<b>Chapter </b><b>52</b>
The first rays of dawn filter through the trees, I can hear the birds chirping and feel the warmth of the sun on my face as I slowly blink my eyes open, my body still heavy with <b>sleep</b>. As I stretch my limbs, I can feel the rough texture of the ground beneath me, reminding me of its stiffness.
As I listen, I can hear Axton’s purposeful movements and the urgency in his voice as he instructs his pack to quickly pack up and prepare for departure. I take a moment to observe him, captivated by how the sunlight highlights the curves and angles of his face<b>, </b>creating a soft, radiant aura around him.
While considering whether to join the others, my attention is abruptly drawn to someone crouching in front of me. I look up, startled, and meet Nadia’s gáze. Her expression is unreadable, leaving me curious and intrigued. Furrowing my brows<b>, </b>I try to make sense of the situation.
“What do you want?”
I ask, my voiceing out sharper than intended.
With a prating gaze, Nadia takes her time before responding, studying me closely. Her voice finally breaks the silence, a low and deliberate tone thatmands attention. She asks, her words cutting through the silence and leaving an ufortable tension in the air.
“At what point did you begin sleeping with the Alpha of ckacre?”N?velDrama.Org: text ? owner.
My heart races, skipping a beat, as my stomach churns with unease. The direct question caught me off guard<b>, </b>especially since it came from Nadia. I wasn’t expecting it at all. Searching for the right words to say, I feel a sense of urgency to articte <b>my </b>thoughts clearly.
“Stay out of it.”
I watch as Nadia’s eyes narrow, her face a canvas of skepticism, as she carefully considers my words. With a bitter edge to her voice, she retorts, leaving no room for doubt.
“Are you two friends? Usually friends don’t sleep together, you know.”
The more Nadia probes me about my rtionship with Axton, the stronger my frustration bes, simmering just below the surface. It’s <b>as </b>if she’s deliberately picking at an old wound, reopening it and adding insult to injury with each probing question. It’s puzzling how she’s suddenly interested in who I’m sleeping with, considering how little she cared about me in the past.
“Why does it even matter?” My frustration was evident <b>as </b>I demanded, my volca filled with annoyance. “You never gave a crap about me before, so why are you suddenly so obsessed with me fucking him?”
Nadia remains silent for a moment, her attention focused on the ground as she hunts for the appropriate words. As the silence lingers between us, my frustration grows stronger, and I can feel my patience slipping away. Dusting myself off, I can feel the roughness of the ground’s dirt and dust against my palms. Anger and indignation surge through me, causing my hands to clench into light lists at my sides and my heart to thump loudly in my chest. A bitter chuckle escapes my lips, the sound <bced </b>with a bitter irony that hangs in the air.
“You know what<b>, </b>Nadia?” With a re, I start speaking, my voiceced with sarcasm. With a slow and deliberate movement, Nadia raises her head, locking her gaze with mine, her smile forced and tightly controlled. “It’s none of your business, so stay out of it. That’s what I n to do.”
Nadia’s eyes flick up to meet mine again, and I notice the glimmer of curiosity in her gaze. I hold my breath, expecting her to remain silent, but she surprises me by speaking up, her voice calm yet unwavering
“Back then, Maya,” She spoke with a monotone voice, but the depth of emotion in her eyes was profound. “You got me involved when <b>you </b>started sleeping with Zeke. What’s different now?”
I can’t find the right words to express myself. Of course, <b>Nadia </b><b>is </b>right, I did make it her business when I got involved with Zeke, but that <b>was </b><b>because </b>she was my best friend. I couldn’t keep any secrets from her. I pour out my heart to her, sharing <b>every </b>detail, and in return, she opens up and shares her own story,
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Chapter <b>52</b>
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Back in the past, that’s exactly who we were. She knew every little detail about me, just as I knew every little detail about her. Well, not really everything. because then I couldn’t tell you the precise time she started staking her im on my mate. She knew about that too, that he was my mate, and then she selfishly stole him for herself.
The tension between Nadia and me continues to simmer, threatening to boil over at any moment, when Axel approaches us with a few sticks of rabbit meat in her hand, the crackling sound of the fire adding to the atmosphere. Amidst the brewing storm between Nadia and me, her
needed respite.
“Leave Maya alone,” Her voice firm, Axel says with a touch of annoyance. “It’s too early to be bitching like this right now.”
presence is a much-
With an unreadable expression, Nadia steals a quick nce at Axel before finally giving in and stepping back. With a weary sigh, she mustered the strength to stand up, her arms reaching high above her <b>head </b>in a much–needed stretch. The way she performed it with such grace only entuated my own inclegance.
“Fine,” Her voice, filled with boredom, wasced with mutters as she absentmindedly stared at her nails and flipped her hair back. “In any case, I was in the midst of gathering some data. It is possible that this could be something worth bringing to Zeke’s attention once we return.”
prevent the situation from escting, She had the skewers <b>raised</b>, ready to strike
ly intervene to prov Axel’s eyes burn with anger at Nadia’s words, but I swiftly Nadia, but I intervened just in time by grabbing her wrist.
“It’s okay, Avel,” I say, forcing a calm tone into my voice. “Just ignore her.”
I catch Axel’s worried expression as she nces at me, her eyes filled with doubt, but she eventually gives a reluctant nod of eptance.
