Chapter 251: Chapter 251

The taste of Damon’s kiss still lingered on my lips when I pulled away. My chest was tight, and tears burned behind my eyes again. I couldn’t breathe right, it felt like the walls were closing in on me.

"Lisa," Damon whispered, trying to touch my face again. "Please, don’t...."

"I want to be alone," I said, my voice hoarse. I didn’t even look at him. I just stared at the window, at the faint moonlight that crept through. It felt like the only calm thing in my world right now.

Damon sighed, rubbing the back of his neck like he was trying to hold himself together. "I’ll leave," he said softly. "But only after you take something."

I shook my head weakly. "No. I don’t want anything."

"What’s the point?" My voice cracked, and I could barely hear myself. "What’s the point of being alive when I couldn’t even protect my child?" My whole body trembled. The words cut me open as I said them. I pressed my hands to my stomach, empty now, and it felt like the world had taken everything from me.

Damon’s eyes darkened with pain, but he didn’t look away. "Don’t say that," he said firmly. "You have to live."

I gave a bitter laugh. "For what? To remember the screams? The torture?"

He stepped closer, setting a small cup on the table beside me. The smell of the broth reached me, warm, soft, full of care. "For this," he said. "For me. For you. For what comes next. I made this myself. You need to take it."

I blinked, startled. "You... cooked?"

He nodded, his face serious. "Yes. I made it. With my hands. It’s simple, but it’ll help you heal. You have to eat, Lisa. You have to live so you can take your revenge. And when all this is over," he said, voice trembling but sure, "you will have another chance. Another child. And no one, no one... will ever take that from you again."

Tears slipped down my cheeks silently. He was trying so hard, and I wanted to believe him. But the pain was too deep, too raw.

I opened my mouth to speak, but the door creaked open before I could say anything.

Two familiar scents hit me instantly, Rowan and Kael. My body went rigid. Damon turned sharply, his expression cold, but I didn’t even need him to say anything. The sight of them was enough to make my blood boil.

They walked in slowly, looking broken, guilty... afraid. Their eyes couldn’t meet mine at first. I could feel the air shift, thick, heavy. And then it happened again, that strange burning sensation at my chest, where the small crescent mark was.

It glowed faintly, and a sharp pain ran through me like fire. My wolf stirred beneath my skin, restless and angry. I clenched my fists, fighting the urge to shift right there. My aura flared, heavy and powerful. Even Damon took a half-step back, frowning, sensing something wasn’t right.

Right? I had forgotten about my sudden shift.

"Lisa..." Rowan’s voice was quiet, uncertain. "We..."

"Why are you here?" I snapped, cutting him off. My voice didn’t sound like mine; it was colder, sharper, full of power I didn’t recognize.

Kael flinched. "We came to see you," he said softly. "To apologize. We... we know we wronged you. We should’ve protected you. We should’ve believed you."

"Believed me?" I repeated bitterly, a hollow laugh escaping my throat. "Now you remember?"

Rowan stepped closer, desperate. "Lisa, please. We were blind. We were foolish. You didn’t deserve what happened. We’ll make it right..."

"Make it right?" I rose to my feet, glaring at both of them. "Tell me, Alpha Rowan, Alpha Kael, how do you plan to make something like that right?"

Kael looked down. "We can’t," he said quietly. "But we can try to make up for it. We can protect you now. Please, just give us a chance."

I felt something twist in my chest. A part of me wanted to scream, to throw things, to make them feel what I felt. But instead, I smiled. It wasn’t a kind smile. It was the kind that scared even me. Damon’s brows drew together; I could feel his confusion and worry.

"You want to protect me now?" I asked softly, stepping closer to them. "After everything?"

"No," I said sharply. "You don’t get to speak. You don’t get to apologize when it’s convenient. When I begged you to believe me, you looked at me like I was filth. When I cried, you told me to shut up. When I tried to run, you dragged me back like I was your prisoner. You ruined me."

Kael’s eyes filled with tears. "I know," he whispered. "And we’ll never forgive ourselves..."

"You don’t need to," I cut in, my voice trembling with rage. "Because I won’t forgive you either."

The mark on my chest burned again, brighter this time. I felt the energy pulse through me, strong, alive, dangerous. My breath came out shaky. Thıs content belongs to 𝓷𝓸𝓿𝓮𝓵✦𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮✦𝓷𝓮𝓽

"Lisa!" Damon’s voice broke through the air, shocked.

"You were the ones who rejected me before," I said, my voice shaking but full of power. "So now... I’m doing the same. I reject both of you under this moonlight!"

Suddenly, Rowan and Kael both stumbled forward, clutching their chests.

Rowan gasped, his eyes wide. "What...what’s happening....?"

Kael fell to his knees, choking, his face twisting in pain.

I stared, confused and terrified at what I was seeing, but anger still roared inside me like a storm. The words came out like a command, like something ancient and powerful had spoken through me.

Both of them cried out, pain, guilt, something deeper, and I felt that same force inside me recoil, almost satisfied. I didn’t understand it, but I didn’t stop it either.

Damon reached for me. "Lisa, stop! Whatever this is, it’s hurting you too!"

But I couldn’t look at him. I couldn’t look at anyone. My chest hurt, my skin burned, and yet... I felt free.

Rowan and Kael’s gasps filled the air, then faded to heavy breathing as the glow around me dimmed. I blinked, feeling dizzy. My body trembled, but my voice stayed steady when I finally spoke.

"I want nothing to do with any of you," I said quietly, my throat raw. "Not anymore."

"Lisa, please," Kael said weakly, still on the floor. "We..."

"No," I said again, this time louder. "You had your chance."

I turned away, my tears falling again, but I didn’t stop. I walked past Damon, who looked torn between confusion and fear. He tried to grab my arm, but I pulled away.