Rejected and Claimed by her Alpha Triplets-Chapter 297 - bring them

297

~Damon’s POV

I took a deep breath, forcing myself to speak. "You know..." I began softly, breaking the silence, "Lisa was actually a nice person."

My voice came out rough, like it had been trapped in my throat all day.

Kael turned his head slightly, his face pale, eyes tired. Rowan was lying on the next bed, his arm bandaged, his breathing uneven. Neither of them said anything, so I continued, my gaze fixed on the dimly burning fire.

"Lisa really was," I said again, almost to myself. "You never gave her a chance. We just assumed she didn’t belong here, treated her like she was trash."

Kael sighed quietly. His lips twitched, but he said nothing.

I let out a shaky laugh. "Funny, isn’t it? We thought she was weak. But she stood her ground against us, even when we were cruel to her. She still showed kindness."

Rowan slowly opened his eyes and turned his head toward me. His expression was sad. "Damon..." he said softly. "Don’t."

"Don’t what?" I asked.

"Don’t talk like that," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "You’re making it worse."

"I’m just saying the truth," I muttered.

Kael groaned a little, clutching his chest. "I miss her too," he said quietly. "I didn’t think I would, but... I do."

I swallowed hard and nodded. "Yeah," I murmured. "I miss her too."

Silence fell again, heavier this time. The kind that made you remember things you tried to forget.

Lisa’s laughter echoed faintly in my memory, soft, sincere, the way it always carried warmth even when we were cold to her.

"She was different," I said after a moment. "She looked at us and didn’t see monsters... she saw men who were hurting. And instead of running, she stayed."

Kael exhaled deeply, his jaw tightening. "And we pushed her away."

Rowan turned his face toward the ceiling. "We didn’t just push her away, Kael. We broke her."

"Yeah," I muttered. "We did."

No one spoke after that. The silence swallowed us whole. Each of us was lost in our guilt, our memories. The air felt thick with regret.

I lay back down, but sleep didn’t come easily. My mind kept replaying her face, her eyes, the way they glowed with quiet strength, even when she was hurting.

I didn’t realize when my eyes closed at last. Maybe exhaustion had finally pulled me under.

When I woke up, the morning sun was just peeking through the cracks in the window. My whole body felt heavy, as if I’d been crushed by stones. Pain throbbed in my ribs, and I groaned softly.

I turned my head to the side, Kael and Rowan were still lying there. But something wasn’t right. Kael’s breathing was shallow, his lips pale. Rowan was drenched in sweat, his face twisted in pain.

"Hey," I said, my voice rising with panic. "Kael! Rowan!"

Kael opened his eyes slightly, struggling to speak. "It... hurts," he whispered.

My heart pounded. "Hold on!" I shouted toward the door. "Someone get the healer! Now!"

Within seconds, two healers rushed in carrying bowls of glowing herbs and water. One knelt beside Rowan, placing a damp cloth on his forehead, while the other checked Kael’s pulse.

"What’s happening to them?" I demanded, my voice trembling despite myself.

The older healer glanced at me grimly. "It’s the mate bond, Your Majesty" he said. "It’s unstable. Their strength is being drained."

I frowned.

"The pain is worse because they are hurt as well and it will slow down their healing process," he said, his tone firm. "The energy is turning inward, eating at them."

My stomach dropped. "So what do we do?"

He shook his head slowly. "There’s nothing we can do right now than to get Lady Lisa."

"What do you mean, nothing?" I snapped, my voice breaking. "You’re the healer, damn it! You’re supposed to fix this!"

He looked at me with pity. "Only she can balance it now. You know that only the mate can heal what’s tearing them apart."

I froze. The words echoed inside my head.

I exhaled slowly. "I have no idea where Lisa is," I said finally, my voice low but firm.

Kael looked at me immediately. "What do you mean you have no idea? You sent men after her!"

"I did," I replied, my tone tight with frustration. "The search team is still out there. I’ve sent more than twenty of our best trackers, but none of them have found her yet."

Rowan sighed, dragging his hand across his face. "It’s been days, Damon. Days. How far could she have gone?"

"I don’t know," I muttered. "And that’s what scares me."

The door creaked open suddenly, breaking the tension. Hald, stepped in, bowing deeply before us. His armor was dusty, his expression grim.

"My Lords," he greeted.

I straightened. "Hald. Speak."

He looked up. "We’ve managed to locate Fridolf’s hideout."

We were tensed immediately. Rowan pushed himself up a little despite the pain. "You found it?"

"Yes," Hald said. "It was deep in the northern woods, hidden behind the old ruins."

Kael’s eyes darkened. "And? Did you get him?"

Hald hesitated, lowering his gaze. "We managed to arrest most of his men. They’re being held in the dungeon now. But..."

My jaw tightened. "But what?"

"We lost Fridolf," Hald admitted quietly. "He wasn’t there when we arrived. He must’ve fled before we got to him."

A deadly silence filled the room. I stood up slowly, my aura shifting, dark, heavy, and dangerous.

"You lost him?" my voice was calm, but the rage underneath was unmistakable.

Hald immediately knelt. "Forgive me, Alpha. We tried. We followed his trail for hours, but he vanished into the woods. It was like he disappeared into thin air."

Kael gritted his teeth. "And Belinda?"

Hald shook his head. "She’s gone too, my Lord. We found traces of her scent, but it led nowhere. It’s possible she escaped with him."

Rowan’s hands clenched into fists. "Unbelievable."

I turned my back to them, pacing slowly. My wounds still ached, but my fury burned stronger. "He should’ve been dead by now," he muttered. "We had him cornered... how did he slip away?"

"No one knows," Hald said softly. "But we’ve secured the hideout. There were documents and maps scattered around. We believe he was planning something."

"Bring everything you found to the war room," I ordered coldly. "I’ll go through it myself."

"Yes, Alpha."

Kael’s breathing grew heavier. "Fridolf is a coward, but he’s dangerous. If he’s alive, he’ll come back."

Rowan nodded grimly. "And Belinda... she’s just as cunning. The two of them together will be trouble."

I turned sharply to Hald, my eyes burning. "Listen to me carefully," I said in a deep, commanding tone. "I don’t care how long it takes or how far he’s gone, I want Fridolf found."

"Yes, my Lord," Hald said quickly.

"And Belinda too," Kael added, his voice sharp despite the pain. "Don’t let her slip away again."

"Find them both," Rowan said firmly. "And when you do... bring them to us alive."