“I don’t like her,” she mutters under his breath, her tone filled with disdain. “She’s a bitch.”
I couldn’t help but release a bitterugh in response to Axel’s straightforward evaluation of Nadia, She had a knack for bypassing all the unnecessary chatter and getting straight to the heart of the matter. Her words may have been harsh, but there was an undeniable warmth in <b>her </b>eyes as she handed me a portion of the rabbit meat.
“Help yourself to breakfast. Just caught this fresh hunt an hour ago.”
The meat was handed to me, and I epted it with gratitude. My stomach growled hungrily, eager for nourishment. As soon as I catch a whiff of the cooked rabbit, my taste budse <b>alive </b>and my mouth starts to water. With each mouthful of the meat, an explosion of vors fills my senses, leaving <b>a </bforting and savory taste on my tongue.
After finishing thest morsel of rabbit meat, I notice Axel’s curious expression directed towards me. Filled with genuine interest, her voice carries the question she asks.
“So… How <b>does </b>it taste?”
“It’s amazing,” I couldn’t help but reply, my lips curling into a slight smile. After wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, I break the stick in half and tuck both pieces i
sinto my pocket, making a mental note to throw them awayter. “Thank you for sharing it with me.”
Despite Axel’s nod in response, a palpable restlessness lingers, as if she were <b>a </b><b>trapped </b>creature yearning to be set free. With a restless sway, transfers her weight from one foot to the other, her <b>eyes </b>darting around the campsite as if on a mission to find something specific.
Following a brief pause, Axel’s voice fills the air once more, this time with a hushed and contemtive tone.
she
“Come on, don’t <b>ignore </b>Nadia and let her have her way.” Her voice filled with weariness, she tells ne slowly and deliberately, letting each word sink in With a disapproving shake of her head, she <b>crosses </b>her arms tightly over her chest and shrugs her shoulders indifferently. “That’s why she’s acting like aplete bitch. She’s constantly stepping on you<b>, </b>like you’re just a doormat. You gotta confront her at some point. <b>I </b>know you can do it, <b>Maya</b><b>.</b>”
I feel a heavy weight on my shoulders, as if her words have transformed <b>into </b><b>a </b><b>physical </b>presence, crushing any glimmer of hope. After everything <b>we </b>went through as friends, standing up to Nadia plow feels like an insurmountable challenge. Confronting people you’ve known since childhood can be quite challenging, Confronting others is a challenge, and Nadia has always been the more vocal one between us, her voice growing louder in such
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Chapter <b>52</b>
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“I know,” Frustration seeps into my voice as I reply to the situation at hand. “But sometimes it’s just simpler to leave things alone, you know? I don’t want to cause more trouble than there already is.”
I notice Axel’s nod ofprehension, but I can’t help but detect a subtle hint of disappointment in her eyes. In her eyes, I should be stronger, to assert myself when confronted with difficulties, yet there are moments when it seems like an unattainable goal.
“I get it,” As she speaks, her voice softens, <b>conveying </b>her genuine empathy. She sighs and offers me aforting squeeze on the shoulder, gesturing towards her brother with a nod of understanding “But don’t let her push you around, Maya. You deserve better than that. You better pack up too, I’m gonna give my brother a hand before he gets all worn out from all that talking and running around.”
I mustered a feeble smile in response to Axel’s words.
“Thanks, Axel,” Saying thank you, I extend my hand and give hers a grateful squeeze. “I’ll try to be stranger next time.”
Axel’s smile doesn’t quite reach her eyes<b>, </b>as if there is something weighing on her mind. She squeezes my hand back, her grip firm and reassuring
“Maya, you are already a force to be reckoned with. I just think you have a hidden strength that you underestimate.”
The crackling sound of the dying embers fills the air as I sit by the campfire, the weight of Axel’s words pressing on my thoughts, leaving me lost in contemtion. In theory, standing up for myself seems effortless, but in reality<b>, </b>it’s a much moreplex task. Confronting someone can be challenging, especially when that person was once a dear friend.
Memories flood my mind of the days when Nadia and I were innocent children, joyfully running around the pack territory without any worries. Nadia was apletely different person back thenpared to who she is now. Her kindness andpassion were unmatched, making her someone I held dear, like a sister. We were like two peas in a pod, always causing trouble together, inseparable in our mischievous adventures.
But somewhere along the way, things changed.
She stole my mate. Over time, she became distant, her warmth fading away, reced by an icy coldness. She began to treat me with a distant coldness, as if I were an unwee burden she had no choice but to endure. I can’t pinpoint what caused this sudden change in her attitude, but the confusion and pain it has caused me are undeniable.
The question lingers in my mind: Will I <b>ever </b>unravel the mystery of what <b>caused </b>our rtionship to falter? A curiosity burns within me, craving answers and a deeper understanding of how Nadia has transformed into the person she is <b>today</b><b>. </b>But another part of me is hesitant to uncover what I might find, fearing that the truth will only widen the divide between us.
With closed eyes, I attempt to block out the swirling memories and doubts that gue my mind. Try as I might, I cannot shake them off. They remain, guing me like apparitions from a distant time.
“Chestnut?”
Axton’s voice breaks the silence, causing me to jump and bringing <b>me </b>back to reality. I meet his gaze, seeing the worry reflected in his eyes.
“Are you okay?”
I force a smile, but the tension in my muscles betrays the inner turmoil I’m trying to hide.