Chapter 208 - 0208

Lorelei POV

I slowly sank into the deep bathtub, letting the warm water close around me as I released a long, exhausted sigh.

The heat seeped into my aching muscles almost immediately, easing the soreness that had settled into my feet and legs after hours of standing around in high heels beside Kaelen.

I closed my eyes and rested my head against the rim of the tub, taking a slow, deep breath.

For the first time all night, I was finally alone.

But the moment the silence settled around me, my mind betrayed me.

The chaos from the ballroom came rushing back, making my brows pull together as I remembered everything that had happened. Jaxen was here.

In this territory.

The thought alone sent an uncomfortable chill down my spine, but before I could push it away, another memory surfaced.

My mother’s hand and the way I had caught her wrist in midair just before she could slap me.

The sudden burst of power that had surged through my chest.

The way my wolf had stirred beneath my skin with such terrifying force that, for one horrifying second, I had almost snapped my mother’s bones.

My breathing slowly picked up.

Then came the howling.

Those distant, frantic howls echoed through my mind again, followed by flashes of everything that had happened tonight. The memories came too quickly, one after another, until I couldn’t separate one from the next.

My breath caught in my throat.

I gripped the edge of the bathtub, my fingers tightening against the slick porcelain as my chest rose and fell harder. My breathing became shallow and uneven, and despite the heat surrounding me, a cold sheen of sweat broke out across my forehead.

I squeezed my eyes shut, desperately trying to make it stop.

But then I saw them.

Two glowing eyes.

And behind them, the massive silver wolf.

I gasped and shot upright so quickly that water splashed over the sides of the tub. My heart slammed against my ribs as I clutched my chest, struggling to pull enough air into my lungs.

Looking around the bathroom, my eyes darted from one corner to another, but there was nothing. Nothing, no one but me.

Just the quiet bathroom, the soft haze of steam, and the warm water surrounding me.

There was no forest, no one was chasing me, and most importantly, there was no silver wolf.

I swallowed hard, forcing myself to take another breath.

"Calm down," I whispered, my voice trembling. "Just calm down, Lorelei."

Then I pressed a hand against my chest and slowly breathed in, then out, repeating the motion until my breathing finally began to settle.

Whatever had just happened, it had only been a memory.

At least, that was what I told myself.

I shook off the lingering dread, finished washing up, and finally stood up from the tub. I reached toward the towel rack, barely giving the plush fabric a tug when the entire metal fixture suddenly ripped free from the tiled wall.

It came crashing down with a deafening rattle, making me jump so hard that I nearly slipped on the wet floor.

"Whoa!"

Quickly, I grabbed the edge of the marble vanity to steady myself, only for a loud crunch to follow, causing me to freeze.

Slowly, I looked down at my hand and stared at the piece of decorative molding I had somehow ripped straight off the vanity.

"What the hell?"

I turned my attention toward the broken towel rack lying on the floor, then back to the piece of marble in my hand.

What was wrong with everything in this bathroom?

Why did everything suddenly start breaking the second I touched it?

With a frown, I decided I had bigger things to worry about than explaining the sudden destruction of the bathroom, and quickly wrapped the towel tightly around myself.

Carefully making my way toward the heavy door, I reached for the handle, but before my fingers could touch it, my ears suddenly twitched, and I paused as I picked up on voices coming from the other side.

The words were muffled, but I recognized one of them immediately as Kaelen’s.

From the tone of his voice and the way he was speaking, he seemed to be on a phone call. I frowned slightly, trying to figure out when he had come back inside because I was almost certain he had still been outside the chamber when I entered the bathroom.

Unless he had somehow come back without me noticing.

A small, amused smile tugged at my lips as I reached for the door handle again, curious to see what had him so occupied.

But then his next words came clearly through the door.

"What if I add more doses to the milk and give it to her tonight? Is that safe?"

My hand froze on the doorknob, and my smile instantly disappeared from my face.

My heart seemed to drop straight into a cold, bottomless pit before violently slamming against my ribs.

Milk?

Doses?

What the hell was he talking about?

I couldn’t hear what the person on the other end of the call was saying, but Kaelen’s response came through the door with terrifying clarity.

"Nausea is fine if that’s the only side effect," Kaelen continued, his voice frighteningly calm and practical, without even a hint of concern. "I just need to see her pregnant as soon as possible, so I’ll be increasing her dose to twice a day. That isn’t a problem, right?"

The world seemed to tilt beneath my feet.

All the color drained from my face as a cold numbness spread through me, pieces of a sickening puzzle suddenly snapping into place inside my head.

The strange, bitter aftertaste in the warm milk every night.

The way he always stood there, watching me drink every last drop even when I complained about how much I hated the taste.

He’s drugging me.

The realization hit so hard that my stomach twisted.

He’s been drugging me just to force me to get pregnant.

A fierce surge of rage shot through my chest, making my hands curl tightly around the metal door handle. I gripped it so hard that the metal bent slightly beneath my fingers before I realized what I was doing and forced myself to loosen my hold.

Once I calmed down a bit, I pushed open the bathroom door and stepped into the bedroom, ready to confront him head-on.

Except the room was completely empty.

What the fuck...