*~Leon’s POV~*
"Ugh," Darius murmured, running his tongue over his lips. "Her lips are so soft. I wish I could taste them forever."
"Shut up, you bastard!" I snarled.
He tilted his head mockingly. "Why? Does it hurt to hear the truth? I wonder if that she-wolf of yours has lips this soft. Since you chose her over Aurora... she must be better, right?"
"I said shut up!" I roared, jerking at my chains.
He laughed. "Make , little wolf. No, because I’m going to make you watch. I’ll take everything from you. And Aurora..." he looked over his shoulder, his voice lowering possessively, "Aurora happens to be your everything. So, you should get ready to see her beco mine."
"Aurora will never beco yours," I spat, fury rising in my chest. "I swear it."
He smiled. "Not even in my wildest dreams, hmm?" He leaned closer, eyes glinting. "Then let’s talk about reality. In reality, I just kissed her—and she didn’t do a thing to stop ."
"Shut up!"
The voice didn’t co from .
Aurora’s scream cracked through the air like thunder. "You forced that kiss on , you disgusting man!"
Darius froze, his smirk faltering for a heartbeat. Then his eyes darkened. "Oh, that hurts, Aurora. That seriously hurts. You don’t say that to your future husband."
"Future husband?" I scoffed bitterly. "You really think she’ll ever end up with soone like you? Soone as vile and pathetic as this?"
I stretched my hand toward her. Aurora’s eyes widened, emotion flickering in her gaze.
Darius turned sharply, his tone dropping to a growl. "And who should she end up with then? You?" He laughed cruelly. "You’re nowhere near worthy. You’re nothing. You let her go. You didn’t fight for her. And all it took was one little trick from ."
My heart clenched.
"I sparked a fake mate bond between you and that wolf," Darius continued, his tone gleeful. "Honestly, I didn’t even expect it to work. But oh, how beautifully it did! You threw Aurora away for nothing."
His smirk widened, venom curling in his words. "What did you call that relationship again? Ah, right—child’s play."
The words tore through .
"Your bond ant nothing," he sneered. "And here you are, still pretending to love her. Pathetic."
He turned to Aurora. "Tell , Aurora. Tell this man doesn’t deserve you. Tell he never did."
Aurora lifted her head, weak but fierce. " He is more deserving than you ever will."
A smirk crept across my face despite the pain. Darius’s expression darkened instantly.
"How does that feel, Darius?" I rasped.
His composure snapped. In a blur, he rushed at , his hand clamping around my throat. The chains clattered as he lifted off the ground.
"Darius, stop!" Aurora scread, her voice breaking. "Please, don’t—"
"No!" he snarled. "I’ll kill him! And then, maybe you’ll understand that you belong to ! After everything he’s done to you, you still defend him?"
His grip tightened. My vision darkened at the edges. I could barely breathe. My hands clawed weakly at his wrist, but he only squeezed harder.
The world began to spin. My lungs burned. My head felt light.
Then, suddenly—he dropped . I hit the floor hard, gasping for air.
"There’s no fun in killing you now," he said coldly, his shadow towering over . "No, I’ll let sothing worse kill you—the pain of watching her beco mine."
He looked down at one last ti, his eyes full of cruel satisfaction. "When she marries , you’ll die a little more each day."
And with that, he turned and strode out of the room, the heavy door slamming shut behind him.
For a long mont, there was only silence—until I heard her voice again,
"Leon... are you okay?"
I turned my head away, unable to face her. Hot tears stung my eyes.
He was right. I didn’t deserve her. Not after everything. Not after my mistakes.
Still...after all of this...she was asking if I was okay.
"Leon?" Aurora called again, louder this ti, her voice cracking.
"I’m fine," I muttered, pressing my lips together. "I’m fine, Aurora. I’m very much okay."
"Are you sure?" Aurora asked softly, pressing further.
"I’m trying," I said through a rough breath. "Don’t worry—I’ll get us out of here. I just need my powers to restore. Once I fully tap into whatever dark magic I have left, I can get us out."
She shook her head. "You don’t have to stress yourself. These people are powerful, Leon—monsters, even. But they fear . They said my power is too strong. If they’re terrified of it, why should I hold back? I should embrace it."
Her voice grew steadier. "Dark magic has no limits. If I use it fully, I can take them all down."
"Aurora," I said, voice low. "Dark magic is dangerous. Maybe we should just stay... let them—"
"...do whatever they want with us?" she finished, her tone rising. "Are you serious, Leon? Did you hear what he said? He plans to marry . He forced his lips on —what happens next? What if he..."
She stopped herself, trembling, My chest tightened. She was right.
"I’ll be fine," she continued quickly. "I just need to focus, gather my head, my energy. I’ll get you out. I promise."
"Aurora..." I swallowed hard. "I’m sorry."
She turned to , startled. "What?"
"I’m sorry, Aurora. I don’t deserve you. Not after everything. I put you in this ss—I failed you."
Her expression softened. "No, Leon. It’s my fault. I’m the one who brought Darius into the High House, into our lives. Without , none of this would’ve happened." She sighed, her eyes dark with regret. "We just need to get out before anyone else finds us."
I nodded weakly—and then froze as the chains around her wrists clattered to the ground.
My eyes widened. "How did you—?"
"I released myself earlier," she said simply. "While he was still here. I just didn’t want to draw his attention."
A small smile pulled at my lips. "Now this is the fierce Aurora I know."
She smirked faintly, then crossed the room and crouched beside . When her hand brushed the iron chains binding , they loosened instantly. A hot sting pulsed through my wrists as they ca free.
"Are you okay?" she whispered.
"Yes," I said, rubbing my wrists.
"Good. Then we move." She took my hand, firm and protective—like a mother shielding her child. "Stay quiet. I can still sense them nearby."
We crept toward the window. I opened it and peered outside. My heart dropped—we were several stories up. "Aurora," I whispered, "jumping down would be suicide."
She t my eyes. "We’re not jumping. You’re going to carry and leap. You’re a wolf—you’ll survive. I’ll heal you if I have to."
"What?" I said, my voice shaking.
"I can strengthen you. They fear my power for a reason."
She grabbed my hand. "Versa."
Dark veins spread beneath my skin, pulsing faintly. The pain in my body began to fade, cuts closing, bruises disappearing. I stared down at myself, stunned.
"Are you ready now?" she asked.
I nodded, scooping her into my arms. She wrapped her arms around my neck.
But just as I stepped toward the window, the door exploded open.
"Well, well...Isn’t this sweet, the happy couple trying to leave?"
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