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Chapter 19

Bavanda sat in the cold, damp dungeon, her body aching, her mind in turmoil. The weight of Loco’s words pressed against her chest like a vice. He was offering her an escape, a way to control the beast within her. But was she truly ready to abandon everything—her family, her pack, her past?

Her fingers curled into fists against the stone floor. Loco’s voice echoed in her head: “You don’t belong here. They see you as a monster. But I can help you harness what’s inside you.”

A shudder ran through her. She had seen the fear in her father’s eyes, the sorrow in her mother’s, the distrust in Steve’s. Maybe they did see her as a monster. Maybe they were right.

Her vision blurred with unshed tears. She wanted to believe she still had a place among them. But when she closed her eyes, all she saw was the betrayal. Her father’s command to restrain her, and her mother’s anguished cries.

She clenched her jaw. Could she truly leave everything behind? Would she be wrong if she decided to do that?

A sudden clang of metal against stone jolted her from her thoughts. It was footsteps. A shadow darkened the doorway. Bavanda tensed.

It was Steve.

He raised his weapon immediately his eyes fell on Loco. His sword gleamed under the dim torchlight, his expression carved from stone. “What are you doing?” His voice was tight, strained. “Tell me you weren’t about to go with him.”

Bavanda swallowed hard, unable to meet his eyes.

“He’s manipulating you,” Steve continued. “Just like Theresa did.”

Before she could respond, a low chuckle filled the air. Loco's presence, a stark contrast to Steve’s rigid stance. “You think you can stop her?” he mused, tilting his head. “You can’t keep her locked away forever. When she’s ready, she’ll come to me.” Then, as quickly as he had appeared, he vanished into the shadows.

The dungeon air was thick with the smell of damp stone and despair, but in that moment, it was the silence that smothered Bavanda. Her body ached from the transformation; she could still feel the monstrous power simmering beneath her skin. It was a constant, painful reminder of what she had become. Her mind was clouded with confusion, torn between the old life she once knew and the new, twisted existence that awaited her.

Her gaze lingered on the shadows, her heart racing as she tried to make sense of the choice that lay before her. Was it worth it to leave everything behind? To let go of the people who had raised her, who had loved her, for something that felt so… alien?

A chill ran through her, and she realized she was no longer alone.

“Bavanda,” Steve's voice was rough, strained, “Where did he go?” He didn’t wait for an answer, his gaze sweeping over the dimly lit dungeon. “I should’ve known. Loco’s been pulling strings from the start.”

Bavanda stood up slowly, her body still trembling from the earlier transformation. She didn’t want to fight him, but she knew he would never understand. Not now. “He offered me something you never could. Control. Power. A way out of this curse,” she said, her voice trembling with uncertainty.

“You think Loco cares about you?” Steve took a step forward, his anger rising. “He’s using you! He’s manipulating your fears to turn you against your own people. Don’t listen to him, Bavanda. Please.”

But Bavanda’s frustration boiled over. “You don’t understand,” she whispered harshly, her eyes blazing. “You never have. All of you—my parents, the pack—never understood me. You just want to control me. Make me into what you want me to be.”

Steve’s face faltered, and for a brief moment, his resolve wavered. “I never wanted to control you, Bavanda,” he said, his voice softer now. “I just want you to be safe. I just want you to come home.”

“I am home!” she yelled, her voice cracking. “But you don’t see it. You all think I'm a monster, and I can't stand that. You… you were there for me through all of my tough moments. You were like my second father, I agree you care for me, but at this moment, I don't think you can help me anymore. My parents don't even care anymore, don't try to make me think you do.”

Steve’s grip on his sword tightened, but he didn’t draw it. “Bavanda, your parents are scared out of their mind. They don’t want to lose you. I'm sure they want to protect you, as much as I do. Just give us a chance, please.”

Tears welled in her eyes, but she wiped them away quickly. She wasn’t about to let him see her weakness. “Then stop trying to control me, Steve. Stop trying to save me from myself. You don’t even know who I am anymore.”

