Chapter 251: Chapter 251 The Lycan King’s Choice
’If I had stayed still, if I had listened, she would not be in more danger than before. I thought I was saving her, but all I had done was hand myself over to the Bone Witch. And now I have put everyone else in chains with me. When did I become so dumb? What have I done?’
Beowulf shifted back slowly, his massive body shrinking until Damon stood where the wolf had been. His chest heaved, his silver grey eyes burning with fury and desperation, but his hands stayed at his sides.
Alaric and Theo shifted back as well, both of them bloodied and tense, their eyes flicking between me and the circle of witches.
The Bone Witch stepped closer, the orb glowing steadily in her palm. She crouched slightly, her pale face tilting toward me. Her breath was cold when she spoke. "Do you see now? This is how the game is played."
I squeezed my eyes shut. My tears slid hot down my face as regret hollowed my stomach. I had been reckless, I had been desperate, and now everyone was paying for it.
"I am sorry," I whispered, though I did not even know who I was apologizing to. To Golden, who was dying in my hands. To Damon, who had been forced to surrender for my life. To Alaric, Theo, and Rhydian, who were now trapped because of me.
The chains pulsed with the Bone Witch’s magic, binding me tighter, and the orb glowed faintly, as though mocking me with the light I could not reach.
The Bone Witch straightened, her eyes sliding past me and fixing on Damon. The smirk on her lips widened, and her voice carried sharp through the thick air.
"Lycan King," she said slowly, savoring every word, "if you want her freed, then tear your heart out."
The air went still.
I froze, my chest tightening as her words sank in. My heart pounded so loud I could barely hear anything else. My throat burned as panic clawed through me.
"No!" My voice cracked as I screamed, my whole body shaking. "Don’t do it, Damon! Don’t you dare!"
’Why am I even crying and screaming? The Damon I know would never put his pack in jeopardy because of anyone. And not to forget the fact that he literally despises me and wishes for my death.’ I breathe out shakily.
Damon’s head turned toward me. His silver-grey eyes burned with rage, but there was also something else there, something bitter and raw. His hands clenched at his sides, his jaw tight as if he was already preparing himself.
"You cannot be serious," Alaric snapped, blood dripping down his face. He crawled forward, but one of the Bone Witch’s followers blocked him with a hiss. "Damon, listen to me. Do not do this. You are the Alpha, the Lycan King. You have a pack that depends on you. If you fall here, they fall too. Think of your bloodline."
Theo’s voice cracked as he stumbled closer, his body trembling from the fight. "Damon, please. You are the only family I have left. Do not leave me. I need you. We still need you."
Damon did not answer. His eyes flicked from Alaric to Theo, then to me, and finally back to the Bone Witch. His chest rose and fell heavily, and his face was unreadable, but I could feel the weight pressing down on him.
"Damon!" I cried again, my voice desperate and breaking. "Don’t forget I’m a fae, you won’t want to destroy all that you have built just because of me, a fae. The kind that caused the death of your family... the same fucking fae!"
The Bone Witch’s laughter rose again, dry and cold, echoing across the courtyard. She lifted her crooked staff, and with a flick of her fingers, my body jerked. The chains dragged me up onto my feet. I gasped as my legs wobbled beneath me, my head spinning.
She yanked me closer as if I were a puppet. In a blink, her hand clamped tightly around my throat. Her grip was cold and sharp, cutting off my breath. My eyes widened as I clawed at her wrist, my body straining against the magic that bound me.
Rhydian’s voice rang out, panicked and sharp. "Damon! Do it! Take out your heart before she kills her!" His eyes burned, his body trembling as if he would strike, yet fear held him in place.
I shook my head frantically, my voice ripping out raw. "No! Listen to your friends! Don’t give your life away to the kind you hated the most, that would be very disappointing."
The Bone Witch’s eyes turned to me, and her smile stretched wider. "Quiet."
Her hand glowed, and a rush of power flooded into me. My scream tore from my throat, but no sound came out. My lips moved, but silence fell. My voice was gone.
My chest heaved, my eyes widened with horror, and tears blurred my vision. I tried again to cry out, to shout at Damon not to listen, but nothing escaped. It was like my words had been stolen.
Theo’s eyes widened, his fists trembling. "Damon, you cannot do this. Look at her! We do not even know if she is truly Ember. What if we are wrong? What if she is not the one you think she is? You would throw everything away for nothing!"
Alaric’s voice was harsher, colder. "Do not let her blind you. You are a king. Your people need you alive. Think about them, think about your bloodline. If you fall, the entire pack falls. Do not be so reckless."
Theo shook his head violently, his eyes burning. "Reckless? No, he is not reckless. He is my father. He is all I have left, and I cannot lose him too." He muttered his breath. His voice cracked as he pleaded, turning to Damon. "Damon, please. Choose me. Choose us."
Damon froze in his spot, his silver-grey eyes shifting between them, and then back to me. His fists were trembling, his face locked in torment.
The bitter anger in his expression showed how much he despised kneeling before the Bone Witch, yet I could also see the struggle pulling him apart inside.