Chapter 88: The Breaking Point
Melissa’s POV
Rage burned in my veins as I sensed the war unfolding outside. Kane was fighting for me, for us. But Zephyr-someone we once trusted-stood in his path. Through the flickering torchlight of my captivity, I heard the clash of blades and the guttural roars of two Alphas locked in conflict.
Kane roared, “You betrayed us,” his voice full of rage.
Zephyr’s laugh was frigid. “You couldn’t see the reality because you were blind. You were never supposed to have Melissa. Darius is the owner of her.
My heart pounded as I placed my palms on the chilly stone walls. “No! I am not someone’s property.” I muttered, but nobody could hear.
The sound of Kane’s snarl was animalistic. “Zephyr, I trusted you. We fought beside each other. You betrayed the pack, but how? Betray her?
Zephyr took a while to respond. I recoiled as a horrible thud reverberated. “Kane, you don’t get it. The adversary is not Darius. He is the solution. She’s meant for something bigger than you, Melissa.
My nails dug into my hands as I clenched my fists. Kane couldn’t fight this battle by himself, in my opinion. I had to get out.
Darius’s voice, as smooth as silk, crept into my head. Don’t you sense it? Under your skin lies the power. Give up resisting.
I violently shook my head. “No. I am not yours.”
His golden eyes glowed as he took a step closer. “But Melissa, you are. Already, the link is taking shape. You sense it. The rage. The urge. The urge to eliminate people who get in your way. Why refrain?
Inside me, a sinister energy writhed and twisted, waiting to be let loose. I had fought and denied the truth for so long. What if I wasn’t only supposed to be Kane’s partner? What if I had always been imprisoned in a fate too small for me?
No! I pushed the mind away. “Kane has faith in me. The group-”
“The pack fears you,” Darius spoke in a quiet, almost gentle tone. “They murmur against your back. When will you finally lose control, they wonder? When will you turn into the monster they already perceive in you?
My chest twisted with pain. I knew in my heart that he wasn’t incorrect. Lydia. The fighters. Kane, too. At one time or another, hadn’t they all hesitated? I wondered if I had gone too far.
Darius’s fingers touched my cheek as he reached out. “Relax, Melissa. Give up fighting. Accept who you were destined to be.
The darkness coiled itself around my fingers. Inside of me, the need for power raged like a hurricane just waiting to be let loose.
The fighting raged on outside. With their weapons gleaming in the blood-red sky, Lydia led the warriors toward the fortress. However, the moment they stepped through the doorway, the air glistened and their faces contorted in terror.
Delusions. Darius’s cunning ploy.
“No…” Lydia gasped for air. Her brother was dead, his body covered in blood, standing in front of her. “Tobias?” she said in a whisper.
He raised his head and gazed into her eyes with vacant eyes. “You allowed me to pass away. I could have been saved by you.
Shadows tore at his mind, bending into the features of slain friends, lost lovers, and childhood fears, as another warrior shouted. They were stuck on a battlefield that was more than simply a fight; it was a nightmare.
I could sense their anguish and panic. I felt compelled to assist them. But why should you? Said a colder, darker portion. You were never really trusted by them. Let them drop.
I felt a chill as Darius took another step toward me. His strength enveloped me like a second skin, and his presence was intoxicating.
He said, “Do you see it now?” “Who you are?” Melissa, you are more than simply a wolf. You are much more than that.
My breath caught and my pulse slowed. Shadows spread toward me, and the flickering torches in the chamber grew dimmer. In the distance, I could hear Kane yelling my name, but it was only a faint echo.
I looked at the mirror next to me. I looked back at my reflection, but it wasn’t me. Her lips twisted in a knowing sneer, and her eyes were as dark as the night.
Whispering, “You already belong to us,” she said.
I last remembered breathing one name and separating my lips.
“Darius.”
I was engulfed in darkness.