Chapter 254

Kaelen POV

"How old was your daughter when she was taken?" I asked, my fingers clenching into my palms.

Augustus swallowed hard, his throat working painfully. "She was five," he murmured. "And now... she would be in her twenties."

I went quiet again, the number echoing in my chest. Five years old.

Even I was older than that when I was discarded and sent away into hell. A five-year-old child sold off like chattel... one could only imagine the horrific nightmare she must have endured if she wasn’t already buried in an unmarked grave.

But as risky as this was, I had no other choice. I needed that cure.

"Fine. I will help you," I said flatly.

Augustus’s entire body sagged in relief, his head resting against the heavy iron collar.

"But I still don’t trust a single breath you take," I continued coldly, stepping into his space. "I will have a chip customized specifically for you. It will be implanted directly into your flesh. If you cross me, betray my trust, or play double agent with the Council, you will die within seconds."

"I have nothing else to lose," he whispered, looking up at me through bruised eyelids. "I just want my daughter back."

"Expect the chip in two days. Only then will I release you from these chains," I added, my voice leaving no room for negotiation.

Augustus nodded repeatedly, completely submitting to my terms.

Without wasting another second, I turned on my heel and began walking toward the stone stairwell, Darius matching my stride a step beside me.

"You are nothing like your father," Augustus muttered softly from the darkness behind us, making my step falter for a fraction of a second. "If I had known that sooner... I would have stood by your side from the very beginning."

I said nothing in return. I simply resumed walking, the heavy thud of my combat boots echoing against the stone steps as we climbed toward the surface and the cold light of the moon.

Yet Augustus’s final words followed me, refusing to leave my thoughts.

You are nothing like your father.

I wanted to believe him. I desperately wanted to believe I was better than the monster who had created me.

But after everything he had just revealed about the curse and how gruesomely it progressed, I couldn’t help wondering how long that would remain true.

"Keep him alive," I ordered coldly, signaling to the two men who had been keeping watch outside the heavy door. "No more torture for now. But if he tries anything, anything at all, you know what to do."

"Yes, Boss," they answered in unison, bowing their heads respectfully.

I didn’t need to elaborate. They already knew what I meant.

With a final, curt nod, I turned to Darius, and we began making our way out of the hidden ruins.

Minutes later, as soon as we cleared the perimeter of the old factory, we shifted smoothly into our wolf forms and began sprinting through the dense, shadowed forest in absolute silence until we reached the dark sedan parked a half-mile away.

After shifting back into our human forms, Darius slid into the driver’s seat while I rounded the vehicle and pulled myself into the passenger side.

The moment I slammed the door shut, Darius let out a low, heavy breath into the quiet car. He rested both hands on the steering wheel but didn’t start the engine.

Neither of us spoke for a few seconds.

"So," he finally said, staring straight ahead through the windshield. "Are you really going through with this?"

My entire body went tense.

I leaned my head back against the leather headrest, my jaw tightening as I stared ahead.

I already knew where this conversation was going, and I didn’t have the energy for it.

"We don’t have a choice." I muttered.

"There’s always a choice," Darius countered, his tone laced with deep concern as he turned to face me. "We could walk away. We could leave Augustus to rot in those chains and find another way to break the curse."

"And how long would that take?" I asked.

My voice came out flatter than I intended, exhaustion weighing heavily on every word.

"Months? Years?" I shook my head and let out a tired breath. "I don’t have that kind of time. You heard him lay out those stages. You saw the symptoms. I’m already deep into stage two. If I don’t find this cure soon..." I trailed off, unable to finish the thought.

I raised a hand and rubbed my temples as a sharp, throbbing headache started building behind my eyes. I squeezed them shut for a moment, trying to push through it.

Darius went quiet, the grim reality settling between us. He knew as well as I did that we couldn’t afford to take any chances with Morwenna’s influence growing stronger by the day.

"So how the hell do we find the girl?" he finally asked, his brow furrowing. "Over fifteen years... that’s a long time to track a ghost."

I shrugged, staring out at the dark, moonlit trees lining the deserted road. "First, we get the tracking chip manufactured and implanted into him. Once he’s secured with the kill switch, we’ll force him to give us every single detail. Every lead, every name, every scrap of information he gathered before his father’s spell blocked him."

Darius looked like he wanted to argue again, his jaw set in a tight line. He clearly wasn’t comfortable with how this interrogation had played out. He had come here tonight expecting quick answers or a swift execution, only to leave with a delicate, high-stakes deal with a High Council Elder.

I couldn’t blame him for his frustration. I hated it just as much as he did. But right now, it was the only thread of hope I had left to hold on to.

With a reluctant grunt, Darius finally turned the key in the ignition. The engine roared to life, and he pulled the car onto the main road, speeding away into the dark toward the estate.

****

The estate was dead silent when we finally returned under the cover of darkness.

As always, Darius headed straight to his chambers without saying a word, leaving me alone in the long, shadowy corridor.

My footsteps felt unusually heavy against the polished marble floor as I made my way toward my wing, passing Lorelei’s door.

I stopped.

For a long moment, I stood there, staring at the closed door, already imagining her inside.

She was probably fast asleep by now, curled up beneath the silk sheets, her golden hair spread across the pillow as she breathed softly.

I found myself wondering if she was still thinking about everything that had happened earlier.

If she was still hurting.

If she was still wondering whether I was disappointed in her.

I wanted to see her.

More than anything, I wanted to hold her, but the thought of going to her like this made me hesitate.

The stench of blood still clung to my skin, Augustus’s blood mixed with the damp earth of the underground chamber.

I could still feel the weight of everything that had been revealed down there, and I didn’t want to bring any of it into her room. I needed to wash up first.

With a heavy sigh, I turned away from her door and continued toward my chambers.

But the moment I pushed my bedroom door open, I stopped in surprise.

Lorelei was sitting on the edge of my bed, wide awake and waiting for me. She was wearing a sheer, dangerously short crimson lace nightgown that barely covered her curves.

The moment she sensed my presence, she looked up, and a breathless smile spread across her lips as our eyes met.

Slowly, she rose to her feet and walked toward me. The thin strap of her gown slipped down her shoulder, exposing a gorgeous swell of her breast and making my heart race wildly like a madman.

I slammed the bedroom door behind me and took a step toward her.

"Why aren’t you asleep yet?" I asked, my voice dropping to a soft, gravelly tone. "It’s late."

Instead of answering, she stepped closer and wrapped her arms around my neck. Rising onto her tiptoes, she tilted her head up and pressed her lips against mine in a sweet, desperate kiss.

"Because I missed you so much," she whispered against my lips, deepening the kiss before I could even respond.

Every instinct told me to pull away. The metallic scent of blood still clung to my clothes, reminding me of what I had just done, but I found myself unable to resist her.

I wrapped my arms around her waist, pulling her closer as my other hand moved up to cup and knead her soft breast through the thin lace of her nightgown. She arched into my touch, a soft gasp escaping her lips, and I felt the familiar heat coil in my stomach.