Chapter 74
Jaxon agreed to let me go and see Noxian. In all honesty, I had expected him to refuse especially after the breakdown I had in his office yesterday. I was in the kitchen trying to set out breakfast for everyone when he walked in and told me that we were going to see Noxian together right after. I was so shocked that I could barely stomach any food. My nerves were on end and I was anxious. I didn’t know how I would react to seeing him or being around him.
Kiara filled the breakfast table with chatter but I couldn’t help but glance at Kieran. He was quiet and reserved and seemed like he was trying to pull into himself. I couldn’t help but feel ball for him. He was so young and yet so much had happened. I didn’t know if he had a father or what happened to his father so I made a mental note to ask Jaxon to check into it.
By the time he was done with his food, he practically rushed out of the dining room. I turned to Jaxon to see if he had seen. the same thing I did. He assured me with his eyes that everything was going to be okay and told me to give him time. Once we were alone, I told him about my concerns with Kieran’s father and he assured me that he would ask Aiden to look into it.
As we walked towards the dungeons, my palms got sweaty, Jaxon had an arm around my waist keeping me stable but I still felt off balance. Yesterday, I didn’t think of how it would be to see the man who was responsible for almost killing me and for killing my baby. There was anger and hatred brewing in my chest towards him and I was scared that I was going to explode if I saw him. I began to wonder if I made the right decision by asking to be there.
“You will be fine.” Jaxon whispered to me once we got to the entrance. “But if you want to go back then all you have to do is leave. I won’t force you to see him.”
I shook my head. “I’m fine, I can do this. I just need some time to adjust is all.”
Jaxon watched me carefully as if trying to deduce whether my words were true. After a second, he squeezed my waist in an almost comforting manner and gestured for the guards to open the doors. The smell of blood and piss hit me full force that I stumbled back. Jaxon kept his arms around me until I had recovered from it and then we started our descent.
The dungeons were dark and damp and there was an air of despair around it. There weren’t many people in the cells but most of them had looks of defeat and despair. It was almost as if they had given up on life. Most of them didn’t even raise their heads to look at us. I wondered what they could have done to be thrown in here but a part of me didn’t want to know. I knew Jaxon was a fair ruler and the last thing I wanted to do was undermine his authority so I stayed silent until we got to
the last cell.
I had to turn away briefly because I was not prepared for what I saw. Noxian was barely recognizable. He had dried blood all over his body with welts forming on every part of his skin. His face was bruised and barely recognizable and there were parts of his flesh that had been peeled off. He was missing a few fingers and one of his eyes was swollen shut. Bile rose to my throat but I had to force it down.
When he heard us approach, he listed his head and I saw him form a grin to the best of his abilities. “I didn’t know I was getting visitors today,” he coughed and blood poured from his lips. “Have you come to finally finish me off Jaxon? Did yo bring her to watch? Maybe you want to brag about finally ruling my pack.”
Jaxon ignored him and turned to me in a silent question. He wanted to be sure it was something I wanted- I nodded. He gestured to the guards to open the cells which I realized were made from silver. They pulled it open and Jaxon and I walked in. It was hard to avoid the pools of pee and blood but we did and stood at the far corner of the cell away from the mess.
The guards pulled Noxian into a sitting position because it was obvious he couldn’t do it himself. He groaned as they lifted him and pulled on his existing wounds. Once he was seated, he was breathing harshly as if he had just run a marathon. If it were anyone else, I would have felt guilty but with him, there was a sick sense of pride and satisfaction to know that he was hurting badly.
“Why did you attack?” I asked and Noxian laughed.
It sounded more like a wheeze and he had to clutch his side with a wince. “You came all the way down here to ask why I attacked, you need better time management skills. I attacked because I wanted your mate dead and you as a whore in my pack. Does that satisfy your curiosity?”
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12:46 Fri, May 24 GRN
Chapter 74
Jaxon growled and I turned to him with sharp eyes. I knew that Noxian was just trying to push his buttons. He knew his life was already over and he wanted to inflict as many wounds as he could. I knew it was going to be hard to ignore considering everything he had taken from us but Jaxon needed to get his head screwed on straight if he wanted any answers at all.
