Back from Death to Destroy My Ex

Chapter3

Waiting For Someone Who Never Comes

ODETTE

I remained restless long after Seraphine left. I stayed sitting against the cold prison wall, staring at the iron door as if it would suddenly open. Her words kept repeating inside my head, but I refused to let them become the truth. She had to be mistaken. Wynne loved me. He had watched me throw myself in front of that rogue without thinking about my own life. A man could not see something like that and still believe I wanted him dead.

"He'll come," I whispered to myself, hugging my knees tightly. "He has to come."

Every little sound outside my cell made my heart jump. I listened to footsteps, voices, and the rattling of keys, hoping each one meant Wynne had finally realised there had been a terrible mistake. I imagined him opening the cell door, pulling me into his arms, and telling everyone to stop treating me like a criminal. That dream was the only thing keeping me alive.

The prison door opened again later that day, and I quickly struggled to my feet despite the pain shooting through my body. My chains scraped loudly against the stone floor as I hurried toward the bars. My heart pounded so hard that I could barely breathe.

"Wynne?"

Instead, I saw Seraphine walking toward me with red eyes and a sad expression.

The little hope inside me dimmed.

"Oh, Odette," she said softly. "You look even weaker."

I forced a smile.

"Did he send you?"

She lowered her eyes.

"I came because I was worried."

I swallowed the disappointment.

"How is Wynne? Is he awake? Has he asked about me?"

Seraphine covered her mouth as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"The poison was worse than everyone expected."

My hands tightened around the bars.

"What do you mean?"

"The rogue's claws were covered with wolfbane poison."

My heart sank.

"He almost died,” she said

"No..."

"The healers worked all night."

I felt my legs becoming weak.

"I should be with him,” I said.

"You can't."

"I need to explain everything."

She slowly shook her head.

"The council won't allow it."

I pressed my forehead against the cold bars.

"I never wanted any of this, Seraphina. They have to believe me."

Seraphine sighed sadly.

"The whole pack is talking about you."

I looked up at her.

"What are they saying?"

She hesitated for a moment before answering.

"They're calling you the woman who betrayed the Grand Alpha."

Tears filled my eyes.

"No."

"They also believe you stole the treasury money,” she added.

"I didn't."

"They believe you hired the rogue. They believe you smiled in front of everyone while secretly planning Wynne's death."

I covered my ears.

"But I didn't."

She shrugged. "I'm sorry."

"Please stop."

She reached through the bars and gently held my hands.

"I wish none of this had happened."

I cried quietly.

She remained silent for a long moment before speaking again.

"There's something else."

Fear spread through my chest.

"What?"

"It's about your parents."

My breathing stopped.

"What happened to them?"

"They're safe."

I sighed with relief.

"But..."

My heart started racing again.

"They're suffering."

I stared at her.

"People are avoiding them. The neighbours whisper when they walk past."

My eyes burned with fresh tears.

"They've spent years helping everyone."

"I know."

"People can't believe I'd do this. My parents don't deserve this."

“The people are frightened, and your parents have also been questioned by the investigators again,” she answered.

I shook my head.

"This is my fault."

"No, Odette."

"If I weren't here..."

She squeezed my hands gently.

"You must stay strong."

I looked into her eyes with desperate hope.

"Please tell Wynne I need to see him."

Her expression became even sadder.

"I already tried."

"What happened?"

"He wouldn't come."

I frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"He was given permission. The council told him he could visit you if he wanted,” she said.

My heart pounded.

"So why didn't he?"

Her voice became very quiet.

"He said..."

She stopped speaking.

"Please, talk to me."

"...he couldn't bear to look at the woman who betrayed him."

I stared at her in complete silence.

"No."

"I'm sorry."

"You're wrong. He's wrong,” I said, pleading. “Tell him I need to see him. I know he'll listen to me if I speak to him.”

"I wish I could, but he doesn't want to see you, Odette,” she said.

"He would never say that."

She lowered her head.

"I heard it myself."

The words hurt so much that I could barely breathe.

After Seraphine left, I kept telling myself she had misunderstood. Maybe Wynne had been too sick to think clearly. Maybe someone had lied to her. Maybe tomorrow he would come.

Tomorrow became another day.

Then another.

Then another.

Every morning I woke up with the same hope. Every evening I went to sleep with the same disappointment. Whenever footsteps echoed through the prison corridor, I quickly lifted my head. My heart always whispered the same word.

"Wynne."

But it was never him.

Sometimes it was a guard bringing stale bread. Sometimes it was the prison doctor. Sometimes it was nobody at all.

The prison doctor never stayed long. He looked at my wounds, changed the dirty bandages, and rubbed medicine over the wolfbane cuts. It helped only a little. The poison kept spreading through my body, making my skin burn and my muscles ache.

"I need proper healing," I whispered one day.

The doctor avoided my eyes.

"I'm only allowed to keep you alive."

I looked at him in disbelief.

"What does that mean?"

"My orders are clear."

"You'll rather let me suffer?"

He packed his bag without answering.

The fever grew worse each day. Some mornings I woke up shaking from the cold even though sweat covered my body. Other times my head felt so hot that I thought I would faint again. Food became harder to eat because every bite made me feel sick, yet hunger twisted painfully inside my stomach.

Still, I waited.

I counted footsteps. I listened for his voice. I imagined hearing him call my name.

One afternoon I found myself staring at the prison door for so long that I started laughing quietly.

"What am I doing?" I whispered.

My laugh quickly turned into tears.

I rested my head against the wall.

"Did you really believe I wanted you dead?"

The question echoed around the empty cell.

I had never imagined asking it, not even once.

Late that evening, I heard two guards talking outside my cell. They did not know I was awake. Their voices carried clearly through the quiet corridor.

"It's finally over," one of them said.

"The Grand Alpha made the right decision."

"What decision?"

"He officially cancelled the engagement today."

My entire body froze.

"The future Luna is gone."

"He had no choice."

"The pack's dignity comes first."

"I heard the council supported him."

"So did I."

"What a shame."

"Not really. Nobody wants an assassin as Luna."

Their footsteps slowly faded away, and I sat completely still. My hands trembled until the chains around my wrists rattled softly.

The engagement was cancelled; not postponed, not delayed. It had been cancelled.

The ring I had dreamed of wearing, the vows we had promised each other, the future I had spent years believing in—all gone.

For the first time since entering that prison, I stopped waiting for footsteps and I buried my face in my shaking hands and cried until there were no tears left.