Chapter 195: Learned your lesson

The next morning, Elvira was released from the dungeon. She had spent the entire night in the dark, enduring the storm and the biting cold that swept through the stone walls, without food and water.

Alyssa was just stepping out through the front entrance on her way to school when she crossed paths with Elvira heading inside. The two women stopped dead in their tracks, eyes darkening as their gazes locked.

For a split second, Alyssa considered ignoring her and just walking off to meet Zed who was waiting by the car.

But for once, she felt the burning desire to wield the full weight of her authority as Luna Queen–especially after the humiliation Elvira had tried to inflict on her the day before.

She planted her feet at the top of the steps and crossed her arms, completely blocking Elvira’s path.

Elvira stared up at her, her pale face twisting into a vicious scowl. "Get out of my way!"

"You don’t talk to me that way," Alyssa retorted smoothly. "It seems a night in the dungeon wasn’t nearly enough to teach you a lesson. Apologize for that disrespect."

Elvira was stunned into silence for a moment. She had clearly expected Alyssa to ignore the outburst and walk away. She hadn’t anticipated this.

Her shocked expression quickly melted into a cold sneer. "I don’t want to trade words with you, Alyssa..."

"That’s Luna Alyssa to you!" Alyssa cut in, her voice slicing through the morning air. "Never address me without my title again."

"You will never be my Luna," Elvira spat back tightly. "Don’t get carried away by that little title, Alyssa. Just because I am forced to address you as Luna doesn’t mean I will ever accept you as one."

"I take it you prefer to drag things out the hard way," Alyssa replied with a cold, nonchalant shrug. "Fine then. Get down on your knees and apologize."

Elvira’s face drained of color. She took a threatening step forward, her right hand twitching as it started to rise. "Listen here, you little..."

"Step away from the Luna!" Zed’s thunderous voice barked from the bottom of the stairs.

Elvira froze instantly. Her hand dropped back to her side as fast as it had risen as she turned to glare at Zed, who was already striding up the steps to take his position beside Alyssa.

Fury burned a hot trail down her throat. Nothing was going her way anymore, and she was sick of waiting for Conri’s orders. She wanted to tear things apart with her own hands.

Oblivious to the storm raging in Elvira’s head, Alyssa took a step forward until her face was mere inches from hers.

"Don’t waste my time, Elvira. Get down on your knees and apologize for your disrespect; unless you’d prefer to spend another night locked in the dungeon."

Elvira’s hands curled into fists as she realized she was completely cornered. She couldn’t refuse–not with Zed glaring at her and a dozen perimeter guards watching from the courtyard.

Gritting her teeth so hard her jaw ached, she dropped stiffly to her knees, her spine as rigid as a rod.

"I’m sorry," she muttered, the words barely audible.

"What was that?" Alyssa asked, pulling her brows together in feigned confusion. She glanced sideways at Zed. "Did you hear anything, Zed?"

Zed shook his head readily. "Didn’t hear a word, Luna."

Alyssa turned her sharp gaze back down to Elvira and smirked coldly. "I think you need to do better than that, Elvira."

You little bitch! Elvira screamed inwardly, her chest burning with venom. I’ll show you! I’ll fucking show you!

Swallowing the bitter taste of her ruined pride, she forced the words out in a clear voice. "I am sorry for the disrespect, Luna. Please forgive me." The bite in her tone was sharp enough to cut glass.

Before Alyssa could respond, the doors swung open and Dorian stepped out onto the porch. His golden eyes flicked over Elvira’s kneeling form as if she were nothing more than dust before locking onto Alyssa.

"Zed, wait by the limo," he commanded quietly.

"Yes, Alpha," Zed murmured, bowing his head before backing down the steps.

Dorian slipped one arm around Alyssa’s waist and pulled her to his side. "What are you doing out here, my love?"

"Oh, nothing much," she murmured, smiling up at him. "Just letting Elvira know her place."

The corner of Dorian’s mouth twitched upward into an amused smile. He chuckled as he raised his free hand and trailed his knuckles along her cheek.

"Are you finished? You’re going to be late for your morning classes."

"Yeah. I’m done," Alyssa nodded. She looked down at Elvira one last time, her expression turning hard. "Apology accepted, Elvira. I hope you learned your lesson. Next time, I won’t be so merciful."

She turned back to Dorian and smiled sweetly. "Let’s go."

Dorian flashed her that rare, breathtaking smile and guided her down the steps toward the limo, not sparing a single glance at Elvira.

Elvira remained on her knees, watching them pull away in silence. As she finally pushed herself to her feet, her entire body trembled with raw, uncontrolled fury.

