Chapter 19

Rae

Kayla’s lifeless body crumpled to the ground, her blood pooling beneath her.

“What have you done?” I questioned my voice trembling with both shock and anger.

The expression on my face was similar to that of the Alpha King’s. For a moment, I expected him to act, to shout, to command his guards to seize Von and punish him for his reckless brutality. But to my astonishment, he didn’t.

Instead, the king’s lips pressed into a tight line as he pointed to one of the guards. “Dispose of the body,” he said coldly, his tone devoid of emotion.

My stomach churned as the guard stepped forward, dragging Kayla’s lifeless form out of the room. The sound of her body scraping against the floor made bile rise in my throat.

The king then turned to Von. “We’ll finalize the rest of the plans on your next visit,”

“Of course,” Von replied smoothly, his tone sounded so calm as if he hadn’t just murdered someone in cold blood.

He turned to me, gesturing with a slight tilt of his head. “Let’s go.”

I hesitated, my legs frozen in place. My mind screamed at me to do something, to say something, but I couldn’t. All I could do was follow him.

The moment we stepped outside, I felt the weight of my anger finally erupt. “What the hell is wrong with you?” I shouted, my voice echoing through the night.

Von stopped in his tracks, turning to face me with a look of mild irritation. “What now?” he asked, as though I were the one overreacting.

“I didn’t want her dead!” I yelled, my fists clenched at my sides. “Why did you go against my words? Why did you kill her?”

Von’s eyes narrowed, his golden gaze locking onto mine. “Because you’re a coward,” he said bluntly. “And cowards need brave people around them to do what they can’t.”

His words hit me like a slap, my breath hitching as his cruel honesty sank in.

“I’m not a coward,” I shot back. “And you’re not brave. You’re just a monster who doesn’t know when to stop!”

For the first time, his expression faltered, but it was gone in an instant, replaced by his usual stern gaze.

“Get in the fucking car,” he said sharply, his tone leaving no room for argument.

I glared at him, my heart pounding with frustration, but I climbed into the car, anyway.

As the car started moving, I stared out the window, refusing to look at him. My mind raced with thoughts. It wasn’t justice he’d delivered tonight. It was vengeance, plain and simple. And for what? To prove a point? To boost his own ego?

I clenched my jaw, determined to ignore him for the rest of the ride. But suddenly, the car lurched to a stop, jolting me out of my thoughts.

“What now?” Von snapped at the driver.

The driver rolled down his window, glancing back at us nervously. “I’m not sure, Your Highness. I’ll check.”

Von didn’t say anything, just clenched his jaw and exhaled sharply. The driver exited the car, lifting the hood as a soft breeze rustled through the trees.

I tapped my fingers against my thigh impatiently, stealing a glance at Von, who looked just as frustrated as I felt.

Moments later, the driver returned, wiping his hands on his uniform. “It’s just the wiring, nothing I can’t fix,” he said.

Von let out an exasperated sigh before pushing the door open and stepping out. He leaned against the car, watching as the driver tinkered under the hood.

I sat still, debating whether to stay in the car or follow Von. My pride wouldn’t let me trail behind him like some lost puppy, so I stayed put.

After a few more minutes, the driver hesitated before calling out, “Your Highness…”

Von turned toward him sharply. “What?”

The driver scratched the back of his neck. “It’s worse than I thought. I… I can’t fix it.”

Von’s expression darkened instantly. “Didn’t you just say it was nothing you couldn’t fix?”

The driver swallowed hard. “I thought so at first, but—”

“Enough.” Von cut him off. “You lied.”

The driver’s face paled. “I didn’t mean to, I just—”

“I don’t care,” Von said coldly. “Since you’re so confident in your abilities, you can stay here and figure it out. And you’d better make sure this car makes it back to the palace.”

I blinked in disbelief. “Are you serious?” I asked.

Von ignored me, walking to my side of the car. “Get out,” he ordered.

I stared at him, unmoving. “No.”

His eyes flashed with irritation. “You’re coming with me.”

“No, I’m staying here,” I shot back. “We should wait for the driver to fix the car.”

Von let out a humorless chuckle before leaning down, gripping my wrist, and yanking me out of the seat.

“Von!” I shrieked, struggling against his grip. “Let me go!”

“No.” His grip tightened as he began dragging me down the road. “You’re coming home with me, and we’re not standing around all night waiting for a useless driver.”

I fought against him, planting my feet firmly into the dirt, but he was too strong. “You can’t just decide things for me!”

“Watch me,” he muttered, shoving me forward like some slave.

We walked in silence for what felt like forever until we reached a small clearing. Von finally let go of my wrist, and I rubbed the sore spot where his fingers had dug into my skin.

“This is ridiculous,” I spat, turning to face him. “You didn’t have to drag me like that!”

Von crossed his arms, looking unimpressed. “You wouldn’t have come willingly.”

“That’s not the point!” I snapped. “You always do this! You act without thinking! You killed Kayla when I told you not to, and now you’ve left the driver stranded in the middle of nowhere!”

Von’s expression darkened. “I did what needed to be done.”

“No,” I said firmly, stepping closer. “You did what you wanted to do.”

Von let out a slow breath. “I don’t need to justify myself to you, Rae.”

I shook my head. “You don’t, because you don’t think before you act. If you did, maybe we wouldn’t be in this situation.”

His jaw clenched. “We need to keep moving before it gets dark.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” I stated, folding my arms.

Von exhaled sharply, stepping toward me. “You are so frustrating,” he muttered.

I glared up at him. “And you’re impossible.”

He reached out as if to grab me again, and I instinctively took a step back.

My foot didn’t land on solid ground.

Before I could register what was happening, the earth beneath me vanished, and I was suddenly falling.

My scream tore through the air as I tumbled backward, my body rolling down a steep ditch. The world spun around me, dirt and rocks scraping against my arms as I crashed to the bottom with a painful thud.

For a moment, everything was still.

I groaned, trying to lift myself, but pain shot through my side, forcing me to remain still.

I tasted blood on my lip and winced as I felt a sharp sting on my arm—probably a cut from one of the rocks.

“Von!” I called out, and for a second all I heard was silence.