Chapter 0439
Alexander
Evelyn huddles at the back of her cell when I enter the dungeons. She draws her knees tightly against her chest, hiding her face from view.
“She stopped crying not long ago.” Zachary informs me from his stool at the far end. “But she shifted again. More claw marks up top.” He gestures toward the ceiling of her cell. “Is the bastard dead?”
I shake my head. “It’s complicated.”
I pause outside her cell, examining the deep gouges. They cluster around the ceiling as if she tried to dig her way out. She’ll have a tough time. Concrete encases reinforced bars. No one else escapes.
“My brother’s alive, isn’t he? He was here. Now he’s gone.” Her whisper is muffled by her arms still hiding her face.
“You tell me. You’ve been lying, Evelyn. Do you even know what truth is?”
“I’m not—”
“Enough. I know you’re behind everything. Why manipulate Seraphina into bringing you here? Who’s your target?”
“I came for help. That’s true.”
“Keep lying, and I’ll open this cell. I’ll drag this blade from your neck to your navel. Very, very slowly.” I lift the blade. She finally raises her head. Fresh claw marks mar her face, healing slowly.
Her eyes fix on the blade. “You can’t hurt me with that.”
“Don’t test me.”
She shakes her head. “You literally can’t. The handle has marks. They prevent it from touching my skin.”
I examine the handle. She’s right. Strange symbols are carved into the wood. “Why?”
She shrugs. “Levi made it for me. For protection. But it could never be used against me. He never actually let me use it. Decided I didn’t need protection when I had him.”
“Protection from who?”
She drops her head onto her knees, silent.
“Evelyn!”
She says nothing. I’m tempted to rip the door open and test her theory. Then I remember Theodore’s warning. Her escape would mean a bloodbath. But why?
“Everyone and no one.” she whispers.
“What does that mean?” Zachary moves closer. “How can you need protection from everyone and no one?”
“From yourself? Is that it? Or from Levi and his projection powers?” I demand.
Her grey eyes widen, flicking up to meet mine. “He’s mastered it?”
‘Is this a trick?’ Zachary links.
‘I don’t know.’
Evelyn scowls, burying her face in her legs. Her mouth opens and closes, searching for words. “If he’s mastered it after all this time… I don’t know what happens now.”
“Tell us the real reason you came here.” Zachary presses.
“It was my plan to come. Not for the reasons you think. Levi didn’t know. I never told him. I knew he’d follow. I have to stay close. That’s what he does. I made Seraphina believe he’d follow her. I didn’t want her to know it was really me.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know.”
“You can’t keep saying that. You know what you’re doing. Why withhold information?” Zachary snaps. “You’re speeding up your own death.” He looks at me. “We should bring Luc in. Her answers make no sense. One minute her brother will come for her. The next she’s a mess.”
I agree. Her story is falling apart. What do you think? I ask my Wolf.
‘I’m thinking of Athena.’ Titan replies.
‘Okay.’
Just like when we first met her. She stayed quiet about her suffering. She knew speaking up would make things worse. We saw what her family was like. Maybe Athena is right. Maybe Levi messed with Evelyn’s mind.’ He nods. ‘But that doesn’t make it Evelyn’s truth.’
I take Zachary’s stool and sit directly before Evelyn’s cell.
“I did like Seraphina.” she mutters softly. “I didn’t want to use her. I had no choice.”
“We all have choices. One of you is lying, or you’re both stupid enough to play each other. That never works.”
“I’m telling the truth about this!”
“About this?”
She nods. “I couldn’t even link the Alpha. When she told me Athena was her half-sister. I saw an opportunity.” She buries her face in her hands and screams. Her fingers claw at her skin, digging and scratching until blood surfaces.
“GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT!”
She tears at her clothes, screaming and clawing her skin as she writhes on the floor. It reminds me of Julian fighting his Wolf.
“Evelyn, stop!”
Her grey eyes meet mine, glazing over as she continues to dig into herself.
“What do we do?” Zachary asks.
“We see what happens.”
“GET OUT!” She screeches again as claws sprout from her fingers. Dark fur bursts from her skin. She screams through breaking bones.
I’ve watched Athena shift. I’ve watched my own son. Neither made this much noise. Athena said it was the most painful experience.
The process takes thirty minutes. A massive Lycan lies stretched on the floor. Her breathing is heavy. Her eyes remain closed. Zachary looks from her to me. “What now?”
“We wait.”
Another thirty minutes pass before movement. Her fingers twitch. The twitching spreads to her arms. Her eyes open. She continues lying there.
I watch her nostrils flare. She inhales the scents around her. Slowly, she sits up, staring at us. Neither Zachary nor I speak. I’m not sure if Evelyn can hear us.
My grip tightens on the blade’s handle. I prepare for an attack. But she just watches us, as if we’re the ones in a cage. She runs her tongue over sharp teeth as she stands. She’s definitely larger than the average Lycan.