Chapter 129: Chapter 129; Trapped
Lucian’s POV
A small smile tugged at my lips as I watched the color drain from Ragnar’s face. He looked like he wanted the floor to swallow him whole.
"What do you want to say, Ragnar?" Boca asked, his gaze shifting between the two of us.
"It’s probably nothing," I said, cutting in to throw Ragnar a lifeline.
Ragnar nodded fast, his shoulders dropping slightly. "Yes, it’s nothing."
"Okay then," Boca said, though he lingered for a second, unconvinced. "I’ll go double-check the front lines. I’ll be right back."
The moment the heavy oak door clicked shut behind Boca, Ragnar let out a sharp breath. "Fuck it."
"You like Boca, don’t you?" I asked, leaning back against the wooden table.
Ragnar’s head snapped up. He opened and closed his mouth before stammering, "Like him? Of course not. I don’t like him."
"Ragnar, you know you can’t lie to me."
Ragnar paused, his defensive posture melting away. "Is it that obvious?"
"Not to everyone. But I know you, so I know when you are smitten. You had that exact look when you were pinning after Aiden."
Ragnar’s eyes widened to the size of saucers. "You knew about that?"
"Come on. You should know me by now. Nothing gets past me."
"Why didn’t you ever say anything?" Ragnar asked, looking at me with a mix of shock and embarrassment.
"I figured you would eventually get over whatever cursed feelings you had for the man," I said with a shrug. "Besides, how else would he have convinced you to try and kill me if there wasn’t something going on between you two?"
Ragnar winced, shifting his weight. "You have a point there."
"Exactly."
"But Boca is different," Ragnar muttered, staring down at his boots. "He’s a friend. Crossing that boundary won’t end well. And besides... he’s a straight man."
"Yes, Boca is straight," I acknowledged. "But don’t you think you are just punishing yourself by keeping quiet? Look at me. Alina didn’t love me at first, but now she is mine. It could be the same for you and Boca."
A sudden spark of hope flared in Ragnar’s eyes. "Really?"
"No."
Ragnar’s hopeful smile flattened instantly.
I offered a small chuckle. "But you can always try. You never know."
Ragnar squared his shoulders, a sudden wave of resolve washing over his face. "Okay then. I will tell him how I feel."
"Not right now," I warned, my tone shifting to business. "I don’t want any added tension before a raid. We need to focus on the task at hand."
Ragnar opened his mouth to reply, but the door swung open. Boca walked back in, his armor clanking. "The warriors are assembled, Alpha."
"Good," I said, standing up from the table. "We attack the moment the moon hits its peak."
Both men gave a firm nod.
The forest was pitch-black, illuminated only by the high moon piercing through the thick canopy of trees. We moved in a silent line, our paws and boots barely rustling the leaves until we reached a fork in the trail.
"I don’t think we should take this route," Ragnar whispered, raising a hand to halt the line. "Aiden’s pack will expect us to attack from here."
Boca studied the terrain before nodding. "He makes a good point."
"I think we should split up," Daniel suggested from behind us.
"I don’t think that’s a good idea," I countered, narrowing my eyes at the dark paths ahead. "We’re stronger together."
"I think we should, Lucian," Boca disagreed gently. "We can surround them and hit them from all angles. If we stay in one large group, they might trap us all at once."
I weighed the risks for a heartbeat before relenting. "Alright. Split up, everyone. Ragnar, come with me."
Ragnar fell into step right behind me as we veered down a narrow, rocky trail. The silence of the woods was heavy and suffocating. We navigated toward an old stone outpost near the border.
"I don’t think anyone is even here," Ragnar murmured as we crossed the threshold into a dark, empty room.
Suddenly, a violent spike of adrenaline shot through my veins. My wolf clawed at my chest in warning. I looked down, catching the faint glint of a tripwire snapping beneath my boot.
"Ragnar, get out of here!" I roared.
Before he could even process the words, I shoved him back with all the Alpha strength I had. Ragnar flew backward through the air, clearing the entryway just as a heavy, iron-reinforced security door crashed down from the ceiling, sealing me inside.
A split second later, a thick, green smoke hissed from the wall vents, filling the room.
I coughed hard, covering my mouth, but the toxic mist burned its way into my lungs. I gasped for air, but my throat seized. My vision blurred into a smear of colors. A strange numbness spread through my limbs, and my heart beat at a terrifyingly sluggish pace, threatening to stop altogether.
My knees hit the stone floor. My eyelids grew heavy, and the entire room began to spin in a blur of gray and green.
I clawed at the stone, fighting with every ounce of strength I had left to keep my eyes open, refusing to give in to the dark. I forced myself to draw a breath, desperate for oxygen, but nothing worked. My lungs burned like raw fire.
A choked, painful grunt tore from my throat. The sheer desperation triggered my instincts, forcing my inner beast to the surface. I threw my head back, my vision bleeding into a primal crimson as I howled into the enclosed room—a raw, echoing cry of an injured wolf marking its territory.
But the toxic substance was already winning. It wrapped around my throat like a vice, clamping down until my ragged breathing began to seize altogether.
Just as my strength finally evaporated, a heavy, dark fabric was violently pulled over my head, cutting off what little light remained.
Then, everything turned to black.
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