Free Web NovelChapter 56: Chapter 56
Riley’s POV
Day one passed slowly.
It felt like every second stretched forever and I could not even sleep properly because my mind would not stop thinking. About Bane. About what he told me. About that ridiculous name. About the fact that nothing in my life suddenly felt real anymore.
I kept telling myself he was lying. I kept repeating it in my head over and over because if I stopped, even for one second, fear would swallow me completely.
Now it is day two.
And I know he is coming.
Laden has visited me every single day since that sentence. He comes, watches me, asks questions, threatens me, and then leaves like he enjoys seeing me slowly lose my mind.
I hear the footsteps today again before I even see him.
Slow. Calm. Confident.
The guards unlock the cell door and it creaks open.
I do not look up.
I just sit on the floor with my back against the wall, staring at nothing as he walks inside.
I can feel his presence even without looking up. It is heavy and suffocating.
He stops beside me and squats down. "You have not touched your meal again today," he says in a low voice. "Do you want to die before the three days even end?" fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com
I stay silent. I do not even see the point in talking anymore.
If they want to kill me, then they should just do it already.
He chuckles softly. The sound makes my skin crawl.
He stands up and shoves the tray of food closer to me.
That is when I finally lift my head and look at him. "I do not need this," I say coldly. "Laden."
It is the first time I call his name.
For a moment, his expression changes. He looks surprised. Then he quickly hides it and smirks.
"You know," he says slowly, "I like you for a reason, and that reason is the fact that you are foolishly brave and it irritates me."
I glare at him.
"If at the end you are what I think you are," he continues, "and your precious Alphas do not come for you, I will enjoy breaking that bravery first before I let anyone kill you."
My stomach tightens but I refuse to look away.
He leans slightly closer. "You do not know the restraint I have to maintain around you," he says quietly. "The scent of you drives my instincts insane."
I swallow hard.
He smiles when he sees my reaction. "Relax," he adds. "I am not going to touch you."
He straightens. "At least not yet. I will wait until the third day ends before I decide how useful you truly are."
I clench my fists. "I hate you bastard," I say.
He laughs. "I know and I’m a bastard between," he replies easily. "And that makes this even more entertaining."
He turns and walks toward the door then he stops and looks back at me.
"If I were you, I would eat," he says. "Because tomorrow, you might not see any meal at all."
Then he leaves and the guards lock the door again.
The moment his footsteps fade, I let out a shaky breath.
I feel exhausted. Embarrassed. Angry.
Everything at once.
Slowly, I turn my head toward the next cell. Bane is already watching me.
I feel my face heat up slightly because he heard everything.
But he just gives me a small reassuring smile.
"Do not worry," he says. "Your mates are already inside the Blood Tithers’ territory. They will get you out."
My heart skips."They are here?" I ask in surplus
"Yes," he answers.
Hope rushes through me so fast it almost hurts. I had felt them earlier, I had felt Gunnar and now it was right, does it mean I am not truly human?
But then he adds something else.
"You need to pray to the Moon Goddess for one of them."
I blink.
"One of them?" I repeat. "Pray for one of them how? Is someone going to die?"
Fear grips me instantly.
"No," he says quickly. "When the Triarch brothers fight together, very few forces in this world can stand against them. Even the Blood Tithers fear that unity."
"Then why should I pray?" I ask.
His expression becomes serious. "Because one of them carries something dangerous inside him," he says quietly.
My chest tightens hard "What do you mean?"
"One of them has a cursed lunar entity within him," he explains. "If that side awakens and overpowers his wolf, he will become a threat to everyone."
My eyes widen.
"Especially you," he adds.
A chill runs through my body.
"Stop," I say quickly. "You are scaring me."
"I do not intend to," he replies. "I am only telling you what I know."
I shake my head. "This is too much," I snap at him.
He continues anyway. "One of the brothers is not fully wolf," he says. "He is a hybrid."
My mind starts racing.
"And he is the one you are most compatible with as a mate."
"What?" I gasp at his words, right now my eyes feels like popping out of their sockets.
"The bond he has with you is stronger than the others," he explains.
My breathing becomes uneven. "Which one?" I ask desperately. "Please tell me which one."
I try to think. Gunnar is cold and terrifying. Cane is unpredictable.
But then I remember something. The way Caden almost killed Ethan without hesitation in the boardroom that day, the way his eyes glowed! Holy hell! And he was still the one that calmed me down.
The darkness in his eyes.
The violence.
My eyes widen.
"Caden," I shout instantly. "It is Caden, right?"
Bane smiles slightly.
"Time will reveal everything," he says.
My heart starts beating faster. "What happens if that other side takes over?" I ask.
He looks at me carefully. "Then he may not recognize you," he says. "And you will be the one person he must never harm."
Fear fills me completely.
"How do I stop it?"
"You cannot," he replies. "Only he can."
Silence fills the cell instantly, horror grips me. What kind of sick twisted problem have I gotten myself in. I used to be Riley Grayson CEO, now I’m in the middle of something I don’t even know.
I sit there, shaking."So what do I do?" I can’t help but ask
"For now," Bane says, "you wait to see how fate plays out."
I nod slowly. "They are close," Bane says quietly.
Hope and fear mix inside me.
"Prepare yourself," he adds. "The Blood Tithers will not let you go easily."
