Chapter 181: He Didn’t Let Her Off
{Third Person}
Barron crouched beside Lila and studied her unconscious face for a moment before lightly tapping her cheek.
"Lila."
There was no response, so he tapped her again. Still, there was nothing.
His smile deepened again. Without another word, he shifted into his wolf form once more.
The transformation was smooth and silent beneath the moonlight. Within seconds, the large wolf stood over Lila’s unconscious form, its massive frame casting a shadow over her.
Barron lowered his head and exhaled warm breath against her face.
Almost immediately, Lila stirred. Her brows furrowed, then her eyes slowly fluttered open. For one brief second, her vision was unfocused, then it cleared.
The first thing she saw was dark fur, followed by a pair of glowing eyes. They were right in front of her, watching her.
Lila froze in that instant. Her mind emptied completely. Then the memory of everything she had experienced earlier, especially the terror, came crashing back.
A strangled scream tore from her throat.
She scrambled backward so fast that she nearly twisted her ankle. Her hands shook violently as she pushed herself away, only to fall awkwardly onto the ground again.
Tears instantly flooded her eyes.
The wolf did not move, it simply watched her, and somehow that made everything worse.
Lila’s breathing turned ragged and her body trembled uncontrollably. "N-no..."
The words barely came out. And just then, the wolf took one slow step forward.
Lila broke completely. All the arrogance, pride, and superiority she carried vanished instantly. Tears spilled freely down her face as she began sobbing.
"Please..." Her voice cracked badly. "Please don’t kill me."
The wolf remained silent.
Lila crawled backward on shaking limbs, her dress dragging against the dirt. She was crying openly now, her entire body trembling from pure terror.
"I will leave," she cried desperately. "I will leave tomorrow."
The wolf took another step.
Lila let out a broken sob. "I won’t come back! Ever!"
The wolf took another step forward. This time, something inside her completely shattered. She began pleading incoherently, words tumbling over each other in desperation.
"I swear! I swear I won’t do anything!" Her chest heaved violently as she cried. "I won’t say anything!"
The words made Barron pause. Even in his wolf form, his attention sharpened. He found her statement interesting.
Just then, the wolf lowered its head slightly and gave another low growl.
Lila screamed. "I swear! Please!" Tears streamed down her face. "I won’t tell anyone about her!"
Barron’s eyes narrowed. About her?
There it was... the confirmation that Lila was truly going to talk about Amara to Zarek. And if it wasn’t guilt attacking her right now, why would she even randomly mention it to him?
It’s not like he questioned her about her intentions earlier. Because of her conscience which was pricking her, she confessed on her own.
The wolf moved forward again, deliberately slow, forcing Lila deeper into panic.
Lila was no longer thinking clearly. Terror had completely stripped away every defense.
"I won’t do it!" she cried. "I won’t tell him!" Her voice broke into helpless sobbing. "Please! Please!"
The wolf stopped just a few feet away from her. Lila stared at it through blurred vision. Then, through gasps and sobs, more words spilled from her mouth.
"She isn’t who they think she is!"
Barron remained perfectly still as Lila kept crying. "She isn’t really Amara Caldwell!"
Barron’s expression sharpened. His full attention was now on her.
Lila was trembling so badly she could barely breathe. "She’s hiding—"
Her words suddenly broke apart into hysterical sobs, then her breathing hitched. Her face lost what little color remained and her eyes rolled back.
And just like that, she fainted again. Silence returned one again.
Barron stared at her unconscious form for several seconds before shifting back into his human form.
When he stood over her this time, the amusement from earlier had disappeared. His expression had grown very serious.
He slowly crouched beside her. So, Alexander had been right. Lila truly knew something, and she had been about to expose Amara’s identity to Zarek.
Barron’s mind moved quickly as he replayed every word she had blurted out in panic. She isn’t really Amara Caldwell.
The words settled heavily in his mind. This was no longer just about Lila being irritating or troublesome. This had become very important.
