Chapter 83: Chapter 83
Lucian’s pov
"What did you just say?" Ilya’s voice cut through the damp air of the room. She stepped closer, her eyes boring into mine. "You love me?"
"Yes," I replied, forcing the word out with as much steady conviction as I could muster.
Suddenly, she burst into a jagged, mocking laugh. The sound echoed off the walls, sharp and entirely devoid of real warmth. "I didn’t realize you were this hilarious, Lucian," she spat, her amusement instantly vanishing into a cold sneer. "What do you think is going to happen? You say you love me, and I just fall for your pathetic lies and set you free? You clearly aren’t understanding the situation you’re in. I am going to kill you."
Her tone was deadly serious, but I didn’t let my expression waiver. I had to play this perfectly.
"You can’t kill me, Ilya. You and I both know that," I said, leaning forward as much as my restraints would allow. "You love me. I was actually about to confess my feelings to you back then, before you ran away."
"If I hadn’t escaped, they would have killed me!" she screamed, her composure cracking as raw agony flashed across her face. "Just like they killed my parents! And it was all because of you!"
"You’re mistaken, Ilya. I would never do that to you or your family," I urged, keeping my voice calm, pleading with her to listen. "I was framed. I wasn’t even in the village when the attack happened."
She tilted her head, her gaze narrowing into slits. "Did you take the substance, or not?"
"I didn’t," I swore, looking her straight in the eyes. "I truly never took any substance. I don’t need synthetic power to prove what I am. Whoever told you I had a hand in this deceived you. I had absolutely nothing to do with it."
I saw the flicker of hesitation in her eyes. Confusion crossed her features, blurring her rage. It’s working, I thought. This was my only shot. I needed to keep pushing, to chip away at her armor.
"You were the best thing that ever happened to me, Ilya," I said softly, letting the memory of the past soften my voice. "Your family took me in when no one else would give me shelter. Why would I ever do anything to hurt the people who saved me? Just think about it. Think about the night it happened. I was sent away on purpose to help a neighboring village. How could I have known it was all just a setup to get me out of the way?"
She swallowed hard, her chest heaving as she processed my words. "Then why did you never return?"
"I did return," I countered immediately. "But by the time I got back, you were already gone. I found out what happened to your family, and I searched for you. I really did, Ilya. I never took that substance. I didn’t do this to them."
She stared at me, her hands trembling slightly as she battled with her own mind. "Why should I believe a single word you’re saying?"
"Because you love me," I whispered, holding her gaze. "I know you do. And because you love me, you don’t actually want to see me dead. You need to release me, Ilya."
Silence stretched between us. She just stood there, staring down at me, her face unreadable. My heart battered against my ribs in the quiet room. I could only pray that my words had struck a chord and that she would actually undo these bonds.
Finally, she broke the silence.
"I will release you," she said, her voice dropping to a low, calculated purr. "On one condition. You agree to marry me."
My eyes widened. A jolt of shock went straight through me.
"You know I love you," she continued, stepping even closer until she was towering over me. "And I have no family left. I want to avenge the people who did this to me. Marry me, Lucian. Together, we will be the strongest."
I stared up at her, utterly bewildered. My mind raced in a dozen different directions, panic clawing at the edges of my thoughts. There was absolutely no way in hell I could marry this woman. Alina was out there. Alina was probably at home right now, waiting for me, wondering where I was.
"What are you thinking about?" Ilya’s sharp voice snapped me right out of my thoughts. She leaned in closer, her jaw tight, her fingers twitching with impatience. "Are you going to marry me or not?"
I forced my racing mind to slow down. Keeping my expression as calm as possible, I looked up at her and let a faint, weary smile trace my lips. I just needed to buy time.
But the small smile backfired.
Ilya stepped back, her eyes widening as a look of bitter realization crossed her face. "You’re lying," she whispered, her voice trembling before turning into a venomous hiss. "I knew it. You never loved me. You just said all of that to stop me, didn’t you? You just wanted me to let you go."
"Ilya, listen to me—"
"No! Forget it!" she screamed, completely unhinged now. The fragile hope in her eyes completely died, replaced by a terrifying, blank darkness. "I’m done listening to you. I will kill you, and then I’ll kill myself. We can both go meet our parents in the afterlife!"
Before I could even process her words, she reached into her jacket and pulled something out.
It was a small vial filled with a dark, volatile substance. The moment she uncorked it, a pungent, toxic odor flooded the small room. The thick, burning scent hit the back of my throat, suffocating me, entirely overwhelming my senses. My wolf roared in absolute agony inside my mind, thrashing against the pure poison of the smell. It was draining my strength by the second. If she poured that down my throat, or even spilled it on my skin, I was dead.
She raised the vial, her hand shaking with lethal intent, ready to end it for both of us.
"Stop!" I choked out, the overwhelming stench making my head spin as I fought against the chains. "Stop! I’ll do it! I will marry you!"
