Chapter 110

Evelyn

I woke with the faint gray light of morning spilling through my bedroom windows, but the warmth of it didn’t reach me. The sheets beside me felt barren and cold. The first thing I thought of as I blinked the day into view was him.

My body still remembered Logan’s touch, the way he had held me like I was the only thing anchoring him to this world. My heart, traitorous as ever, had soared in his arms. Beneath him, I felt whole and safe for the first time in weeks.

But as consciousness returned fully, so did guilt. In the cold light of day, it was even more obvious that I had made a mistake.

What had I done?

I pressed a hand to my chest as if I could hold the pieces of myself together. I shouldn’t have given in to him, not when the wounds between us were still so raw. Not when I felt things for him so acutely.

I’d let myself forget the mistrust and betrayals. I’d let myself push aside them memory of how painful it had been the last time we had fallen apart.

I couldn’t let my heart keep ruling me. I needed a distraction. And I needed clarity.

By midmorning, my feet carried me down the torchlit stairs to the cool stone maze of the dungeons. The air grew more damp and foul with each step, and I began to bristle on instinct as I took in my surroundings.

Emma’s cell had been set far and deep into the labyrinth of tunnels and cells. If she tried to escape, it would take her more time and give the guards a better opportunity to catch her this way.

When I finally arrived at her cell, Emma was perched on the edge of her cot. Her chains rattled faintly as she shifted to meet my gaze. Despite her dishelved appearance and the dismal look of the cage she was in, she smiled. Smug as always. Even behind bars, she wore her delusions like armor.

“Well, this is a surprise,” she cooed. She pushed herself up so that she was standing and crossed the entire length of the cell in just a few short strides. She paused before the bars, looking at me between the slats, her eyes narrowed cruelly.

“Come to see if he’s with me?” she asked, voice sweet with mockery.

My jaw tightened, but I forced myself to maintain eye contact with her. I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of being the one to break it first.

“I came for answers.”

“And you think I’ll give them to you for free?” She scoffed.

“I don’t think you have anything better to do,” I said. “Besides, you’ve always loved talking about Logan. Now’s your chance. It might be your last, so make it count.”

Emma frowned. “Shouldn’t you be asking him? If you both are so close, ask him whatever you need to know and leave me the hell alone.”

It took all of the effort and energy I had left to keep from flinching. She had no idea where things stood between me and Logan, no way of knowing that while I was still sore from our passion just hours prior, my chest ached at the mere thought of him..

“No,” I snapped. “You will have to endure me for a little longer, I fear.”

“You’re lucky I’m in this cell,” she threatened.

“Luck has nothing to do with it,” I said. “This is the consequence of your actions.”

“So get on with it then,” she said sharply. “Punish me some more with your questions.”

“Did you ever truly think that Logan loved you?” I asked before I could stop myself. It was the one true question in all of this. How much of it had been in her head, and how much had he encouraged?

Her lips curled into a soft, nostalgic smile that made bile rise in my throat. I could see her gaze getting distant as memories overcame her.

“Love is a fickle thing, isn’t it? Sometimes you don’t even know it’s there until it’s too late.” Her gaze retrained on me, hardening.

“Not even Logan knew it,” she said. “Yet. But he felt it. I know he did. We were made for each other, Evelyn. It was written in the stars long before you ever came into the picture. If you hadn’t stepped in and ruined everything for everyone, we would be at peace.”

“Well, you certainly wouldn’t be behind these bars, that’s for sure.”

“Fighting for love isn’t a crime,” she said.

“Maybe not, but kidnapping assistants is. So is murdering a woman and trying to blame someone else. You’ve committed many crimes in this, Emma. That’s why you’re here.”

For a moment, the quiet was deafening. I had braced for anger, for denial, and for outright lies. A part of me might have even welcomed her brash approach. But I had not prepared this. Not the utter, delusional certainty dripping from her voice.

“None of it would have had to happen if you had just known your place and not tried to come between us.”

I shook my head slowly. “You’re wrong. There was never any ‘us.’ You weren’t competing with me, Emma. You were competing with your own imagination.” My voice hardened. “He never loved you. It’s all been in your head.”

Her eyes narrowed, fury flashing beneath the surface. “Maybe it’s all in yours.”

“I guess you won’t have to worry about it for much longer, then,” I threw back at her. I didn’t give her the satisfaction of lingering. I turned on my heel and left her to her dirty chains.

By the time I emerged from the dungeons, the guilt that had plagued me since dawn had dulled to something sharper. I knew what needed to be done. To move forward, we had to make sure that there was no path back. It meant creating a clean slate we could all thrive in. It meant ending this.

And I knew just how to do it.

My feet guided me down the familiar halls without a thought. I found my father in the council chamber, though there was no one else in there but him. He was bent over reports, his face drawn but steady. When he looked up, I didn’t hesitate and spoke before he even got the chance to acknowledge me with a greeting.

“Father,” I said, voice firmer than I felt. “I have a question to ask of you.”

The Alpha King straightened. “What is it?”

I steeled myself, tilting my chin up in determination. “I would like to expedite matters. Can we proceed with Emma’s execution sooner rather than later?”

The Alpha King studied me for a long moment, his expression unreadable. Then, with a grim nod, he leaned back in his chair. He knew the weight of this request, and he likely suspected why I was making it.

“Gladly.”

His answer rang through me like a bell. It was really happening. Soon, I would be free of the stress and terror she caused. I wouldn’t have to concern myself with her or her schemes any longer. I sighed with relief, knowing Emma’s end would be the beginning of something new.