled. “You hurt her. You took everything from her p>
He grabbed another object, sharp and heavy, slamming it down with no hesitation. Ronan screamed apologies that came far too late, his voice breaking, his body shaking violently. Lira begged for mercy, swearing she never planned to kill me, swearing she only wanted my place.
I cried silently inside my shield, my heart tearing itself apart. This was not the man I loved, and yet it was. It was grief wearing his face.
Darlon did not listen. He could not listen. The chamber echoed with pain, with begging, with broken voices, until one by one, the sounds faded.
Finally, there was silence.
Ronan lay still on the cold stone floor.
Lira followed soon after, her body collapsing beside him.
Darlon stood there, breathing hard, blood on his hands, his chest rising and falling like he had just fought a war alone.
I stared at him in horror and sorrow. “It is done,” I whispered. “Please let it be done p>
But it was not enough.
He looked down at them, his jaw clenched, his eyes still burning.
“It is not enough,” he said aloud. “Nothing will ever be enough p>
He threw his head back and screamed, a sound full of pain and madness that tore through the chamber and into my soul. I pressed my hands over my ears, sobbing, and nothing hurt more than the fact that I couldn’t do anything.