Chapter 30
Astrid's POV
"Oh I will, only on one condition…" Leon's voice dripped with malice, the words hanging in the air like a death sentence.
My heart hammered against my ribs, each beat a painful reminder of Clara's plight. "What condition?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.
Leon's cruel smile widened. "Come to me, Astrid. Come back to me, and I'll let her go. Simple as that."
The words hit me like a physical blow. He wanted me back. He wanted me under his control again. And he was using Clara as bait.
"Don't do it, Astrid," Kaeleen growled, his voice tight with fury. "He's just using her. It's a trap."
I knew he was right. Every instinct screamed at me to run, to fight, to do anything but surrender to Leon's demands. But I couldn't ignore the desperation in Clara's eyes, the silent plea for help.
"I know it's a trap," I said, my voice trembling. "But I can't…I can't let her get hurt because of me."
Rebecca, who had been silent until now, suddenly exploded. She threw open the car door and stormed towards Leon, her eyes blazing with anger.
"Go fuck yourself, Leon!" she screamed, her voice echoing through the clearing. "Do whatever you want with her! She's not worth Astrid's life!"
Leon simply laughed, a cold, heartless sound that sent shivers down my spine. He tightened his grip on Clara's throat, his fingers digging into her skin. Clara gasped for air, her face turning a horrifying shade of purple.
A wave of nausea washed over me. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. All I could see was Clara's suffering.
And then, I saw the look on Clara's face.
It wasn't just fear. It was desperation. It was the same look she had worn so many years ago, when we were children, playing by the river.
I remembered the day so vividly. We were splashing around in the shallow water, laughing and giggling, when Clara suddenly slipped and fell into a deep pool. She couldn't swim.
I watched in horror as she struggled, her arms flailing wildly, her head bobbing beneath the surface. I was too young, too small to help her.
"Astrid! Help me!" she had cried, her voice choked with water. "Please! I don't want to die!"
I had stood frozen on the bank, paralyzed by fear, unable to do anything but watch as my sister fought for her life.
The image of Clara's terrified face, the sound of her desperate cries for help…they were burned into my mind.
And now, that same look was back. The tears streaming down her face, the desperate plea in her eyes…it was all too familiar.
I couldn't let it happen again. I couldn't stand by and watch as Clara suffered.
"Astrid, no!" Kaeleen shouted, his voice breaking through my daze. "It's a trick! Don't do it!"
I turned to him, my eyes filled with tears. "I know," I said, my voice choking with emotion. "I know it's a trick. But I can't…I can't let her suffer because of me. I can't."
I took a step forward, my legs trembling, my heart pounding in my chest.
"Stop!" I shouted, my voice ringing through the clearing. "Leon, stop! I'll come to you. Just let her go!"
Leon's smile widened, his eyes gleaming with triumph. "That's what I wanted to hear," he said, his voice smooth as silk. "Come here, Astrid. Come to my side, and I'll release her. I promise."
Kaeleen's voice broke, filled with pain. "Astrid, please! Don't do this! Don't sacrifice yourself for him!"
I turned to him one last time, my eyes filled with love and regret. "Don't worry about me," I said, my voice soft. "I always knew it was too good to be true. I always knew that someone like you…someone like you couldn't possibly belong with someone like me."
I forced a smile, trying to hide the tears that were streaming down my face. "Thank you, Kaeleen," I said. "Thank you for everything…"
"Don't speak like we aren't going to see each other again." Kaeleen said with a shake of his head.
It was a possibility. We both knew it. My going back to Leon would ensure I never saw the light of day anymore but I couldn't risk my sister's life to save mine. To have some semblance of peace. I couldn't do it.
I took a deep breath and turned back to Leon, my heart filled with a mixture of fear and determination.
"Let her go," I said, my voice firm. "And I'll come with you. I promise."
Leon chuckled, a low, throaty sound that sent shivers down my spine. "Not so fast, Astrid," he said. "I'm not stupid. I'm not going to release her until I know you're safely by my side."
He gestured towards me, his eyes never leaving my face. "Come here, Astrid," he said. "Come to me, and I'll let her go. I swear it."
I hesitated for a moment, my mind racing, searching for another way out. But there was none. This was it. This was my only choice.
"You know," Kaeleen began his voice heavy with emotion. "You just have to say the word and we will be rid of him. I can do that for you."
"Is that a threat, alpha of Emerald Glade Pack?" Leon asked him coldly.
Kaeleen met his gaze with a look that could freeze rivers. "Do you consider it so?"
Leon laughed. "I'd think you'd be wiser than that. To threaten me in my own land."
Immediately Leon said those words, I noticed the shift in the environment. We were surrounded. He had come prepared. Kaeleen growled low in his throat at the perceived threat but even if he was the best warrior to ever exist, he couldn't win against this multitude of people.
"Kaeleen…"
"Is this woman worth sacrificing everything you've built on.?" Ln asked him with a cruel smirk.
Kaeleen locked eyes with mine. I knew deep down what his answer would be. Those expressive green eyes locked on mine.
"Yes."
"Then don't be offended, okay?" Leon said as he signaled his men to attack.
"Wait!" I screamed.
"What is it?" Leon asked.
"Call your men off. There is no need to fight. I'll come with you. I'll do whatever you want." I said to Leon.
"Astrid…" Kaeleen began but I shook my head.
"I'm not going to let you sacrifice yourself for me." I told him.
He tried to argue but I gave him my back. I took a deep breath and started walking towards Leon, my legs feeling like lead. Each step was a betrayal, a surrender to the darkness that had haunted me for so long.
As I drew closer, I could see the triumph in Leon's eyes, the satisfaction of knowing that he had won. He had broken me. He had brought me back under his control.
I stopped a few feet away from him, my body trembling, my heart pounding in my chest.
"Let her go, Leon," I said, my voice barely audible. "I'm here. Now let her go."
Leon's smile widened, his eyes gleaming with a cruel delight. He tightened his grip on Clara's throat, his fingers digging even deeper into her skin.
"Not yet, Astrid," he said, his voice a low growl. "Not until I'm sure you're not going to run away."
He reached out and grabbed my arm, his fingers digging into my flesh. He pulled me towards him, his grip like a vise.
"Welcome back, Astrid," he whispered in my ear, his breath hot and foul. "You're mine now. And you're never leaving me again, especially not to meet some idiot who can't control himself."