Chapter 101: Kneel
Walter Pov
Traffic is the worst in Prone City, especially at five when people are getting off work, so you can imagine how long it took us to get to New Hope. Three hours.
If you can’t picture it, let me spell it out, three hours of being stuck in the same car with an anxious Torin, his leg bouncing, his fingers drumming, his breathing uneven. That’s where Augi updated me on the entire situation, and let me tell you, things have gone to hell.
Apparently, Yurena was in a fatal car accident, and Torin believes Lorali is responsible. On top of that, Lorali herself was allegedly stabbed by Oracle, and Torin dragged him to prison without trial.
Hard to believe any of this. The pack has really gone to pieces since I was last here. And something tells me we’re only at the tip of Lorali’s anger. I have the sinking feeling there’s more to come.
"This room," Torin mutters, taking a sharp turn into one of the private rooms. By pure luck, we make it ten minutes before visiting hours end.
Ten minutes.
That’s all we have to clear up this misunderstanding.
"Torin," Lorali’s light voice rings out as we all file into the room.
My gaze lands on her figure in a patient’s uniform, sitting upright on the bed. She doesn’t look roughed up the way I expect someone stabbed by her fated mate to look. In fact, she looks almost at peace, surrounded by flowers and get‑well gifts near her bedside. I wonder who sent them. They can’t all be from Torin.
She slides off the bed, walking closer to Torin"Oh, you’re all here," she says with a smile, though there’s a faint nervousness in her voice that betrays her calm exterior.
"Did you do it?" Torin exclaims, heading straight to the point. He grips her arms, his eyes wild.
She smiles nervously, tilting her head. "Do what?"
"Did you try to kill my mother?"
Silence.
All we can hear is the hum of the machines. We all stare at Lorali, anticipating her answer, and she just stares back at Torin. Her eyes narrow. Slowly, the innocence in her gaze disappears, replaced by something harder. This time, unlike before when only I saw it, we all do.
"Yes."
The word shocks us all. It does a number on Torin, his body shakes and his breath hitches. "No... no... this is not the time to joke, sugarplum," he mumbles, sounding like a man losing his grip on reality.
"Why do you think I’m joking?" she scoffs, pulling out of his grip. "I am the reason your mother will never walk. In fact, I never wanted that to happen to her. I wanted her to die. That was my only wish as I ran Walter’s car into her over and over again." She huffs, tucking her hair behind her ear, her voice steady, almost casual.
"No fucking way," Kei mutters next to me, shaking his head at the mere thought of Lorali trying to kill sweet Yurena.
"Why?" Torin murmurs, his bottom lip trembling. "Why?"
"Why?" Lorali repeats, her face twisting into a scowl, baffled by his audacity. "Let me guess? Maybe because? The woman abused me, Torin. She made my life a living hell for months. Of course I’d want her dead. I want all of you dead or suffering. That would work for me too."
"So you do not love me? All this time you were acting?" Torin’s eyes glisten, disbelief written across his face. That’s all he can cling to, even after she’s confessed to wanting us all dead.
"Yes," she says coldly. "The same thing you were doing."
The words hang heavy in the room, cutting deeper than any blade. Damn, she knew Torin was playing her. I cover my hand with my mouth watching with wide eyes.
Torin’s disbelief is palpable. His chest rises and falls unevenly, his eyes darting between Lorali and the rest of us as though searching for someone to tell him this is all a cruel joke. His lips part, but no words come out at first. He looks broken, like a man who has just had the ground ripped out from beneath him.
Lorali, however, looks like everything has just been given to her. She tilts her head, her expression calm but venomous. "You still don’t understand, do you? I hate you, Torin. I hate your pack. Every single one of you. You’ve ruined me, and I want nothing but ruin for you in return.