Barron released a slow breath. Alexander needed to hear this immediately. Still, before that, there was one final thing to do.
Barron reached into his inner robe and pulled out a small vial. After uncorking it, he carefully lifted Lila’s head and poured the liquid into her mouth.
The medicine was harmless but effective.
When Lila woke up later, her senses would feel clouded. Her thoughts would be sluggish. The events of tonight would feel distorted, blurred at the edges like fragments of a terrible nightmare.
She would remember enough to feel fear, but not enough to trust her own memory. That suited Barron perfectly.
He wanted her terrified but confused. Confused enough to wonder whether any of it had even happened.
Barron studied her unconscious face one last time, then he sighed. "What an exhausting woman."
Despite himself, the corner of his mouth lifted slightly. Carefully, he lifted her into his arms.
This night had become far more interesting than he had originally expected. And now, he had something important to report to Alexander.
═════ ❄✦❄ ═════
The final banquet eventually drew to a close.
By this point, most of the guests had fully relaxed considerably. They laughed and exchanged farewells. Servants moved about with practised efficiency, clearing tables and refilling drinks where necessary.
At the head of the hall, King Sebastian finally rose to his feet. And almost immediately, the hall quieted.
All eyes turned toward the Alpha King.
Sebastian’s gaze swept across the guests before him. This time, unlike the banquet from two nights ago, there was genuine satisfaction in his heart.
Tonight had gone smoothly. There was no chaos, blood or unexpected disasters.
Most importantly, Alexander had sat through the entire evening without incident. That alone relieved him more than he cared to admit.
A faint smile appeared on his face as he addressed the hall. "I would like to thank all our distinguished guests and delegates for honouring us with your presence during this celebration."
His voice carried clearly through the banquet hall. "It has been an eventful few days."
That drew a few restrained smiles from some guests.
Sebastian continued. "Tomorrow, many of you will begin your journey back to your respective kingdoms. I hope your stay in the Werewolf Kingdom has been worthwhile, and I trust that you will return safely to your homes."
Then, his expression softened slightly. "May peace and prosperity follow each of you."
The hall soon filled with polite applause as the banquet officially came to an end.
Guests gradually began rising from their seats, exchanging final pleasantries before making their way out of the hall.
---
Meanwhile, far away from the lights and warmth of the banquet hall, Lila slowly regained consciousness.
The first thing she became aware of was the pounding pain in her head. Her entire body ached, and even the simple act of opening her eyes was exhausting.
She groaned softly and shifted on the bed, only for a sharp wave of dizziness to hit her almost immediately.
As consciousness returned, so did fragments of memory of the wolf’s eyes and growls.
Instantly, Lila’s eyes flew open.
She sat up so suddenly that the room spun around her, forcing her to clutch the edge of the bed for support. Her breathing became uneven as her frightened eyes darted around the room, taking in her surroundings.
She was in her room, back at the guest house, and everything looked normal.
The bed beneath her felt familiar. The furniture remained in place. Soft candlelight illuminated the room, casting harmless shadows across the walls.
There was nothing unusual about the scene before her, yet it only deepened her confusion instead of comforting her.
Her hands began trembling.
Slowly, she lowered her gaze to herself. Her clothes had already been changed into nightwear, which meant someone had brought her back here. But that raised more questions than answers. How had she returned? Who brought her back? And most importantly... what exactly had happened?
Lila pressed both hands against her temples.
The harder she tried to think, the more painful it became. Her mind felt sluggish, almost clouded, as though something was preventing her thoughts from becoming clear.
The memories remained scattered and broken, slipping through her grasp each time she tried to piece them together.
Yet one thing remained certain: the fear she felt was real, the terror she remembered was real or at least... it felt real.
That was what disturbed her the most.
The memory of the wolf felt vivid—far too vivid to dismiss as a mere nightmare. She could still remember the glowing eyes fixed on her in the darkness.
She could still hear the growling. She could still feel the helpless terror that had gripped her entire body. And yet, none of it made sense.
Was it truly real?