"Shut up!" Kain's voice exploded like thunder, his fury barely contained. He stepped between Lucia and Dante, his body a wall of rage. "You've said enough."
But Dante only chuckled. "You can't protect her from this, Kain. The truth is out. She's not just some girl you picked up out of pity. She's the key to power greater than any of us."
Lucia's chest tightened. She couldn't breathe, couldn't think. The pack's murmurs grew louder, a chorus of shock and suspicion. She felt their eyes on her, scrutinizing, questioning.
She took a shaky step back. "You knew," she said to Kain, her voice barely above a whisper. "You knew this whole time."
Kain turned to her, his expression stricken. "Lucia—"
"Don't!" she snapped, her voice breaking. "Don't lie to me. Did you know?"
He hesitated, just for a moment, but it was enough.
"Unbelievable," she said, her tone filled with bitter disbelief. "You brought me here, made me sign that contract, and never thought I deserved to know the truth? What was the plan, Kain? To keep me as your secret weapon? To use me when it suited you?"
"No," Kain said firmly, stepping closer, but she moved back, shaking her head.
"Don't touch me," she hissed, her voice trembling with rage. "You're just like him. Manipulating me. Using me for my bloodline."
"That's not true," Kain said, his voice softer now, but the crack in his armor was showing. "I was trying to protect you. You don't understand how dangerous this is."
"Then explain it to me!" she shouted, her hands trembling. "Stop hiding behind half-truths and tell me everything!"
The pack fell silent, their eyes bouncing between the two of them like spectators at a duel.
Kain's jaw clenched, his hands balled into fists at his sides. "You're right," he said, his voice low and controlled. "I should have told you. But you have no idea what's at stake here, Lucia. The moment that truth got out, you became a target. Do you think Dante's the only one who'll come for you?"
Lucia shook her head, her heart pounding. "I can't believe anything you say anymore. Not when you've been lying to me from the start."
Kain's eyes darkened, the tension between them thick enough to cut. "I've been trying to keep you alive," he growled. "But if you want the truth so badly, fine. You're the last of the Lykathra line. The blood in your veins is more powerful than any of us can comprehend. It's why you've survived everything you've been through. But it's also why people like Dante will never stop hunting you. Because with that power, they could rule everything."
The weight of his words crushed her, her legs threatening to give out beneath her. She looked at him, the man who had sworn to protect her, and felt nothing but betrayal.
"And you?" she said, her voice trembling. "What are you going to do with me, Kain? Keep me locked up like some weapon you can pull out when you need to win a war?"
His silence was deafening.
Lucia turned away, her chest heaving as the tears she'd been holding back began to spill. She didn't wait for his response. She didn't need one.
Without another word, she walked toward the forest, her vision blurred and her heart shattered.
"Lucia!" Kain's voice called after her, but she didn't stop. She couldn't.
Behind her, the pack stood in stunned silence, and Dante's soft chuckle echoed like a victory cry in the cold night air.
Lucia's heart raced as she ran through the forest, her legs shaking with every step. The cold night air burned in her lungs, but she hardly noticed. She just had to get away. She didn't care where she was going—only that she couldn't stay there.
How could he do this to me? The question kept repeating in her mind, but there was no answer.
She felt tears burning her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Not now. Not after everything he had done. Kain had lied to her, used her, and now he was standing there with his pack, just watching her leave.
"Lucia!"
Kain's voice echoed behind her, but she didn't stop. She couldn't. She couldn't bear to look at him anymore. The betrayal hurt too much.
Her body ached with exhaustion, but she pushed on, stumbling through the thick woods. The trees loomed around her like dark giants, their branches reaching out like skeletal fingers. She barely felt the twigs and branches tearing at her clothes and skin. She just wanted to be alone, far away from the pack, far away from Kain.