I’ll make you pay for this, she vowed silently before storming into the mansion.

Back inside the limo, as Zed drove down the highway, Dorian barked out orders into his phone, his arm draped securely over Alyssa’s shoulder. The moment he finished the call, he tossed the device onto the seat beside him and turned his complete attention to her.

"Who was that?" she asked.

"Jake. He’s waiting with Alec at the borders. Anthony is waiting for me at the intersection. I’ll be switching vehicles in a few miles, and Zed will drive you the rest of the way to the Academy."

"I should come with you," she sighed softly. "I’m your Luna. I don’t want people thinking I’m neglecting my responsibilities."

"No one thinks that," Dorian chuckled, his fingers threading through her hair. "They know your time is occupied with your studies at the Academy, which is why you’re rarely at my side during routine border checks."

He leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. "Focus on your classes for now, alright? That is what matters most right now."

She smiled faintly and nodded. "Alright. Are you going for another trial today?"

"No, not a trial this time," Dorian murmured, his thumb gently caressing the soft curls resting on her shoulder. "The Winter Solstice is a sacred event, much like the Moon Ceremony. I have to meet with the Alphas of the other three territories to make preparations."

"What kind of preparations?" she asked softly, searching his face.

"Every one of them. But mainly for security measures. You remember what we discussed regarding the night of the Solstice?"

She nodded. "Yes. About every creature reaching the peak of their power."

"Exactly. And with the way Ragnar has been appearing and vanishing without a trace, I have a strong suspicion he intends to appear on that night."

Alyssa fell quiet, her gaze drifting out the tinted window as she processed his words. "Ragnar is the Rogue King, right? The one who sent those rogues into Ashgard?"

Dorian nodded grimly. "He is. But you have no reason to fear him. I won’t let him hurt you."

"I know," Alyssa whispered. It wasn’t Ragnar that truly terrified her. She had never stood face-to-face with the Rogue King before.

The creature that truly haunted her–the one who plagued her dreams–was the monstrous entity that had materialized that night in Ashgard. The horrifying being her mother had called Ozai.

Even after so many months, she couldn’t erase the memory of those terrifying, blood-red eyes, that broken, raspy voice, or the horrifying way his flesh had literally melted away the moment his fingers brushed her skin.

Her thoughts gradually shifted to the woman who claimed to be her birth mother. Wren. Perhaps the time had finally come to find her. The unanswered questions were piling up again, and it seemed Wren was the only one who knew the truth.

...

The rapid succession of lectures throughout the morning proved to be a welcome distraction for Alyssa.

The hours she spent at the Academy every day were demanding, but they offered a sense of normalcy and exhilaration that she refused to trade for anything.

When her third class concluded, she was left with a one-hour break before her next lecture, so she made her way toward the café for lunch.

A small crowd of eager students trailed behind her as usual, all desperate to earn the favor of the young Luna. But amidst the crowd, Alyssa had formed a genuine connection with one girl in particular–Julie.

Julie was a joy to be around. With her short, wild curls and oversized nerdy glasses, she was effortlessly beautiful, kind-hearted, and warm. The two of them had clicked the moment they met.

As they sat at a corner table to eat their meals, Alyssa finally voiced the question that had been hovering in her mind for days.

"Julie," she began gently. "Have you found your mate yet?"

Julie looked up from her phone, a smile playing on her lips. "I haven’t. And to be completely honest with you, I’m really not in any rush to find him."

Alyssa’s eyes widened slightly in surprise. "You’re not? Why?"

"Well," Julie placed her phone face-down on the table and let out a soft breath. "I just don’t like the idea of being bound to someone purely by a bond."

Alyssa gasped softly. "But the mate bond is such a beautiful thing."

"I know it is," Julie agreed. "I know it brings soul mates together. But I don’t want it. If I met my mate tomorrow, I’d probably reject him right away. I want to fall in love on my own terms, Alyssa. I don’t want my heart dictated by the bond forced upon us Lycans."

In a way, Alyssa understood. She knew the joy of choosing to fall in love freely; the exact way her heart had naturally fallen for Dorian.

With ten minutes remaining before her next lecture, Alyssa asked Julie to hold her books while she hurried to use the restroom. Zed fell into step behind her, taking up his position in the hallway as she pushed the restroom door open.

After relieving herself and washing her hands, she reached out to open the door and step back into the hallway.

Suddenly, the lights went out, plunging the restroom into pitch darkness.

Alyssa froze, her hand still gripping the door handle. She stepped forward, only to realize that she was no longer in the restroom.

She was standing in the center of a cave, surrounded completely by darkness.