Love In Disguise: Rebirth of the Heiress
Chapter 116

Chapter 116: Chapter 116

Evelyn’s Ward POV

The place stank.

Of sweat. Blood and vomit.

I clutched my bag tight, my hands trembling as I walked through the narrow, dimly lit alleyways of the slums.

Each corner looked the same—dirty brick walls, overflowing trash bins, and shadows that seemed to breathe.

I pulled my hood lower over my head, unsure if I was heading the right way. The directions I’d been given weren’t clear, and every step I took felt like I was being watched.

Sweat beads were forming at the back of my head as my eyes moved from left to right.

Oh God. Please protect me.

I paused at a corner, squinting down the street.

This had to be the place. There were no other houses apart from bent light poles.

It’s crazy how death was literally happening in this city and here I was in an alleyway at night.

But I couldn’t see any signs, no indication that I was anywhere close to where I needed to be.

Just more shadows, and the stench.

God, the smell.

My stomach churned, but I kept walking, telling myself I didn’t have a choice.

Then I saw it—an old metal door, half-hidden behind a stack of rotting crates. I stopped, my hand hovering over the rusted handle, doubt creeping in.

Could this really be the place? It didn’t look like much of anything.

"Looking for something?"

I jumped in fear. I spun around. A woman stood there, leaning casually against the wall. She was dressed in dark clothes, her eyes sharp and amused as she watched me. Her appearance was clean, too clean for a place like this.

"I, uh..." I cleared my throat. "I’m not sure if I’m in the right place for the darkbringer society."

The woman smirked, pushing herself off the wall. "You’re close enough. This door leads where you want to go."

I hesitated, glancing back at the door that looks as if a simple wind would rip it off. "It doesn’t look... safe."

"It’s not," she said with a grin, "but that’s what you signed up for, right?"

I didn’t answer. My heart was hammering against my ribs, but I couldn’t turn back now. So, I reached out, gripped the handle, and pulled. The door creaked open, revealing a dark, narrow staircase. My breath caught in my throat.

"Go on," the woman said from behind me. "I’ll show you the way."

"How do I know you are not a serial killer?"

She chuckled, "I work here love. The receptionist. We talked on the phone."

"Oh. Oh I didn’t even recognize the voice. Sorry."

I have her a small smile before forcing my feet forward. The air grew colder as I descended, each step down feeling like I was plunging into something far deeper than I could handle.

At the bottom of the stairs was a cranky elevator, its doors rusted and barely holding together.

The woman stepped in front of me and pressed the button. "You scared?"

"No," I lied, gripping my bag even tighter.

She chuckled. "That’s cute. Don’t worry, it gets worse."

The doors clanged open, and we stepped inside.

The elevator groaned as it lurched downward, rattling so hard I thought it might fall apart.

I stayed silent, my pulse thudding in my ears.

Why was I doing this? My fingers itched to hit the emergency button and leave, but I couldn’t.

I was already too deep.

When the elevator finally came to a stop, the doors slid open to reveal a large, dimly lit space.

It was worse than I imagined.

The room was cold, industrial, with metal cages lining the walls. Inside each cage were werewolves, gnashing their teeth.

The stench of blood and sweat was stronger here, almost suffocating.

"This way," the woman said, walking ahead.

I followed her through the maze of cages, keeping my gaze down. I didn’t want to look too closely at the wolves trapped inside, but their growls and snarls filled the space, making it impossible to ignore them.

"Not what you expected?" the woman asked, glancing over her shoulder.

I swallowed hard. "No. It’s... worse."

She smirked. "They usually are."

We walked past more cages, each one worse than the last. The wolves inside were emaciated, covered in scars, their eyes hollow with years of brutality. I could feel their desperation, their anger.

If given a chance they would be ready to tear all of us apart.

We humans had done them the worse.

Every instinct screamed at me to leave.

But then we stopped.