She turned away, feeling the walls close in. Steve’s footsteps were heavy behind her as he turned to leave, but then, just before he exited the dungeon, he paused.

“I’ll find you,” he said, his voice low and filled with sorrow. “You can run as far as you want, but I’ll always come for you.”

Bavanda didn’t answer. She couldn’t. The choice she had to make was too big, too final. She was on the verge of losing everything—everything she had ever known and loved—for something that felt both terrifying and exhilarating.

As the door slammed behind Steve, Bavanda sank to the floor, overwhelmed by the decision that now weighed on her. She had to make a choice, and there was no going back.

A sob tore from her throat. What had her life turned into?

The Aftermath? It was bad. News of Loco’s visit spread through the pack like wildfire. The elders convened in the huge meeting hall, whispering in secret, their hushed voices thick with tension.

“She’s dangerous.”

“She must be banished before it’s too late.”

“She’s still our princess.”

“She’s a threat.”

Avynna sat in the center of it all, her face pale, her hands shaking. “Find a way,” she mumbled, then louder, she forced the words out. “Find a way to purify her soul. Find a way to save my daughter. I won’t lose her.”

That night, whilst everyone else slept, Bavanda awoke to a whisper.

“You deserve more.”

She jolted upright, heart pounding. Loco stood at the bars of her cell, his eyes glinting in the dim light.

“They’ll never accept you,” he murmured. “Come with me.”

For a moment, she wavered. The shadows curled around him, inviting, familiar. But something inside her resisted. She clenched her fists and shook her head.

Then she blinked—and he was gone.

Had it been a dream? Was she seeing him in her dreams now too?

By morning, Nancy returned with grim news. She carried an ancient tome, its pages brittle with age. Her strides were purposeful as she walked into the council hall.

Avynna shot up, on seeing her. “Nancy, did you find anything? We can save my daughter, right?"

Nancy heaved, devastation etched into every corner of her features. “Theresa,” she whispered, “is tied to a prophecy. One that speaks of destruction.”

Avynna’s blood ran cold. “What are you saying?”

Nancy hesitated before responding, “Bavanda is not just in danger. She is the danger.”

Immediately, the elders’ whispers turned into a decree. “She must be executed.”

Baron’s face hardened as he listened, his hands trembling at his sides. “No,” he growled, his voice barely above a whisper. But the conviction in his tone wavered.

“She’s beyond saving,” an elder pressed. “You saw what she became.”

Avynna’s breath hitched. “No. There must be another way.”

“There isn’t. Alpha, and Luna, we can't risk our pack. You have your son, Alexander. Bavanda has become an enemy, there is no way around this.” Another elder spoke up.

Silence stretched thick and heavy. Baron closed his eyes, and when he opened them, the Alpha in him spoke.

“Give me 24 hours, I'll think about it.” With this, he stormed out of the hall, his wife left in the huge hall.

Avynna had her head buried in her hands as she sobbed dejectedly. Nancy approached her, her touch both comforting and reassuring. “It'll be okay, Avynna. It'll be okay."

Bavanda jerked awake, her breath ragged. A presence loomed over her.

Loco.

He was standing directly above her. “How did you get in here?" She asked, her eyes darting to see if the cell doors had been opened. They weren't.

Loco ignored her question, instead, “They’re going to kill you,” he said.

She countered immediately. “No. My parents would never…”

Loco placed a hand on her forehead, and suddenly, visions flooded her mind. She saw the elders, saw her father’s reluctant nod, saw her mother’s broken sobs.

Her stomach twisted. “No,” she whispered. But the truth stared her in the face.

“They’ve made their choice,” Loco said softly. “Now it’s time to make yours.”

Hey Guys please check my other stories: The Lycan and His healer mate, His Purchased Wife, 365 Days in Dmitry Cage, The fatal Lycan and his mysterious mate, Xiol's Treasured Mate, The luna and the lycan, Flash Marriage: President's Seduction, In Adonis world, Alpha's little Vampire Mate on R.a.d.i.s.h.

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