CHAPTER SIXTEEN
+25 Bonus
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Talia’s POV
This was not how I wanted to spend my night.
I thought I would be able to get a good night’s rest, but it seemed that I could not escape Viki’s foolishness.
‘We should just leave her in the dungeon to rot,’ my wolf growled. ‘It is what she deserves.’
“I thought Viki left with Jason after you told him to back off,” I said, breaking the silence.
“She spread lies about you, so I decided to take action,” Solon shrugged.
“Solon!” I snapped. “I told you I’d handle it. You can’t always make decisions for me.”
“Yes, I can! I’m your brother, and she slandered you,” he replied coolly. “She deserved to be punished.”
I rubbed my temples in frustration. “Ok. I will meet her myself now.”
I made my way down the dark, damn corridor that led to the holding cells. The scent of mildew and blood clung to the air. It didn’t matter how many times I came down here. It always made me uneasy.
I stopped outside Viki’s cell, where she sat on the small cot. Viki sat hunched on the small cot, her arms wrapped tightly around herself as she rocked back and forth. Her once-styled hair was a tangled mess, and her makeup had long since smudged into streaks of black beneath her red, swollen eyes.
The moment she looked up and saw me, her face twisted with rage.
“You!” she shrieked, scrambling off the cot and throwing herself at the bars. Her fingers clawed desperately through the gaps, trying to reach me. “You planned this! You told them to lock me up!”
I rolled my eyes and shook my head in disbelief. She still was delusional. “Stop playing the victim, Viki. Jason’s not around to fall for the act this time.”
Her eyes flashed. “You’re trying to turn him against me! You think if you play innocent long enough, he’ll forget everything we’ve been through–but he won’t! He knows what you are!”
And just like that, her voice cracked as she launched into sobs, wiping at her face with trembling hands. It would’ve looked convincing-if I hadn’t seen her pull this routine too many times before.
“Viki,” I said calmly, “you’re not in here because of me. You’re here because of you. You ran your mouth, mocked my broken bond, called me a thief, and dragged my name through the mud. If not, you’d be at home.”
Viki gripped the bars so tightly her knuckles turned white. “They weren’t lies, and you know it! Everyone saw you throw yourself at the prince like a little harlot. You seduced him to get the Rosecrest!”
“I did nothing of the sort,” I interrupted coolly. “And whether you believe it or not doesn’t matter. The fact is, you’re here. And if you don’t stop your lies and repent, you’ll stay here.”
“You think this is over?” Viki hissed. “You think they’ll believe you forever? You’re just an omega! Once the Prince is done with you, he’ll leave you just like Jason left you because you’re useless!”
I clenched my fists but didn’t rise to her bait. “And that’s where you’re wrong, Viki. Jason didn’t leave me. I left him,” I said simply.
Viki sneered, thinking she hit a nerve. “You’ll always be useless. No matter how many men you seduce. At the end of the day, no one will ever really want you.”
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CHAPTER SIXTEEN
+25 Bonus
I turned to leave. “It seems like there’s no point in talking to you tonight. We’ll try again, maybe in a few days. Enjoy your cell, Viki.”
“Jason will never forgive you!” Viki screamed behind me. “He’s going to make you pay for this! I carry his heir! I’m the real Luna! You’re nothing but a washed up, broken bitch!”
Just as I reached the end of the corridor, a familiar scent wrapped around me-cool pine and smoke, commanding and unmistakably royal.
I froze. My eyes widened, heart skipping a beat before I dropped into a respectful bow.
“Good evening, Prince Solon.”
His footsteps slowed as he approached, the air growing heavier with his presence.
“Rise, Lady Talia,” he said, his voice smooth but firm.
Relief flooded my chest. He was playing along. Not a flicker of recognition crossed his face beyond what was expected. He was protecting my identity-at least for now. Thank the Goddess.
Then his tone shifted-colder, clipped.
“Alpha Jason, step forward.”
I turned toward him, confusion prickling at the edge of my thoughts. “Prince Solon, there’s…”
My voice trailed off as Jason emerged from the shadows of a nearby cell.
He’d been there the whole time.
His gaze locked onto mine, unreadable, intense, and utterly still. Not once did he glance at Viki-not even as she jolted upright on her cot and threw herself dramatically against the bars.
“Jason!” she cried, her voice cracking as fresh tears streamed down her cheeks. “Please, save me! Save me and our pup!”
The shift in her was instant-calculated. One second she was raging, the next she was a broken, trembling shell of innocence. Her hands clutched the iron bars as if they were the only things keeping her upright.
But Jason didn’t move.
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