Lila's Scheme
1048 Words
Kaden stood at the window of his office, his gaze fixed on the iron gates that marked the boundary of his territory. The same gates through which he had watched Ella being dragged out, her body frail, her eyes wide with terror. Her screams still echoed in his mind, haunting him, clawing at his chest.
He closed his eyes, his jaw clenched as he tried to silence her voice. Why couldn’t he shake the image of her broken face? The way her tears had fallen, each drop a bitter reminder of his decision.
She had looked at him with such betrayal, such pain... and yet, even in her final plea, she had told him she loved him.
His chest tightened, his heart twisting painfully. He had done the right thing. She had poisoned his mother. She was a traitor.
Then why did it feel so wrong?
“Kaden?” Lila’s soft voice broke through his thoughts. She stepped into the room, her face pale and drawn, her eyes glistening with tears. “I... I can’t believe she did this...”
Kaden’s eyes hardened, his fists clenching. “She’s gone. She won’t hurt you or anyone else ever again.”
Lila nodded, a delicate shiver running through her body as she wiped a tear from her cheek. “Thank you... for protecting me... for protecting our family.”
He looked at her, his heart softening. Lila had always been kind, always gentle. She didn’t deserve to live in fear. He had done this for her. To keep her safe.
And yet... a shadow of doubt lingered in his mind, gnawing at him. Ella’s eyes... the way she had looked at him, pleading, desperate...
Had she been lying? Or was she truly innocent?
“Kaden?” Lila’s voice wavered, her eyes searching his face. “Are... are you okay?”
He forced himself to nod, his jaw tight. “I’m fine.”
But he wasn’t.....
Because no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t forget her face....
As soon as she left Kaden’s office, Lila’s sorrowful expression melted away, replaced by a cold, calculating smile. It had been easier than she thought. One mention of Ella’s name, a few tears, and Kaden had banished her without a second thought.
Weak, foolish Alpha. He was so easy to manipulate.
She made her way down the hallway, her steps light, her heart dancing with victory. But banishment wasn’t enough. Ella was still a threat. She was too resilient, too stubborn. If she survived as a rogue... if she found her way back...
No. Lila couldn’t take that risk.
She reached the servants’ quarters, her eyes narrowing as she found who she was looking for. A man stood in the shadows, his body tense, his eyes dark and calculating. A rogue she had secretly recruited long ago, loyal only to her.
“She’s been banished,” Lila said, her voice low and cold. “But I want her dead. Make sure she never comes back.”
The rogue nodded, a cruel smile spreading across his face. “Consider it done.”
Lila’s lips curled into a satisfied smirk. “And make it look like an accident. I don’t want any suspicions.”
The rogue chuckled, his eyes gleaming. “Oh, don’t worry. She’ll just be another rogue lost to the wilderness.”
Lila’s heart raced with anticipation. Soon, Ella would be nothing more than a memory.
And Kaden would be hers....
****
Ella staggered through the forest, her body weak, her vision blurred. She was starving, her limbs trembling as she forced herself to keep moving. Her ribs ached from the beating, her face swollen and bruised. Every step was agony, but she couldn’t stop. If she stopped, she would die.
The world spun around her, the trees twisting and warping as darkness closed in. She stumbled, her foot catching on a root, sending her crashing to the ground. Pain exploded through her body, her vision flashing white.
She was so tired. So broken. She wanted to give up... to close her eyes and let the darkness take her...
But then she heard footsteps. Low, calculated, rustling through the undergrowth. Her heart skipped, fear tightening her chest as she tried to push herself up. But her body wouldn’t listen, her muscles too weak, too drained.
Laughter echoed through the trees, cold and mocking. Shadows emerged from the darkness, figures moving towards her, their eyes gleaming with malice.
“Well, well... looks like the little rat didn’t make it very far,” one of them sneered, his face twisted with cruelty.
Ella’s heart pounded, her blood running cold. Rogues. She could smell the stench of their unwashed bodies, the metallic scent of blood lingering around them.
But these weren’t just any rogues. They were too organized, too calculated. They were waiting for her... hunting her.
Lila. It had to be Lila....
“You should’ve stayed in the pack, little slave,” another rogue laughed, his eyes dark and hungry. “Now no one will even notice when you disappear.”
Fear flooded Ella’s veins, her body trembling as she tried to crawl away. But they were faster. They grabbed her, their hands rough and merciless as they dragged her up, her body hanging limply between them.
“She’s weak,” one of them sneered, his nose wrinkling in disgust. “Barely any fight left in her.”
“That makes it easier,” the leader grinned, his eyes gleaming. “Kill her and leave her for the vultures. Let the wild take care of the rest.”
They threw her to the ground, their faces blank and merciless as they closed in, their fists and boots raised to strike.
Ella closed her eyes, her heart pounding as she braced herself for the end. But then she heard a low growl, deep and menacing, echoing through the trees.
The rogues froze, their eyes widening with fear. They turned, their bodies tensing as a figure emerged from the shadows, his aura powerful, his eyes burning with fury.
An Alpha. But not just any Alpha. He was taller, stronger, his presence commanding, his power radiating through the air.
Ella’s heart skipped, her breath catching as she looked up at him, her vision blurred. Who... who was he....?
- Writer
