Chapter 168

ELARA

Nightfall came.

It wasn't until my stomach started growling that I realized I hadn't eaten since morning.

I went into the kitchen and the only readily edible thing I could find was bread. There was a lot of food stuff, but no cooked or stored meals. It made me wonder if Ronan had had anything to eat since he came here.

I ate some bread and jam and was clearing the kitchen table when Moira walked in.

I felt her glare on me as she walked to the fridge where she took out a bottle of water.

"Apart from being his healer, did you and Ronan have any other history?" I turned to her as I asked, leaning against the island.

"I don't understand. Why are you asking?"

"Because I overheard you call him 'baby' earlier today I don't think that's a nickname friends of the opposite gender conveniently call each other." She huffed as she looked away from me, drinking from her bottle.

"Aren't you going to answer my question?" I asked when she was done drinking.

"Ronan and I shared something in the past." She rolled her eyes as she looked at me. "Yes, I was more than just a healer. It's probably the reason he feels very comfortable calling me even now."

My heart did the stupid skip thing. But I didn't let any of my emotions show on my face. No, I didn't give her the satisfaction.

"What?" She scoffed. "Ronan slept with so many women in the past. Don't worry, there's nothing special about me."

She left the kitchen.

Her words had barely sunk in when I heard a growl from the living room. I ran like my life depended on it, and just like I feared, it was Ronan losing control again.

He was on his knees, his hands continuously pulling at the chains. He wanted to break free by all means.

Yet, that wasn't the scariest part. It was his eyes. They were completely red-a thick kind of red. One that was beyond his Alpha's redness. Those were feral eyes. He was so close to unleashing his beast.

My legs wobbled, moving back on their own. I'd never seen a sight like this. I was so scared I couldn't breathe.

"Come on, Ronan. You don't need to do this. You know you don't want to," Moira placed her hands up.

"Blood!" He growled and tried again to break the chains.

"C-Can he break out?!" I squealed.

"He's not supposed to. Those are Cryptic Chains. No wolf should be able to break free of them," Moira replied hastily without looking at me.

Yet I couldn't stop staring at the chains in fear like he could truly break out of it.

Ronan thrashed on the floor, his growl animalistic. Aside from my fear, the sight was painful.

"Give him something!" I yelled at Moira

"I've given him everything I can for today. It's more complicated this year."

It didn't take long for the eager tears to fall.

My heart broke over and over with each growl of pain Ronan made.

Oh, Lucian. I hated him with everything in me. Ronan didn't deserve to go through this. And if it wasn't for his stupid brother, we wouldn't be here.

It took forever before the storm passed.

Ronan was far from calm, but at least, he seemed better.

He laid curled on his side, his body still jerking from time to time. My face looked like a blurred painting, drizzled with tears instead of paint.

"He's still in pain," I whimpered, my arms wrapped around myself. "How long does this have to go on?"

"I don't know," Moira answered honestly. "Nothing seems to be working."

I looked at him. No. Something must definitely work.

"What're you doing?" Moira asked, alarmed when she saw me going closer to him.

I didn't reply to her but kept going, and she was too uncertain to try to stop me.

I went behind Ronan and laid on the floor, just beside him. "Elara! Have you lost your mind?!" Moira snarled, giving me the death stare.

"I can help him."

Snuggling myself up behind him, I put my arms around him, hugging him from behind. I held him like you'd cuddle a lover in bed. Only this time, I wanted to soulweave him.

I didn't care about the consequences anymore. Didn't care if Moira figured out what I was doing. I was done trying to hide my secret while Ronan suffered this torment right in front of me.

Ronan tensed the moment my hands touched him. I was taking a huge risk. He might choose to turn and attack me at any moment.

"Get out of there, you foolish girl! He could kill you any minute! Are you trying to get me in trouble?" Moira hissed.