Page 6
Story: Moonlit Betrayal
Meanwhile, back at the house, Anastasia clung to Zane, whining, “You must stay with me tonight, Zane. Lyra really scared me earlier.”
Zane barely heard her, his mind still on me; something felt off when I left, but he couldn’t put his finger on it.
He was about to pursue me when Zane’s butler, Seth Morris, burst in, looking terrified. “Mr. Thorne, this is bad news! We just received word that rogues attacked Ms. Lyra and Mr. Ryker on the road. They jumped off a cliff in an attempt to escape!”
Zane was stunned. “What?”
Zane’s face turned deathly pale, his body stiffened, and he collapsed to the floor, unconscious.
…
When Zane finally awoke, he was in a hospital.
He stood up and grabbed Seth by the collar. “Where is Lyra? Is she OK? Has anyone found her?”
Seth hesitated and shook his head. “Mr. Thorne, the pack’s search team is already on it, but the cliff is too high. The chances of survival are essentially zero.”
Zane pushed Seth away and stumbled towards the door, his eyes burning with a red haze. “I’m going to find her.” She is out there alone. “She must be terrified.”
Seth and his bodyguards rushed after him.
Zane pushed himself forward with pure willpower the entire way, barely making it to the cliff’s edge. His body shook as he looked down into the endless drop.
“Lyra!” Zane’s hoarse and broken voice echoed throughout the valley.
The rescue team moved in, their voices cautious. “Mr. Thorne, please. “The chances of finding Ms. Black alive are extremely slim.”
Zane didn’t seem to hear them, and he dropped to his knees, digging into the dirt with his bare hands. “No, Lyra would not leave me. She is still alive. She needs to be!”
He kept shouting my name, as if something had taken hold of him, his voice cracking with each scream.
By the third day, Zane had not eaten or drunk anything, and he appeared gaunt and exhausted.
On his knees, face ghostly white, he muttered, “Come back, Lyra.” I was wrong. I was totally wrong.”
Then, suddenly, he coughed up blood and collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
When Zane awoke, he was in a hospital bed.
Anastasia sat beside him, tears streaming down her cheeks. “You nearly scared me to death, Zane.” If you died, I wouldn’t know how to live with it.”
Zane did not respond; he simply lay there, staring blankly at the ceiling.
She gripped his hand, choking out, “Zane, I know you’re distraught over this, but it wasn’t your fault. No one saw what happened to Lyra coming.”
Zane’s eyes were filled with anguish as he slowly turned his head, his bloodshot gaze fixed on hers. “No. That was me. I got her killed. I betrayed her, which is why… she….”
His voice faded slowly, as if a heavy weight of agony had swallowed him whole; deep within, his wolf let out a long, mournful howl.
Zane was released from the hospital a few days later, and he returned to the house that had once resounded with laughter but now sat silently.
After entering the bedroom, his gaze fell on my photo on the wall, where I was beaming joyfully.
His eyes flooded at once, and with trembling hands, he reached up and gently traced the outline of my face in the photograph. “Please come back, Lyra. I cannot live without you.”
Then his composure completely broke, and he sank to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably, his cries rough and painful.
Zane barely heard her, his mind still on me; something felt off when I left, but he couldn’t put his finger on it.
He was about to pursue me when Zane’s butler, Seth Morris, burst in, looking terrified. “Mr. Thorne, this is bad news! We just received word that rogues attacked Ms. Lyra and Mr. Ryker on the road. They jumped off a cliff in an attempt to escape!”
Zane was stunned. “What?”
Zane’s face turned deathly pale, his body stiffened, and he collapsed to the floor, unconscious.
…
When Zane finally awoke, he was in a hospital.
He stood up and grabbed Seth by the collar. “Where is Lyra? Is she OK? Has anyone found her?”
Seth hesitated and shook his head. “Mr. Thorne, the pack’s search team is already on it, but the cliff is too high. The chances of survival are essentially zero.”
Zane pushed Seth away and stumbled towards the door, his eyes burning with a red haze. “I’m going to find her.” She is out there alone. “She must be terrified.”
Seth and his bodyguards rushed after him.
Zane pushed himself forward with pure willpower the entire way, barely making it to the cliff’s edge. His body shook as he looked down into the endless drop.
“Lyra!” Zane’s hoarse and broken voice echoed throughout the valley.
The rescue team moved in, their voices cautious. “Mr. Thorne, please. “The chances of finding Ms. Black alive are extremely slim.”
Zane didn’t seem to hear them, and he dropped to his knees, digging into the dirt with his bare hands. “No, Lyra would not leave me. She is still alive. She needs to be!”
He kept shouting my name, as if something had taken hold of him, his voice cracking with each scream.
By the third day, Zane had not eaten or drunk anything, and he appeared gaunt and exhausted.
On his knees, face ghostly white, he muttered, “Come back, Lyra.” I was wrong. I was totally wrong.”
Then, suddenly, he coughed up blood and collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
When Zane awoke, he was in a hospital bed.
Anastasia sat beside him, tears streaming down her cheeks. “You nearly scared me to death, Zane.” If you died, I wouldn’t know how to live with it.”
Zane did not respond; he simply lay there, staring blankly at the ceiling.
She gripped his hand, choking out, “Zane, I know you’re distraught over this, but it wasn’t your fault. No one saw what happened to Lyra coming.”
Zane’s eyes were filled with anguish as he slowly turned his head, his bloodshot gaze fixed on hers. “No. That was me. I got her killed. I betrayed her, which is why… she….”
His voice faded slowly, as if a heavy weight of agony had swallowed him whole; deep within, his wolf let out a long, mournful howl.
Zane was released from the hospital a few days later, and he returned to the house that had once resounded with laughter but now sat silently.
After entering the bedroom, his gaze fell on my photo on the wall, where I was beaming joyfully.
His eyes flooded at once, and with trembling hands, he reached up and gently traced the outline of my face in the photograph. “Please come back, Lyra. I cannot live without you.”
Then his composure completely broke, and he sank to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably, his cries rough and painful.