Chapter Fifty-seven
Faelen’s POV
The cold stone floor felt unforgiving beneath me as I sat huddled in the corner of the cell, my knees pulled to my chest.
The air was damp, cold, and I shivered, though I wasn’t sure if it was from the cold or the fear eating at my insides.
My body ached from being thrown in here, but it was the weight of everything else that hurt more.
Hunter’s face haunted me there in the cell… the way he had looked at me when I told him the truth.
The hurt in his eyes was worse than any of the harsh words he had thrown at me. I had expected anger, but seeing the hurt behind his rage broke something inside me.
He thought I was a traitor, that all I had ever been was a spy. And in some ways, he was right.
But I hadn’t planned for this… none of it. I never meant to fall for him, or to feel anything for him or anyone in Howle Wulf.
I was supposed to do my job, gather information, and report back to Raven. It should have been simple. But it wasn’t.
I glanced around the dungeon. The darkness closed in around me, and the only sound was the faint drip of water from somewhere in the distance.
My heart pounded with anxiety as the reality of my situation sank deeper. I had betrayed my pack by warning Hunter.
If Alpha Zodd found out, he wouldn’t just kill me… he would make sure I was forgotten, erased from existence like I never mattered.
And now, Hunter wanted nothing to do with me. I had hoped that telling him the truth, warning him, would mean something. But all it did was condemn me.
Tears blurred my vision, and I wiped them away quickly. I couldn’t afford to cry, not now. Not when I didn’t know what was going to happen next.
My mind kept replaying the moment I’d confessed, the shock in Hunter’s face turning to anger as he ordered the guards to drag me down here.
I had tried to plead, to explain my intentions to him, but he hadn’t listened. And Caleb… Caleb’s own disappointment plain on his face.
I hugged my knees tighter, feeling small and powerless. Maybe I had been foolish to think I could change anything.
I had spent so much time trying to survive between two worlds, balancing my loyalty to Belladonna with my growing attachment to Howle Wulf, to Hunter.
And now, everything was crumbling.
A quiet sob escaped me before I could hold it back. I felt so lost. Torn between two worlds, two identities.
I had thought I was doing the right thing, warning Hunter about the attack, but it had only pushed me deeper into this impossible situation.
Would they even believe anything I say now? Would they prepare for the attack, or was my warning too late?
The dungeon door creaked open suddenly, and I lifted my head. Footsteps echoed down the stone corridor.
My heart pounded as I waited, unsure who it could be. Maybe it was Hunter again, or maybe Caleb, coming to demand more answers.
But when the figure stepped into the dim light, it wasn’t either of them. It was one of the guards, his face expressionless as he stopped in front of my cell.
“Get up,” he said gruffly, unlocking the door.
Fear shot through me, and I scrambled to my feet. “Why? What’s happening?”
The guard didn’t answer. He just motioned for me to follow him. My pulse raced as I stepped forward cautiously, my legs shaking.
Was this it? Was Hunter going to have me executed for my betrayal?
As I stepped out of the cell, I glanced back at the empty stone walls, feeling like I was leaving one prison only to walk into another.
I didn’t know what awaited me, but whatever it was, I felt utterly scared, but eager to know what it was.
I followed the guard, my heart hammering in my chest. Every step felt heavy, like I was marching toward my own execution.
The dungeon’s cold, damp air clung to me, but I barely felt it anymore. All I could focus on was what awaited me.
Was Hunter going to question me again? Or was this something far worse? My mind raced through the possibilities.
We climbed the stone steps that led out of the dungeon, the clanking of the guard’s keys echoing off the walls.
I kept my head down, my thoughts spinning in a mess of fear and regret. Why had I even thought telling Hunter the truth would help?
All it had done was push me into deeper danger.
When we reached the top, I blinked against the sudden light, squinting as my eyes adjusted.
I was led through the narrow corridors of the estate, past servants who glanced at me with confusion, pity, or indifference.
