Chapter 117

Emily’s POV

The crystals flared.

Every jagged formation in the cavern lit up at once, flooding the dark with a blinding, silver–blue glare. Below us, the giant ring began to hum so violently could feel the vibration in the marrow of my bones.

Then the surface of the crystal lake shifted. A shimmering veil spread across the water, looking like liquid

moonlight.

The portal was open.

I watched, frozen, as figures began to emerge from the glow. First came the rogues–armed, messy, and covered in fresh blood. Then came the wolves. An entire pack stumbled out behind them, their faces gray with exhaustion and

terror. Some were limping; others wore heavy silver restraints that bit into their skin.

There were children among them. Small, shaking pups clinging to their mothers.

My stomach turned.

Declan didn’t even flinch. He looked at the wreckage of these people like he was counting cattle.

“Duty calls, little wolf,” he said, his voice turning smooth and cold. “New members need to learn what rogue

oyalty really means.”

The way he said that word made a wave of nausea hit me.

He lost interest in me instantly, his focus shifting to the new captives like a predator spotting a fresh hunt. He grabbed one of the guards and shoved me toward him without looking back.

“Take her back to the castle.”

The guard bowed his head. “Yes, Alpha.”

Alpha. He wasn’t playing the prince anymore.

As we climbed back through the dark tunnels, I kept my face blank. I acted like a broken prisoner, but every time the guard looked away, I leaned closer to the walls.

I snapped one crystal shard loose. Then another.

My fingers were trembling so hard I almost dropped them. If he heard the faint click of the stone breaking, I was dead. But the rogue was in a hurry to get back to the surface, and he barely glanced at my hands.

By the time we reached the cave entrance, my pockets were heavy with jagged, glowing fragments.

When we finally stepped outside, the afternoon glare felt sharp and painful. We crossed the grounds without a

word and entered the cold stone walls of the castle.

101.
Ryan.

He was standing in the middle of the corridor, his eyes fixed on me. He looked like he’d been waiting for hours.

My heart hammered against my ribs. The rogue beside me let out a low, warning growl, but I raised my hand to

stop him.

“Wait here,” I told the guard.

“I was ordered not to leave you alone,” the rogue replied, his voice rough.

I locked at him, letting a coldness settle over my face. “Would you rather I tell Declan you ignored my

nstructions?”

The guard went stiff. It worked. My place in this castle was a mess, but everyone had seen the way Declan looked at me. No one wanted to be the reason his mood soured. The rogue took several steps back, though his hand stayed

on his weapon.

Ryan’s eyes stayed on me. He looked terrible–gray–faced and worn down by guilt. For a heartbeat, I wanted to ceep walking and act like he was just part of the stone wall.

Then he reached out and grabbed my wrist.

“Em, please,” he begged, his voice cracking. “Just let me explain.”

I ripped my hand away like his skin was burning me. “Don’t call me that.”

The pain on his face was deep, but I felt nothing but ice.

“Emily…” he whispered again.

The rogue behind me shifted, his hand moving to his belt. “Everything alright?”

Ryan looked at the guard, his eyes wide and panicked.

“I can handle it,” I said, cutting him off. “Give us a minute.”

The rogue gave Ryan a dirty look, but took a step back.

“Could you leave us completely alone?” I asked, gesturing between us. “My ex is apparently trying to apologize,

and you’re making him shy.”

The guard looked at us, unimpressed.

“I’m not going to run away,” I added, meeting his gaze. “I promise. It’s just a hallway.”

The guard hesitated, but finally moved farther down the hall.

The moment he was gone, a heavy, dead weight settled between us. Ryan looked at me like I was a ghost. Maybe I was. The girl he used to know had died the second the rogues dragged me away from my ceremony.

1:20 pm PpTM.

You don’t need to explain anything,” I said, my voice like ice. “There’s nothing left between us.”

“No.” Ryan shook his head. “Don’t say that.”

“It’s the truth.”

Pain flooded his face, twisting his features into a mask of pure regret.

“I was a horrible mate, I know,” he said. “Every day since your parents died, I treated you like trash. I want to help you now to make up for all those years of cruelty and for the unbearable pain I caused you. Especially during that ceremony, when I chose your sister and rejected you in front of the whole pack. I was blind and selfish… I just didn’t understand what I was doing.”

A bitter laugh bubbled up in my throat. “No thanks. You should focus on taking care of your mate instead.”

Ryan went perfectly still.

“My sister is pregnant,” I said, each word sharp as a blade. “With twins. She helped set me up to be kidnapped,

remember? You both betrayed me.”

I tried to step around him, but he blocked my path again.

“Emily, you don’t understand,” he said, reaching out but not quite touching me. “We didn’t have a choice. What

you saw… it wasn’t real.”

I stared at him for a long heartbeat. Then I said quietly, “I know.”

Hope flared in his eyes. He actually thought I was forgiving him. He started to lean in, his expression softening.

“I know now that you were cowards,” I continued, my voice steady and cold, “long before the rogues ever touched

you.”

“I never wanted you to think that…” Ryan started, his voice breaking.

Then, a growl exploded through the corridor. It was deep, violent, and made the very air vitate. Ryan’s face

urned white instantly.

Declan.

1:20 pm PPTM