Chapter 133: Chapter 133; Doubt!
Lucian’s POV
A spike of raw iron drove through my skull the moment my eyes cracked open. The room spun, blurred edges fading into a heavy, sickening warmth. I felt a weight pressing down on my chest. I looked down, and my breath caught in my throat. Blonde hair tangled across my bare skin. Emily.
I recoiled, shoving her off me so hard my back slammed against the headboard.
Before the curse could even leave my mouth, my gaze collided with the doorway.
Alina.
My heart plummeted into a frozen void. She stood in the threshold, her frame trembling as thick tears tracked down her cheeks.
"Alina, I..." The words choked in my throat, frantic and desperate. "This isn’t what it looks like. I swear—"
"I am glad you are alright," she whispered. The hollow note in her voice cut deeper than any blade. She turned on her heel and walked away.
"Alina, wait!"
"Don’t worry," Davon’s voice cut through the air from the hallway. A dark smirk played on his lips as he stepped into view. "I will go after her."
Panicking, I snatched my clothes from the floor, throwing them on as I scrambled out of the room. The cold air hit my face as I burst outside into the corridor, chasing her shadow. "Alina, please! You have to listen to me, okay? I didn’t do anything. I was ambushed. I was kidnapped—"
"That’s enough," she choked out, refusing to look back. She clutched Davon’s arm, her voice shaking. "Davon, please... just take me away from here."
My eyes widened. "Please, no. Alina, let me explain myself."
"I don’t want to hear anything you have to say, Lucian," she said, her shoulders tightening. "I have seen enough."
She pushed my outstretched hand away. Davon stepped closer to her side, leaning in just enough so his words reached my ears alone. "I will take her away from you a hell of a lot sooner than I thought," he whispered, throwing me a slow wink before guiding her out.
I raked both hands through my hair, pulling at the roots as the silence settled in. What have I done? What did I do with Emily? No. My mind was foggy, but my instinct was certain. Nothing happened.
I stormed back into the bedroom, my vision turning red. Emily was sitting up, a slow, calculated smile stretching across her face.
"This was exactly what you wanted, right?" I growled, towering over the bed. "You fucking set me up."
"Come on, Lucian," she said, resting her chin on her hand. "I didn’t know she was going to come here, okay? Besides, I saved your life. I kept you safe here with me."
"Did anything happen between us?" I demanded, my hands clenching into fists.
She blinked, her expression shifting to mock innocence. "What do you mean?"
"You know exactly what the fuck I am talking about!" I roared, the walls vibrating with my Alpha tone. "Did we have sex?"
"Yes."
The word hit like a physical blow, making my chest tighten. "It’s a lie."
"We did," she insisted.
"No. I don’t feel a damn thing for you, Emily. Even whatever drug you used will never change that. My body doesn’t wake up for you—it doesn’t rise for anyone except Alina. So it’s a fucking lie."
Emily let out a sharp laugh, tossing her head back. "Ilya had a special potion that she gave me, and I used it. We had sex, Lucian, and it was a good night for the both of us. I enjoyed it, and so did you. So stop acting like I put a gun to your head to make you do it."
"Are you fucking kidding me?"
The last thread of my restraint snapped. I lunged forward, my hand wrapping firmly around her throat, pinning her back against the headboard. "You kidnapped me. You drugged me. Fuck... I will kill you right here."
Emily gasps for air, but instead of begging, a strained, raspy laugh escaped her lips. "Fine... kill me if you want to," she wheezed. "I have already planted the doubt in Alina’s mind, and that’s all that matters. She will never trust you again."
The cold truth of her words pierced through my rage. I let go of her neck, shoving her away. She collapsed sideways onto the mattress, coughing violently and clutching her throat.
"This is a fucking waste of time," I spat. "I shouldn’t even be here."
I turned my back on her, walked out and took the first cab straight back to the pack estate.
The front doors banged open, and Ragnar and Boca instantly stood up from the couches in the main hall.
"Thank goodness you are alright!" Ragnar said, stepping forward. "What the hell happened?"
"Where is Alina?" I demanded, my breath ragged.
Ragnar’s face fell. "She came in, took her stuff, and left."
"And you just fucking let her?"
"What was I supposed to do, Lucian? Force her to stay?" Ragnar countered.
Boca stepped into my space, his expression dark, his jaw clenched tightly. "What happened out there? Alina was completely out of her mind with rage. What did you do to my sister?"
I swallowed the bitter taste in my mouth, looking Boca dead in the eye. "She walked in on me and Emily. We were both naked in a bed."
"What?" both of them barked at the same time.
"I promise you nothing happened between us," I raised my hands, the frustration boiling over. "She fucking kidnapped me, and I don’t know what she did to my system. Fuck, I feel so stupid."
Ragnar sighed, placing a grounding hand on my shoulder. "Calm down. Alina loves you, right? She is just angry for now. Give her time."
"Yes," Boca muttered, though his eyes remained sharp. "I mean, I know you would never willingly hurt my sister, because you know for a fact I would kill you myself. But think about it—how did Emily even know exactly where you were going to be? This whole thing is a setup."
Ragnar nodded, his brow furrowing as he looked between us. "And it wasn’t Aiden’s pack that attacked us."
"Then who did?" Boca asked.
I clenched my jaw, the memory of the smug smirk in the hallway burning into my mind. "Davon."
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