Alpha Kael’s Regret (Lisa) novel Chapter 133

Lisa’s POV_

The tunnel was endless.

My hands scraped against cold stone as I crawled forward. The narrow walls were pressing so tightly against me that I could barely breathe. The beam of the flashlight trembled with every step I took. Dust filled my lungs.

Every sound echoed; the thud of my knees, the faint rush of my breath, the distant dripping of water.

Sierra, I can’t breathe, I whispered in my head.

“Keep going. Follow the air. There is wind here. It means that there is a way out.”

Her voice steadied me even when my body trembled. I focused on that faint current brushing against my cheek. I moved toward it. Sometimes, I had to crawl on my stomach, pulling myself through gaps so narrow my ribs scraped the walls. My heart thundered every time I thought the tunnel might close on me forever.

The flashlight flickered. I hit it against my palm, praying it wouldn’t die now. Darkness here felt alive. It was whispering and reaching out for me.

“I won’t die here,” I muttered, my voice cracking. “I won’t let Fenric win.”

After what felt like hours, the tunnel widened slightly. I stumbled forward, knees shaking, and then, there was a shimmer of faint silver light ahead.

“Moonlight,” I breathed. “Sierra, we found it.”

“Hurry, Lisa. We need to get out before anyone notices.”

The tunnel sloped upward. I pushed through roots and damp soil until my fingers met cool air. I shoved harder, and finally, the earth gave way. I tumbled out into the open.

The night air hit my face like a blessing.

I gasped. The forest surrounded me. There were tall, dark trees and the faint rustle of leaves. I could smell smoke and hear distant chanting carried on the wind. I pushed myself up, brushing dirt and blood from my hands.

Thorns clung to my borrowed body. Branches had torn my sleeves, leaving small scratches across Katherine’s pale skin. But I didn’t care. I was free.

Or so I thought.

Because the moment I turned my head, I froze.

—

There were lights in the distance torches burning bright near the Shadowrune border. Shadows moved between them. Voices rose. They were deep, commanding and angry.

I crept closer, staying low, my heart thudding in my ears.

And then I saw them.

Kael, Rylan and Morana. Their warriors lined up, tense and ready for battle. And across from them, there was an army of warlocks and witches. Their eyes were glowing with magic.

But it wasn’t just them.

Standing calmly at their side, draped in white, was me.

My breath caught. I stared in disbelief. My body, my face, my hair, stood beside the warlocks like one of them. My heart twisted painfully.

“No,” I whispered. “That’s… that’s my body.”

“Katherine,” Sierra’s voice was sharp. ” She is inside your body. She has taken control.”

I felt the blood drain from my face. “So that’s why I’m here. Fenric used me as a vessel… just to let her bring my body to him.”

Below, the voices grew louder.

“You’re not crossing this border with her!” Rylan’s voice thundered across the clearing.

Kael’s wolf aura was rising. It was visible even from here. There was golden power crackling around him. “You step one inch further,” he growled, “and you won’t live to regret it.”

The warlocks only smirked. One of them raised his staff. There was dark light swirling at his fingertips. “We don’t need to cross, Alpha. The girl comes with us willingly.”

My body smiled. But it wasn’t my smile. It was cruel and confident. The kind that made the world feel colder.

“That’s not you, Lisa. Don’t look.”

But I couldn’t look away. My chest felt like it was breaking open.

I wanted to scream. To tell them that it wasn’t me. That I was right here, trapped inside the wrong skin.

Kael took a step forward, his fury blazing. “Give her back to us.”

Morana stepped up beside him. Her magic was glowing faintly blue. “You can’t control her forever,” she warned. “Whatever spell you’ve used…it won’t last.”

The warlock smiled darkly. “Long enough.”

A sharp hum of power filled the air. The witches began to chant. The trees shook. They were whispering with strange energy.

I saw Rylan’s hands clench at his sides. His wolf was barely restrained.

My heart broke watching him; the way his jaw tightened and the pain flickering behind his eyes. He didn’t know. He didn’t know that I was still fighting to reach him.

And then I made a decision.

If I stayed hidden, they would all die.

“Stop!” I shouted.

My voice tore through the chaos, echoing across the forest.

Everything froze. The chanting stopped. Even the flames flickered weaker for a heartbeat.

Every eye turned toward me.

I stepped out from behind the thorny bushes. My clothes were torn and my hair was tangled and full of dirt. My knees almost gave out under the weight of their stares.

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