< Chapter 85
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Chapter 85
Rylan’s POV
Jared had questioned every guard who had been near the cellar. Morning had stretched into noon, and still, we had nothing. No one had seen the woman leave. No one had touched the keys. The patrol logs were clean. The guards swore by the Moon Goddess that the cell had been locked tight, and yet, the woman had vanished into thin air.
My frustration was boiling beneath my skin. I paced across the hallway. My fists were clenched tightly at my sides. My mind was a storm. No matter how many scenarios I considered, only one name came up as a possible puppet master: Kael.
He had the motive. He had the desperation.
He wanted Lisa back.
And what better way to do that than by tearing her trust in me apart?
I cursed under my breath.
“Avarok,” I growled in my mind, “this reeks of him.”
It does, my wolf said, his voice low and tense. But we need more than instincts. We need proof. We need to find Lisa.
I stopped in the hallway and turned toward Alexandra’s room. There was only one person who might know where Lisa was now. Alexandra had helped her leave. If anyone could tell me anything, it was her.
I walked down the corridor. Every step was heavier than the last. My heart felt like it was splitting apart. I stopped outside her door and raised my hand.
I knocked once.
Her voice floated out, calm and composed. “Come in, it’s open.”
I pushed the door open.
Alexandra was curled on her sofa. She was reading a book. She wore a deep blue sweater and leggings. Her long dark hair was tied up in a messy bun, and a cup of tea steamed gently beside her.
She looked up.
Her eyes narrowed. Her lips pressed into a thin line.
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Chapter 85
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“I didn’t expect this from you, brother,” she said before I could speak. “Why did you cheat on Lisa?”
I flinched. The words cut like knives.
“I didn’t,” I said hoarsely. “Alexandra, someone is behind this. Please, believe me. That woman …she was sent. Someone is trying to destroy what Lisa and I had.”
She closed her book and slowly sat up straighter. Her face was unreadable.
“I was not in my senses,” I continued, stepping closer. “You gave me that drink. The one from the table with all those colorful bottles. It tasted sweet, but it hit me like alcohol. I barely remember anything after that. Just darkness.”
Her brows furrowed. “What are you trying to say, Rylan? That I poisoned you?”
I exhaled. “No. I’m just trying to understand. That drink… do you know where it came from?”
She blinked. “I took it from the table by the drink section. That’s it. It wasn’t spiked, if that’s what you’re suggesting. You and Lisa both had one.”
I stared at her. My heart was pounding. She looked sincere. But something about her eyes told me she wasn’t saying everything.
“Where did you drop Lisa off, Alexandra?” I asked.
She hesitated.
“Jared told me you helped her leave. You did not take any guard with you. Where is she right
now?”
She sighed. “She asked me for help. She was crying, Rylan. She looked like someone had shattered her soul. It was the middle of the night. I couldn’t say no.”
“Where?” I pressed.
“The train station,” she said. “Near the northern border of our territory. I dropped her there and left. She didn’t tell me where she was going.”
I kept staring at her. My gut twisted.
She was lying.
Not fully. But partially. I could feel it.
“Are you telling me the truth?” I asked quietly.
Chapter 85
Her jaw tensed. “Yes.”
I didn’t believe her. But I let it go.
I sighed and moved to her bed. I sat down slowly. My hands were trembling, but I tried to keep my voice steady.
“The woman who was in my bed,” I said, “escaped.”
Her eyes widened.
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“There was no sign of a break–in. No broken chains. The door was unlocked. Someone let her out. Someone inside our pack.”
She looked stunned. “That’s not possible.”
“It is. And it happened. Which means we have a traitor.”
She shook her head. “I haven’t seen anything. But… Rylan, do you think Kael could be behind this?”
I nodded slowly. “It makes sense. He’s the one who benefits. If Lisa thinks I betrayed her, she might run back to him. That’s what he wants.”
She crossed her arms. “But how could he get someone inside our pack? Our people are
loyal.”
“Not all of them,” I said bitterly. “Gold and promises can make anyone forget loyalty. Especially if they have something to gain.”
“You really think Kael is that desperate?”
“You didn’t see his face the day he saw Lisa again,” I muttered. “There was something… obsessive. He regrets rejecting her. And now he’ll do anything to get her back. Even destroy her happiness.”
Alexandra stood and walked to her window. She pulled the curtain aside and stared out at the forest. “Lisa was happy here. I saw it in her eyes. But last night… she looked like something inside her had died.”
“Because she thinks I cheated on her,” I said softly.
She turned around and looked at me. Her eyes were sad now. “She trusted you, Rylan. With everything she had left.”
“I know.” My voice cracked. “And I failed her. Even if it wasn’t my fault, it doesn’t matter. The damage is done.”
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There was a long silence.
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“If I could go back,” I whispered, “I would’ve poured that drink out the moment it touched my hand.”
She came closer and sat beside me. “Do you remember anything at all? Any detail? A voice? A face?”
“Just a scent,” I said slowly. “Jasmine. Not Lisa’s scent. It was fainter and strange. Familiar in a wrong way.”
“Jasmine,” she repeated. “I’ll look into that. Maybe it’s a clue.”
I nodded. “Until then, we watch our pack. We question every movement. Whoever let that woman out is still among us.”
“And if Lisa contacts me,” she said, “I’ll tell you. I promise.”
I gave her a tired smile. “Thank you.”
As I left, Avarok whispered inside my head.
Alexandra might know more than she’s saying.
I nodded slightly. “Yes. But I think Lisa made her promise not to tell me. Lisa doesn’t want to see me again. Not after what she thinks she saw.”
Then we must find the truth, Avarok growled. Because if we don’t… we may never see her again.
And that thought was more painful than anything I had ever felt.
The woman I loved was gone.
And someone had taken her from me.
