Chapter 238: Chapter 238

I couldn’t believe my eyes. Damon was finally awake. After a week of hell, of watching him lie there barely breathing, barely holding on, the moment he opened his eyes felt like a miracle.

"Damon?" I whispered, kneeling by his side. My hand hovered over his shoulder, afraid to touch him in case he wasn’t really awake.

Kael was there too, silent, tense, his eyes never leaving Damon.

"I’m here, brother," Kael muttered softly. "Stay with us."

Damon’s eyes flickered around the room. He tried to speak, but nothing came out. His lips moved weakly, forming sounds that didn’t reach words.

"He can’t... talk," I said, my voice tight. Relief and fear twisted together in my chest. "But he’s alive. He’s really alive."

Kael nodded slowly. "That’s all that matters for now. We’ll get him talking soon."

I smiled faintly, letting a bit of hope bloom in me. For the first time in what felt like forever, I dared to breathe.

"We haven’t left him," I said quietly. "Not for two days."

Kael’s jaw tightened. "We had to. Couldn’t risk losing him."

I reached out and brushed a lock of hair from Damon’s forehead. He tried to focus on me, his eyes weak but alert. He knows we’re here. That’s what matters.

We sat in silence for a few minutes. I didn’t care about the hours, the food, or the pain in my legs. I just watched him breathe, feeling the steady rise and fall of his chest, feeling alive again.

Then Kael’s brow furrowed. He glanced at the door. "Rowan... Belinda hasn’t come by for the past two days."

I frowned. "She’s supposed to be here every day."

Kael shook his head slowly. "I don’t know. Maybe... maybe she’s not feeling well."

I looked down at Damon, relief and worry fighting inside me. "Do you think... because of the pregnancy?" I asked softly.

Kael nodded. "Could be."

I took a deep breath. "I’ll check on her."

Kael looked at me sharply. "You sure?"

"Yes. I want to know she’s alright." I stood and straightened my shoulders. "I’ll be quick. Damon’s awake. I won’t leave him long."

I left Damon’s chamber, walking quickly through the hall. My mind raced, worrying about Belinda. The past few days had been hell. If anything happened to her, I don’t know what I’d do.

The corridor was quiet, empty except for the occasional echo of my footsteps. I approached Belinda’s door, hand on the handle.

I froze. I heard something.

I froze at the doorway, hidden in the shadows. I could hear them clearly, Belinda’s voice, Uncle Fridolf’s voice. My stomach sank as I realized I was eavesdropping, but I couldn’t move. I needed to know what was going on.

"...She failed to cooperate! That bitch failed to do what we want!" I heard Fridolf shout, his voice sharp, dangerous. Every word made my chest tighten. I pressed myself closer to the wall, hiding in the shadows, afraid to be seen.

"And you were the one who provoked her! Why would you bring up pregnancy out of nowhere?" His voice was full of anger. "Tell me, Belinda, what was your plan? Did you really think lying about being pregnant would work on her?"

Belinda laughed softly, almost amused. "It was just... fun," she said. "I wanted to see how it would all play out. I didn’t think it would go this far."

Fridolf’s voice dropped, low and cold. "You never intended to join me at the beginning, did you? You just used me to take Damon and Lisa away. And then... You thought you’d have Rowan and Kael wrapped around your fingers."

I felt my chest tighten further. My name... and Kael’s... used like we were nothing but pawns. My hands clenched into fists, my nails biting into my palms.

Belinda laughed again, sharp and cruel. "Now you realize it," she said. "I can’t do without my Alphas. And anyone who threatens my position... they’ll pay for it."

Her words burned in my ears. The calm certainty in her voice, the pride, the cruelty, it was unbearable. How could she say that so easily? How could she look at us, hear our names, and act like it meant nothing?

Fridolf scoffed, disgusted. "You played us all. You used people. You thought you could control everyone. You thought we’d just fall in line for your game."

Belinda’s soft hum cut through the tension. "Maybe I did. Maybe I didn’t. It was fun. Isn’t it always? And you used me as well, but you just didn’t know that I would outsmart you,"

I felt a wave of anger and disbelief wash over me. Fun? That’s what she called it? While Damon and Lisa suffered? While our lives were being twisted and torn apart for her amusement?

Fridolf’s tone was sharp again. "You thought you could do as you like? I will expose you and you will take the fall for everything!"

Her reply was calm, chilling. "Go ahead and report me and see if I don’t have anything against you, too! I take what I need. I survive. That’s how the world works. Everyone plays their part."

I pressed myself tighter against the wall, my heart racing. My hands curled into fists.

Fridolf scoffed, his voice dripping with disdain. "And what about your reason for sleeping with my guard, Adrik? Was it to give a bastard child to Rowan and Kael?"

My stomach dropped. I couldn’t believe what I just heard.

Belinda didn’t even flinch. She smiled faintly, as if she had planned everything all along. "Isn’t it obvious now?" she said. "I take what I want. I get what I deserve."

I could feel my hands trembling. I had to get out before they saw me. I backed away slowly, heart pounding, trying not to make a sound. Every step felt like it echoed through the empty corridor.

Once I was safely out of sight, I turned and ran back toward Damon’s room. Kael was sitting beside him, watching over him like I had been.

"Rowan," Kael said quietly as I entered. "Belinda... is she okay?"

I shook my head, refusing to speak. I couldn’t even begin to describe what I’d just heard.

Kael frowned, concern written across his face. "Rowan... talk to me."

I shook my head again, silent. My mind was spinning. Belinda’s betrayal, her manipulation... everything suddenly made sense, and yet it was worse than I could have imagined.

I couldn’t take it anymore. Every word from Belinda and Fridolf burned in my chest like fire. My hands shook. My fists tightened until my nails dug into my palms.

"I can’t... I can’t just stand here!" I muttered under my breath.

Before I knew it, my anger exploded. I slammed my hand against the stone wall. The wall cracked. My foot kicked over a chair. A vase shattered.

Kael’s voice cut through my rage. "Rowan! What the fuck is going on? Calm down!"

I didn’t answer. I wasn’t calm. My vision blurred, my heartbeat pounded in my ears, and the anger inside me started to take over. My body felt... different. Faster, stronger. Hotter. Fresh chapters posted on 𝗇𝗈𝗏𝖾𝗅✦𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾✦𝗇𝖾𝗍

Kael’s eyes widened as he saw me. "Rowan... stop! You’re..."

I let out a growl that wasn’t mine. My hands clawed at the floor, the furniture, anything I could reach. My nails had grown sharp. My senses were on fire. I could hear everything, the tiniest sound from across the hall, the faintest heartbeat.

"Rowan! Snap out of it!" Kael yelled, fear in his voice.

But I couldn’t. I was lost in the rage, lost in the fury of everything Belinda had done. Everything Fridolf had said.

Then we heard it. Footsteps. Loud, hurried footsteps echo through the palace. Guards, running everywhere. Shouts. Panic.

Kael’s head whipped toward the corridor. "What the hell is happening?"

I growled low, sensing the movement of the guards, their fear. "Something’s wrong," I said, voice rough and guttural.