Transmigrated: The Lycan King's Pet
Chapter 68 Who Hurt You?!

Chapter 68: Chapter 68 Who Hurt You?!

The silence stretched. Lydia slowly lifted her face, and even without her saying anything yet, I knew something was about to snap. Her voice came out quieter than usual, but it didn’t shake.

"It was me," she said, her eyes locked on Damon’s feet. "I gave Ember the cloak."

My heart stilled from fear, it was true they had given me the cloak. But they did this because of me, because they cared for me. My breath hitched.

Damon’s gaze sharpened. "And where did you get a witch’s cloak from?" His tone dropped an octave, so low it nearly echoed off the stone walls. Even Alaric stiffened beside him.

Lydia’s lips trembled. She didn’t speak. Couldn’t. Her silence screamed louder than any confession.

I looked at her, panic rising in my chest. ’No, no, no... this is getting out of hand. I need to do something about it.’

Damon took a slow step forward. "Answer me, Lydia. Where did you get it?"

Still, she said nothing. Her shoulders shook as her head dropped, and tears slipped down her cheeks, landing on the cold ground beneath her knees. She knew. She knew the weight of what she’d just confessed. Possessing anything related to witches in the Bloodshade Pack... was treason. Death wasn’t even the worst part of the punishment.

Just as Damon’s eyes began to shift—his calm cracking like thin glass under pressure—Caroline’s voice rang out.

"It was mine!" she cried, crawling forward despite the fear written all over her face. "The cloak was mine! I bought it. I... I had a connection with the witches. Lydia had nothing to do with it. Ember didn’t even know."

I stared at her, stunned. Caroline... no... my heart sank in my chest. My hands trembled beside me, my shoulders slouched forward from the pain.

"No!" Lydia suddenly shouted, crawling beside her. "She’s lying! It was me! Caroline’s innocent..."

Damon’s entire body went rigid. His hands curled into fists by his sides, claws ripping through the tips of his fingers. His chest rose with uneven breaths. His black eyes turned grey.

Fur bristled underneath his skin, pressing against his veins. His bones cracked faintly as his wolf stirred beneath the surface, unable to stay buried under his fury.

"You think this is a joke?" he snarled. "How dare both of you confess to witch dealings in my territory?"

The air turned cold and oppressive, making us bare our neck in submission. Caroline and Lydia whimpered, their neck bowing so low that it almost touched the ground.

I watched Alaric from the corner of my eyes. He stood still, his eyes shut tightly, as if he already knew how this would end. Like he’d seen this before. Like he had witnessed Damon lose control in the worst way.

My heart twisted painfully. Lydia. Caroline. I couldn’t let this happen.

Before I could stop myself, my legs moved on their own. With the last strength in my battered body, I threw myself in front of them. My knees hit the ground hard, the pain flaring up my spine, but I didn’t care. I spread my arms protectively, shielding both girls behind me.

"That’s enough," I breathed out. "If you’re going to hurt someone... then hurt me."

Damon’s eyes widened. His jaw clenched, the grey in his eyes swirling like a mist. "Get out of the way," he growled.

"No," I said, my voice shaking but firm. "They were trying to protect me. That’s all they did."

"You’re protecting traitors," he said, voice laced with venom.

"And what if I am?" I shot back, even though my legs were giving way and my vision was darkening around the edges. "They’re my people. I won’t let you harm them."

Something inside him snapped.With a low snarl, Damon reached forward and yanked off the cloak that still clung to my body. The fabric tore at the shoulders, falling limp like a defeated banner.

Then the scent hit him. My scent, and the smell of blood.

His breath caught at the sight of the gruesome gruesome claw marks on my back. The wound was fresh and still gushing with blood.

His gaze swept over me, freezing on the dark stain spreading across the back of my dress, soaking into the fabric like wine poured over white linen. His face changed. The anger remained—but now it twisted into something else. A cruel blend of confusion and... fear?

"What the hell..." His voice dropped, a whisper laced with disbelief.

He moved closer without thinking, his hand reaching out to touch the edge of the wound. His fingertips hovered over the bloodstained cloth, but he didn’t make contact.

"You’re bleeding?" he asked, his voice almost too quiet.

I didn’t answer. My body was starting to tremble from the loss of blood. My head had begun to swim. I wasn’t sure how long I had left before I collapsed.

Damon’s eyes burned brighter. "Who did this to you?"

Silence.

"Ember!" he barked this time, stepping forward, his hands clenched into fists again, but not from rage. From something I couldn’t explain. "Who hurt you?!" He demanded.

"I don’t know," I whispered, even though I did. Even though I could still see Allison’s eyes right before she launched herself at me.

"Don’t lie to me." His voice was darker now, laced with something I couldn’t fully name.

"I’m not lying," I mumbled. "Please... just let Caroline and Lydia go. I’ll take the punishment. I was the one who ran off. I was the one who wore the cloak. I was the one who disobeyed you."

He looked at me as if he didn’t recognize me for a second.

Alaric finally stepped forward, but even he didn’t speak. His expression was tight, his hands twitching slightly by his sides.

The corridor had fallen into dead silence. Even the torches seemed to dim, as if holding their breath.

"I SAID, WHO HURT YOU?!" His voice thundered through the cells, before a menacing growl followed. His eyes turned to a silvery grey. His nose flared.