CHAPTER 61: DON’T EVER RAISE A HAND ON YOUR ELDER BROTHER

Liora’s POV

I turned to see Lucas, standing behind me. He had a smirk on his face and his both hands were in his pockets as his mocking eyes glared at me with cruel amusement. "Surprised?" he asked, his voice low and taunting, as he took a step closer, his breath brushing against my ear. "I told you, didn’t I? I warned you to stop throwing yourself at them, but you wouldn’t listen. And now look at you, pathetic, humiliated, cast aside like garbage."

His words sliced through me, each jab he said sent a shiver running down my spine in rage. My chest tightened, as I clenched my jaw, fighting the urge to scream. The celebration around us was still ongoing and everyone’s attention was focused on them and despite the chaotic environment, it all faded into a dull hum as Lucas’s mocking gaze pinned me in place.

"You think you’re clever, don’t you?" he continued, crossing his arms, his posture relaxed. "Chasing after Cade, Zane, and Kael like some lovesick pup, thinking you could worm your way into their bed, their hearts and their power. But you’re nothing to them, Liora. Nothing but a fleeting amusement, a cheap distraction; they’ll forget the moment soon. And your goal of being the supreme Luna? It might never happen.

I couldn’t hold onto being calm. I flared up.

"Shut up!" I snapped, my voice trembling with rage as I stepped toward him, my fists balled at my sides. "I don’t need your pity, Lucas, or your disgusting commentary. What are you even doing here? I thought you were rotting in the pack prison where you belong!"

He chuckled, its sound grading my nerves. "Oh, sorry to disappoint you, dear stepsister," he said, his smirk widening as he tilted his head mockingly. "I was released. Seems the Alpha King has bigger fish to fry than keeping me chained up. Not that you’d know, you’ve been too busy scheming and failing spectacularly."

Released? My mind reeled, a cold knot forming in my stomach. How? I’d made sure he wouldn’t survive. The wolfbane I’d slipped into his food Iris served him should’ve killed him by now, a slow, agonizing death to rid me of his constant mockery. Yet here he was, alive in a smug, and tearing me apart with his words. My pulse quickened as I stared at him, searching for any sign of weakness, but he didn’t even look like my words were having an effect on him.

"You’re lying," I hissed, my voice barely above a whisper but my eyes were filled with tears. "You should be dead." I added.

"Really?," he said, his tone teasing as he smiled and took a step closer, towering over me. "You’re not as sneaky as you think. Keep playing your little games, and you’ll be the one in chains or worse." His gaze flicked over me, disgust curling his lip. "You’re trash to the triplets, always remember that and deep down, you know it. A desperate, scheming nobody who’ll never be anything more than a footnote in their story."

The words hit me again and this time, it caused those tears to start dripping down my eyes, and before I could stop myself, I raised my hand to hit him, my arm trembling with fury. But Lucas was faster. His hand shot out, catching my wrist mid-air, his grip bruising as his fingers dug into my skin. I gasped, pain shooting up my arm as I tried to twist free, but he held me firm, his strength surpassing mine. His eyes locked onto mine. They were cold, as a slow, cruel smile spread across his face.

"Poor Liora," he murmured, his voice laced with fake pity. "Always reaching for things you can’t have. Don’t ever raise a hand on your elder brother."

"Let go of me!" I snarled, yanking against his hold, but his grip only tightened, my wrist throbbing under the pressure. The crowd’s attention remained fixed on the celebration, nobody noticed us in the corner of the hall, my struggle swallowed by the chaos of the wedding feast. Lucas leaned in, his face inches from mine.

"I’ll forgive you this time but not sure of next."

With a rough shove, he released me, sending me stumbling back. I caught myself against a stone pillar, my wrist aching as I glared at him, my chest heaving with rage and humiliation. "You’re a bastard," I spat, my voice shaking as I straightened, refusing to let him see how deeply his words had wounded me.

He smiled and turned away, melting into the crowd without a backward glance. I stood there, vibrating in helplessness as his words continued to echo in my mind. I swallowed hard, forcing the tears back as I turned and stumbled out of the hall, fleeing the suffocating presence of the celebration.

The cool air hit me as I stepped into the corridor, but it did little to calm the raging inside me. My eyes darted to a group of maids approaching from a little far distance as they carried trays of food. I quickly swiped at my face, drying the tears that had escaped my eyes despite my efforts.

Getting closer, "Lady Liora," one of them murmured, dipping into a respectable bow as they passed. I nodded stiffly and waited until their footsteps faded before continuing toward my room. But as I walked, my thoughts shifted, darkening as they landed on Amelia.

Her tear-streaked face flashed in my mind.

My steps slowed, then stopped. I couldn’t go to my room as I made my way toward the pack’s dungeon cell.

The air grew damp and cold in there as I reached the cells, the faint drip of water echoing from the roof leakage. Amelia sat in the farthest cell, her knees drawn to her chest, her face buried in her arms. The sight of her looking helpless stirred no emotion or pity in me but cold satisfaction.

I stood near the bar.

"Well done, Amelia," I said, my voice slicing through the silence. She flinched, her head snapping up, her red-rimmed eyes filled with nervousness as she scrambled to her feet. "You performed beautifully today. It’s clear you love your mother, throwing yourself into the fire like that."

"Liora, please," she whispered, her voice cracking as she gripped the bars. "Don’t hurt her. I did what you asked. I said what you told me to say! I’m being punished for it, just like you wanted. Please, don’t involve my mother in this!"

I tilted my head, studying her with a faint, mocking smile. "Punished? Yes, you are. But it wasn’t a success, was it? The marriage still happened. Iris is their wife now, and you’re just a disgraced liar locked in a cage."

Tears streamed down her face. "I tried! I did everything you said! Please, Liora, I’m begging you, don’t touch my mother!"

I stepped closer to the bars, my voice dropping to a chilling whisper. "Listen carefully, Amelia. If you ever breathe a word about my involvement in this, I’ll make you watch as I slit your mother’s throat. And trust me, there’s nothing you could do to stop me."

It had all been my doing. I’d orchestrated it perfectly or so I’d thought. Threatening her mother’s life had been enough to force Amelia to stand before the pack and lie, claiming the triplets had fathered her unborn child. The plan was simple, disrupt the wedding, shatter Iris’s union with Cade, Zane, and Kael, and then, in the chaos, position myself to seduce one of them, to bear their child and secure my place as their true mate. But the marriage had gone forward, and now Amelia was the one paying the price and I do not care.