Chapter 113: Chapter 113

OWEN

Jonea looked at me with an annoyed glare, but I didn’t give her a chance to argue. She finally gave in and stood reluctantly. “Fine…” she muttered.

I took her to a small restaurant on the edge of town. The place was quiet, away from the crowd, and cozy enough for a long conversation. We sat by a window, and I ordered for both of us, ignoring her protests.

For a while, we ate in silence. Jonea kept her head down, fiddling with her fork with no real appetite. But I wasn’t here to watch her sulk.

“I heard my uncle attacked a female werewolf,” I said casually as I took another bite of food.

Jonea choked immediately, grabbing her glass of water to take a hurried sip. “What?”

I looked at her seriously. “So you dumped him over that?” I asked bluntly.

Her face flushed, either from anger or embarrassment. “What are you talking about, Owen? We just had a fight, like usual—”

“Stop it, Jonea!” I cut her off sharply. “Don’t defend my uncle anymore. Whatever you had with him, it’s over. You don’t need to protect him.”

She fell silent, staring out the window with a distant look. For a moment, I saw doubt in her expression. Finally, she spoke softly, “At first, I couldn’t believe it… then I tried to understand… but I just couldn’t.” She gave a faint, weary smile. “I feel like such a fool.”

I put my fork down and looked her in the eye. “It’s not your fault. But it’s not his, either,” I said firmly. “Whatever you expected from him, he’s a lycan. That means he’s capable of things far crueler than you can imagine. If he really wanted to, he could’ve tricked you better. He wouldn’t have told you about the seal. He wouldn’t have given you a way out or let you live your life here. Heck, he wouldn’t have let you meet other men freely.”

Jonea’s eyes welled up, but she stayed quiet, absorbing my words.

“But he didn’t do any of that, Jonea. And he did it all just for you. As the lycan king, he could’ve devoured you whenever he wanted. But he didn’t.”

Her silence deepened. I could see the realization dawning in her eyes, breaking through the wall of pain and confusion she’d built.

I softened my voice, but I kept my tone firm. “Uncle Daran isn’t human, Jonea. But he’s shown more humanity than most werewolves or even dragons could. You might not want to see it now, but I hope someday you’ll understand.”

“I know that, but…” she started, her voice trembling.

I interrupted her. “Your seal is starting to break.”

Her head snapped up, her eyes wide with shock. “What?”

“You didn’t know?” I asked, genuinely surprised. “If your seal breaks on its own, not because of Daran, you’ll be free to live without the threat of death hanging over you. That’s what Daran’s been hoping for, Jonea. He’s been waiting, giving you time, hoping you could free yourself.”

Jonea was frozen, gripping the edge of the table as though trying to process what I’d just revealed.

I held her gaze. “If the seal breaks through your own strength and will, Daran will fight to the death to protect you. Do you know those female werewolves he killed? They weren’t just random victims. They were magical beings sent to take your sacred blood.”

Jonea closed her eyes, her body trembling.

“Daran’s willing to become an immortal monster just so he doesn’t have to hurt you. Your sacred blood is his last chance at a normal life as a lycan king. But he’s choosing to give that up, Jonea. So tell me, do you still hate him?”

I saw her expression shift. Her eyes filled with tears, her face a mix of shock and confusion. Without saying a word, she suddenly stood up.

“Jonea—” I called out, but she didn’t listen.

She turned and ran out of the restaurant. All I could do was watch her leave, knowing my words had opened up a deeper wound. But maybe, just maybe, they’d also opened her eyes to the truth she’d been ignoring.

*

JONEA

I ran aimlessly, my breath hitching. Owen’s words kept echoing in my head. The seal is starting to break…

How? I didn’t even know it was happening. I couldn’t feel it. I didn’t know that Daran had been waiting for me to free myself. And I never realized the sacrifices he made for me.

Tears streamed down my face, wetting my cold cheeks. “Daran…” I whispered, my voice barely audible.

Guilt pierced my heart. All this time, I saw him as a monster. I hated him. I feared him. While he… he was fighting to protect me, even if it meant destroying himself.

I stopped running, standing in the middle of the deserted street. The silver moonlight bathed me, its glow like a cold blanket wrapping around my trembling body.

For the first time, something inside me cracked. A small door that had always been tightly shut began to open slowly.

I wiped my tears with shaking hands. “I have to see Daran…” I whispered to myself.

Without hesitation, I turned around and ran toward the one place I knew I had to go—the place where Daran would be.

*

OWEN

I stood outside the restaurant, staring up at the dark night sky. Jonea had run off, but I knew she wasn’t trying to escape this time. This time, she was running to find answers.

I smirked a little and shoved my hands into my jacket pockets. “I hope you find what you’re looking for, Jonea.”

Tonight might change everything. And I could only hope it would end better than it started.

*

JONEA

My footsteps echoed as I hurried down the hallways of his house, now eerily quiet. The cold air seeped into my skin, but it wasn’t the temperature that made me shiver—it was the fear and confusion swirling in my mind. After everything Owen had told me, there was only one thing I needed to do—confront Daran and get the answers my heart craved.

I shoved the large door open. A rush of cold air greeted me. Daran stood with his back to the window, the faint moonlight casting a shadow over him. He looked more somber and worn than ever, like a man battling something invisible.

“Daran!” I called, my voice trembling.

He turned, surprise flickering across his face. But his expression quickly hardened. “Jonea… You came back?” he said, his voice low as though he couldn’t believe I was really standing there.

I walked toward him quickly and grabbed his hand without hesitation. It felt cold, but I didn’t let go. “We need to talk,” I said firmly.

Daran stared at me for a long moment before nodding. We stood facing each other, and for once, nothing else mattered but the words we were about to exchange.