“I figured it was a good way to start,” I shrugged casually. “It was also less rude than asking why you decided to attack knowing fully well that you were going to lose. Did you really think you could win against a lycan pack?”
His face turned into an angry snarl. “We had anathis, we could have won if we wanted and if it wasn’t for your meddlesome daughter. Tell me, does the rest of the palace know about her?”
I barely paid attention to the rest of his sentence. My mind fixated on one word- anathis. Was he the one supplying whoever was poisoning Jaxon or was it the other way around? According to the doctors it was a very rare plant. It seemed improbable that two different people would have it and not be working together.
“You’re working with someone in the palace,” I was done beating about the bush. I wanted answers and he was going to give them to me. “Who is it?”
He laughed once again. “I don’t know how you think it works Freya, but I am not giving that piece of information up. Do you know how fun it is to watch you run around aimlessly not knowing that one of your own wants you dead?”
He spat the last word so venomously that I flinched. I glanced at Jaxon but he seemed to be lost in thought. Noxian on the other hand-looked like he had just won the lottery. He was giddy and I could practically feel the excitement radiating off him. He was enjoying our helplessness. I knew we weren’t going to get any more answers out of him concerning that situation so I decided to let it drop.
“Where is Violet?” I asked instead. “You discarded her like trash, don’t you think she would want revenge?”
“I’ll answer your question if you answer one of mine.” I was quick to nod and he mouth tipped up in a smile. “Did you know that you were pregnant when I rammed my knife into you?”
There was a sharp intake of breath and Jaxon growled. He stalked forward with lethal determination and I feared he was going to kill Noxian but he froze. I glanced over his shoulder to see what he was looking at and Noxian lay there clutching his throat and gasping for air. Jaxon hadn’t touched him as far as I knew so this was something else.
“What is happening?” my question seemed to snap Jaxon back to the present and remind him I was there.
He turned to the guards. “Get her out of here and get a f*cking medic, now!”
Despite my protests, I was dragged out of the dungeons. Most of the prisoners who were lying down when we arrived were now seated up at the sound of the commotion. I was dragged out of the dungeons before I could even realize what was going on. Aiden and some other soldiers were rushing in just as was being pulled out. The guards didn’t stop moving me until I was in front of Jael and Jared.
“Is everything okay?” they asked and I nodded.
I hadn’t spoken to them properly since the battle and everything that went down. I expected Jared to be pissed off at me but he only looked worried. He reached out to place an arm on my shoulder and I shot him a soft smile to let him know that I was okay. My mind was in turmoil and Noxian’s words kept repeating in my head. How did he know that I was pregnant? It wasn’t common knowledge and barely anyone knew,
I paced the halls waiting for Jaxon to arrive. I could feel the twins staring at me with concern but I couldn’t bring myself to care. It was almost half an hour later before Jaxon came out of the dungeons. His hands were stained with blood and there was an annoyed expression on his face. He looked like he was one wrong move away from punching a hole in the wall. When he saw the however, some of the tension in his shoulders bled out.
What happened?” I rushed over to him immediately. “Is he okay? Did something happen to him?”
“Noxian is dead.
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12:46 Fri, May 24 GRM.
Chapter 74
There was a ringing in my car as his words settled. It couldn’t be Was it the injuries that killed him? How could he have died just like that when he was talking to us normally before it happened?
“How?” was the only word I was able to form.
“He was poisoned with wolfs bane. It killed him from the inside out,” my eyes widened in shock. “Whoever his partner was must have been worried he would tell on them. I don’t know how they got in undetected.”
“We need to find out who they are.”
Jaxon turned to me. “We aren’t doing anything- I am. After what he said there, I am not putting you within close proximity of any of this anymore. I need to keep you safe. That is the most important thing.”
“Jaxon, you can’t be serious.”
He ignored me and turned to the twins. “Take her back to the room and make sure she is safe.”
He started to walk away but I stopped him. “Where are you going?”
“I’m going to find a solution to all of this.”
SEND GIFT
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