No one spoke. No one dared ask what was happening. I wasn’t sure what they knew, but word traveled fast in Howle Wulf, and I was sure by now everyone knew I’d been locked up.
We reached a large wooden door I recognized, and the guard knocked once before opening it. My heart nearly stopped as I realized where I was.
Hunter’s office.
The guard gestured for me to enter, and I hesitated, fear knotting in my stomach. But I had no choice. I stepped inside, and the door closed heavily behind me.
Hunter stood by the window, his back to me. He didn’t turn when I entered. His silence was deafening, and I felt a fresh wave of panic rise inside me.
I swallowed hard, trying to steady my breathing. “Hunter…” My voice was barely a whisper, but it felt like shouting in the tense silence.
He didn’t respond right away, just kept staring out of the window, one hand gripping the windows bar tightly.
Finally, he turned, and his eyes… those sharp, stormy eyes that once softened when he looked at me were cold now. He was a man at war with himself, and I knew I had caused that.
“Why?” The word was quiet, but it hit me harder than I expected.
His voice wasn’t filled with the same anger as before. Now, it was laced with something far more painful.
I opened my mouth, but the words I had rehearsed in my mind felt stuck in my throat.
How could I explain that it hadn’t been a game for me? That I never meant to fall for him, to care about him?
That the lines between my mission and my feelings had blurred so much that I couldn’t tell where one ended and the other began?
“I never wanted this,” I whispered, my voice cracking. “I didn’t want to lie to you, or anyone. But I had no choice.”
Hunter’s jaw tightened. “No choice? You always have a choice, Faelen. You could’ve told me the truth from the beginning.”
I shook my head, tears stinging my eyes. “I couldn’t. If I had… Belladonna would’ve killed me. I was supposed to be loyal to them. I’ve been their pawn since the beginning.”
He took a step closer, his eyes searching mine. “But you told us. Why?”
The question hung in the air between us. Why had I done it? Was it because of my feelings for Hunter? Was it guilt?
Maybe it was both.
“Because I couldn’t let them destroy you,” I admitted, my voice trembling. “I know what they’re planning, and it’s wrong. It’s not just Steeprock coming after you, it’s Belladonna.”
Hunter sighed, a hard, strained sound that seemed like he didn’t believe what I was saying.
“Alpha Zodd won’t stop until he has control of this territory.” I continued. “And I couldn’t stand by and watch that happen, even if it meant…” My voice faltered, and I struggled to find the right words.
“Even if it meant what?” Hunter shot at me.
“Even if it meant exposing myself.”
Hunter’s face twisted in confusion, and for a moment, I thought I saw something in his eyes… something that told me he wanted to believe me.
But the walls he had built up around himself were strong, and I didn’t know if I could break through them anymore.
“So what now?” he asked, his voice low. “You think just because you warned us, everything’s fine? You’ve been lying to me for weeks, Faelen. You’ve been lying to all of us. How am I supposed to trust you?”
I felt the weight of his words like a punch to the stomach. He was right. How could he trust me after everything I’d done?
“I don’t expect you to,” I said quietly. “I know I’ve ruined that. But please, just… listen to me now. Steeprock and Belladonna are planning the attack soon, and if you don’t prepare, they’ll wipe Howle Wulf off the map. I came clean because I couldn’t bear to see that happen. Not to you.”
Hunter looked at me, his gaze intense. For a moment, I thought he might soften, that he might let me explain further. But then his face hardened again.
“Go back to the dungeons,” he said, his voice cold. “Until I figure out what to do with you.”
My heart sank, and I knew that whatever hope I had of convincing him was slipping away.
I had betrayed him, and even though I had tried to make things right, it wasn’t enough. Maybe it never would be.
I nodded, my throat too tight to speak. The guard appeared again, grabbing my arm to lead me out of the room.
I glanced back at Hunter one last time, hoping to see something in his expression that told me things could still change.
But all I saw was a man I had broken. And I wasn’t sure if he’d ever forgive me for that.