Torin staggers back a step, his voice trembling. "No... no, Lorali. I love you. I love you more than anything. You’re my mate, my—"
She laughs, the sound cruel and mocking, stopping him mid sentence. "Even if you really do love me, Torin, I don’t care. Your love means nothing to me. It’s worthless. You think your feelings can erase what you’ve done? You think they can erase what your pack has done? You’re delusional."
Her words slice through him like a blade. Augi steps forward, his voice low and urgent. "Torin is going to lose his shit. I’ll try to hold him back. You guys, get Lorali out of here, or he might kill her."
But to everyone’s shock including my own, Torin doesn’t lash out. He doesn’t raise his voice or his fists. Instead, his knees buckle, and he collapses to the floor. The proud man he once was is gone, replaced by someone broken and desperate to be forgiven.
He falls at her feet, clutching the edge of her bed, tears streaming down his face. "Please," he sobs, his voice raw. "Please forgive me. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for everything. I didn’t know, I didn’t understand my feelings for you back then, but I swear to you, I love you now. It may not have been true in the beginning, but it is true now. I love you with everything I am. You are my heart, my soul, my reason to breathe. Without you, I am nothing. I will spend every day proving it, every moment showing you that I am yours. I will fight for you, I will bleed for you, I will die for you if that’s what it takes. Just... don’t leave me. Don’t hate me. Let me love you."
Damn, that would have me folding not going lie but Lorali unfortunately doesn’t give a flying fuck about his little love confession that would have pissed old me off, leaving me a nevrous wreck.
Lorali stares down at him, her expression unreadable. Slowly, she kneels in front of him, her eyes locking onto his. For a moment, it looks as though she might soften, as though his words might have reached her. But then she speaks, her tone cold and unmoved..
"Being on your knees means nothing to me, Torin. All these words, all this begging, it means nothing. Sorry doesn’t fix the venomous bond your pack member placed on me."
She reaches up, unbuttoning the collar of her hospital shirt. The fabric falls away to reveal the mark on her neck. It is ugly, raw, a scar that looks more like a wound than a bond.
Torin’s breath catches. "Isn’t that the branding mark?"
Lorali’s lips curl into a bitter smile. "I lied. I told you I got it at the auction. But the truth is, your packmate Oracle did this. He bonded with me and rejected me right after. And now I’m dying because of it."
The room falls silent. Augi and Kei stare, their faces pale, their bodies rigid. Torin’s eyes widen, horror and pain crashing over him.
"No..." he whispers, his voice breaking. "No, this can’t be. Oracle... he... he did this to you?"
Lorali nods, her expression hard. "Yes. And you let it happen. You let all of this happen. You think your love can erase that? You think your apologies can undo the damage? You’re wrong. You’ll never fix this. You’ll never fix me."
Torin shakes his head violently, his hands reaching for her shoulders. "I’ll fix everything. I swear it. I’ll make it right. I’ll find a way to heal you, to undo this bond. I’ll work for your forgiveness, Lorali. I’ll spend the rest of my life proving myself to you. Please... please don’t give up on me."
But Lorali’s eyes are cold, her voice steady. "You’ll never have my forgiveness. Not now. Not ever."
The words hit him harder than any blow. He crumples further, his forehead pressing against the floor, his sobs echoing through the room.
Before the conversation can continue, the door opens. A nurse steps inside, her expression stern. "Visiting hours are over," she says firmly. "You all need to leave."
Lorali rises from the floor, her movements graceful, composed. She buttons her shirt again, hiding the mark, and turns away from Torin without another word.
Augi and Kei exchange a glance, then move quickly. Augi grabs Torin by the arm, Kei by the other, dragging him toward the door. Torin resists weakly, his voice breaking as he cries out, "Lorali! Please! Don’t do this! I love you! I’ll fix it! I’ll fix everything!"
The nurse steps forward, her tone sharp. "If you don’t lower your voice, I’ll call security." I give Lorali a single glass before leaving.
And just like that, the door closes, leaving her alone once more.
Somehow I know I am to blame for most of this, the guilt is going to kill me "What have I done?"