In the far corner of the room, chained and motionless, was the biggest werewolf I’d ever seen. He was enormous, his black fur matted with dirt and blood, his body rippling with muscle beneath the dirt.

Scars criss crossed his skin. But he wasn’t like the others. He was still, silent.

The only thing speaking were those amber eyes of his that felt as if he was looking into my soul.

I stared at him, unable to look away. "Who... who is that?"

The woman’s smirk widened. "That one? He’s special. Been in his wolf form for the last four years. He hasn’t shifted back since his last fight."

"Four years?" I couldn’t hide the surprise in my voice. "He’s been like this... all that time?"

She nodded. "Hasn’t spoken, hasn’t shifted. Just... that." She gestured at his chained form.

"Why?" I asked, taking a step closer. "Why hasn’t he shifted back?"

"He fought a battle that almost killed him," she explained. "After that, he just stayed like this. Stubborn bastard." Her voice dropped a little, almost like she had some respect for him. "And he hasn’t lost a fight since. But he’s dangerous. Did he peak your interest?"

"Yeah..."

I looked at him, my throat dry. He was enormous. Taking him home seemed ridiculous, but something about him... It wasn’t just his size. There was something in his stillness that unnerved me. His amber eyes dull were fixed on the floor

"He’s... big," I said, almost to myself. "How am I supposed to take him home?"

The woman shrugged. "That’s on you. But he’s what you want if you’re looking for real protection. Bite force, speed, strength... all A+." She pulled out a device and tapped through some data. "But he’s got a few weaknesses. Doesn’t like confined spaces or electricity. Guess they beat him with it enough that he’s learned to fear it."

My hand trembled slightly. "And... if he attacks me?"

She gave a casual shrug. "We’ve got muzzles and shock collars if you’re that worried." Her eyes gleamed with amusement. "But from what I’ve seen, he won’t touch you unless you give him a reason."

I hesitated, staring at him again. Could I really take him? This beast? He could kill me in an instant if he wanted to. But I needed him. I needed someone strong enough to keep the world at bay.

"I’ll take him," I said before I could second-guess myself.

The woman raised an eyebrow. "Brave choice."

She pulled out a set of keys and walked over to the cage, unlocking the door with a metallic click. The sound made me flinch, and I realized I was holding my breath. Slowly, the woman approached him, attaching chains to his restraints. He didn’t move, didn’t flinch.

"He’s been conditioned for this," she said as she finished securing him. "You might want to stay back."

I nodded, but I couldn’t stop staring. He was so still, so quiet, yet I could feel the raw power simmering just beneath the surface. She tugged at the chains, and he finally stood, towering over both of us. His size was even more intimidating now that he was upright.

She glanced at me. "Touch him. He needs to know you’re in control."

My hand shook as I reached out. His fur was coarse beneath my fingers, and just as I started to pull away, he flinched violently. A low growl rumbled from his chest, his amber eyes snapping up to meet mine.

I froze, my heart pounding in my chest.

The woman smirked again. "He doesn’t like being touched. You’ll get used to it."

His eyes locked onto mine, a warning flashing in their depths. I took a step back, my pulse racing. He might be chained, but it was clear who the real threat was here. For a moment, I thought he might lunge at me, but instead, he just stood there, his growl fading into silence.

I swallowed hard. "Let’s... just get him out of here."

2- A dangerous Question

"Home, sweet home," I said, stepping inside and flicking the lights on. The apartment was small, but it was mine.

Cozy, lived-in, with books and papers scattered across the coffee table. I turned back toward Lyall, who was still in his wolf form, standing just inside the door, watching me with those same intense eyes.

"You’ll get used to it," I muttered, mostly to myself. His size was overwhelming, especially in my cramped space.

He barely fit through the door, and now he was just standing there, taking up the entire entryway.

I sighed, trying to shake off the unease crawling up my spine. "Well, it’s not much, but it’s better than a cage, right?"

No response.

Of course not.

He just stared, unblinking, silent.