Contractually Yours Alpha (Riley)

Chapter Two Hundred and Sixten

Chapter Two Hundred and Sixteen.

"It's not much, but it should do," Ash said, referring to the worn-out dark red car. I didn't care what vehicle we used, as long as it got us out of the city.

I opened the door and slid into the shotgun seat. Ash walked around the car and took the driver's seat. The car was big enough to comfortably fit five people.

Ash reversed and then drove through the busy city streets. I couldn't help but worry what if the spell had worn off?

By the time we reached the city gates, I was beside myself with anxiety.

"Aliyah, the only reason we'd get caught is if you make it look too suspicious," he warned, and I tried to calm him.

We stopped in front of the soldiers. There hadn't been this many the last time Daemon and I left this place.. Perhaps security had been tightened since then-it made sense, but as of now, it wasn't exactly working in our favor.

A single soldier stepped forward and peered into the car. I kept my hair down, hoping it helped with the disguise. "I'm on an errand for the Empress," Ash said, and I couldn't help but wonder why he had to use that excuse. He could've just said we were travelers or something simpler, something that wouldn't draw as much attention to us. The soldiers gave him another glance before nodding, their expression passive, as though they had done this with him before.

"Who is the girl?" the soldier questioned, and my heart thudded in my chest. I managed to steady myself. If he was asking who I was, then the spell was still very much active.

"I'm Tasha," I said, the first name that came to my mind. I couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt for using the name of the girl who had died because of me.

"She your girl?" the soldier asked, smirking. Ash returned the smirk easily. The soldier patted the roof of the old car before stepping back, allowing us to pass through.

Well, that was weird, but still, we got out, and that's all that matters.noveldrama

"I can't believe this worked!"

Ash smiled. "For a moment there, I worried it wouldn't."

"Now all we have to do is return to Daemon. I'm not sure where the house is, but luckily, you know."

The smile had disappeared from Ash's face.

"We aren't going back there."

+

"What? You have to take me back to him right now."

"Are you even listening to yourself? I got you out of there, and I'm not planning on taking you back."

There was a long-stretched silence.

"What do you mean by 'you got me out of there?"

I thought back to Julia's visit. Daemon, who was hardly ever caught off guard, had been genuinely surprised that she had discovered the place. He kept asking her how she found it, but she refused to answer, You'd expect her to brag about it, but she kept the secret to herself. I never bothered to ask how Ash knew I was in Aureonna City. I just assumed he'd found me the same way he discovered I was at Daemon's place. Then I remembered the

Chapter Two Hundred and Sixten

soldiers. He had told them he was on an errand for the Empress, and they had let him through without any questions.

"You told her, didn't you? You told Julia where I was and how to find me."

I waited for him to deny it, but he didn't. He stayed silent, and that made everything so much worse. I had thought I'd finally found a friend-Ash, my wolf friend-but now, it seemed he was no different from the others.

"Stop the car."

"No."

"Stop the car!".

"I can't."

"What do you intend to do? Kidnap me?"

"You can't even see that I'm trying to help."

"Trying to help? Are you crazy? You gave me out to the people who wanted to kill

me, and I'm supposed to be grateful for that?"

"I was going to take you out of there before they hurt you.

"And what if you were too late?"

“Aliyah, I couldn't leave you with him. He was killing you slowly, and you were blind to it.'

"Everyone is full of deceit; everyone is after their own personal gain."

"Hypocritical of you to say that. I'm doing this to keep you away from him, to keep you alive-alive as in body, soul, and mind. You refuse to see that he's no good for you. He chose an object over you. You'll always come second to him, and even with that, you're willing to return to him-the very same man who gave you up so easily."

I couldn't speak; I couldn't say a word because he was right and it hurt. It hurt

knowing that Daemon had given me away so easily.

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