Back from Death to Destroy My Ex

Chapter2

The Monster They Created

ODETTE

The first thing I felt was pain.

It spread through every part of my body like fire crawling beneath my skin. My arms burned, my ribs ached, and every breath felt sharp enough to cut my chest from the inside. I tried to move, but something heavy pulled my wrists down. The sound of metal scraping against stone echoed through the silence.

Slowly, I opened my eyes.

Everything around me was dark.

A damp smell filled the air, mixed with rust and old blood. I blinked several times, trying to clear my blurry vision. Instead of the warm ceiling of the palace infirmary, I saw rough stone walls and thick iron bars.

My heart skipped.

"No..." I whispered.

I pushed myself up with great effort, only to cry out as pain shot through my body. Heavy chains wrapped around both my wrists, their cold weight resting against the floor. My clothes were stained with dried blood, and fresh bandages covered the wounds the rogue had given me.

"Where am I?" I asked weakly.

No one answered.

I dragged myself closer to the bars and looked outside. A guard stood there with folded arms.

"Excuse me," I called, my voice shaking. "Please... where is this?"

He looked at me with cold eyes.

"You're in prison."

I froze.

"The... prison?"

"Where traitors belong."

My mouth slowly fell open.

"There has to be some mistake."

He laughed without humor.

"The only mistake was trusting you."

I gripped the bars.

"I saved the Grand Alpha!"

"You tried to kill him."

"What?"

The words hit me harder than the rogue's claws ever had.

"I threw myself in front of him!"

"So everyone saw."

"Then why am I here?"

The guard stepped closer until he stood right before my cell.

"Because your little plan failed."

I stared at him, unable to understand.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You can keep pretending all you want—”

"I'm not pretending!” I snapped.

"Enough with the lies,” the guard ordered, his voice raised.

I was confused—so confused that tears began to fill my eyes.

"Please... where is Wynne?"

His expression only became colder.

"The Grand Alpha has nothing to discuss with an assassin."

My knees almost gave way.

"No..."

I shook my head over and over.

"You've got it wrong."

He turned his back and walked away.

"Wait!" I cried. "Please!"

He never looked back.

I sat on the cold floor, trying to remember what had happened.

The rogue...

The attack...

Jumping in front of Wynne...

The terrible pain...

Then darkness.

That was all I remembered.

How had everything changed so completely while I was unconscious?

Several hours later, another guard came carrying a small bowl of soup and a cup of water. He pushed them through the opening beneath the bars as though feeding a dangerous animal.

I crawled toward him.

"Please," I begged. "Tell me what happened."

He stayed silent.

"I deserve to know."

He let out a long sigh.

"The rogue was captured."

Hope filled my heart.

"Which is good news. How does that put me in prison?”

The guard looked at me with pity.

"He confessed."

My smile disappeared.

"He confessed that you hired him."

Everything inside me stopped.

"What?”

"He said you promised him money if he killed the Grand Alpha."

"No!"

"He also said You planned everything together."

"He's lying!"

The guard shrugged.

"It doesn't matter now."

"It does!"

"He's dead."

My heart sank.

"What?"

"He died from his injuries before anyone could question him further."

I stumbled backwards until my back hit the wall.

"No..."

"He confessed before dying,” he said.

"I never met him!"

The guard picked up the empty tray.

"Tell that to the council."

He walked away before I could stop him.

I wrapped my arms around myself, shaking from fear. Someone had framed me.

But who?

And why?

The questions raced through my head until another pair of footsteps echoed through the prison.

This time, two guards stopped outside my cell. One looked at me with open disgust.

"The investigation continues,” he said. “and once it's finished, you will oay heavily for your crimes?”

"What investigation?" I asked, puzzled. “What crimes?”

"The missing emergency treasury."

“What?” I muttered, completely shocked now. “I didn't steal anything. I didn't do anything.”

"But the money was withdrawn using your official seal."

"I didn't authorize it!"

"The records say otherwise."

"I never signed those papers!"

He folded his arms.

"The stolen money was withdrawn only days before the rogue attacked."

I felt sick.

"So?"

"So investigators believe you used the money to hire him."

I grabbed the bars desperately.

"I DID NO SUCH THING!” I screamed.

"The evidence says yes."

"The evidence is fake!"

"It also appears your parents may have known,” he went on, obviously pleased with how desperate I looked.

My heart almost burst.

"My parents?"

"They're being questioned."

"No..."

"We think that they may have helped hide the money."

"They would never do that!"

The guard looked completely unmoved.

"That will be decided later."

When they left, I buried my face in my hands. It wasn't just me. Whatever this was, my parents had been involved as well, and worse, for reasons I didn't know.

"I swear I didn't do this," I whispered through my tears.

"I swear."

Nobody answered.

Time passed so slowly that I stopped trying to count it. Every sound outside my cell made me hope Wynne had finally come. Every pair of footsteps made my heart race before disappointment crushed it again.

Finally, another guard appeared.

I rushed to the bars.

"Please."

He ignored me.

"Please let me see Wynne."

Silence.

"He knows me. He knows I would never hurt him."

The guard unlocked nothing.

"I almost died protecting him."

His face remained hard.

"He has to hear me."

"The Grand Alpha has already heard enough."

"No!"

"He won't even look at me?"

"He gave no order to visit you."

The words broke something inside me.

"Please… I love him."

The guard turned away.

"Please tell him I asked."

I watched him disappeared down the corridor and I slowly slid down the bars until I was sitting on the floor again.

For the first time in my life, I truly felt alone.

Hours later, I heard softer footsteps approaching my cell. They weren't heavy like the guards'. I slowly lifted my head.

A beautiful woman stood outside the bars.

"Seraphine?"

She covered her mouth with both hands as tears filled her eyes.

"Oh, Odette."

She hurried closer.

"I can't believe they've done this to you."

Fresh tears rolled down my cheeks.

"You came."

"Of course I came."

"I knew someone would believe me."

She reached through the bars and gently held my chained hands.

"They've hurt you so badly."

"I didn't do any of it."

"I know."

"They're accusing me of terrible things,” I said. “I literally saved Wynne."

"I know you did."

Relief washed over me.

“I'm glad you do,” I said.

She squeezed my hands gently.

"I've been trying to help."

"Then please,” I looked into her eyes. "Take me to Wynne."

Her smile faded.

"I can't."

"Why?"

"He refused to see you."

My heart tightened painfully.

"But that's impossible."

"He won't see anyone about this,” she added.

"He'll listen if you ask."

She lowered her eyes sadly.

"I already did."

"What did he say?"

She stayed silent for several seconds. The silence frightened me more than any answer could.

"Seraphine?"

She slowly looked back at me with tears shining in her eyes.

"I'm so sorry."

"For what?"

She took a shaky breath.

"I didn't want to tell you."

"Please."

Her voice became almost a whisper.

"Wynne believes the evidence, Odette. I doubt there is anything you can do right now.”

I stared at her, unable to breathe while I tried to process the fact that the man I had loved with my whole heart, the man I had nearly died protecting now believed that I had tried to murder him.