𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐑𝐄𝐃𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 ( 𝐌𝐱𝐌 ) [ DARK ROMANCE ]

Chapter 76 | PHASE FIVE: Alone

The moment I hear that name again, my heart no longer beats. Instead it drops and I take a shaky step back from Roman and Reland, my eyes wide with the truth that was slowly sinking in.

"Oh my Goddess," I whisper, lip trembling as I think back to all of the things that Raiden told me about in his paint room.

The cages, the cells, the pain, those torture devices, the control. . . Dax's magic.

Clutching my chest, I try for a breath but it doesn't happen. I feel my chest constricting and my lungs tightening like someone was physically trying to break me and it was working because my legs give out seconds later.

Reland leans forward, trying to grab my arm and stop me from falling but it's too late, my body just drops and I genuinely feel like I can't move.

"Dylan, come on," Reland whispers as he crouches down and helps me off the floor. "Don't break right now, Raiden will feel that, he needs to know that you're being strong, so he can stay strong."

But I shake my head because how could I be strong when I feel so weak? How could I keep it together when I literally feel like someone has just shattered every piece of me?

"Dax is going to kill him," I cry out, clutching the front of Reland's shirt as I shake my head. "He's going to fucking kill my mate, I'm going to be all alone, Reland, I can't! I can't be alone!"

The gravity of the situation starts to hit me even harder and I fall apart in Reland's arms right here, screaming as even more tears fall. "Raiden promised to be my sound, he promised he would never leave me, he fucking promised!"

"Dylan, please stop it!" Reland growls, his own tears threatening to spill over as he shakes me. "Dax loves Raiden, he won't kill him," he shakes his head to reiterate his statement. "Trust me, please. Trust me when I tell you that Dax won't kill him, he loves him."

I scoff at that, trying to break free from Reland's grasp but he doesn't let me. "I can't have three pups alone, Reland, I can't, I'm not fucking strong enough."

That catches Roman's attention as he steps forward and takes my face in his hands and pulls my gaze to meet his as Reland holds my body upright.

"Three pups?" Roman questions, his voice uncharacteristically serious and hoarse from all of his crying and I nod. "Three?" he asks again and I nod again. "So it's true? You're actually pregnant? That wasn't just the shapeshifter lying?"

I was taken aback by that as I sniffle a little. "What shapeshifter? What are you talking about?"

But Roman doesn't answer as he releases a breath and then runs out of the packhouse. I don't even have a chance to ask what was going again because seconds later, a blinding white light is filling the livingroom as the Elves appear with my family, Roman, Hunter and Raiden's family.

. . . and what looked like some kind of reptilian head in Vizceryn's hand.

"Dylan," Reland calls and when I look at him, he nods towards the reptilian head in Vizceryn's hand. "There was a reptilian shapeshifter here in the pack, imitating you, down to the warmth of your bond. None of us had any idea that it was an imposter, not even Raiden. . . but I'm assuming he started noticing that something was off like the rest of us the day he was taken."

I blink, my eyes finding the severed reptilian head in Vizceryn's hand. My tears feel like they're going to spill over when I see his face. The Elf looked devastated over what happened to my mate and his friend.