Chapter b158 /b

    E & Alexander

    E

    “Gabriel!” I shouted, pounding my fists against the metal. “Gabriel, let me out!”

    But there was no response; just the ominous hur of the vault’s security systems kicking into overdrive. The timer on the wall continued its countdown, and I could already feel the air growing thinner.

    My chest tightened as I struggled to draw in a full breath. The oxygen was slowly being sucked out of the room, just like Gabriel had warned me about. I pressed my palms against the door and threw my full weight against it, but it didn’t budge.

    “Help!” I screamed. “Somebody help me!”

    Who would hear me down here? The vault was likely soundproof, and Alexander was probably still out and about dealing with pack business. Gabriel was the only one who knew where I was, and he had likely deliberately locked me in here.

    That bastard. He’d probably nned this from the moment I used my Luna Voice on him.

    As the seconds ticked by, my breathing became morebored. Each inhale felt shallow, like trying to breathe through a straw.

    “The baby,” I whispered, eyes widening as the realization struck me. Goddess, what was this doing to the baby?

    As if on cue, sharp cramps suddenly shot through my lower abdomen, making me double over with a gasp. My hands flew to my stomach as another wave of pain hit me. Theck of oxygen was affecting both of us.

    “No, no, no,” I whispered, sliding down the door until I was sitting on the cold floor. “Please don’t let anything happen to the baby.”

    The cramps intensified, and I found myself rocking back and forth as tears streamed down my face. After everything we’d been through, I couldn’t lose this baby now. Not like this.

    The timer showed thirty seconds left.

    My vision started to blur around the edges, dark spots dancing in front of my eyes. This was it. I was going to die down here, suffocated in Alexander’s precious vault, and my baby was going to die with me.

    All because of a locket.

    Twenty seconds.

    b+15 /bbBONUS /b

    I closed my beyes /band pressed both hands against my stomach, trying to send every ounce of blove /band protection 1 could to the tiny life growing in my belly. My wolf howled, but even her strength was waning. She couldn’t protect us.

    Ten seconds.

    Suddenly, the machinery whirred to a stop. I heard the lock disengaging, the heavy wheel turning, and then the door swung open so hard and fast that it crashed against the wall behind it like it didn’t weight two hundred pounds.

    Alexander was standing in the doorway, face twisted with fury. Behind himb, /bGabriel looked pale and shaken.

    “E!” Alexander raced over to me and dropped to a crouch, his hands immediately going to my face. “Are you hurt? Is the baby-”

    “I’m okay,” I gasped, still struggling to catch my breath. “I think I’m okay.”

    Alexander’s green eyes zed as he helped me to my feet, one arm wrapped tightly around my waist. When he turned to face Gabriel, the temperature in the room seemed to drop ten degrees.

    “Exin.”

    Gabriel swallowed hard. “The security measures turned on unexpectedly, Alpha. I couldn’t get the door open. Trust me, I tried.”

    Alexander looked at me. I was still too breathless to speak. Frankly, I didn’t entirely believe Gabriel; but I also doubted he would do something as heinous as lock his Luna in the vault. He knew damn well he would be caught and severely punished if he had.

    “Why was she in here in the first ce?” Alexander finally demanded.

    I found my voice before Gabriel could answer. “I was looking for my locket. He told me you’d had it repaired and added to the collection.”

    Alexander whipped around to stare at me. “What?”

    “Gabriel said you realized it was valuable and wanted to keep it for yourself. That you’d already had him put it in the vault.” My throat felt raw from shouting, but I forced the words out. “I just wanted to get it back.”

    “E, no.” Alexander’s expression shifted from fury to something that looked almost like pain. “That’s not what happened at all.”

    He turned back to Gabriel, and I’d never seen him look so dangerous. “Tell her the truth. All of it.”

    Gabriel’s face went ashen. “Alpha, please-

    “Now.”

    The Beta’s whole body trembled as he fought against thepulsion, but Alexander’s authority was absolute. “I lied,” Gabriel whispered. “Alexander never wanted to keep the locket. He had it repaired for you. As a gift.”

    My heart stuttered. “What?”

    “He wanted to surprise you.”

    I slowly turned to stare at Alexander, who was watching me with an unreadable expression on his face. He’d wanted to give me back the locket. Not take it away, but return it to me. “Where is it now?” Alexander asked Gabriel. “I told you to pick it up from the jeweler today.” Gabriel looked like he wanted to vomit. “I… I was angry. About Luna E constantly using her Luna Voice on me, bossing me around. So I…” He swallowed hard and stared at his feet. “I flushed it down the toilet.”

    The words made me stagger backwards a step. Gone. Lilith’s locket was gone forever.