Chapter 35
**PRISCA**
Time seemed to taunt me as it passed painfully slowly, the fading sunlight casting eerie shadows across the room. The hours slipped by too fast, yet felt like eternity, each moment bringing me closer to the inevitable horror awaiting me tonight. Zion, the Demon Lord, had made it clear—he was going to take me, forcefully, and I had no way to stop him. Whatever drug was coursing through my veins kept me weak, helpless, and I had no idea how long it would last. Zion had left earlier, saying he'd be back before sunset for some twisted ceremony.
The door creaked open, and a young girl, no older than fourteen or fifteen, entered. She held a glass of water and some pills in her trembling hands. Maybe she could help me.
"Hey, what's your name?" I asked softly, trying not to sound too desperate, though every fiber of my being screamed for escape.
Her brown eyes widened in panic. She glanced around, as if the very walls could betray her. “You must not speak to me,” she whispered harshly, her voice trembling. “He’ll kill me if you do. The walls... they have ears.” Her gaze darted to the corners of the room, paranoia etched into her features.
I felt a pang of hopelessness. “Please,” I whispered back, desperation clinging to my voice. “You have to help me. I’m begging you.”
Her face softened for a brief moment, but fear quickly clouded it again. “I cannot help you,” she murmured, almost apologetically. “He is my brother... and he is a very bad man. If I even try to help you, he will lock me in a cage for eternity. No one in this place can help you without paying the price with their life.” She looked away, clearly pained by her own words. “Take these,” she continued, handing me the pills. “He wants you to be able to move for the ceremony.”
The prospect of movement, of any kind of agency, spurred me into action. I opened my mouth, accepting the pills, and within moments I could feel my toes twitch, then my legs, then the rest of my body. I sat up slowly, wincing at the pain that still wracked my body. If only the pills could take away the pain, too.
"The pain won’t go away until your wolf and magic are fully restored,” the girl said softly. “He’s here. Follow me, and don’t try to run. If you do, he’ll kill your mother.”
My heart plummeted. “My mother? How is my mother here?” I demanded, stumbling as I tried to follow her down the darkened corridors that resembled a dungeon.
“She’s here,” the girl replied, her voice devoid of emotion. “Safe, for now. But her safety depends entirely on you.”
We approached two large, ominous doors. The girl pushed them open, and what I saw next made my blood run cold. My mother was chained to the foot of a massive throne, her wrists raw from the shackles. She looked fragile, as if she’d been there for days, weeks even. And there, sitting on the throne with a triumphant grin, was Zion.
“Mama!” I cried, running to her, collapsing at her feet. “Mama, are you okay? I’m so sorry, I—” My words faltered, tears streaming down my face.
My mother looked at me in horror, shaking her head vehemently. “No, no, no. Oh God, no!” she sobbed, her voice thick with anguish. “You shouldn’t be here, Prisca. Why are you here? My baby... my poor baby,” she moaned, reaching out to cup my face with trembling hands. “You monster!” she screamed at Zion. “Let my daughter go!”
Zion’s grip on my arm tightened, pulling me up and onto his lap as if I were a mere doll. “Enough,” he said coldly, his gaze fixed on the massive doors. “We’re about to have more company. In three, two, one…”
Just as he finished counting, the doors flew open with a thunderous crash. Jake. He stood there, towering, more beast than man, his skin a dark grey and his eyes burning with fury. His scent was that of unbridled rage, raw and terrifying.
“Ah, there’s the Lycan I’ve been waiting for,” Zion said smugly, his hand tightening around my waist. “Come, we’ve been expecting you.”
Jake took a step forward, his every movement radiating lethal intent. But he stopped short when Zion’s hand wrapped around my throat. “Ah, ah. I wouldn’t do that if I were you, little brother.”
My eyes widened in shock. “Brother? Jake, what is he talking about?”
Jake’s voice was low, a dangerous growl. “He’s lying, Prisca. Let my mate go, Zion, or I’ll make you regret ever taking your first breath.”
Zion laughed, a deep, malevolent sound. “Oh, Jake, it hurts me that you still reject me as family. But I suppose it was inevitable, given that you take after our mother.”
“Enough with your lies!” Jake snarled, taking another step closer.
“Lies?” Zion mused, his grip on me tightening painfully. “You will listen, or I’ll tear the mark from her neck myself.” His voice dripped with cruelty, and Jake froze. Satisfied, Zion continued. “Once upon a time, there was a woman named Alarna, who married her mate, Jonathan, a hybrid—a demon and lycan. They had me, and then, Jonathan became... difficult. Abusive, even. So dear old Mom killed him and moved on to her second mate—your father, Jake.”
Jake’s eyes flickered with confusion, his beast barely contained. “What are you talking about?”
Zion smirked. “Your father was a royal hybrid, half-vampire and full-blooded lycan. But he couldn’t accept me, the demon child, so he made Mom choose. And she chose him, abandoning me. Sent me to live with humans. I waited, and when I was old enough, I came for her.”
“You’re lying,” Jake seethed. “My parents died in a fire.”
“Oh, is that what you believe?” Zion chuckled darkly. “No, Jake, I killed them. I promised our mother I’d take everything from you, just like she took everything from me.”
The tension in the room was palpable. My mind was spinning, barely able to process what I was hearing. Was any of it true? Could Zion really be Jake’s brother?
Jake’s growl rumbled through the room. “You’ll pay for this.”
Before anyone could react, a voice boomed through the chamber. “One mistake, Zion,” my father’s voice cut through the chaos, followed by a flash of light as he lunged at Zion, throwing him against the wall.
I ran to Jake, my heart pounding in my chest. That’s when everything descended into chaos.
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